Joan of Arc monument in Philadelphia

Category: Battlefield Tips

  • Need to Plan a Battle? Why not RISK Pieces?

    Need to Plan a Battle? Why not RISK Pieces?

    A few months ago, I was toying with different methods to depict battles for people. I arranged RISK pieces on a map of Harpers Ferry to depict Stonewall’s capture of the city (1862). It was a laborious task and I determined that while it looked neat, the effort was not worth it. Yet, I am…

  • Battlefield Tip: Customize Your Maps

    Those I drag to battlefields will recall my continuous map checks, which start off with me yelling “Map Check!” each time we get out of the car. I unfold my Trailhead Graphics map and throw it on the hood. From there, I talk about where we were, where we are, and what happened on the…

  • Battlefield Tip: Bring Photos

    Last summer, I needed an extra set of visuals for friends, as I dragged them to Gettysburg, mentioned 20 different names they never heard before, and then spent the rest of the trip reminding them why each name was important. Civil War enthusiasts tend to know many of the generals down to the corps level,…

  • Stonewall’s Siege of Harpers Ferry as Told by RISK

    Stonewall’s Siege of Harpers Ferry as Told by RISK

    I am always searching for different way to communicate battle actions to friends and family when I take them on tours. Naturally, using RISK pieces to indicate the troop positions during the Siege of Harpers Ferry (September 12-15, 1862) seemed like a good idea. I used the TrailHead Graphics’ Across the Potomac map and based…