US435853A - David mccloskey - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

D. MOGLOSKEY.

GAME.

No. 435,853. Patented Sept. 2, 1890.

A TTOHNEYSD UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

DAVID MCCLOSKEY, OF \VILMINGTON, DELAXVARE, ASSIGNOR TO LOUISA C. MCCLOSKEY, OF SAME PLACE.

GAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 435,853, dated September 2, 1890.

Application filed April 23, 1890. $erial No. 349,103. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DAVID MCGLOsKEY, of Wilmington, in the county of New Castle and State of Delaware, have invented an Improvement in Games, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to present an imitation of a skirmish or engagement between opposing armies on a battle-field, the board employed being marked to represent the theater of action.

The invention consists of the game apparatus, as hereinafter morefully described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming-a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both views.

Figure 1 is a diagram of the game-board, showing the private soldiers and officers in position in line of battle for commencing the game; and Fig. 2 illustrates one of the movable p'ieces employed in the game, showing opposite sides of the same.

The game-board is divided transversely by a central space A, representing a river, at the ends of which are spaces B, representing bays, and at each side of the space A is a space C, representing the banks of the river and constituting the two fields of battle of the opposing armies, upon which spaces are delineated inclosures a, spaced equidistant apart, there being forty-eight of such inclosures shown on the drawings, twenty-four on each space 0. These inclosures may be circular in form, as shown, or of any other preferred shape, and are connected by diagonally-ranging lines a.

Centrally between the fields or spaces C are delineated similar inclosures a which may be eight in number, as shown, or their number may be increased, if preferred. Said inclosures a are arranged in alignment with certain of the inclosures in the fields C, are connected by extensions of the lines a on said fields, and represent a main pontonbridge D extending between said fields.

At each side of the representation of the bridge D and at the extremes of the fields C are delineated a series-"three, as shown, or

more, if preferred-of similar inclosures (1 also connected by extensions of adjacent lines a, on the field O, and representing auxiliary ponton-bridges E.

At diagonally-opposite rear corners of the fields Care delineated similar inclosures a, connected by said diagonally-ranginglines a, and representing ponton-bridges F, affording communication with the cities G, constituting the headquarters of the generals of each army. The lines a,above described, represent the paths over which the soldiers and officers are to pass during the progress of the game or battle.

An equal number of piecesP is provided to represent each army, twelve of the same constituting the private soldiers and five of the same the officersnamely, a general, colonel, major, captain, and a press correspondent.

The opposing forces are similarly arranged upon the board when the game or battle commences, in the following order: The general is placed upon the inclosure a at the extreme left of the rear line of the field C, the major is stationed on the inclosure a, next the general, as his aide-de-camp, the press correspondent is stationed on the inclosure next the major, where he may view the field and take notes of the action, and three private soldiers are stationed on the three inclosures a at the right of the press correspondent, and complete the rear file. The captain is stationed on the inclosure a at the extreme right of the second file, and the colonel at the ex treme left of said file, being thus one inclosure in advance of the general to protect him, and four private soldiers stationed between the captain and colonel complete the second file. Three private soldiers are stationed in the third file, and in the fourth line or front are stationed two private soldiers, who are to act as skirmishers and lead the attack.

The game is commenced by each of two players alternately moving apiece forward on the diagonal lines a, one inclosure a at a time, until an open inclosure is presented on said line, whereupon the player having the lead jumps his piece over one or more of the pieces in front of said open inclosure, which disables said pieces, and they are removed from the board. It is to be understood, however, that if the piece moved is one representing a private soldier it must invariably be moved in a forward direction as a private must not retreat, the pieces rep esenting-officers, however, may be moved 1n any direction on the lines a, as will be further explained. If one of the pieces representing a private succeeds in crossing the river A over the bridge D-which is the main center of action-to the opposite field O, it-is reversed on the line at the bank of the river so as to expose the side marked Lieut., which signifies that the private has been promoted to an officer, and the piece can then be moved in any direction and can jump and capture any opposing pieces on any line a of attack or direction of movement to the same extent as the other officers. Such promotion, however, is not made until after said piece has ceased to move. Consequently the piece can- ,not represent an officer until the opposing player has made a move.

The ponton-bridges E particularly are regarded as dangerous and should be used with caution. When a jump carries a private or officer into the river or the bays he is considered as lost, and is removed from the board, all the pieces thus captured going to the credit of the player capturing them.

The duty of the captain is to stand by and protect his men by closing up any gaps in the ranks that would render any of the men liable to capture, and that of the colonel and major is to give their. aid and move whenever and Wherever they can be of service in the field. The general remains at his post and directs the action of the force until the colonel takes the field, whereupon the general retires over the bridge F and takes position on one of the inclosures a and so longas he has a man moving in the field 0 he may capture by a sidejump any of the opposing force who attempts to make an entrance into his headquarters. XVhen his last man on the field is captured, he can still move in the city, but can be easily taken by one man on the other side if the opposing general directs him. officers other than the generals are on terms of equality and have equal power in the field. The press correspondent holds his first position near the general until the force of which he is a part weakens, whereupon he may be moved into the field for the performance of his special duty. He cannot capture any of the opposing pieces or be captured or removed from the board, but can be cornered and held 'tle in its favor.

All the a prisoner by opposing pieces. He can move wherever an opening is presented, one step at a time, and thus prevent any of the pieces on his side from being jumped by closin up the files, and also prevent combinations which would injure his side. It will therefore be apparent that as the press correspondent is enabled to move actively over the field, he is an important aid to the side he is with, and in some instances may turn the tide of the bat- When the pieces are narrowed down to four on either side, including the general, the press correspondents retire to the ponton-bridges E, where they remain until the battle is ended in favor of one side or the other.

The following constitute the main points of the game: The press correspondents are regarded as subordinate only to the generals in efiiciency if rightly manipulated. There is'no necessity for the troops to protect the headquarters, asthe generals are sufficient for that purpose. The men should be pushed forward to attempt the passage of the main pontonbridge as early in the game as possible. The shore-line of the river on either side is the pointwhere promotion begins. The ponton- 'bridges'while available as an avenue of retreat when all is clear ahead of the fleeing force, must be used with caution in advancing on the opposing force. If an opening occurs for a move and jump, the piece to which the opening is presented must be moved or forfeited. When both the press correspondents occupy the ponton-bridges E, no pieces can be moved over said bridges,-and the'press correspondents need seldom be moved when their side is in the ascendency.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The game apparat ushereinbefore described, which consists of'a board having a representation of'a river A between two fields O, a series of inclosures a, arranged on each field O and connectedby diagonallines a, and three other series of inclosures representing ponton-bridges D E E, arranged on the space indicating the said river, representations of cities G, located on opposite sides of the river, and a series of pieces representing officers and privates, said pieces being adapted to be moved on the board, as shown and described.

' DAVID MCCLOSKEY.

\Vitnesses:

RICHARD R. GRIFFITH, JAMES W. GEERY.

IIO

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