For myself, I could go either way on this issue. Perhaps if left unoccupied after the enemy vacated the hex they would generate half VPs unless occupied for full VPs.
On the other hand, if left alone in the middle of a field, they should be considered unowned property. Imagine an abandoned rifle, until picked up, it has no owner.
Imagine for a moment, that the cannon was last occupied by an enemy unit, but that same enemy loses the battle. So though the cannon was occupied by the enemy, that same enemy would have to leave the field because they lost the battle. In the rush to leave the field before the counter-attack, they have no time to round up the additional horses to hitch up the cassions and artillery. So though the cannon wasn't recaptured that same day, they would likely be recovered the next day after the enemy retreated to fight another day.
My point is, it might be reasonable to not give VPs to abandoned artillery because they weren't really captured, just overrun and abandoned.
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by krmiller</i>
<br />All I know is this is a big improvement over the old disappearing guns. No more sending a unit on a suicide mission to capture some guns for vp's since they no longer disappear and can easily be recaptured if you have sufficient strength to do so.
Under the new rule I have had guns captured and have seen them lost when the capturing side has the advantage in the battle and retaken when the losing side has the advantage. Occasionally they have been spiked but I still think that is an improvement and once I spiked my own guns to reduce their value to my opponent since I couldn't get them away.
I'd be willing to go along with having the guns remain the property of the side that last held them but the problem may be that there is no way to do that without allowing them to fire when not manned by infantry. I don't think that would be a good idea and if those are the only choices I'd rather keep it the way it is now.
From my readings I also agree that captured guns were not moved off the field until after the battle was over and then the rebels often traded any newer models for their older small smoothbores and howitzers. The artillery horses were usually the first casualties and as noted by others their loss was often the reason guns were captured so allowing the guns to be moved after capture is not a good idea imo.
Gen. Ken Miller
Army of the Shenandoah
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Capt. Richard Walker
I Corps
Army of the Mississippi
2nd Brigade, 3rd Division
"Defenders of Tennessee"