Generals Bios Project

Call for Volunteers! This sub-forum is devoted to our ongoing project of researching and
writing brief biographical sketches of all 1000 Civil War generals, each
of whom has a chance of appearing when one plays "Forge of Freedom."
Players are invited to participate in providing info for these bios, which will be added to the game by means of patches, as they are
written.

Moderator: Gil R.

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Gil R.
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RE: Generals Bios Project (yes, it's time) (finally)

Post by Gil R. »

Good question -- I meant to say.

This isn't school, so I'm not giving hard deadlines. As the completion dates of patches approach, I'll always let all of you know, in the hope that you can make a push to get stuff ready in time.

There is, of course, no release date for our first patch (since there's no release date set for the game itself), but it probably will be out by sometime in mid-January, I should think. That said, since right now everyone has just five, it would be good to get those done well before -- perhaps after Thanksgiving? As I get the first five from each of you, I'll assign a larger batch, so everyone will have a different timeframe. But it would be good to get those samples sooner. So, I guess I'm saying that people should take at most 2-3 weeks for the first five, but then would have 4-6 weeks on their next assignments. (Of course, if I assign you 25 or 50 there's no reason to deliver them all at the same time: instead, turn them in as you finish them, so that the rest of us can give feedback.)

Also, I should point out that if people wait too long to turn in their initial five they risk missing out on getting to write up the big-name generals. So that's incentive.

Overall, then, there is no fixed deadline, but it would be good to show regular progress by turning in bios as you finish them. (Disclaimer: If I assign someone a batch of generals and then he seems to disappear, I'll make an effort to reach him, but reserve the right to reassign generals if I see the need to do so.)
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RE: Generals Bios Project (yes, it's time) (finally)

Post by Gil R. »

Another thing -- I've asked for a new sub-forum to be created so that we can work on this project. Instead of the wiki system we were considering, I think it should work well enough if every time someone has new bios done he creates a new thread in the subforum so that we can all see them, give suggestions, etc.

If you finish before the sub-forum is created, you can always create a new thread here, and I'll have it moved to the sub-forum when the time comes.

Always name your threads by providing the names of all of the generals whose bios are in them, and try not to have more than five per thread, since it will become unwieldy to discuss dozens in the same thread.
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RE: Generals Bios Project (yes, it's time) (finally)

Post by AU Tiger_MatrixForum »

Could I add a general to my list? I am doing B's as it is, and I would LOVE to do Nathaniel Banks!
"Never take counsel of your fears."

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RE: Generals Bios Project (yes, it's time) (finally)

Post by Gil R. »

ORIGINAL: AU Tiger

Could I add a general to my list? I am doing B's as it is, and I would LOVE to do Nathaniel Banks!


Banks is assigned to ross_ntu. Perhaps you two can trade, or I can bribe ross_ntu with the offer of someone who's of interest to him (other than the biggest names, whom I'm not yet ready to reassign or assign).
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RE: Generals Bios Project (yes, it's time) (finally)

Post by scout1 »

Gil,

Need to say thanks. The research done has been quite interesting in of itself. Looking forward to other "non demi-god" generals. I have lots to learn.

Now relative to the "upcoming" sub forum. Are you wanting the bio's deposited within this with a thread per bio ?
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RE: Generals Bios Project (yes, it's time) (finally)

Post by Gil R. »

ORIGINAL: scout1

Gil,

Need to say thanks. The research done has been quite interesting in of itself. Looking forward to other "non demi-god" generals. I have lots to learn.

Now relative to the "upcoming" sub forum. Are you wanting the bio's deposited within this with a thread per bio ?

A thread per bio would be too cumbersome. I think that the minor guys can be grouped together, perhaps five per thread, while the major guys probably each deserve their own thread.
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RE: Generals Bios Project (yes, it's time) (finally)

Post by scout1 »

So you want us to go ahead and post when ready ?
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RE: Generals Bios Project (yes, it's time) (finally)

Post by Gil R. »

Sure. It's probably best to create a new thread, which can then be moved when the sub-forum appears.
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RE: Generals Bios Project (yes, it's time) (finally)

Post by AU Tiger_MatrixForum »

ORIGINAL: Gil R.
ORIGINAL: AU Tiger

Could I add a general to my list? I am doing B's as it is, and I would LOVE to do Nathaniel Banks!


Banks is assigned to ross_ntu. Perhaps you two can trade, or I can bribe ross_ntu with the offer of someone who's of interest to him (other than the biggest names, whom I'm not yet ready to reassign or assign).

Don't worry about it then. I just hope he includes Banks' nickname given to him by Jackson's troops - "Commissary Banks" due to the large quantities of supplies captured from him on multiple occasions. <g>
"Never take counsel of your fears."

