"The Great Redoubt" Issue #8

The Official Journal of JodieCon 2002 Borodino

May 2002

For more information about Borodino 2002, see www.jodiecon.org

Well over half of the player slots are filled for the Borodino Wargame! Go to www.jodiecon.org and send in your form today! Don't miss out on your chance to participate in this historic event!

EDITORIAL #8

Did you know that one of Kutuzov's daughters married a distant relative of the Great Author himself, named M. F. Tolstoy? The Czar's Field Marshall at Borodino married another daughter to Prince Nikolai Kudashev, one of the leading Cossack and partisan commanders during the 1812 campaign. This Grand Old Man, who came to be a national symbol of resistance in Napoleonic Russia, was quite a fascinating character, although not as well known to us today as Napoleon. Physically a huge Russian bear with the fierce facial scars of several wounds, he was actually a calculating intellectual and sensitive spiritual soul, popular with all ranks in the army for his kind attention to their well being. Yet he survived years in the 'wars' of a treacherous court society, where everyone of talent found many enemies and detractors ready to pull him down. Comfortable and entertaining at parties, he kept his true opinions to himself. Like Napoleon, he is shown in paintings to have spent the Borodino battle a bit off to himself, unconcerned at the blood and panic rushing about him, calmly receiving information and giving his orders.

Some say he was a leading military genius, others that he was a dissipated, corrupt old fool. To help you get to know him, I have written below a fictional letter from him to you, based on my research. I hope you enjoy it. But don't take my positive opinion as the only support for his ability--here are a few leading opinions from his contemporaries:

"He was Napoleon's most dangerous enemy."
--Carl Gerd von Clauswitz

"He's crafty, crafty! And shrewd, shrewd! No one can fool him...One gives orders to one, hints to another, but there's no need even to speak to Kutuzov--he understands it all by himself."
--Alexander Suvorov

"A bon vivant--polished,courteous, shrewd as a Greek, naturally intelligent as an Asiatic, and well instructed as a European."
--Sir Robert Wilson, British Military Observer

"He was dilatory, vindictive, and above all artful; the genuine Tartar character! ...exercising the greatest pliability and patience, and displaying the most caressing attention, while preparing the most implacable war...bears the stamp of the ancient Muscovite, an air of nationality, which strongly endears him to the Russians."
--French Staff Briefing To the Emperor

And there you have a few other opinions of the man.

Charley "Kutuzov" Elsden

A LETTER FROM KUTUZOV

My Dearest Friends,

I hope you will indulge me in a moment of reflection, as we approach the great crisis of our times. I write these lines to those I love: family and friends, and to our young men and women who are our future. I ride now once more into danger. But win or lose, I am an old man now, and my time is almost up either way. There you have the truth of it.

The sixty-seven years granted to me so far have gone by in a flash of color and sound. I have lived and loved. Fighting on many, many battlefields has meant for me both opposing and appreciating my enemies, be they Poles, Turks, or the French and their allies. My long career has seen great contrasts of fortune. I have survived plague and serf revolt. Empresses Elizabeth and Catherine have called me friend at court, yet I have spent bitter years exiled to my estates. And I know dark things which have been done at great need for our country, which I can reveal only to God. This knowledge has made me feared and disliked by some of those in the highest positions, even as I was needed by them in times of emergency, of which the current one is only the last of many.

I have seen much. I have discussed weapons and tactics with Frederick the Great, and been the protégé of our own great Suvorov, who died in disfavor, his greatness veiled by those who hated him. I have been shot in the head twice; once leading the infantry assaulting a fortress with the flag in my hand, once in a mad cavalry melee with our elite Guard Chasseurs, while riding against the Turks. I have donned Cossack garb and raided against the dreaded Tartar horsemen. Touring Western Europe seeking medical treatment, I have seen England being brought low by the Fabian tactics of Washington, who they also once called "The Fox." (Of all the names I have been called--not all of them complimentary--my favorite is 'The Fox of the North').

