Sigur goes South - The American Civil War

[Battle Brush Sigur]

Roight, I'm currently recuperating from last weekend's Go Modelling in Vienna Army Museum. Not sure if I'll manage to cobble together a show report as I was extremely busy at my table throughout the whole weekend. I didn't have time to get up and take some photos at all.

Instead for now I'll provide you with another 15mm Sharp Practice battle report.


Background

Once more Cpt.Shandy invited me over for a game of Sharp Practice 2. The scenario is worked out by him again, and as usual is based on a historical event, specifically the Skirmish at Wall's Bridge. This skirmish happened at the tail end of Grierson's Raid. Since April 17 Grierson's Unionist cavalry had raided in Confederate country from Tennessee throughout Mississippi and into Louisiana. They blew up railways, set fire to Confederate storages, freed slaves and all the other things. This wasn't only to annoy and hinder the Confederate war effort, but also to distract from Grant's planned attack on Vicksburg.


(source: https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/daily/civil-war/griersons-raid-wrecking-the-railroad-with-the-butternut-guerrillas/)

The Conferate army had several detachments dedicated to catch the raiders. More by accident 9th Louisiana Cavalry ('Partisan Rangers') managed to do just that on May 1st 1863 at Wall's Bridge. Well, almost. This very event is what we depict in your game. Let's see if they managed at least on the gaming table.


Scenario

Cpt.Shandy already had tested this scenario a while ago. you can see the report of this game here: https://wargamingraft.wordpress.com/2017/05/12/walls-bridge-sharp-practice-aar/

In this report you can also read a bit more about the background and the special rules of the scenario. Basically it's about this: 7th Illinois Cavalry (the vanguard of Grierson's command) come to the aid of scouts consisting of Butternut Guerillas (Union scouts in confederate uniform) who had been found out and caught in a firefight with actual Confederate scouts guarding the bridge. They are to link up and break through the Confederate force to avoid being caught between them and the larger Confederate force in pursuit of the Grierson's raiders.

This is made even harder by the fact that the Union cavalrymen are exhausted. They've been constantly ridin', fightin' and raidin' through unknown enemy territory for weeks (more then 600 miles at that point). Also: The vanguard (the Union force in this scenario) won't show up all together, because the single units are drawn apart by a fair amount.

In game terms each side's goal is to reduce the enemy force morale to 0 to win. After a more or less randomly determined number of turns the Union player (Cpt.Shandy) may deploy the main part of the cavalry force. However, the game also ends after a more or less randomly determined number of turns (at the end of each turn a d6 is rolled and added up. If the total amounts to a certain number things happen) the Confederate pursuit force catches up with Grierson's Raiders and the rebels player (me) wins.

Advantages for the Union side (Butternut Guerilla Skirmishers, 2x 2 groups of cavalry, 1x Woodruff Gun with crew) is the superior quality of troops and equipment (breech-loading repeating carbines and the [very] light Woodruff Gun).
Advantages for the Rebel force (1x Skirmishers, 3x Infantry, 2x Cavalry) are time (which is on my side. Yes, it is.), a slight advantage in numbers and the enemy's exhaustion (= a higher probability of random events happening to Union force)


The Game

The beginning of the game throws us right into the action: Across the bridge the Butternut Guerrillas, their cover blown, with their leader shot and 2 points of shock, sit in a firefight with Confederate skirmishers across the road.



Swiftly Cpt.Shandy gets his first two groups of cavalry on the table and they move toward my right. I react by deploying my 3 groups of infantry (all just militia troops, but oh well) who march off to the right flank to meet the enemy and hinder them from crossing over.

Naturally, the Yankee cavalry is faster. They dismount, reach the river bank and deploy in cover.



I have encountered smaller groups of Union cavalry with breech-loading carbines before, so I knew that these are potentially very scary. Add to this the excellent cover the dastardly Northern Aggressors have in their position. And the fact that my troops advance far less swiftly than I'd like them to. AS USUAL. Hence I decide no to seek a direct confrontation for now and have my infantry heroically hide behind the forest.

In the mean time our skirmishers fight back and forth at the bridge.


Being a leader short and with starting shock points the Butternut Guerillas are under a lot of pressure.

