Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Age of the Big Battalions => Topic started by: CapnJim on May 07, 2022, 02:00:13 AM
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The Confederate general sat upon his horse, on top of the hill above the Union camp that his men had taken from the Yankees.
"Well, I'll be damned if those blue-bellies didn't pick a hell of a day to have learned how to fight", he said to his aide.
He saw the courier riding up the hill from the scene below him, already knowing what he had to report. He had seen what was left of his 2 brigades twice assault those damned Yankees behind that stone wall guarding their precious camp, and twice his boys had been thrown back. Worse, he could see what he figured was the rest of that Yankee division moving down from the north, not 500 yards away.
"Sound the retreat, Captain. Let's get back to yonder crossroads. Tain't no way we can deal with 2 more fresh brigades of those rascals. Let's go." He noticed the couriers heading off to his 2 brigade commanders just as he reined his horse around to go back down to the crossroads. "I best figure out jist exactly how to set up down their somehow".
And that was it for our game today. We could only muster up 2 of us for our weekly game - Gene and I. In a very non-methodical manner, we decided to play 15mm ACW. We randomly (with a little bit of thought) laid out a 6'x4' board - a hill here, a hill there, a couple roads, a small crossroads village, a farm, some woods, some fences and walls, and an encampment. We randomly determined who would play who, and from where they would come. I played the Union, with my camp at the NW corner of the board. Gene played the Confederates, with his troops coming on the south board edge on turn 1. The attached pic shows the field, at the conclusion of hostilities, with key terrain noted.
We decided it would be Virginia in early summer of 1862, then decided on our forces. We also decided to use Gettysburg Soldiers rules. We went with this for our "armies":
Gene's Confederates
Division Commander
2 2-section batteries of smoothbore artillery.
1 cavalry brigade (2 regiments)
2 infantry brigades (4 regiments each)
All units and leaders were average. Infantry were all armed with rifle muskets, and cavalry with shotguns and carbines.
That's a total of 63 infantry stands (3150 men), 12 cavalry stands (600 men), and 4 gun stands (8 guns).
My Yankees
Division Commander
1 3-section battery of rifled artillery.
1 cavalry brigade (2 regiments)
1 infantry brigade (4 regiments)
All units and leaders were average, except that 2 of the infantry regiments were veterans. Infantry were all armed with rifle muskets, and cavalry with carbines.
That's a total of 31 infantry stands (1550 men), 12 cavalry stands (600 men), and 3 gun stands (6 guns).
OK, that's the set-up. I plan to post Part 1 (A Lot of Marching and a Gun Duel) of the AAR tomorrow. Parts 2 (The first Union Defensive Line) and 3 (The Second Union Defensive Line) will follow after that.
Enjoy!
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Okay. Here we go...
Part 1: A Lot of Marching and a Gun Duel
Presumably, you've read the set-up in the first post. We figured the Yanks had pickets out, and saw the Rebs coming up from the south. Thus, they had time to get set up in a defensive position centered on Hilltop B, just south of their camp. The Yankees set up (more or less) in the NW quadrant of the board. The Rebels could come on from Turn 1 on on the south board edge, at their leisure.
And that they did.
The Union troops on Hilltop B could see the Confederates coming up from the south, with their 2 brigades abreast. Their Division commander gave each brigade one of his batteries. The Rebel cavalry brigade came up on their far right, aiming to skirt Hilltop A to its east.
The Union gun battery on Hilltop B brought the leading Reb regiments under fire, causing some casualties straightaway. The Rebs got one battery set up on Hilltop A, and another in the valley southwest of the crossroads. The batteries traded fire, in a classic gun duel. The Confederate battery in the valley lost a couple limbers, while the battery on Hilltop A took crew casualties. For their troubles, the Union battery suffered horse losses (which would prove important later in the fight).
All the while, the Rebel infantry kept moving forward. One brigade moved between the crossroads and Hilltop A, while the other angled northwest, trying to go between the crossroads and a wooded area to the southwest of the crossroads. Two of those regiments' route of march took them through those woods.
The Union Commander had a veteran regiment set on each flank of his line, but he had to do something to keep the Rebs from flanking him from the east. Thus, the Yankee cavalry moved to the farm north of the crossroads, dismounted, and took up positions along a snake-rail fence to cover the Union left flank.
The gun duel continued, both sides giving and getting. And the Rebs kept up their advance. Things would soon get very warm...
To be continued with Part 2: The First Union Defensive Line...
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And on with Part 2 (The First Union Defensive Line)...
The Union commander could see, from his vantage point on Hilltop B, what the Confederates were up to. And he had a decision to make. Well, 2 decisions really. 1. How to slow the Rebs down initially, and 2. When to pull back to a 2nd defensive position. He had sent a courier back to his other 2 brigades to come up as fast as they could, but it would be a fair piece before that would happen. He had to keep the Rebs out of the camp until then.
First things first. He rode over to his infantry brigade commander. They decided to re-order their 4 regiments. They had their reserve regiment move right to cover their far right flank, and had the line of 4 regiments move forward a hundred yards or so. When that was done, he had his cavalry brigade engaged by enemy cavalry and infantry on his left flank, and (left to right), one of their veteran regiments, a Zouave regiment, the other veteran regiment, and an infantry regiment. And his guns were nearby, trading fire with the Rebs' batteries. They were starting to get the short end of that straw, though. He may have to sacrifice them if he can't bring his guns back with him.
As the Confederate infantry infantry came into musketry range, he saw his regiments level their muskets, and deliver sharp, deadly volleys into the gray and butternut ranks. That gave the confederates pause, and a few of their regiments even recoiled some from the Union fire. Hopefully that would buy him some time to make Decision #2.
But, his cavalry was starting to waver. One of his 2 cavalry regiments apparently had had enough, and was out of the fight. His other cavalry regiment was still in the fight, however, and mounted back up, to begin an orderly withdrawal back toward the camp.
The Rebs had numbers on him, though. He couldn't stay here forever. From what he could see, his infantry were giving better that they got, especially his veterans. But his left was in trouble, and his battery up on the hill he was watching things from was gallantly standing their ground, but they were slowly being whittled down. He looked north for signs of his other brigades, when a courier rode up. Good news! They were marching at the double, on their way south.
Good thing. It was getting close to making Decision #2. His rightmost 3 regiments were still in good shape and holding the line. But his cavalry was withdrawing inward on his left, and his leftmost veteran regiment, while valiantly holding their place in the line, was slowly getting ground down. Time was running out - they would have to pull back to defend the camp very soon. Things were coming to a head...
To be continued in Part 3 (The Second Union defensive Line)...
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Well, here we go again. I didn't think I'd have time tonight do do the final chapter, but I do. So here goes...