My father, himself a general, was so clever and learned that he was nicknamed "The Wise Book." But it takes time to grow wise. As a brash young man, I was dismissed from one army simply because of my talent for impressions. I did one of my commanding officer at the table, you see, while celebrating being alive with my fellows after a great victory. Because for all those who are entertained by our open behavior, there is always one scoundrel who will report you. I was not so clever by half in those days, eh? Hah.

As a man, I have believed that every soldier should be taught as much practical skill as he can learn, and ignore parade ground nonsense. While the Director of the Cadet School, I tried to give the same to the young officers entrusted to me. Do we not all laugh and weep together? Do we not all end go to the same place in the end?

I have walked the exotic streets of Constantinople as our ambassador there, and ridden my horse straight into the Seraglio of the Sultan himself, just to see the girls! I have bantered with beautiful ladies at opulent court balls. I have turned enemies into friends. And I have buried my only son in his first year of life, smothered accidentally by his nurse. All these things I have seen with my own eyes, and done with my own heart. I would wish your life not to be quite as entertaining as mine has been. But what choice do we have about it?

Good luck to you all, and God's Grace when you most are in need of it.

Your Companion in Hard Times,
Mikhail Larionovich
General Prince Golenshev-Kutuzov
Commanding For His Majesty Alexander
The Czar of All the Russias

TGR INTERVIEW: JODIE PANZERI

(Jodie Panzeri is an upbeat person. Whether taking charge of a major organizational issue, recovering from accident injuries, or helping me figure out how to open a Meal Ready to Eat, she is always smiling and helpful. That's how you usually first meet her---while discussing some single detail--little realizing that she's practically running the whole show! When asked for background information, she replied: "I knew nothing of historical miniatures gaming until I was 16, and a friend took me to Historicon. I stuck with it--working as volunteer staff each time. Now here it is almost 13 years later, and we even make the trip from Korea to not miss conventions!" Recently, she manned the new Game Master's Help Desk or "Beachhead" at Cold Wars, giving the same service to those who needed help.)

TGR: You've been the Logistics Czar of JodieCon for as long as I've been associated with it. In fact, its named after you. Were you there to set up the first one? What was that like?

JP: The idea of a Campaign Weekend had been discussed between Pete (now husband and Convention Director Pete Panzeri) and Fred (Tactical Director Fred Hubig) long before I was on the scene. In 1998, the wheels started turning for real, and planning for the first event was underway. We originally thought we would hold it in Sea Girt, New Jersey, but the West Point Prep School (Ft. Monmouth, NJ) turned out to be exceptionally well suited for our purposes. We threw around a lot of different ideas for names. Honestly, I wasn't sure I wanted to have something named after me at first. It stuck though, and has certainly been a lot of fun along the way!

TGR: Did any other previous life experience help you learn how to run such a complicated mini-convention?

JP: Each event has taught us so much! Each time we sit down afterwards and look at what could have been done better. In the beginning, I remember thinking "This won't be hard at all!" Little did I know how many details there were! The administrative side of the events is always a work in progress.

Administration has always been a love of mine. I've always liked getting into the minutiae--rolling up my sleeves and diving right in. My past job history is primarily focused on management--very hands on--where things didn't get done if I wasn't willing to step up to the plate.

TGR: Can you give us an idea of the many tasks involved from your end? For example, preplanning, preparing the daily schedule of events, registration, food and lodging, individual player packets, badges, and T-Shirts. Then there is contacting special guests, reenactment groups, etc. Anything you'd like to note about these?

JP: Let's put it this way...when you think you have all of your duties written out--and that's quite a list--realize that you have probably only hit half of the things that will need to be handled before, during, and after the event! Thankfully there is always someone willing to pitch in and lend a hand in different areas; but some things can't be handed off.

You might not believe it, but I am a very shy person! Getting up the courage to talk to someone I don't know--dealers, special guests, etc.--is a monumental task for me. I've been so blessed during the events to have people who generally take on that role to do the initial contact. Once the ball is rolling, it's easier for me to slip in and continue the process.

