Garyius2003
SOC-13
My adventure idea for active duty Marine/army/scouts.
I am reading a multi volume set called United States Marine Corps in the Civil War. I just went back to volume one, the first chapter.
Situation was that a violent anti-slavery activist got shipped a load of some modern breech loading rifles and lots of pikes(!) by supporters. He and small team assaulted the US arms factory and storage area at Harpers Ferry, and defeated the local security. Federal Col Robert Lee (yes, that one) was recalled to active duty from leave and sent to take charge, because the local militia once called up was more interested in getting drunk than assaulting the rebel stronghold where they had forted up in the engine house with hostages.
The rebel leader had an idea that thousands of black slaves would kill their owners and join him to be armed, whence from they would march to freedom as an ad hoc army. That didn’t work out so well. In fact, the first man killed was a free black employee of the railroad who came on the scene checking track, killed by the rebels.
Anyway, the feds had no local troops, so they sent to the Washington Marine barracks for a task force. Besides the commandant, there were three line officers, one of whom was sick. So one officer Lieutenant, one sergeant, and 80 Marines were dispatched. At the last minute the Marine Major Paymaster was sent along to advise the Lt–the major was a staff officer and could not command.
Lots of travel fun and games, and meetings on site, later, and Lee gave the clearance to assault after one last chance for the rebels to give up. JEB Stuart, Lee’s ADC, went up to the door to demand they give up, the rebels refused, and he jumped to the side and waved his hat as a sign for the attack to start.
The Lt had set up his forces with an element with sledges to break in the door, that didn’t work so they switched to a ladder to bash the door.
Once in the house the Lt tried to kill the rebel leader, but the Lt brought his dress sword instead of his combat sword, and it bent on a stab after the first slash.
The rebels got hung.
Make Lee an admiral or imperal legate or ambassador, make the Major Paymaster an MOJ agent or scout admin or Office of Calendar Compliance guy, and make the armory almost anything. Ready made adventure. Since the 3I will have battle dress or combat armor, drop the number of Marines (army/scouts) to the number of PCs, and let the fun begin.
Drunk and rowdy local law, some of whom secretly wish they were with the rebels, and no one willing to directly command, only advise and request. The chance of other locals rising in revolt.
As a side adventure, the rebels had broken into the home of a relative of General Washington and stole his sword and kidnaped the descendent. The relative, during a parly session, demanded that the federal troops assault and kill the rebels even though that would endanger him. Lee remarked that the request proved the Washington blood ran true in the family.
In real life, the rebel leader set the sword aside to reload his rifle during the final attack. Chasing that might be more of an adventure, though.
Good stuff. The more I think about it, the better it looks for a party of 4-6 players.
A side note is that of the federal officers who were at Harpers Ferry, only the Major Paymaster remained in Union service. All the rest resigned and took commissions with the South.
I am reading a multi volume set called United States Marine Corps in the Civil War. I just went back to volume one, the first chapter.
Situation was that a violent anti-slavery activist got shipped a load of some modern breech loading rifles and lots of pikes(!) by supporters. He and small team assaulted the US arms factory and storage area at Harpers Ferry, and defeated the local security. Federal Col Robert Lee (yes, that one) was recalled to active duty from leave and sent to take charge, because the local militia once called up was more interested in getting drunk than assaulting the rebel stronghold where they had forted up in the engine house with hostages.
The rebel leader had an idea that thousands of black slaves would kill their owners and join him to be armed, whence from they would march to freedom as an ad hoc army. That didn’t work out so well. In fact, the first man killed was a free black employee of the railroad who came on the scene checking track, killed by the rebels.
Anyway, the feds had no local troops, so they sent to the Washington Marine barracks for a task force. Besides the commandant, there were three line officers, one of whom was sick. So one officer Lieutenant, one sergeant, and 80 Marines were dispatched. At the last minute the Marine Major Paymaster was sent along to advise the Lt–the major was a staff officer and could not command.
Lots of travel fun and games, and meetings on site, later, and Lee gave the clearance to assault after one last chance for the rebels to give up. JEB Stuart, Lee’s ADC, went up to the door to demand they give up, the rebels refused, and he jumped to the side and waved his hat as a sign for the attack to start.
The Lt had set up his forces with an element with sledges to break in the door, that didn’t work so they switched to a ladder to bash the door.
Once in the house the Lt tried to kill the rebel leader, but the Lt brought his dress sword instead of his combat sword, and it bent on a stab after the first slash.
The rebels got hung.
Make Lee an admiral or imperal legate or ambassador, make the Major Paymaster an MOJ agent or scout admin or Office of Calendar Compliance guy, and make the armory almost anything. Ready made adventure. Since the 3I will have battle dress or combat armor, drop the number of Marines (army/scouts) to the number of PCs, and let the fun begin.
Drunk and rowdy local law, some of whom secretly wish they were with the rebels, and no one willing to directly command, only advise and request. The chance of other locals rising in revolt.
As a side adventure, the rebels had broken into the home of a relative of General Washington and stole his sword and kidnaped the descendent. The relative, during a parly session, demanded that the federal troops assault and kill the rebels even though that would endanger him. Lee remarked that the request proved the Washington blood ran true in the family.
In real life, the rebel leader set the sword aside to reload his rifle during the final attack. Chasing that might be more of an adventure, though.
Good stuff. The more I think about it, the better it looks for a party of 4-6 players.
A side note is that of the federal officers who were at Harpers Ferry, only the Major Paymaster remained in Union service. All the rest resigned and took commissions with the South.