Part 3: The Second Union Defensive Line
After issuing orders to his brigade commanders, the Confederate Division Commander rode up to near his battery on Hilltop A. He'd be able to see things better from up there. Once there, he could indeed see things unfold in the valley below and on that other hilltop several hundred yards to his northwest. He wasn't sure he really liked what he saw. His men had taken a lot of casualties, and had barely moved those damned Yankees from their positions. Yes, the yanks had taken some casualties, especially that regiment in the field on the other side of the crossroads south of where he was. Those men must be veterans, he thought. They were beat up, but they weren't going anywhere. And he found his battery had men down - quite a few of them, to be sure. And he knew his other battery had a couple caissons destroyed.
The good news was the Yank artillery's fire was beginning to slack off. And his cavalry had finally dislodged those Union cavalrymen on the Yanks' far left. Now maybe his cavalry could get in behind the Yank infantry and get to their camp.
The bad news was he could see dust clouds about a mile north. That could only mean Union reinforcements. His men had better step it out - the Confederates were running out of time.
Then, finally, those blue-bellies began backing up. But they weren't skeddadling. They were retreating in good order. They kept backing up, past their guns - and those Union guns weren't moving. They were gonna die to the last man, it looked like. Well, these Yanks know how to fight for once.
He sent orders down to his brigade commanders urging them to move with all haste toward the enemy camp. And that they did. And the General went with them. And once he got on top of Hilltop B, he didn't like what he saw there, either. Yes, his men had taken the hilltop and with it the Yanks' gun position. But what was left of their cavalry had gotten in his cavalry's way, and slowed them down. His cavalry was not in the Yankees' camp, as he had hoped. Worse, the Yankees had set up their line behind a stout stone wall in front of their camp. Damn them. Damn them all!
He could see those dust clouds getting closer, and he could see the Stars and Stripes at the head of the columns - he figured they were a bit more than a half mile from where he was. Best get at it.
Abd get at it his men did. Twice. And twice those damn Yankees threw them back. Now, he could see the prone bodies of hundreds of his men both at that stone wall, and in the valley behind him. And the union boys were still standing at that wall. Fewer of them, yes. But they were still there. And those columns to his north were even closer, their batteries setting up to support their advance.
Oh well. The gig was up. It was time to sound the retreat. Billy Yank had beaten him. Just barely, but had beaten him just the same.
And that was it. It went all 15 turns, with the issue decided on the last confederate charges on the last turn. For what was really just a randomly set-up pick-up game, it turned out to be a hell of a battle. I think I'll be running it at a convention or 2 later this year.
We had decided that the battle would run 15 turns (them the Union reinforcements would show up, marching to the rescue). We fought it in just about 3-1/2 hours. It was fun, and tactically interesting. The Confederates had numbers, but had to move aggressively. They couldn't waste too much time in prolonged musket duels. The Union, for their part, had to decide how long and where to defend forward, and when to begin falling back.
Well, there you have it. Hope you enjoyed it!
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Enjoyed that immensely!
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Thanks, vodkafan!
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Many thanks for a great write-up.
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Many thanks for a great write-up.
You're welcome!
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Looks dandy!
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Thanks, vtsaogames!
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Well, it's ACW time again for my weekly gaming group!
This coming Wednesday, we're gonna game the Battle of Mill Springs. Well, sort of. We're gonna use the Union and Confederate orders of battle, on one of my Cigar Box battle mats. The attached pic shows the upcoming field of battle.
The fight's gonna be 15mm, using Gettysburg Soldiers rules. Here's the OOB we're gonna use:
Battle of Mill Springs
Union Order of Battle
Mission: Defend and hold all 3 Fishing Creek crossing points.
Brig. Gen. George Henry Thomas - about 4,400 effectives (Enters with McCook’s Brigade).
2nd Brigade - Col. Mahlon D. Manson (Starts in “Union Setup” area)
10th Ind. Inf. - Lt. Col.William Kise 710 9 stands
4th Ky. Inf. - Col. Speed Smith Fry 400 6 stands
3rd Brigade - Col. Robert L. McCook (Enters Point “A” on Turn 1)
2nd Minn. Inf. - Col. Horatio Van Cleve 500 7 stands Veterans
9th Ohio Inf. - Maj. Gustave Kammerling 628 8 stands Veterans
12th Brigade - Col. Samuel Powhatan Carter (Enters Point “A” or “B” on Turn 3)
12th Ky. Inf. - Col. William A. Hoskins 478 6 stands
1st Tenn. Inf. - Col. Robert K. Byrd 610 8 stands
2nd Tenn. Inf. - Col. J. P. T. Carter 442 6 stands
1st Ky. Cav. - Col. Frank Wolford 250 4 stands
(Starts in “Union Setup” area)
Btty. B, 1st Ohio Arty. - Capt. William E. Standart 6 rifled 6-pounders (3 stands)
Btty. C, 1st Ohio Arty. - Capt. Dennis Kenny, Jr. 6 rifled 6-pounders (3 stands)
9th Ohio Btty. - Capt. Henry Shepard Wetmore 2 10-pounder Parrotts, 2 12-pounder howitzers (2 stands)
(Batteries may be attached to Brigades, or operate independently.)
Confederate Order of Battle
Mission: Seize and hold all 3 Fishing Creek crossing points.
Maj. Gen. George Bibb Crittenden - about 5,900 effectives (Deploys with Zollicoffer’s Brigade)
1st Brigade - Brig. Gen. Felix Kirk Zollicoffer (Initially deploys within 6” of Point “C”)
15th Miss. Inf. - Lt. Col. Edward Cary Walthall 854 11 stands
19th Tenn. Inf. - Col. David H. Cummings 676 9 stands
20th Tenn. Inf. - Col. Joel Allen Battle 694 9 stands
25th Tenn. Inf. - Col. Sidney Smith Stanton 683 9 stands
Tenn. Btty. - Capt. Arthur Middleton Rutledge 4 SB 6-pounders (2 stands)
2nd Brigade - Brig. Gen. William Henry Carroll (Enters at Point “C” on Turn 3)
16th Ala. Inf. - Col. William B. Wood 378 5 stands
17th Tenn. Inf. - Lt. Col. Thomas C. H. Miller 338 5 stands
28th Tenn. Inf. - Col. John Porry Murray 748 10 stands
29th Tenn. Inf. - Col. Samuel Powell 493 7 stands
Tenn. Btty. - Capt. Hugh L. W. McClung 2 SB 6-pounders (1 stand)
4th Tenn. Cav. Bn. - Lt. Col. Benjamin M. Branner 336 5 stands Green
5th Tenn. Cav. Bn. - Lt. Col. George R. McClellan 315 4 stands Green
(Cavalry battalions enter with a 2d6 roll of turn # or less at Point “C”, and operate independently)
The union has fewer, but a little better, troops. But this scenario, with this terrain, should present tactical challenges for both sides. Of course, I'll post an AAR after we play it out Wednesday. Stay tuned...
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Fantastic AAR! Great terrain and figures!
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Thanks Jim, enjoying the series and appreciate the detailed order-of-battle.