TGR: How is your job different with next year's new format of "MegaJodieCon" for Borodino 2002?

JP: Borodino adds some new flavor to the administrative side of things. I've never had to be in contact with dealers before; other than arranging prizes. This is certainly a new test of organizational skills. We have also tripled the number of player wargame slots, as well as having a separate Napoleonic Conference. Additionally, there will be many side demo games which will need to be organized. Thankfully Kevin Combs has taken over that area of authority, but I will continue to maintain the registration files for Demo GMs.

Since the event will be held in a hotel, there is a whole new set of rules to deal with. Although I initially thought this would make my job easier, actually I think in a lot of ways things became much more difficult. We've never had to deal with Banquet Menus and extensive hotel rules before. It is very difficult to keep things at a reasonable price for the participants while still arranging to have the amount of space we were accustomed to in New Jersey. I do think we have been able to strike a good balance though, as all meals will be included in the registration costs, and we have ample space to house the entire event.

Holding the event on a historic site, we are also able to add in many "extras" that were not possible at our previous location. There are so many things to see and do in the Hampton Roads area--something literally for every member of the family! We will soon have a new page on the JodieCon website listing some of the events in the surrounding areas, so everyone can make Borodino 2002 a family event. Watch for it!

TGR: You maintain several websites--I can never keep them all straight! For example JodieCon, the Command Groups, and what else?

JP: Let's see...there's JodieCon at www.jodiecon.org, which is of course the website for all past and future campaign weekend events. And there is JodiePress International at www.jodiepress.com, which is a non-profit wargame publishing company. Then we have GI (Gamers International) at www.jodiecon.org/gi, which is for all gamers in all countries. We publish a monthly e-newsletter. Anyone who would like to receive it can sign up at http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/GI_Newlsetter/.

These websites would not be possible if it weren't for countless hours of work by JT--John Thomasovich! He has had the patience of a saint while we worked on setting these up; and now he has the always fun task of trying to teach me how to build and maintain the sites!

JT also introduced us to OneList, which became eGroups and then Yahoo! Groups. Once we got a look at what a valuable tool it could be, we have used it for every event since! Currently I am owner or moderator for about 20 groups. Some of the older groups need to be cleaned out and moved to the JodieConVet (JCV) archives, but I am just not sure where the time will come from to do that!

On top of that, add the 7 email addresses I monitor regularly, and you can see I spend many hours a day online!

TGR: Which of those sites are accessible by anyone before or without signing up for Borodino 2002?

JP: All of the websites are available without being signed up for an event. The Yahoo! Groups, GI Newsletter, Borodino 2002, and many old event lists are also unrestricted and available. Non-JodieCon lists that are unrestricted are HOT_GM relating to GameMasters for Origins and GenCon and "NR Playtest" for playtesters of Pete's Napoleon Rules. There is also HMGS-GM YahooGroup run by Pete and Orest Swystun (currently a registered Russian player at Borodino 2002), which is a GM support network discussion/mentoring forum, new this year.

JodieConVet is generally only available to past participants of the events, but exceptions can be made. JodieConGM is designed for use by the JC staffers who run the events. Then there is the Wargamers_ROK YahooGroup for Korean wargaming we have set up since being stationed over here with the army!

The specific Borodino Army Command Groups--B02French and B02Russian--are not available until the fully completed registration is received with payment. Then the player is added to the appropriate list.

And of course, we have the B02Staff YahooGroup as well. :) There has been much planning happening there!

TGR: How did the JodieCon network of people get set up? Did you meet most of the folks who usually serve with you as staff for JC in the gaming hobby?

JP: Usually some poor soul volunteers to help out with some small task, and then they get sucked in and can't get away! Most of the original staffers are people who knew each other through gaming together for years. We picked up some "converts" along the way and met some wonderful people at each event! Different people have volunteered to do different things at different times. From these volunteers, we have gained a reliable group of guys--yes, somehow I am the only returning female--who are great fun to work with!

