Reply To: Rules that offer historically accurate movement rates – are there any?

[ExtraCrispy]

@McLaddie:

In reading up on Gettysburg to work out a scenario I “re-learned” an important truth. Armies learn fast. At Gettysburg there’s a fence every 8 feet (well, it feels that way). Turns out the officers sned out pioneers to break down the fences thus “cutting a path.” They were quite good at it. So by itself a fence is not really a movement impediment in 15-30 minute turns. There are exceptions of course. For example the fences across the pike in the way of Pickett’s charge could not be taken down in advance. And there were much stronger and more substantial than you r average fence around a field. So they were a serious impediment (in my scenario only a handful of fences counted as obstacles, all the rest were just there for “flavor”).

It was suggested you take friends and try to march across a field. You;d make a hash of it sure. But now, spend 3 months practicing. Bring a bugle or a drum. Hang fanions/pennants/flags for guiding the flanks. Ever notice how many men in a battalion had the job of “keep the lads together?” How much effort was done to do just that? So now 3 months later, with a drum, a lot of practice, several NCO types keeping things organized, some pennants as guides, I’d bet you;d cross that field at quite a clip.