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Thanks, Chaps! And now, on with the show...
We had all 3 of us today. Gene played the Confederates, and Ted played the Yankees. I was the GM/Umpire.
And we used 2 rules specific to this scenario. First, some reports have Confederate General Crittenden having been at the bottle before and during this battle, so I gave him a -1 on movement initiative rolls. Also, units could form a 2-stand wide assault column to attack across the 2 fords. They still had to be in march column on the bridge.
And, there would be a 15-turn limit, at which point, night would fall.
Initial Deployments
Ted deployed his 1st KY Cavalry dismounted covering the west ford, while Manson's Brigade and a battery covered the bridge.
Gene deployed most of Zollicoffer's Brigade the south road. His last regiment from that Brigade would enter on turn 1.
See the attached pics...
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The East Ford is taken!
It all began with McCook's Union Brigade and Zollicoffer's Confederate Brigade marching, as it turned out, toward the west ford.
As those 2 Brigades made their way forward, Manson's Union Brigade stood to in their positions along the river, covering the west ford and the bridge. The east ford, at this point, belonged to no one.
Then, Carter's Union Brigade came up from the northeast and headed toward the east ford, while Carroll's Confederate brigade came up the south road, behind Zollicoffer's Brigade. Carroll's Brigade would head toward the east ford as well. It was now a race to both fords!
The Union struck first. As McCook's Brigade and Zollicoffer's Brigade raced toward the west ford (with Zollicoffer's Brigade being very deliberate, shall we say), Carter's Union Brigade got the the east ford and began crossing it while Carroll's Confederate Brigade was approaching the village of Mill Springs. And, McCook had his guns set up on a hill where they could overlook the west ford and the bridge.
Then, McCook's Regiments began forming line along the river, while Zollicoffer's Regiments formed line out of range of the Union guns.
Things were going according to plan for the Union Army...
To be continued...
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Now for the bridge!
Carter's Union Brigade moved more regiments, and their battery, across the east ford. Meanwhile, Carroll's Confederate Brigade began their move into the Mill Springs village.
Over at the west ford, McCook's Brigade formed line at the ford, while Zollicoffer's Brigade finally moved down toward the ford.
In the center, Manson's Union Brigade faced off against elements of both Confederate Brigades. The battle was heating up all across the line. But the Confederate cavalry was nowhere to be found...
Until now. Both battalions of Confederate Cavalry finally showed up at the south road, and headed straight for the bridge.
While both armies traded musket and cannon fire all along the line from the village to the west ford, both sides taking casualties, the Confederate cavalry charged across the bridge. Had they taken it?
Alas, no. Union musket and cannon fire sent them galloping back across the bridge. Thomas's Union Division still held the bridge and both fords.
To be further continued...
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Great looking game! Thank you for sharing!
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Great looking game! Thank you for sharing!
You're welcome! And now, as the great American commentator Paul Harvey used to say, the rest of the story...
What about the west ford?
At the village and the east ford, Carroll's Confederate Brigade could not reduce the Union bridgehead that Carter's Brigade had established. Both brigades blazed away at each other. Once the Confederate's Tennessee Cavalry was chased back across the bridge, they went in to try to help Carroll's Brigade. That didn't work either. While Carroll's Rebels and Carter's Yankees blasted away at each other, things really heated up on the other side of the battlefield.
At the bridge, Manson's Union boys and a couple Regiments of Confederates fired at each other across the river, slowly whittling each other down.
But at the west ford, one of Zollicoffer's Regiments stormed across the ford. They were met with a hail of musket and cannon fire, sending them back the way they came.
By now, Carter's Union Brigade had firmly taken the east ford. The Rebs had tried to take the bridge and the west ford, but were beaten back. But Confederate numbers had started to come into play. The last part of the battle settled into a musket and cannon duel, and the Union boys at the bridge and the west ford had finally had enough, and skeddadled back north. This left only Carter's battered Brigade on the south side of the river at the east ford.
As night fell, Zollicoffer's brigade, while having suffered casualties, controlled the west ford as they finally drove McCook's Union brigade away from it. Same at the bridge - Manson's Union Brigade had broken and fled north. At the end of the battle, Carter's Union Brigade had fought Carroll's Confederate Brigade and the Tennessee Cavalry to a bloody draw and still held the east ford. Zollicoffer's Brigade, while they had not taken the west ford, controlled it. No one, however, really controlled the bridge.
So, it was technically a tactical draw. But given that 2 of the 3 Union Brigades were broken, we figured it was a Confederate strategic victory - Carter's Union Brigade would be forced to retreat back across the east ford overnight, and the battered Confederate army had just enough strength left to cross the river the next morning and continue their drive north, deeper into Kentucky.
It was indeed a near-run affair, but in the end, confederate numbers prevailed just enough.
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Can't believe I've missed this thread - great stuff all around!
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Thanks, glenning. Appreciate it! :)
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Well, today was our weekly gaming day. We played a Battle of Gettysburg Day 1 scenario using Warlord's Epic ACW figures, using their Black Powder rules. Figures and terrain courtesy of Ted. We played at Acropolis Games, in Adrian, MI.
We played Harry Heth's attack east along the Chambersburg Pike on Day 1, where he ran into Meredith's and Cutler's Brigades of Wadsworth's Division in Reynolds' Union Corp. I played the Yanks, while Gene played 2 brigades of Rebs (Archer and Davis), and Ted played the other 2 Reb brigades (Brockenbrough and Pettigrew). They split Heth's Divisional Artillery between them.
The field was 6' x 4', with the Rebs attacking from the west short end of the board. The Chambersburg Pike ran the long length of the board, right down the middle. The unfinished RR line (with its cuts) ran a bit north of that. MacPherson's Ridge was about the the centerline of the table (maybe offset to the west just a bit), while Herr's Ridge was at the west edge. Oak Ridge was just in from the east edge, and Herbst Woods near the SW corner.
The Union Cutler's Brigade was set up on Oak Ridge, just north of the Chambersburg Pike, while Meredith's Brigade was south of the Pike. Each had an artillery battery with them.
Davis' Reb Brigade was set up along Herr's Ridge, north of the Pike, while Archer's Brigade just south of it. Heth's batteries were set up along Herr's Ridge.
That's that. And away we go...
The Confederate General Harry Heth, having already had his Brigades bloodied at the hands of Gen. Buford's Union Cavalry Division, received word that Yankee infantry was moving up to relieve Buford. It looked like elements of the 1st Corps. Heth thusly ordered his brigades to advance toward Gettysburg along the Chambersburg Pike, with Davis' Brigade leading north of the Pike, and Archer's Brigade south of it. Following them were Brockenbrough's Brigade behind Davis, and Pettigrew's Brigade behind Archer. The Divisional Artillery Commander ordered the Division's guns set up along Herr's Ridge to cover the advance.