We are very careful to choose the right staffers for each position. The hours are long, and if the person doesn't have the proper temperament, we could have a tough situation. Through time, we see areas where people excel, and through communication between the JodieCon core--Fred Hubig, Pete and I--and the individual volunteer, we get a very good fit!

TGR: What about JodieCon Publishing? How can people find out about getting wargames rules and other products?

JP: Jodie Press is a non-profit amateur wargame publishing operation. It was formed to promote the hobby of Military Historical Wargaming by helping amateur wargame designers to publish, circulate and otherwise propagate their innovative gaming systems and wargame scenario/data books. Old Glory Inc. and various other distributors help circulate these rules worldwide, as well as through the Jodie Press web site at www.jodiepress.com.

All (limited) proceeds go back to printing and promoting rules as well as supporting the Historical Origins Project and JodieCon--as the registration fees don't always cover all of the costs associated with the events. We "pay" the authors in copies of the rules, which the author may then promote and sell at an agreed price.

JodiePress has recently begun accepting electronic payments via PayPal and Yahoo! PayDirect. This was something that customers had requested and has made it much easier for both sides. Of course, shipping in the US is free for retail orders. Overseas retail orders add $3 per order.

If there is something a customer is looking for that isn't on the website, s/he should please let us know. We do have several projects on the "back burner," and we may have just what s/he is looking for. Contact us at jodiepress@jodiecon.org.

TGR: Is there anything else you want our readers to know?

JP: Borodino 2002 is going to be an event unlike anything you have seen. Even JodieCon veterans will be enjoying things we have never done before! The last great Borodino event was in 1992. Don't miss this one and have to wait another 10 years!

RAMBLINGS IN THE TAVERN; ON JOYOUS NOISE IN OLDEN TIMES

Hail and Well Met, Stranger! Greetings, weary traveler. Put up your feet now for a bit, while the fiddler strikes up a tune for you, and we'll soon have you feeling like one of our own local gang of ne'er-do-wells. Haven't you earned it?

Now what was going on in the young United States while Old Boney was rampaging across Europe? Well, one of the reasons Britain was unable to beat us in the Revolution and in the rematch War of 1812 was that we were only one front of worldwide conflict for her. After the Revolution, American politics divided into Pro-British (Adams) and pro-French (Jefferson) parties. In fact, we almost went to war with the French first, who were treating our neutral commerce as badly as the British. Sure, the French saved our butts, but now they had become RADICALS! Sure, the British were the enemy, but they were also OUR BROTHERS!

A now almost unknown hero of ours in 1812 was Commodore Joshua Barney. This US Navy hero was a swashbuckling legend in his own times. I've always maintained he was the model for "Black Barney the Space Pirate" in the old Buck Rogers comic, and could have been a model too for all the Hornblower type characters. His first amazing feat was taking command of a leaky ship on an Atlantic crossing after her captain had died. As a mere 16 year old Second Mate, he not only brought her through, but entered into a complicated diplomatic dance to get paid for her cargo! By 19 he had made three captures during the Revolution, and been captured and exchanged himself twice--being so kind to prisoners that the British were nice back to him. How civilized, you know! Captured yet again, he escaped prison, lived in London for six weeks, escaped to the Continent, and eventually got home to fight in the Pennsylvania State Navy! What a guy.

Returning to France, a public kiss from Marie Antoinette and private ones from other French ladies occasioned the popular song "Barney, Leave the Girls Alone!" He then brought back Ben Franklin's news that Britain had recognized the US. Disgusted at being listed only Fourth Captain in seniority after one newcomer, he then joined the French Navy, and commanded their Santo Domingo expedition.

Over 50 years old during the new War of 1812, he wasted no time in fitting out a privateer. In 1814, after conducting brilliant naval guerilla warfare up and down the Chesapeake inlets with large US Navy fresh water flotillas, he and his gun crews came ashore and offered some of the main resistance to the advancing British on the field at Bladensburg, forming the center of the US third line with his 12 and 18 pounders, commanding sailors (many of whom were Black) and marines serving as infantry as well. Counterattacking, he pushed the British back hand to hand, crying "Board 'em! Board 'em!" His horse shot out from under him and his mules scattered after an English rocket exploded an ammo chest, he was wounded in the hip and had himself left behind to greet the British with a smile on his lips! British general Ross extended all courtesies to the legendary adventurer, and later gave his own wounded into the lion hearted sailor's charge. Afterward, the triumphing Brits went on to burn Washington D.C. but with the memory of men like Barney as gallant foemen.

