Antietam 17th September 1862

[santifernandez]

Wonderful job, this must be painstaking work but really rewarding.
Santi.

[Graeme]

My favourite property developer, it's great that we get to see this project rise out of the ground.

I could have missed it, but did you tell what you used for the corn?

I believe Chris said he used Erica, a heathland plant often found in crosswords:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erica

If I remember correctly Chris tried a few other things for corn before he found an Erica bush in the garden. That may have been at Quatre Bras.

[C M Dodson]

Thank you everyone for their kind comments.

The corn is made by TASMA reference 00680.

Best wishes,

Chris

[Susofrick]

This is so great to follow! And since I have met some Erika(s) I hope he doesn't use them too harshly.

[C M Dodson]

I have been sculpting the Mumma and Miller farms.

I found a superb resource of pictures taken some twenty years after the battle by brothers T D and Walter Biscoe.

https://antietamscornfield.com/2018/04/ ... ld-biscoe/






Whilst there have been some changes the ground etc are essentially the same as September 1862, tremendous stuff.

The Mumma farm lies in a hollow which while difficult to represent in scale I have achieved by lowering the barns height a little.





The straw stubble is cocoa mat fibre torn and chopped.

Looking South towards the Mumma farm from the cornfield, across the harvested wheat field.



The view towards the Dunker church from the Smoketown road.



The Miller farm from the direction of the East wood.



I have a lot of fiddling to do but the project seems to be coming together at last.

Chris

[Peter]

Again some fantastic groundwork Chris!

PS: do you really have to give the groundwork water?

[C M Dodson]

Thank you Peter.

Yes the sand is watered to allow sculpting to take place.

As it dries it maintains its form.

Sandcastles and beach art spring to mind.

Best wishes,

Chris

[Captain Sibourne]

Fascinating to follow developments!

[Egbert]

Very nice groundwerk Chris.
The images of the landscape seem extremely convincing to me.
With the first picture I thought for a moment that it was an original recording ...
very well done.

[Susofrick]

Really looking great! Well, it has from the start, but it looks greater ...

[Minuteman]

Thank you Peter.

Yes the sand is watered to allow sculpting to take place.

As it dries it maintains its form.

Sandcastles and beach art spring to mind.

Best wishes,

Chris

Great groundwork and scenery, this is all most impressive. Well done!

I know little about using sand tables, but I can see the value of using them, in particular to create contours. I recall a very old Donald Featherstone wargaming book in which he used a sand-table, and (I believe) used some sort of water-based dye/tempera to colour the surface. I believe also that in days of old ie: 1950s/60s/70s sand-tables were also used at the RMA Sandhurst for 'wargaming' purposes; that is, in the days of Brigadier Peter Young and Co.

Presumably a good solid table is required to take that weight !!

[C M Dodson]

Hello Mr. M.

Yes, you are correct in what you say.

Hero’s of my youth, both of them.

My garage is well suited to Load bearing and my wooden, made for purpose, constructed by myself table serves me well.

Far better than the mashed up set of patio tables I used as a base for Waterloo many years ago.

Best wishes,

Chris

[MABO]

I am also impressed by the quality of the photos. And also the groundwork looks almost real. Nothing new to say but I would like to add my applause again.

[C M Dodson]

Swift flowing waters.

The name Antietam means swift flowing waters and co incidently I found a link, somewhat late in the day as sculpting is well progressed that is most informative.

Lots of information here including topography, streams and soil types. I has started to fill the ploughed fields with microwaved soil but realised that this would look strange with sand coloured roads etc.

http://npshistory.com/publications/anti ... 11-413.pdf

However, the Hagerstown pike area is indeed a darker soil type so that’s where it will go. A bit over the top but why not?

Streams.



Heights



Soil types




In the meantime I have been completing the sunken road, Piper cornfield and orchard along with the Roulette farm.

View towards the sunken lane.



Sunken lane looking north.



Clip house, the girls are out for stroll.



Mr Roulettes bee hives and Mumma stream.



The 132 Pennsylvania regiment suffered here in the original action when a Confederate shell disturbed the bees causing them to swarm.

The Roulette farm under construction.



The trial photos are a brilliant way to discover errant fencing etc.

Off to the West woods I think next which will start to key things together a little.

Lots to do.

Chris

[Rich W]

Shaping up wonderfully!

[Egbert]

Strong pictures from a even more strongfully projekt.
Fantastic Chris!

[C M Dodson]

The middle Bridge and Newcomer house.

I have now sorted out the Middle bridge area with its grist and saw mills.





The Newcomer house is in position and the Boonsborough Pike is taking shape on its long sweep towards Sharpsburg.

The Mill wheels will sit in their plastic water filled bath for filming purposes as it saves me chopping the wheels in half.

The mill race was designed to divert the flow to the wheels and survived an attempted demolition by Union troops who had hoped to lower the water level further down the creek.



I have started the West wood with the Dunker church taking pride of place on it’s little eminence.



I have noticed some fences need telling off and straightening up. The camera sees all.

Progressing nicely.

Chris

[Minuteman]

More very fine work, the mills and stream look most convincing.

[santifernandez]

Great job,fantastic recreation of reality.
Santi.

[Egbert]

Dear Chris...
your work is a so wonderful show and absolut impressive.
Fantastic new pictures!