After our fist testgame last week, the rules still needed a little bit of tinkering, but this second game proved they are alle we are after: fast playing and acurate enough for our purposes, but above all: great fun!
During the first turn, (only) the Confederates - since they had 2 cavalry squadrons - were allowed to scout. After the fist move, most units came to within enemy artillery range and all were then placed in view on the table.
Left wing of the Confederate line: a Confederate infantry brigade (3 battalions) deploys and races to the nearest farm and adjacent corn field to get the advantage of cover.
Northern and Southern Zouaves fight it out in the cornfield. The Rebs held the line
Union left wing. The Union artillery batteries did a good job during turn 1 (as did their colleagues at the other end of their line): they treated the Reb cavalry at some well aimed shots at extreme range, thus cutting down the Southern cavalier units to half their original size...
True Christian souls go to church... And a Union unit wins the race, but a Reb battalion is not disheartened and storms the now occupied place of worship. They won't do this twice...
The Rebs held their own on their left flank whilst the Yanks made good use of the church on the opposite side of the table, so no clear victory for either side but many casualties on both sides (as was so often the case...). Up to next week's battle!