Here's an overview of the starting phases of the game:


My infantry (lower right) moves back a bit to get out of the enemy fire zone. First I want to deal with the enemy skirmishers at the bridge. My own skirmishers, with the help of 2 groups of cavalry, whom I deploy dismounted, throw the Butternut Guerrillas back across the bridge. They break and flee.  Very glad that this went so well

Problem is that the rest of the excellent Union cavalry (yeah, usually a weird adjective for Union cavalry, but it's 1863 and by then they'd learned a whole lot) would show up pretty soon. This forces me to decide: Either I seek confrontation with the chaps on my right flank and do a whole lot of damage to them (risking that I get whooped in the process and cavalry in my back) or I dig in, wait and see and then try to delay the whole enemy force with as little casualties as possible until the Confederate army detachment cathes up to them and I win (risking having to face the whole enemy force at once).

I decide to do the former and try to get everything I got at the bridge (1x slightly damaged skirmishers, 2x dismounted cavalry using a wide array of shooters, choppers, and things in between) across the river. My plan is to eventually fire at the enemy from the flank and behind.



In the beginning this doesn't go all that well, especially as I try to have my guys unload their guns as soon as they're on the bridge already. My cavalry just isn't good at shootin' them things that's all far 'way like and my skirmishers prefer to just run forward into cover.

The Yankee cavalry crosses the river. This of course puts pressure on me and hinders my line infantry to ever deploy in cover at the river bank. On the other hand thus they make it easier for my skirmishers and cavalry to get into the back of the enemy formation. But mainly it sucks for my infantry.



Still, I have to get some casualties and shock on the enemy cavalry groups quickly, so I have my infantry get out into the open and form up into line formation. As they do so the Yankees start unloading their carbines. And they just. Won't. Stop. There's nothing worse than having one's concerns about enemy firepower confirmed.

The two foremost of my infantry groups receive a few salvos at short distance. Once they can take this (even though one of the groups has to fall back a bit), but two or three times would see my formation erode quickly. Major James de Brown does his best to keep the troops together and into a firing line.

Meanwhile my cavalry and skirmishers advance pretty well, as Union reinforcements (2 more groups of cavalry and the Woodruff gun, limbered up) arrive.



The first group of cavalry deploy dismounted, the second group stay in their saddles. While forming up for battle there's a mishap - one of the STOLEN horses isn't quite used to frontline service yet or just tired, there's a collision, and the leader of the formation, Col.Edward Prince, is tossed off his horse. his group wouldn't do anything for another phase. Same with the gun team, who follow them. Phew.

For me this is another point at which I have to make a decision - do I stick to my plan or should I have my skirmishers and cavalry turn tail and get back across the river? For now my skirmishers are covering the advance of my cavalry, but they'd have a really hard time to withstand the Union cavalry for any amount of time. And sacrificing troops like that is potentially very, very costly in Sharp Practice in terms of Force Morale. In larger battles you can afford that and sometimes it may be required, but in what Sharp Practice depicts the men on the ground notce if 100m further down the road a full group of comrades is sent to their death.

Speaking of which - I just let the cavalry advance toward the enemy. The skirmishers retreat back across the bridge back to their initial starting point. And then my cavalry managed to do something remarkable - they know that firing their array of weapons doesn't help much, so instead they rush down the river bank as fast as they can to get directly into the back of the enemy. On their way they happen across the leader of the enemy formation who had stayed back at this side of the river!



Lt.Styles is quickly overwhelmed and taken prisoner. A blow to my opponent's plans, but now it's his time to act. The dismounted cavalry group advances to my right to remove my cavalry from the back of their pals. To my great relief their carbine salvos are less effective than the first few.

Col.Prince, back on his horse and dusted off leads his group towards the bridge at full speed, just moments after my skirmishers had retreated the same way.



In the meantime my infantry had managed to form into a remarkably neat line, presented and fired textbook salvo into the enemy cavalry at the river bank.



The enemy cavalry is in a bad position now, with the infantry line to the front and the cavalry to their back. My cavalry is so close to the enemy now that they can even use their revolvers and actually give some more effecive fire into the backs of the enemy cavalry, several of whom get taken prisoner. Behind them the Union aid proceeds sluggishly as Col.Smith is overworked trying to get the dismounted cavalry and the gun crew to the frontline at once.