As the lead regiments of Davis' Brigade moved up toward the near part of MacPherson's Ridge, Heth could see that a Union Brigade (Cutler's Brigade and a battery of guns) had beaten him there. He could also see that another Brigade was coming up from the Southeast. Couriers informed him that is was Meredith's Brigade (the damned Iron Brigade!). Heth's rifled guns on Herr's Ridge and Cutler's guns on MacPherson Ridge proceeded to engage each other in counterbattery fire, with little initial effect.
At first, Heth figured those Yanks would defend their position on their side of MacPherson's Ridge. But soon enough, those blue-bellies in Cutler's Brigade starting advancing toward Davis' boys. Heth didn't think they had it in them, but on they came. And, Meredith's Brigade was coming up from the southeast toward the Herbst Woods. He thought maybe they were going to try to flank Davis. But he knew that Archer's Brigade should be advancing through the Herbst Woods, and should meet them before they could flank Davis. Heth could also see Brockenbrough's Brigade approaching from the west, and should be able to arrive in time to support Davis.
What Heth didn't know was that Archer's regiments were having trouble getting through the thick Herbst woods, and that Pettigrew's Brigade behind them was taking their own sweet time marching up toward the fight.
Just then, he could see (and hear) that Davis had started to engage Cutler's Brigade on MacPherson's Ridge. And Brockenbrough was leading his regiments up behind the Reb gun line on Herr's Ridge. That was all fine and good, but he had no idea what was going on down in the Herbst Woods, or where the hell Pettigrew was...
To be continued in Part 2, when things heat up...
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Part 2, ...When Things Heat Up!...
Gen Wadsworth's division had relieved Gen. Buford's federal Cavalry Division west of Gettysburg, astride the Chambersburg Pike. He had ordered Cutler's Brigade to move up to MacPherson's Ridge, north of the Pike. Meanwhile, Meredith's Iron Brigade had moved towards the Herbst woods, south of the Pike. Cutler's Brigade had made contact with Davis' Confederate Brigade on the ridge. Meredith's Brigade had not as yet reported any contact.
That's because Archer's Reb Brigade, who was advancing south of the Pike through the Herbst Woods, was having trouble moving through those woods. But, Gen. Wadsworth could see, from his position on the Yankee side of MacPherson Ridge, that some of Archer's Regiments had angled up toward the Pike and made their way toward the MacPherson farm, to reinforce Davis' right flank.
Just in time, too. It was then Gen Wadsworth could hear firing from the Herbst Woods. Couriers reported that regiments from Meredith's Brigade had come up through the woods on the Rebs' right flank, and were engaging Archer's boys.
North of the Pike, Gen. Wadsworth could both see and hear Cutler's and Davis' Brigades trading volleys and charges across MacPherson Ridge. Both Brigades were taking casualties, but Gen. Wadsworth thought maybe the Rebs were getting the short end of that stick. Davis' Rebs had been pushed back once already, but they were coming back up to renew the fight.
But he didn't have all day. He could see another fresh Confederate Brigade moving east to support Davis (reports would later identify it as Brockenbrough's Brigade). And spies were reporting that Pettigrew's Reb Brigade had finally found their way toward the fight, and were just west of the Herbst woods heading east. He sent orders to Meredith to watch his left flank...
Gen. Wadsworth figured "So far, so good". His 2 brigades were not just holding, but putting real pressure on the Harry Heth's Rebs. But he needed to hold on as long as he could...
To be continued and finished in Part 3, when the gig is up...stay tuned to find out for who...
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And now, Part 3: The Gig is Up!...
Confederate Gen. Harry Heth did not like what he saw. He had orders to drive those Yankees back to Gettysburg-town, but they didn't seem interested in being driven back. Davis' Brigade, north of the Chambersburg Pike, had already been driven back off MacPherson's Ridge by Cutler's boys. Granted, Davis was moving back up, but Cutler's Blue-bellies were firmly planted on that Ridge.
Meanwhile, south of the Pike, The Yanks in Meredith's Brigade were in the Herbst Woods, giving Archer's flank what for.
Then, Gen. Heth got word from couriers that Pettigrew's Brigade had finally showed up, and was moving into the Herbst woods to get at Meredith's Union Brigade. That was the good news.
The bad news was that Cutler's Brigade had thrown Davis' brigade back off MacPherson's Ridge.
But Gen. Heth could see Brockenbrough's Brigade moving up to take Davis' place on the Ridge. Things were coming to a head, he sensed. Which way remained to be seen.
By now, Cutler's Union Brigade was breaking in the face of Brockenbrough's fresh brigade. But Davis' and Archer's Brigades were hanging on by a thread, both on the verge of collapse. This fight would come down to what Pettigrew's Brigade could do to Meredith's Yanks.
As Cutler's Brigade slowly fell back off Macpherson's Ridge, Pettigrew's Brigade slammed into Meredith's Brigade just south of the Herbst Woods. Both sides gave as good as they got. But in the end, however, both brigades broke from the brutal fighting.
And now, the gig was indeed up. With both Union brigades broken, Gen. Wadsworth ordered a general retreat back towards Gettysburg proper. But he would do so relatively unmolested. Out of Gen. Heth's 4 brigades, one was broken, and 2 more were on the verge of being broken. Only Brockenbrough's Brigade was reasonably fresh. Gen. Heth's Division was in no position to really pursue Wadsworth's Union Division.
This battle was oh so close. The scenario's victory conditions were that each side had to break 2 enemy brigades. If, at the end of a turn, 2 brigades from a side were broken, the other side could claim victory. We used a house rule where a broken brigade had a chance to rally a regiment the turn after being broken. If successful, and that brought the brigade back to un-broken status, the brigade could carry on. Unfortunately, both Davis' and Archer's Brigades each broke in different turns, but they both were able to rally a regiment in their next turn. Wadsworth's boys just couldn't break 2 Confederate brigades in the same turn, while Heth's men, through sheer weight of numbers, finally broke both Union brigades. But it took everything they had to do so. In the end, Heth's Division had one broken brigade, and 2 brigades a hit away each from being broken. It was that close...
Hope you all enjoyed this. It was sure fun to play!
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My weekly gaming group's game today was 15mm ACW, using Gettysburg Soldiers rules. Figures and terrain courtesy of Gene, and he acted as GM/umpire. I played the Rebs, and Ted played the Yanks.
It was a fictional scenario, ostensibly set in April 1863 in Northern Virginia (near West Somewhere :)), in the days before Chancellorsville. I had 2 Brigades of Reb infantry from Early's Division in Jackson's Corps, along with a regiment of cavalry and 2 batteries of artillery. I would also have both Early and Jackson as leaders, in addition to the 2 brigade commanders. Ted had both brigades from Doubleday's Division, and a brigade from Robinson's Division, all from Reynold's Corps. He too had a regiment of cavalry and 2 batteries of guns. He would also have Doubleday and Reynolds as leaders, as well as his 3 brigade commanders.
