Thursday 18 August 2016

The Blues triumph, well almost

Went over to Jon's on Wednesday for an ACW battle
I was the boys in blue attacking with 2 corps, which worked out to 10 brigades of infantry 2 brigades of cavalry and 4 batteries of guns.
My troops were mainly regular with a sprinkling of Veterans and green.
Jon had 2 large divisions of confederates in a defensive position guarding the road and their line of supply/retreat.



Union advance down the road



2Nd corps on between the woods
As 1st corps grinds on


cavalry come on and run down a battery, then dismount and box 2 confederate brigades in the wood







2 confederate brigades trapped in a wood



Confederate left flank gone,
reserves dig in at wood edge to halt the union right swing

Union struggle to make headway against enemy behind wall



Union black hats get in and then are thrown out



Confederate reserves couldn't hold and the union right swing pushes on





End of play
Confederate troops hold the fence line but they are about to be out flanked by the Union right.
2nd union corps could make no headway against stubborn resistance.
great game
thanks Jon

2 comments:

jono said...

Excellent battle based very loosely on a what if scenario for the day before the Battle of Sharpsburg. The Union Corps artillery in close support of the infantry made short work of the confederate batteries and then caused havoc amongst the confederate infantry. Four times local. Confederate counterattacks threw the federal infantry back out of the defences in the middle and left but overwhelming numbers told and my left which was holding in the woods was crushed with the capture or rout of a number of stands.The double line formation that Mark used with his big Union brigades proved effective allowing him to get twice as many stands into charges and the support bonus of the brigades own second rank. At times my thinly spread confederates looked desperately out classed and out numbered but held for most of the day before it became apparent that the situation was untenable. An excellent fight that highlighted the pros and cons of the different uses of the confederate and union artillery batteries and the use of both divisional and corps commanders and exceptional brigade commanders in getting troops to where they were needed. The dismounted Union cavalry that got behind my left flank with their breachloading rifles were game changing and without their presence my left may have held. Thanks Mark

Ian said...

Great looking game. Good to see so many troops effectively used and a result achieved. Gettysburg seems achievable with these rules.