In a very cavalry-like move, and ignoring my skirmishers' fire, the mounted group rushes down the road and takes my deployment point.



The further plan of course is to turn around and be a pain in the backside of my infantry, but it's too late. Things at the river are decided at this point (at least at my river bank) and my infantry turns around to meet the cavalry.  But at this point Union Force Morale is down to 1 while mine's sitting at 7.

An overview of the last phases of the game:


In the left you can see Yankee cavalry taking my Deployment Point. Skirmishers and infantry are turning to fire at them. My cavalry, also already slightly battered, but the main part of "casualties" left battle to guard prisoners. In the right you can see the Woodruff Gun which just got limbered off. The group of dismounted cavalry unfortunately didn't have a chance to have much of an impact on the game.

 
A Win for the Confederaceh.



Debriefing

That went well. With a good dose of luck. Cpt.Shandy's plan was sound, but it took the second batch of troops too long to arrive. My decision to send the light troops over the bridge asap was a gamble rather than a gambit That one could have had quite different results just as well if a.) Union cavalry groups 3&4 (plus gun) had mobilized quicker, b.) my line infantry' formation and firing hadn't been so good, c.) my cavalry'd been not as quick on their feet, d.) the Union officer'd gotten away. And that's just the possible problems I can think of off the top of my head. In the end Union troops at my right flank was pretty much paralysed, with poor old Cpt.Smith trying to organize various types and bodies of troops.

That's the thing - losing leaders/officers in Sharp Practice makes things much harder, because on their own troops get all 'sticky' and pretty unwilling to do anything but (sensibly) staying put, keeping their heads down and fire occasionally in the enemy's general direction.

As always a very fun game. Thanks to the ever enthusiasig and patient Cpt.Shandy. And of course thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed the battle report.
 
Speaking of whom - here's his report of the whole affair: https://wargamingraft.wordpress.com/

[Battle Brush Sigur]

Well, we had another game of Sharp Practice last Friday. Cpt.Shandy set it all up as usual and christened the event "The Spirit of '61". Having someone who's really passionate about the rules set and the period setting up games really helps. It's the biggest SP2 game we've had so far: 2 on 2 players and a whole lotta leaders and groups of infantry and cavalry. To cater to the larger size of the game the table size was increased and each side even got a +1 bonus to force morale. The number of command cards on each side was the usual 4 each.

Virago (C-in-C) and I took on the role of the Confederate leaders, opposing Stephan (C-in-C) and Cpt.Shandy trying to deny us state rights. The C-in-Cs and Cpt.Shandy each got 3 leaders, I got 4 leaders and a whole lot of cavalry and skirmishers (along with 2 groups of line infantry with the trusty old smoothbore muskets. Ehem.)
 
Days before Cpt.Shandy had worked out separate PDFs for each participant with individual backgrounds and orders (along with secret goals for each character for additional victory points). The two C-in-Cs were also allowed to each make a tactical decision beforehand (interrogating locals for information, sending out scouting parties, or just deploying as quickly as possible) which would lead to advantages and/or disadvantages during the game. In addition to this there also would be civilians on the table to interact with.



The Scenario

Civilians are marked in purple. Yellow marks the game's main objective, the distillery. Both sides have to get there, convince the distillery owner, who is a sort of local hero, to let them proceed and then break down the distillery, load it onto a wagon, and evacuate it off the table. All whilst keeping the enemy from interfering and their own men from taking to the whiskey stash instead of fighting/working.


full size image: https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2019_04/5caa2d04329cb_table1schrift.jpg.8b272391689effeff361c746a7cfe8e2.jpg

I play Cpt.Bolling Baker. A quick google of the man left me with little info about him. For a while he was a clerk, got command of a company in the 3rd Virginia and later on was promoted to Major. At the point at which the game takes place he just missed the Battle of Big Bethel due to a sudden bout of the gripes. Rumours of cowardice are making the rounds in the camp. Which is why I have to show determination and commitment to the cause, and nothing spells "determination and commitment" like a big scar. Meaning bonus victory points for me if Cpt.Baker gets wounded during the game, and which is why he's got Dr.Howser, the regiment's physician, with him.