The battlefield was 6'x4', with the short edges as our baselines (Ted got the north edge, and I the south). The area was dotted with farms, fields, and woodlots, and had several low hills about. A stream (Some Damn Creek) cut across the board west to east, a bit north of the centerline. There were 2 main roads - the West road went from the south edge to the north edge (with a side road cutting west just north of the creek), while the East Road went from the south edge and curved northeast and left the east edge just south of Some Damn Creek.
The Yanks started with a regiment from one of Doubleday's Brigades in march column heading south just on the board on West Road. The Rebs started out with 2 regiments in march column just on the board heading north on West Road, and the cavalry regiment in march column moving north up East Road. See the pics below...
This where Turn 1 begins. We assigned a 15 turn limit on the game. This would be a meeting engagement, and our objectives were to find, fix, and beat the snot out the enemy...
I'll post Part 1: Oh - There They Are! tomorrow. This AAR will have 3 parts...
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WOW! What an AAR! Thank you for sharing!
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Brilliant! :-*
That's given me the itch to do some ACW again...
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Thanks, fellas. No on to the actual AAR for our latest ACW fight...
Part 1 - Oh! There They Are!
Neither army knew exactly where the other was. Both army commanders sent out units in search of the other's army. We don't know what happened with the other recons, but these both found something!
On the Rebel side, Gen. Jackson tasked Gen. Early with moving north in the vicinity of West Somewhere, up the East and West Roads to the other side of Some Damn Creek. Gen. Early sent one brigade each up the 2 roads, with his attached cavalry moving in front of the right brigade. He gave each brigade a battery of guns.
Meanwhile, to the north on the Yankee side, Gen. Reynolds tasked Gen. Doubleday with moving south down the West Road, also near West Somewhere, to positions south of Some Damn Creek. He sent 2 batteries of guns and a regiment of cavalry with him. Gen. Reynolds also gave him a brigade from Gen. Robinson's Division, who would try a flank march and come on the field near where the West Road crosses Some Damn Creek. If the Rebs were moving north, maybe they could flank 'em.
Both Divisions moved out. The Reb cavalry moved up the East Road, with a Reb brigade some distance behind them. The other Reb brigade moved up the West Road. Gen. Doubleday brought both his brigades down the West Road, one behind the other. This order of march would prove troublesome for the Yankees in the upcoming battle.
As the forces moved closer to each other, the lead Yankee regiment created a wooded hill and spotted the Rebel cavalry across the valley from them. The Reb cavalry likewise spotted the Yanks' infantry. The lead Yankee regiment formed line along Some Damn Creek, while the Reb Cavalry skirted to the right, to try to get in on the Yankee's flank.
Both Reb brigades kept up their march, and the right brigade, moving up the East Road, began to deploy some ways south of Some Damn Creek. Their left brigade kept moving, and began crossing Some Damn Creek. Their plan was to try to move in on the Yanks' right flank...but everyone knows how long plans survive...
The 2 Yankee brigades moving down the West Road quickened their pace, with the lead brigade continuing to form up behind Some Damn Creek. The trail brigade kept moving down the road behind them. The Yanks sent their cavalry regiment left to counter the Reb cavalry.
But the Yank's ace-in-the-hole was that brigade from Robinson's Division, who came on practically on the flank of the lead regiments of the Reb's left brigade. The Rebs' lead 2 regiments there barely had time to deploy into line to face them before taking a volley from the lead Yankee regiment. That volley led the lead Reb regiment to fall back a bit, but their brother regiment gave the Yanks a good stiff volley in return, sending the lead Yank regiment reeling....
Stay tuned for Part 2: A General Engagement, as we see our forces feed more units into the fight...
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And here's our next installment of Friday's fight...
Part 2: A General Engagement
The Yankee brigade from Robinson's Division had just appeared on the Rebel left brigade's flank. Volleys from each side had seen the lead regiments on each side falling. Then, charges and counter-charges saw the balance there swing to and fro, with both sides coming out on top (and bottom). Finally, a spirited charge by the lone Yank regiment left on that flank saw the 2 lead Reb regiments fleeing back across Some Damn Creek, while the other 3 regiments and the battery from the Reb left brigade formed line along their side of the creek.
Meanwhile, on the eastern flank, the lead Yankee brigade had formed up along Some Damn Creek, while the Reb right brigade formed up several hundred yards south of the creek, preparing to get stuck in. On the far eastern flank, the 2 cavalry regiments went at each other, with the Reb cavalry regiment taking the worst of it. They fell back to where the Reb right brigade was forming up. The Reb right brigade's battery has set up, and was taking regiments from the Yankee lead brigade under fire.
In the center, the trail Yankee brigade was having issues getting its act together, trying to move forward to form up in the woods on their side of the creek. And both Yankee batteries had trouble moving forward through the traffic jam, trying to find a good place to unlimber.
Now, 2/3 of the way through the fight, we have the right Reb brigade formed up for their attack on the Yankee brigade formed up along Some Damn Creek. The Reb cavalry had been handled roughly, and had fallen back to the Reb right brigade's position. The lead regiments from the Reb left brigade had been thrown back across the creek, but had sent 2 regiments from the Yank brigade from Robinson's Brigade packing. And the Yankee center was, at this point, a confused mess, as regiments from the trail Yankee brigade and their batteries were trying to (slowly) get up into the fight. But it looked like the Yankees had the upper hand. At least for now anyway...
Stay tuned for the final chapter, Part 3: And the Winner Is..., which I hope to post sometime later today or tomorrow...
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Impressive stuff! Great pics and AAR!
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Impressive stuff! Great pics and AAR!
Thanks! And sorry for the delay in posting this. I got a bit busy yesterday...and now for the finale of this fight...
Part 3: And the Winner Is...
On the Rebels' left, 2 regiments had just been sent reeling back across Some Damn Creek by regiments from Robinson's Union Division. The Rebel brigade commander there galloped back and was able to rally those regiments, and get them back in the fight. While he was doing that, his other 3 regiments laid a few good volleys into Robinson's Yanks, sending many of them skedaddling away. Once the ford over Some Damn Creek was cleared, the Confederate Brigade Commander ordered his regiments forward, wheeling them to the right a bit to threaten the Yankee right flank.
On the Rebel right, that brigade had shaken itself out into their assault formation, and advanced toward the Union boys deployed along Some Damn Creek, sweeping what was left of the Yanks' cavalry from the field. The Rebs' guns supported their attack. Slowly, and at some cost, they pushed the Yankees northward.
In the center, the Union trail brigade and their batteries finally were able to sort themselves out some, with the trail brigade veering west trough the woods to meet the threat from the Rebel left brigade, and the batteries setting up together near the creek to try to stem the Rebel tide.
It wasn't enough, though. The Rebel right brigade, while they were able to send the Yankee brigade over their running to the rear, came under fire from those massed Union guns, taking more casualties and losing the Reb battery there. But, the Rebel left brigade attacked the Union trail brigade in the woods north of Some Damn Creek, and while the Yanks did manage to kill Gen. Jackson (:o), the Yankees were forced back with heavy casualties.