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RE: Generals Bios Project (yes, it's time) (finally)

Post by Gil R. »

Funny. I've never read that.

This is a perfect example of why it's good for everyone to post their bios for communal feedback -- if ross_ntu were to leave out that detail, you could then suggest adding it, and the final bio would be that much better.
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RE: Generals Bios Project (yes, it's time) (finally)

Post by AU Tiger_MatrixForum »

I think I read that in Foote's trilogy, but it may have been in one of the other zillion and a half books I've read on the war.

I am so chock full of trivia on the war that my girlfriend brings earplugs on roadtrips now. I will see a sign for some obscure little Southern town, and WHAMMO! I remember some equally obscure event that occured there, but have no idea where it came from, and of course I can't refrain from telling her ALL about it.

I almost feel sorry for her sometimes....


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RE: Generals Bios Project (yes, it's time) (finally)

Post by scout1 »

Gil,

Regarding the highest rank achieved. Are you wanted the brevetted rank for their regular rank. It appears alot of them got brevetted ranks right at the end of the war, at least for the Yankees ....
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RE: Generals Bios Project (yes, it's time) (finally)

Post by Gil R. »

I'd say use your judgment. If a guy was promoted a day after Lee surrendered, we might want to give his rank from the day before. The main thing to avoid is calling someone a major general because they retired as one in 1887, whereas in 1865 they were still just a brigadier general.
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RE: Generals Bios Project (yes, it's time) (finally)

Post by RERomine »

ORIGINAL: Twotribes

Having trouble with the Andersons. Other than the "Civil War Generals" series I cant figure out a good search pattern to find these men with just the first intial of the name.

I of course have several Libraries near by, but I dont get out much and the best one is on the Marine Corps Base and my sticker is expired, I would have to renew it to go there.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Hopefully this helps.

Anderson, George Burgwyn
Anderson, George Thomas
Anderson, James Patton
Anderson, Joseph Reid
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RE: Generals Bios Project (yes, it's time) (finally)

Post by migoodman »

Hi Gil,
I was away and didn't see your "call to arms" before today. Please sign me up for about 5 bios, and as I mentioned some time ago, the more obscure the better (I like challenges!) I'll do my best...

Michael
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Gil R.
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RE: Generals Bios Project (yes, it's time) (finally)

Post by Gil R. »

ORIGINAL: migoodman

Hi Gil,
I was away and didn't see your "call to arms" before today. Please sign me up for about 5 bios, and as I mentioned some time ago, the more obscure the better (I like challenges!) I'll do my best...

Michael
michael@wakerobin.net

Excellent, thanks. For now, I'm still assigning generals alphabetically, but I don't recognize these names, so they probably fit your criteria:

Bartlett,_W.F.
Barton,_S.M.
Bate,_W.B.
Baxter,_H.
Bayard,_G.D.
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RE: Generals Bios Project (yes, it's time) (finally)

Post by migoodman »


[/quote]

Excellent, thanks. For now, I'm still assigning generals alphabetically, but I don't recognize these names, so they probably fit your criteria:

Bartlett,_W.F.
Barton,_S.M.
Bate,_W.B.
Baxter,_H.
Bayard,_G.D.

[/quote]


Thanks, Gil. I'll get to work this weekend.

Michael
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RE: Generals Bios Project (yes, it's time) (finally)

Post by migoodman »

ORIGINAL: Gil R.
ORIGINAL: migoodman

Hi Gil,
I was away and didn't see your "call to arms" before today. Please sign me up for about 5 bios, and as I mentioned some time ago, the more obscure the better (I like challenges!) I'll do my best...

Michael
michael@wakerobin.net

Excellent, thanks. For now, I'm still assigning generals alphabetically, but I don't recognize these names, so they probably fit your criteria:

Bartlett,_W.F.
Barton,_S.M.
Bate,_W.B.
Baxter,_H.
Bayard,_G.D.

Hi Gil,
I should be able to "deliver" these bios later today or tomorrow. Where and how should I do this?
Thanks
Michael
michael@wakerobin.net
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Gil R.
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RE: Generals Bios Project (yes, it's time) (finally)

Post by Gil R. »

Since Matrix hasn't created a subforum for generals' bios yet, you can post a thread here, and that thread can later be moved.

We should probably standardize the way of naming these threads, perhaps using first initial and last name: "U.S. Grant - R.E. Lee - B. Bragg".
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RE: Generals Bios Project (yes, it's time) (finally)

Post by Gil R. »

As one of you pointed out to me, many Union generals received promotions at the very end of the war, even in the immediate aftermath of surrender. I think that we should be providing the high rank the general achieved as a result of the war, even if that promotion came just after the surrender. Does anyone strongly believe we should instead stick with the highest rank generals had while campaigning?
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