The Game

Here we go. The first hurdle, as so often, is getting our guys on the table and in position quicker than the other guys. Which isn't easy with such a large body of troops and a narrow dirt road and a bridge to cross right in front of us.

The Yankees, who opted to forfeit any scouting or info gathering in favour for just taking to the field quickly, get that done a bit more swiftly. They cross the river, cavalry spearheading their advance.


full size image: https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2019_04/5caa30ce85fcc_earlygamedeploymentunionbridge.jpg.aef487de1ca73c9e6bd5cd8baa80f2ac.jpg


full size image: https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2019_04/5caa3117afb46_earlygameoverview.jpg.c29a152035bc26e9bd50a350c005e1f8.jpg
 
After a bit of shuffling, shouting and cursing our boys also get on and across the bridge, also with cavalry to the front and three groups of skirmishers. To meet our advance, Stephan has his impressive formation of 4 groups of line infantry turn about, form line, and advance through the cornfield. Scary. In reaction to this our C-in-C virago has three of his line infantry groups also form line and take position behind the fence.



Down the flank and around the distillery both our cavalry groups move up. In their typically chivalrous ways, my cavalry draw swords, make ready for a proper cavalry skirmish. The Union cavalry on the other hand dismounts and opens fire at my unit. Unchivalrously, their officer is hit and knocked to the ground! They also take 2 points of shock.



From this point on each time the officer's card is drawn he may roll to see if he gets back up and to his senses. Until then the group's effectively paralyzed (and with their flank exposed), unless I manage to activate them in some other way.

Musket fire starts erupting in general now - the two infantry lines start duelling.


full size image: https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2019_04/5caa553b12e13_earlygameshootingstarts.jpg.103536f149f25963238e4d264cf52c47.jpg

In the left we got our three groups along the fence, plus 2 groups of skirmishers, in the right the massive Union infantry formation of 4 groups, plus a Level 3 and a Level 1 leader AND a flag. On the plus side, our guys got slightly better cover

They shoot back and forth for a while. The Yankees take slightly heavier losses, but stand. Meanwhile their reinforcements in the shape of Zouaves of the 5th NY move up and towards the distillery in open column, flanked by more Zouaves in skirmish formation.


full size image: https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2019_04/5caa561b5cdbb_midgameearlyoverview.jpg.470c1070c9d176be5fdfb68d84b502db.jpg

My downed cavalry officer fails every single roll to get up again. After some more salvos his cavalry comrades have to withdraw and leave their officer behind. They're effectively out of the game. A group of skirmishers moves up to cover the retreat of the cavalry and to protect the flank, but they have to withstand the combined fire of the Union cavalry and Zouave skirmishers. The distillery owner is assumed to dive for cover.

Cpt. Bolling Baker leads his two groups of line infantry through the woods and towards the distillery. In passing he asks the local minister assistance, but he's not impressed. He gives a half-hearted blessing and retires for lunch.


full size image: https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2019_04/5caa5750617b9_midgamerebwagon.jpg.628f0c7140fccf84f0c0400fb7a893f6.jpg
Ever so slowly our wagon lumbers down the dirt road towards the distillery. Unless we get a grip on things on the flank this could get problematic.

If only the big infantry line in the cornfield finally broke. They keep taking casualties, but they're still quite a lot of dudes, led by competent officers who keep them fighting.

Then, slowly, they start retreating under the Confederate fire. I ask for my skirmishers to redeploy to the flank, but my C-in-C orders to advance toward the retreating enemy infantry to exploit this little victory. It's the correct call. Our boys climb the fence and keep firing at the retreating enemy.
 

full size image: https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2019_04/5caa57a880423_lategamefight.jpg.7e15fd158311e765364c49c8222ba7ad.jpg

Here's an overview of this point of the game:
In the cornfield the Union infantry's slowly stepping back, with our infantry following up. At the flank right in front of the distillery Cpt.Baker and his infantry finally get into position and form up. Unfortunately our opponents' Zouaves are faster at doing so, and manage to sit right on top of the objective. There's a short interaction between them and the distillery owner. He's mighty impressed with the Zouave uniforms and, under the condition for him to get a Zouave cap, he gives permission for the distillery to be evacuated and even joins the formation!