At this point, the gig was up. The Yankees were running out of regiments, while the Rebels were pressing in on what was left of their right flank. It was time for Gens. Reynolds and Doubleday to sound the retreat before the Rebs could envelop and capture their batteries.
It was a close fought fight until just before the end, when Union fortunes abandoned them. But it was an expensive Confederate victory, what with losing Gen. Jackson. But fun was had by all, and we got 13 turns in in just under 2-1/2 hours...
Hope y'all enjoyed this here AAR... :D
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Tomorrow (Friday), my regular gaming groups is set to play the Battle of Grimball's Landing, during the James Island campaign in July 1863. The battle will be in 15mm, using Gettysburg Soldiers rules. It is based on a scenario included in a recent issue of Miniature Wargames magazine.
Here is the Union Scenario information:
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-191023174046.jpeg)
And, here is the Confederate Scenario information:
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-191023174542.jpeg)
Of course, I'll post an AAR after we fight it out....stay tuned...
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I was intrigued by the presence of a Union regt from South Carolina in the orbat - interesting stuff.
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Yeah - both the 2nd SC and the 54th MA were (in the contemporary vernacular) Colored Troops.
The fight yesterday (Friday) was very interesting. I should have the AAR posted here within the next couple days...
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Now, it's time for the Battle Report. As I mentioned previously, this scenario was based on one included in a recent issue of Miniature Wargames. It depicts the first fight of the 54th Massachusetts Colored Infantry and the 2nd South Caroline Colored Infantry (brigaded together under Col. Montgomery, in Terry's Division). The actual battle was smaller, and this scenario assumes both the Confederates and Union commanders committed more troops into a Division-level engagement. The 54th MA's part of the fight was depicted in the movie Glory.
And a couple of notes for any purists out there. As I do not yet have any Colored Troops painted up, The 54th MA and 2nd were portrayed by white regiments. And the palm trees I used are nor really accurate for South Carolina. They should have been palmetto trees. Oh well...
Anyway, on to the report. Ted played the Confederates, while gene played the Union. I acted as GM.
Here is a shot of the battlefield, looking south. The wooded swamps were impassable, and blocked line of sight. The deep water ponds were also impassable, but provided light cover for units being shot at across them. The shallow stream between the ponds was rough terrain, and did not affect line of sight. The roads added the rules' usual movement bonus for units in march column.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-251023153920.jpeg)
The 54th MA and 104th PA started out on the board, as depicted here (54th MA on the left, with the 104th PA on the right).
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-251023153901.jpeg)
The first action saw Col. Colquitt deliberately deploying his Rebel regiments into line to the north, while Brig. Gen. Stevenson came on with his Union regiments from the northwest.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-251023153846.jpeg)
Meanwhile, Confederate Col. Radcliffe brought his 61st NC on from the northeast, and headed for the 104th PA.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-251023153831.jpeg)
Things got interesting on the western side of the battlefield. BG Stevenson deployed his 3 Union regiments into line, and headed for Col. Colquitt's right flank. Col. Montgomery brought up his 2nd SC to support the 54th MA. On the Confederate side, Col. Colquitt deployed his 2 Georgia regiments to face south, while he ordered the 25th SC to face west to guard against the Yankee regiments closing in from that direction. Reb Col. Way brought his 2 Georgia regiments south to support Col. Colquitt's attack.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-251023153815.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-251023153747.jpeg)
To the east, after the Yankee 104th PA and the Reb 61st NC traded musketry, the 61st NC charged home against the boys from Pennsylvania, driving them back.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-251023153731.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-251023153657.jpeg)
The situation to the west continued to develop as Col. Colquitt's and Col. Way's Confederate brigades faced off against the Union brigades of BG Stevenson and Col. Montgomery. The sounds of massed musketry rang out...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-251023153715.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-251023153635.jpeg)
Union BG Stevenson's regiments drove the 25th SC and 54th Georgia Regiments before them, while the 54th MA and 2nd SC charged the 6th and 19th Georgia...Both Union and Confederate officers joined in those fights, and BG Stevenson would go down, bayonetted by a SC soldier. The 100th NY came on from the south, and headed north to support Montgomery's brigade.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-251023153608.jpeg)
Meanwhile, Union Col. Davis and the rest of his brigade (along with BG Terry) came up from the south, and headed northwest to join in the fight.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-251023153550.jpeg)
Stevenson's Union Brigade (now commanded by someone else...) continued to drive the Rebs before them, coming in behind the Rebs of Col.'s Colquitt and Way. But the Union 54th MA and 2nd SC had been pushed south, selling their lives dearly to hold up the Confederate advance.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-251023153533.jpeg)
Meanwhile, to the east, Col. Radcliffe and the remnants of the 61st NC has slipped around Union Col. Davis' regiments and gotten off to the south. So, Col. Davis headed with all due speed to the northwest, to try to trap the rest of the Rebel regiments as they continued to slowly push the 54th MA, 2nd SC, and 100th NY south. Rebel BG Hagood and Col. Colquitt would go down in that fighting, and the Yankees by now were slowly grinding the Confederates down.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-251023153510.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-251023153454.jpeg)
Things were looking grim for the Rebs. They were down to 2 battered regiments, and had 2 Union brigades closing in on them - one from the north, and another from the southwest. The Rebs had slowly ground down the Yankee 3rd Brigade, but the gig was up. What was left of the confederate 1st Sub-Division surrendered, and the battle was over.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-251023153441.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-251023153424.jpeg)
As Confederate Col. Radcliffe had gotten his 61st NC off the board to the south, it was technically a Rebel minor victory. However, they had spent their entire 1st Sub-Division in doing so, losing 5 big regiments in the process. Those troops would play no further part in the campaign, while the Yankees still had a reasonably strong division still in the field. So, while it was a minor tactical victory for the Rebs, it was an operational defeat for them in the bigger picture...
But, we all had fun playing it out. The Gettysburg Soldiers rules worked well for this fight, and we fought the 15 turns, to a tactical conclusion, in right around 2 hours.
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Great looking game! Excellent AAR!
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Great looking game! Excellent AAR!
Thanks. Appreciate it!
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My gaming group has set its next 2 games, and this next one is going to be an ACW fight this coming Friday (08 March). We're gonna do it in 15mm, and use Osprey's new With Hot Lead and Cold Steel. I'll post the scenario info later this week after I do it up. And, of course, i'll post an AAR afterwards.
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Thanks for sharing these bat reps CapnJim! Really appreciate it.
Cheers,
Arthur
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Thanks for sharing these bat reps CapnJim! Really appreciate it.
Cheers,
Arthur
Thanks! Please note that the preceding AARs were games fought using either Gettysburg Soldiers or Black Powder rules. As I mentioned, this next fight will be with your With Hot Lead and Cold Steel rules. We are quite intrigued by the rules, an are looking forward to giving them a go tomorrow (Friday).