Seeing Ft. McHenry last year for the first time made it all real for me. The National Park Service rangers did a great job of storytelling (I'm an old student intern ranger myself--Statue of Liberty National Monument during college). Did you know the Commander was one General Armistead, the father of the man who died reaching the Federal guns--thereby marking the "high tide" of the southern charge at Gettysburg? And if it hadn't been for drawing a 'Storms At Sea" fate card, the Brits might have stormed ashore themselves nearer to Baltimore as well--and captured all the good crabcakes!

There were famous battles on the Great Lakes/Canadian front as well in that war (see the good books by Canadian Pierre Brereton). Of course, the most well known battle today, fought after the war was officially over, was the Battle of New Orleans (BNO) as shown briefly in that great flick "The Buccaneer," with Yul Brynner as Jean LaFitte and Charleton Heston briefly as Andy Jackson. In fact, I've just taken a trip to New Orleans, to check out the old Chalmette battlefield, which is well preserved and interpreted by NPS. There's also the Jackson Barracks Military Museum (for all of Louisiana's wars), where both Lee and Grant served as young officers, and the new D-Day museum. If you're thinking of such a trip, I used--believe it or not--NEW ORLEANS FOR DUMMIES! I also picked up great jazz and Cajun music CDs, of course.

Most of the Brits were Wellington's Peninsula veterans, luckily for us under Packenham instead, who was his brother-in-law and a trusted staff officer. A couple of good books on the very gameable War of 1812 are The Dawn's Early Light by Walter Lord and The Darkest Day: 1814, The Washington-Baltimore Campaign by Charles G. Muller. I also came back with The Battle of New Orleans by Robert V. Remini (who won a National Book Award for a multi-volume biography of Jackson) and Amateurs, To Arms! A Military History of the War of 1812 by John R. Elting (wargamer and Osprey author).

Of course, Johnny Horton in his anachronistic cavalry outfit got us started out musically way back when, but for my Spanish doubloon, the best version of the battle account in song is by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, with their spirited Cajun style rendition of THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS:

In 1814 we took a little trip
Along with Colonel Jackson to the Mighty Mississip
We took a little bacon; we took a little beans
And we fought the Bloody British in the town of New Orleans

Fired our guns and the British kept a-comin'
Wasn't so many as there was a while ago
Fired our guns and they begin to running
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico

We looked down yonder and saw the British come
Must have been a thousand of 'em beatin' on a drum
Stepping so high they made the bugles ring
We stood beside our cotton bales and didn't say a thing

Fired our guns and the British kept a-comin'
Wasn't quite as many as there was a while ago
Fired our guns and they begin to running
Way down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico

Old Jackson said "Boys we can take 'em by surprise
So don't you fire a musket till you look 'em in the eyes"
So we held our fire till they came so close to tell
Then we opened up with squirrel guns and gave 'em--well

Fired our guns and the British kept a-comin'
Weren't so many as there was a while ago
Fired once more and they began to running
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico

Well they ran through the brushes and they ran though the brambles
And they ran though the places where a rabbit wouldn't go
Ran so fast that the hounds couldn't catch 'em
Way down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico

We fired our cannons till the barrels melted down
Then we snatched an alligator and we fought another round
Filled his mouth with cannon balls and powdered his behind
And when we touched the powder off the 'gator blew his mind

Fired our guns and the British kept a-comin'
Wasn't quite as many as there was a while ago
Fired once more and the British started running
Way down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico

New Orleans of course is actually pronounced "NewORlins,"--except when singing songs to rhyme the city with "beans," as above. There's another song that does that too, but I've forgotten which one. Now, the city itself is BELOW water level, like Holland, and you look UP at Old Man River, which is on levees (dikes). So just as San Franciscans talk about "the big one" meaning the earthquake that will come and wipe out the city some day, in New Orleans you see signs that read "Flood Evacuation Route."