full size image: https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2019_04/5caa58e46fda7_lategameoverview2schrift.jpg.09fa0914ed0558ae5e5a5f75ebb1e9ed.jpg

Now it comes down to a duel between the brave 3rd Virginia and the 5th New York Zouaves. My guys are fewer, but the surplus group on the Zouaves' side can't really intervene anyway due to space constriction. However, at least half of the Zouaves formation is in light cover behind the distillery fence. My advantage is the smoothbore muskets which get a slight bonus at short ranges as compared to the more modern rifled muskets of the Zouaves.

Baker has his boys present and fire. The result is slightly underwhelming. Now it's the Zouaves' turn. They seem to be eternally motivated due to sitting on a stash of Whiskey. The tassels on their zouave caps are flying through the air while they load and fire their muskets relentlessly. The 3rd Virginia takes heavy losses and the C-in-C has to ride up to keep the boys fighting.

Speaking of riding - Dr.Howser advanced all on his own into no man's land to take care of the still downed cavalry officer, who is either knocked out or opted to just stay down, given all the enemy skirmishers around him.



The smelling salts and well-meaning kicking do their job, and Cpt. Robert Johnson of the 2nd Virginia Cavalry rises again, all while the skirmishers try to fend off the enemy cavarly and skirmishers. Chroniclers are divided on why the following happens. Either Cpt.Johnson is a great hero, or his horse got mad due to all the musket firing around them. Either way, next thing that happens is Johnson, alone (apart from this horse), reins between teeth and arms flailing, charges the enemy cavalry. The latter are so surprised by this act that one of them gets ridden down and the rest of the group retreats a few paces.



Baker's 3rd Virginia infantry continue to take a licking in front of the distillery, courtesy of the Zouaves. One of my two groups flees (after having accumulated 15(!) points of shock), the remaining group soon is reduced to fewer men than officers present.


full size image:https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2019_04/5caa5cbe9bb73_lategamesalvoyikes.jpg.58eb261797032549eb0e7a5f3e18fd2c.jpg

At this point we pretty much have to forfeit. Our centre crumbles, our flank's exposed and outmaneuvered. It's a victory for the Union.





Debriefing

What a remarkable game. The high number of units and leaders was made up for in some ways, but it still played pretty differently. Command cards were in short supply (however, the Union made excellent use of them when opportunity struck), and more often than usual were used to get leaders activated before the card's drawn

Another interesting factor is how line infantry fire is worked out when facing a LOT of enemy units in their field of fire; something that also usually only happens in larger games. All in all it was a very nice game. Space was tight on our side of the table, so our guys didn't get ahead quickly enough. And of course this Union infantry in the cornfield refusing to break was a big factor. Anyway, good game, and next time it's a confederate victory again!

Thanks for reading! I hope that you enjoyed this battle report. Let me know if you have any questions or comments. For a slightly different view on the whole affair (I assume, I haven't read it yet, but will do so right now), here's Cpt.Shandy's battle report: https://wargamingraft.wordpress.com/
 

[Battle Brush Sigur]

Jeepers Creepers, the last update was close to a year ago!

In between the following things happened:

.) We played the first Longstreet campaign game of 1863.



.) ...and a few months later - the second game of 1863, this one featuring the first USCT troops. The Union commander being a leading abolitionist being able to field extra-many of those of course.





There WILL be battle reports of these games up on Tabletopstories. I made it a rule that I wouldn't though until I got the rules introduction and review for Longstreet done. Which I have now! Here's the article, I hope you find it interesting and useful.

https://www.tabletopstories.net/language/en/2020/02/longstreet-rules-review/






...and now I currently got a solo test game of Sharp Practice with my 28mm set up on the table. Escort mission:



Since I only got Confederate minis of course it's a rogueish company of Confederate soldiers ambushing a wagon with supplies and (allegedly) the regiment paychest. Since we're planning to do an 1809 Tyrolean Uprising thing and so far I only played SP2 with 15mm figures I wasn't sure how well it would work with 28mm minis. Because that's a worry of mine.