American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC)

In accordance with:3.3.4.3 CAMPAIGNING Once the candidates for any election are determined, each shall be simultaneously provided with a campaign post thread in the proper forum. For all elections this shall be done by the current Club President in the Mason Dixon Tavern.

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General Ernie Sands
President ACWGC -Sept 2015- Dec 2020
7th Brigade, 1st Division, XVI Corps, AoT
ACWGC Records Site Admin

"If you do not know where you are going, any road will take you there."

Many of the new members may not know me as I just returned from two years on the Reserve/Retired list. I am or was an electronics tech, I retired in 2016 after 36 years with US Steel. I live about 15 miles south of Pittsburgh, Pa with my wife who's put up with me and my wargaming ways for 45 years now.

I started playing war games in high school about the same time I got interested in the ACW. Played many of the AH and SPI games in the early days and got into computers in their infancy in the late 70's seeing my first computer war-game demonstrated at an Origins Convention in New York in 1977 run on an Atari 800 computer. Within a year I had purchased my first computer and started my move to computer wargames. I still play the occasional boardgame and play several miniature systems on a regular basis with a local group I belong to here in Pittsburgh.

I started playing the Battleground games on my pc when they first came out and eventually I would own the entire set of nine Battleground games. I discovered pbem gaming and the ACWGC in late 1999, about the time my daughter decided boys were more fun than spending time with dad so I had plenty of time to devote to the new side of my hobby. I won't bore you with the history of my time in the club. Anyone who is interested can check out my personal tent at
http://thealleghenyblues.com/
You'll find my complete record there.

The short version is I have held every position from Brigade to Army CO in the AotS and served as Army CO of the AotP for a brief period at the request of the Union Commanding General at that time and as CoS there for 7 years. I spent 8 years at the Union Academy as an Instructor and trained 40 cadets some of whom left before making Captain while others would go on to lead Corps and Armies.
Familiar with several other programming languages I was introduced to html code and webpage work through my exposure in the club. In addition to my own site and those of the AotS and AotP when I commanded them I did some work on the UA Awards site and created the ACWCO Engineering Site for the ACWGC. I have also done several pages for tournaments and the two Tessier MP games I ran and am currently working with Gen. David Mallory on a third Tessier MP game.

For me the ACWGC has always been different from many of the other clubs and ladder sites out there. I have been involved in other clubs/sites for playing other era wargames although I never got involved in any of them as I did here at the ACWGC. I don't believe any of them have the kind of support for new players that I've seen this club provide.

This having to campaign is something new for me. From the time Gen. Sean Reynolds asked me to form up and command the 3/XIX in August 2000 I have filled many positions in the ACWGC often being asked because no one was available to take the job. I'm glad to see that Brig. Gen. Scott Eichelberger has also stepped up and offered his services as UA Cabinet Secretary. The members will get the chance to weigh the two of us and pick the one they feel most comfortable about having in the position.

As to my plans for working in the Cabinet, I admit I don't have any yet. If elected I will be more than willing to listen to recommendations from the other Cabinet members and the members themselves. I learned a long time ago I don't know it all and no matter how much more about something I know than the next guy odds are he can teach me something I don't know.

If you have any questions for me feel free to post them here or email them to me through the Forum.

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Gen. Ken Miller



The McKeesport Union Guard

3/1/II
AotP

Officers of the Union Military Group, ACWGC!

Two members of the ACWGC come to mind when I think about who may have the most intuitive, comprehensive understanding and grasp of these wonderful simulations that we all play. One of them is a member of the Confederate Military Group, the other of the Union Military Group. They are Kennon Whitehead and Kenneth Miller! One need only search the Mason Dixon Tavern for the wealth of information produced by these two individuals. And General Miller has decided for the first time in his club career to run for a seat in the Cabinet as a Union Army Secretary!

That’s not to say that this is the first taste of administrative experience that Ken has ever had . . . far from it! As his record of service shows he has been an accomplished AC for two, different field armies as well as an excellent CoS. I know, because I was the CoA who asked him to serve in one of those AC roles and in the AotP CoS role, in which he performed very excellently. You don’t get to be an AC without having at least a minimum of “people skills,” and you cannot serve capably and intelligently as a CoS unless you have a good understanding of what is required as an AC! Ken has plenty of each.

Moreover, he’s a listener, a good listener. I found that out when, as the serving CoA/GinC, I invited him to become a member of the Union Army Command Staff’s Advisory Group. This was/is a selected, cross section group of UA veterans, who had demonstrated their devotion to the welfare of the club, to serve as advisors to the serving UMG Command Staff (the CoA/GinC, the two UA Secretaries, the UA CoS, the UMA Superintendent, the two TC’s and four AC’s). As an advisor Ken Miller immediately and enthusiastically answered the call to each conference held and proceeded to establish his place as one who listened very carefully to the matter at hand, asked a number of pointed questions, mulled the issues over in his mind and then, very characteristically, gave his opinion and vote. On a number of such occasions he was open enough to admit that his negative first impressions had been suitably corrected, especially in matters involving the general welfare of the UMG and the club. I will also tell you that he was not at all hesitant to oppose a measure if he thought it foolish or ill-planned; but he did so with tact and without unnecessary defamation. In all respects he conducted himself in a respectful and gracious manner.

It is that particular quality, coupled with his incredible record of voluntary contributions and services, leavened with his 19 years of active gaming, that so strongly suggests that he be accorded by your vote the Union Army Secretarial Cabinet seat now vacated by General Danner. I cannot help but to deliberately and strongly endorse his candidacy, taking pride in my nomination of him for this Cabinet service.

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General Jos. C. Meyer, ACWGC
Union Army Chief of Staff
Commander, Army of the Shenandoah
Commander, Army of the Tennessee
(2011-2014 UA CoA/GinC)