Matrix Games Forums

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Good to hear it. As you've already read, I can't focus on this just yet. It looks like the initial release of the game will not have generals' bios, but we'll try to get them into the first patch, ideally within a month or so of release.
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No worries. This is a worthwhile project, and I'm especially proud of y'all that a game developer group would spend this much time working to add chrome to what looks to be an excellent game. SO many times games in general at this level misses out on the opportunity to teach as well as entertain. My hat is off to you and your group sir!

I would like to say that I am happy to see all those pictures of Nathan Bedford Forrest (to include my portrait). After all he is accredited as being one of the most brilliant field commanders during the Civil War. In fact, for years following the war a passage was frequently heard in the South as to why they lost the Civil War: “The South lost because they could not see the Forrest for all the lees." General Forrest’s engagement of Federal troops at Brice's Crossroads on June 10, 1864 is considered by both historians and military leaders to be “the perfect battle” where, against a force over twice the size of his own, he succeeded in crushing his enemies into a confused flight. With that being said, the following cite is perhaps the best historical resource for downloadable photographs of American Civil War Generals organized alphabetically according to Confederate and Union generals.

http://www.generalsandbrevets.com/

As for the biographies, I am willing to assist but, at a minimal, I do think a standardized format should be adopted and followed for consistency.

Gen. John Abercrombie

Gen. Robert Allen

We abbreviate all titles (to save precious, precious space), so it should be "Brig. Gen."

As a combat veteran and an Army officer during both Operation Dessert Storm and Dessert Shield, I would like to make a suggestion concerning military ranks and the use of abbreviations to save program space in the biographies of generals. Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, l think the currently standardized U.S. military rank system used by our armed forces should be used in the game accordingly:

Company Grade Commissioned Officers
• 2LT, 1LT, CPT

Field Grade Commissioned Officers
• MAJ, LTC, COL

General Grade Commissioned Officers
• BG, MG, LTG, GEN ("4 Stars")

STEPHEN AUGUSTA HURLBUT (1815-1882) served in the Seminole War before moving to Illinois in 1845. He became active in Illinois politics and became a presidential elector on the Republican ticket in 1868. At the beginning of the Civil War, Hurlbut was appointed to BG in 1861. He commanded the 4th division and was the first to reach Pittsburg Landing, where his forces held this position for a week alone and isolated. He was promoted to MG for bravery and meritorious service at the battle of Shiloh. After the battle of Corinth in October 1862, he pursued and engaged the defeated Confederates as a corps commander in Sherman's Meridian Expedition in September 1863 toward Mobile. In his final military position, he commanded the Department of the Gulf and served in that capacity for the remainder of the war. In his final years, he served as Ambassador to Peru where he died.

ORIGINAL: dh76513
Gen. John Abercrombie

Hey, Gen Ambercrombie is the 'test guy' that I use to mock up the screens! That very photo, actually.

dh76513,
Thanks for the many suggestions. I hadn't seen that website (mainly because generals were someone else's responsibility), but it looks very useful. I'd welcome having you as part of the biographies team. As you've no doubt read, I'm still devoting all of my time to getting the game itself ready, but in about two weeks I'll have run out of things to do, and hope to turn to this project then. At this point, I think that we have more than enough people who have volunteered that we can be reasonably confident that the project can go forward.

Gil,
It is my pleasure to assist you any way I can. I do enjoy this period of American history and I am certainly looking forward to playing this game. This site contains photographs on all of the 1,008 men who were appointed and/or promoted to the rank of general on both sides during the entire American Civil War. As such, it should make the job of obtaining photographs for each and every general a much easier task.

In face of saving valuable space, I still suggest the U.S. Army standardized abbreviations for General Grade Commissioned Officers as noted below:

BG – Brigadier General (1 Star)

MG – Major General (2 Stars)

LTG – Lieutenant General (3 Stars)

GEN – General (4 Stars)

Furthermore, in the biographies I find it unnecessary to note dates of birth and death as “(b.1811, d.1886).” Instead, written as “(1811–1886)” should suffice.

Finally, as for my assistance on the biographies, just keep me posted and please let me know.

Thanks,

David

GEORGE BLAKE COSBY (1830–1909) graduated from the U. S. Military Academy in 1852 when was commissioned as a 2LT in the Mounted Rifle regiment. In 1855, he was transferred to the Second Cavalry upon its organization where he rose to the rank of CPT. He resigned from the service to enter the Confederacy in 1861. His first position was that of CPT and chief of staff to Gen. S. B. Buckner. After passing through the field grades in 1863, he was commissioned a BG and assigned to the command of a brigade under GEN Van Dorn. After the close of the war he settled in California where he engaged in contracting and eventually served as adjutant during the administration of Governor Stoneman. He subsequently filled both state and federal public positions until his death in Oakland, California.



(Concerning the data on the generals in the game, the biography above might could serve as a potential example as to format, style, and the use of abbreviations)?

ORIGINAL: Gil R.
Everyone knows that West Point is in New York.

Although I've heard of West Point many times, I must admit I had no idea where it was!

Being British, I'm in a minority around here...