Although some think the term 'Dixie' came from surveyor Dixon of the Mason-Dixon Line, a story they tell down in The Big Easy (The New York of the South, you might say--it is and was much larger than Richmond, VA), is that when the old flat boat men finished their long journey, they'd get paid in ten dollar notes called dix (French for 'ten'), so that selling the cargo was known in preACW times as 'going down to Dixies Land.' True? Who knows?

At any rate, may hard times stay away from your door, as the old Stephen Foster song says. It's funny, I was humming that ditty last month or so, having heard it in a Civil War musical context. It came back again while on the History Channel during a biography of Stephen Foster, who knew fame but died in desperate poverty and obscurity. And what song ends up being the theme of Ken Burns interesting special on Mark Twain? Next thing I know, that very tune issued forth yet again from the old TV box for two days, over and over, from that PBS special, echoing the melancholy of the great writer, who also knew his own great ups and downs in worldly fortune! That's how it goes, sometimes...

HARD TIMES COME AGAIN NO MORE

Let us pause in life's pleasures
And count its many tears
While we all sup sorrow with the poor
There's a song that will linger
Forever in our ears
Oh hard times, come again no more

Tis the song, the sigh of the weary
Oh hard times, hard times, come again no more
Many days have you lingered around my cabin door
Oh hard times, come again no more

There's a pale and drooping maiden
Who toils her life away
With a worn heart whose better days are o'er
Oh her voice would be merry
Tis sighing all the day
Oh hard times, come again no more

Tis the song, the sigh of the weary
Oh hard times, hard times, come again no more
Many days have you lingered around my cabin door
Oh hard times come again no more

While we seek such mirth and beauty
And music light and gay
There are frail forms fainting at the door
Oh their voices are silent
Their pleading looks will say
Oh hard times, come again no more

Tis the song, the sigh of the weary
Oh hard times, hard times, come again no more
Many days have you lingered around my cabin door
Oh hard times, come again no more

Tis a cry that is wafted across a troubled wave
Tis a wail that is heard upon the shore
Tis a dirge that is murmured around a moldy grave
Oh hard times come again no more

Tis a song, the sigh of the weary
Oh hard times, hard times, come again no more
Many days have you lingered around my cabin door
Oh hard times, come again no more!

If that one doesn't get to you, then friend, you need another drink. And that's how we go on until all hours, here in the tavern--where we're not afraid of either glory or tears!

SHARPE'S ANSWERS

1. The Needle
2. Hagman, Harper, Harris
3. An Imperial Eagle Standard
4. A stolen portrait of his Colonel's wife
5. Alice Krige (Borg Queen in the movie First Contact)
6. Nun
7. Candide
8. Recruits
9. Prince of Wales' Own
10. Telescope
11. Orphanage
12. Six barreled volley gun
13. Aztec human sacrifice
14. Rifleman Daniel Hagman (the singer)
15. Three
16. Philosopher
17. Picklock
18. She shoots him!
19. Naples
20. "La Garde Recul!" (The Guard Retreats!)

Extra: "Sharp as ever!"

COMING NEXT ISSUE...

• Reports on JodieCon activities at the HMGS "Cold Wars" Convention 2002 held on April 19th--21st in Lancaster, PA. This is one of three annual conventions held in March/April, the others are "Historicon" in July (the Big One) and "Fall In" in the Fall. Send us any material you have on your Jodie Con related experiences there!
• The TGR Interview with Event Director Pete Panzeri!
• Other neat stuff
• Don't forget, you (yes, you) can write for our newsletter. Send submissions to celsden@aol.com. In the paraphrased words of Alfred P. Doolittle: "We're wanting to hear from you, we're waiting to hear from you, we're wishing to hear from you."