After perusing my various scenario books, I decided to try the Battle of Iuka scenario in the Guns at Gettysburg Scenarios 1: Heartland - The Battles for Kentucky and the Tennessee scenario book, by Paul Stevenson.
I'm pretty much taking the scenario right out of the book, with a couple minor tweaks to the OOB (based on a couple other sources). Here are the scenarios sheets for our fight:
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-070324181426.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-070324181408.jpeg)
We will play the game with 15mm figures. As such (per the rules) distances and ranges are halved. To use 28mm figures with this scenario, use standard ranges and distances in the rules, and use a bigger table (say, 8'x6' or so).
As you can see, we will be using a Division and an Army commander for both sides. I'll post an AAR after we play, and will include our thoughts on the rules (if I think we have anything interesting to share...).
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Well, we played the battle of Iuka game this Friday past, using Osprey's new With Hot lead and Cold Steel rules. Ted took the Yankees, while Gene took the Rebs. I acted as GM. If you haven't read the scenario sheet in the previous post, doing so would be helpful...
Very interesting battle. Here's how it went:
Part 1: Give Me One Brigade, and I Will Take That Hill...
Union General Hamilton led one of his brigades (Sanborn's Brigade) at the double quick northeast up the Jacinto road to the junction with the Iuka Road. Once they got to the junction (by the old meeting house), Hamilton and Sanborn ordered the 5 regiments and the battery in the brigade to form a line with regiments abreast along the Jacinto Road, north of the Iuka Road. Gen. Rosecrans, and Sullivan and his brigade followed up the Jacinto Road, while Mower and his brigade were some distance behind. Col. Mizner led his 3rd Michigan Cavalry regiment north up the Mill Road, to harass the confederate left flank.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-110324165531.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-110324165547.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-110324165513.jpeg)
East of them, Confederate General Little led Hebert and his brigade west along the Iuka Road. Gen. Price and Martin and his brigade were some distance behind, moving west along the same road.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-110324165604.jpeg)
Both sides had the intent to occupy the large hill that was immediately north of the Iuka Road. Once Sanborn's Union brigade was on line, Hamilton and Sanborn gave the orders to advance toward that hill. Unfortunately, some of the regimental commanders were confused. While 2 regiments marched east toward the hill, the left regiment and the right two regiments backed up (which blocked the road for Sullivan's Brigade).
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-110324165418.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-110324165438.jpeg)
Price and Hebert ordered Hebert's regiments to form 2 lines along the Iuka Road, with 3 regiments up and 2 back. They set about doing so.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-110324165454.jpeg)
Hamilton and Sanborn got their Union regiments sorted out, and a semblance of a line marched forward toward the big central hill. Rosecrans and Sullivan marched Sullivan's regiments behind Sanborn's brigade. Their intent was to form another brigade line behind Sanborn's brigade, to support the attack on the hill.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-110324165400.jpeg)
Mower's brigade came on the field, marching up the Jacinto road...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-110324165344.jpeg)
...while the Union cavalry troopers dismounted into a firing line, to threaten the Reb left flank. Hebert ordered his leftmost regiment to turn to face the Union cavalry.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-110324165307.jpeg)
Price and Martin's Brigade moved on from the east, along the Iuka road.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-110324165251.jpeg)
While the main armies maneuvered, the Union cavalry fired sharp volleys into the lefternmost Reb regiment (the 40th Miss.), who retreated in the face of that fire. Hebert ordered the 2 Texas regiments, in lieu of forming a 2nd line for the brigade, to move left to reinforce his left flank, and to try to drive off that Union cavalry.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-110324165234.jpeg)
Meanwhile, the 40th Miss. reformed behind the rest of Hebert's Brigade, while Martin's Brigade formed a column of regiments. Hebert's batteries began to deploy.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-110324165217.jpeg)
Sanborn's Yankee brigade moved up on the big hill, deploying the big Union battery at the peak. Sullivan's Brigade prepared to form line of regiments abreast to march up the hill in support of Sanborn, while Mower brought his brigade further up the Jacinto Road.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-110324165201.jpeg)
Reb artillery on their right opened fire on the Yanks on the hill...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-110324165142.jpeg)
...while Hebert's Texans traded volleys with the Michigan cavalry. And Sullivan's Yankees began their march up the hill.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-110324165126.jpeg)
The engagement became more general. Sanborn's Union Brigade advanced further east on the hill, while Sullivan's Brigade marched behind them in support. Hebert's Confederate Brigade was on the Rebel left, while on the Reb right, Martin's Brigade moved to the base of the hill in column of regiments. The fight for the hill was about to begin...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-110324165110.jpeg)
Stay tuned for Part 2: The Fight for the Hill.. This will be the thrilling conclusion to this battle. I should have it posted either later today or tomorrow (Tuesday).
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And now...Part 2 0f 2: The Fight for the Hill.
In Part 1, Sanborn's Union Brigade had occupied the big hill, with Sullivan's brigade behind them in support. Both Union batteries had set up at the crest of the hill. Mower's Union Brigade was still marching (slowly) up to the fight, having stalled by the old Meeting House. near the junction of the Jacinto and Iuka Roads. The Union cavalry was harassing the Confederate left flank.
Hebert's Confederate Brigade was at the base of that big hill, on the Rebel left, with the 14th/17th Ark. and the 2nd Louis. in line facing west, and the 2 Texas regiments facing off against the Union cavalry. The 40th Miss. had reformed, and was now the brigade reserve. Martin's brigade was at the Rebel right, formed in column of regiments at the base of the big hill. The Reb batteries were setting up on the Reb flanks. The scene was set for the fight for that big hill.
The Union struck first. 4 regiments from Sanborn's Brigade attacked west, hitting 3 Reb regiments. The attack mostly failed, destroying one union regiment, and sending 2 more streaming back up the hill. But the left-most Union regiment was successful, driving the 14th/17th Ark. from the field. The right-most regiment from Sanborn's Union brigade fired a volley into the lead regiment of Martin's Rebel Brigade, sending them running to the rear, right through the regiments lined up behind them.. They took 2 more Reb regiments with them.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-110324165046.jpeg)
Meanwhile, Mower's Union brigade continued to (slowly) march up toward the fighting.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-110324165019.jpeg)
More cannon and musket fire went up and down the hill. The 38th Miss. reformed behind the Reb lines, while 2 Union regiments from Sanborn's Brigade kept running.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-110324165003.jpeg)
On the Confederate left, the 2 Texas regiments finally sent the Union cavalry skedaddling back to the south, while a Reb artillery battery and the 40th Miss. deployed to face the Union regiment that was pressing there.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-110324164944.jpeg)
The Texas regiments pursued the Union cavalry, while the 40th Miss. charged and the Reb guns fired canister into the Union regiment.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-110324164915.jpeg)
Rebel regiments launched a wild charge up the hill, catching a Union regiment in the rear...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-110324164859.jpeg)
...while the melee raged on the Rebel left...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-110324164843.jpeg)
...and the Texas regiments sent the Union cavalry packing.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-110324164829.jpeg)
The Rebel charges had mixed success. On their left, the 40th Miss and the battery sent that Union regiment running back up the hill, while a Miss. regiment that had caught a Union regiment in the rear sent it packing right in front of the Union guns. That Reb regiment was now facing 10 Union guns at point blank range, and a 3rd Confederate regiment was defeated, and ran away.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-110324164815.jpeg)
The 10 Union guns poured canister into that Reb regiment. It withered in the face of such fire, and streamed back down hill in retreat, taking another Reb regiment with it.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-110324164757.jpeg)
The Mich. cavalry continued their retreat. They would take no further part in the battle. But they had done their job, siphoning 3 Confederate regiments off to deal with them.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-110324164742.jpeg)
The Confederate battery tried their best to stem the Yankee tide...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-110324164726.jpeg)
...while the right Reb battery destroyed one of the Union batteries on the hill. Yankee musket fire drove the 40th Miss. from the base of the hill, and the 2 Reb regiments from Martin's brigade quit the field. Things were now looking rather grim for the Confederates.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-110324164710.jpeg)
With the Union cavalry taken care of, the 2 Texas regiments turned around to deal with the disaster unfolding behind them. The 40th Miss. streamed past them, in full retreat...and the battery on the Reb left flank had been damaged by Union counter-battery fire...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-110324164653.jpeg)
...while Yankee regiments bore down on them. Mower's Brigade, now commanded by one of the Regimental Commanders (as Gen. Mower had been killed) finally arrived at the scene of the battle.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-110324164621.jpeg)
And more Yank regiments bore down on the right Rebel battery, who by now had limbered up and were trying to escape.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-110324164637.jpeg)
Gen. Price clearly saw that his gig was up. Little's Division in tatters, either lying dead or wounded on the field or streaming back toward Iuka. Price sent orders for his remaining guns to get out of there, and for the 2 Texas regiments to fight a rear guard action back to Iuka. The battle was over.
Gen. Rosecrans had done it. At the expense of Sanborn's Brigade, he had all but destroyed Little's Division. Union Gen. Ord (with Gen. Grant) was supposed to come down from the north to trap the Confederates, but due to an acoustical shadow, he never launched his attack. But it didn't matter. The job was done. The Union now had the operational advantage in northeast Mississippi...
Our Thoughts on the With Hot Lead and Cold Steel Rules.
We enjoyed these rules. We got just a couple things wrong (like we kept forgetting the post-melee fatigue points, for example). We have identified our errors, and look forward to playing these rules again.
In WHLCS, each turn's sequence of whether the Yanks or Rebs go first is decided by an initiative roll. Prior to doing that, army commanders roll a d5 (a d10/2) and add 1. That gives them between 2 and 6 "Aide de Camp" points to use each turn. These AdC points can be used to affect initiative, or to help elements pass order tests. Units must be ordered by commanders to conduct move/maneuver actions (move, change formation, etc.). In our game, the Yanks had 4 brigades (counting Col. Mizner and the 3rd Mich. Cavalry), along with a Division and an Army Commander. The Rebs only had 2 brigades, along with a Division and an Army Commander. That gave the Rebs a bit of an advantage, as they had fewer commanders to split the AdC points between. As both sides saw Division and Army Commanders rolling orders tests for units within their command ranges, this was a very intriguing and interesting dynamic, particularly for the Union Commander. He had to husband his AdC points very carefully.
Another feature we liked was the Unexpected Event Table, If a commander rolls a natural "1" on an order test (which generally can't be re-rolled), he then has to roll on that chart. That happened 5 times (at one point, 3 order tests in a row). For example, we saw Sanborn's Brigade do it early on, with 2 regiments moving forward, while 3 backed up. Another saw Gen. Mower die, even though he was nowhere near the fighting. Apparently he fell of his horse and hit his head...and yet another saw some rebel regiments conduct a premature charge up the big hill, about a turn before the Confederate player was really ready to do that. All very intriguing, and it all added to the narrative of the fight.
Yet another interesting feature is that units could fire back at the units that had fired at them, as long as they hadn't fired yet that turn. There were a few times where the players had to give that some thought to determine of that was to their advantage or not.
Even another feature is that artillery can fire in either of 2 points in a turn. We liked that. On the Rebel left, when the 40th Miss. charged that Union infantry regiment, the Reb battery hit the Yanks with canister fire first to soften them up. Cool! Well, unless you were that Union infantry...
All in all, we liked the rules, and will definitely be playing them again. Given that units degrade in fighting capability and morale as they take casualties, I will be doing the unit sheets in a different format in order to reduce chart-flipping, but by the end of the game, we weren't doing a whole lot of that.
Well done, Arthur! As I mentioned, we liked these rules...
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Well, it's time. I have loads of 15mm ACW stuff (as you can see from my AARs). But, I have decided to get into 28mm ACW now. And I'm going to build my initial forces for an obscure battle - Valverde, in the New Mexico territory in 1862.
I have amasses a fair amount of Perry Miniatures hard plastic stuff, so that will form the bulk of my units. I'm starting with the 5th Texas Cavalry, with their 2 companies of lancers. I have them all primed up, and painted a test figure yesterday (taking a break to go outside and watch the solar eclipse..). My guess is I'll have the 5th Texas done in a couple weeks, and I'll post pics when they are indeed done.
I am almost finished developing a scenario for Valverde using With Hot lead and Cold Steel. Once I have it done, I will post it here as well.
As I am also going to be painting some WW2 stuff during this time, it'll take quite some time to get the units foro Valverde done (based on the rate at which I paint...). I'll post pics of the various units as I go...
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A couple things. First off, I've drafted the Scenario Sheets for the Battle of Valverde, using With Hot lead and Cold Steel rules. Of course, these could be fairly easily adapted to fit whatever rules with which one might wish to play. Here are the Scenario Sheets:
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-230424170537.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-230424170518.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-230424170500.jpeg)
And here are the Unit Stats we'll be using:
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-230424170437.jpeg)
Also, I've prepped the figures for the 5th Texas Cavalry. It's a 7-stand unit, including 2 stands of lancers. I've painted up a test stand to see how I do on 28mm ACW figures - I started with a stand of lancers. They are Perry Miniatures plastics, with plastic lancer hands (maker unknown to me) from some Napoleonic sprues my wargaming bud Ted donated to the project. Here they are, from various angles...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-230424164158.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-230424164135.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-230424164113.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/16550-230424164048.jpeg)
I think they turned out OK. I'll be working on the other 12 figures (2 more lancer figures, and 10 bog-standard Rebs) in the unit over the next couple weeks, and I'll post pics of the unit when it's done.
Any comments, critiques, or suggestions, on both the scenario and the figures, are welcome...