ACW Operational Game: Union Assault : The Battle Report Part One

Like all battle reports I'm going to start with the protagonists. On the Union side Mark was to be the C-in-C ,Frank the Right Wing and Dennis the left wing. On the confederate side Ozzy took command of the Louisiana Department of the Interior, Russ the New Orleans City Defence Force and Ian the C-in-C. Rule set was Fire & Fury : Brigade Level 2nd Edition


Order of Battle 

The point were spent on a Union:Confederate Ratio of 3:2

Green Infantry stands cost 1 point, Experienced 2,Veteran 3 and Crack 4. Artillery and cavalry were slightly higher. HQ stands of division or higher cost 4 points each.

Union brigades were all strength 8/5/3
Confederate brigades were all strength 6/4/2

 Confederate Forces

 C-in-C Major General R.E LEE

New Orleans Defence Force

Commander: II Corps R.S Ewell

Earlys Division: Brig Gen Early

                                                                                 Morale

Hays Tigers.                           6 stands                     Random

Gordons Brigade                    6 stands                     Random

Hokes Brigade                        6 stands                     Random

Artillery Battery                       1 stand (FB4)            Veteran                     

Smiths Brigade (Railway Garrison) 6 stands           Green

Cockes Brigade (Town Garrison)     6 stands          Green

9th Louisiana Heavy Artillery Battalion

4 Fortress Guns (FG) on artillery table                   Veteran                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

                                                                                                                                                                  

Louisiana Department of the Interior

Commander: I Corps J Longstreet

                                                                                 Morale

Robertson’s Brigade (Cavalry) 6stands                   Crack

Rodes Division: Brig Gen Rodes

                                                                                 Morale

O’Neals Brigade                    6 stands                     Crack

Iverson Brigade                     6 stands                     Experienced

Ramseur Brigade                  6 stands                     Green

Daniels Brigade                     6 stands                     Green

Artillery Battery                      1 stand (FB1)            Veteran                     

Heths Division: Brig Gen Heth

                                                                                 Morale

Archer Brigade                      6 stands                     Veteran

Pettigrew Brigade                 6 stands                      Veteran

Davis Brigade                       6 stands                      Experienced

Brockenbrough Brigade        6 stands                     Green

Artillery Battery                     1 stand (FB2)             Veteran   

Andersons Division: Brig Gen Anderson

                                                                                 Morale

Mahone Brigade                   6 stands                     Veteran

Posey Brigade                      6 stands                     Veteran

Wilcox Brigade                     6 stands                     Veteran

Wright Brigade                     6 stands                     Experienced

Artillery Battery                    1 stand (FB6)             Veteran   

Union

C-in-C. Major General Meade

Army Assests

USA Cavalry Division:Brig Gen J Buford

                                                                                 Morale

Devin Brigade                       6 stands                     Experienced

Gamble Brigade                   6 stands                      Experienced

Horse Artillery Battery          1 stand (HA1)             Veteran

Army Reserve Artillery Brigade (Four Guns)

W                                          1 stand                       Veteran

X                                           1 stand                       Veteran

Y                                           1 stand                       Veteran

Z                                           1 stand                       Veteran

7^th(Coloured) Infantry Brigade (Pioneers)

                                             6 stands                     Random

Bridge Sections                   4 wagons                   

                 

I Corps

Wadsworth Division: Brig Gen Wadsworth

                                                                                 Morale

Meredith (Iron)Brigade          8 stands                     Crack

Cutler Brigade                       8 stands                     Veteran

         

Doubleday Division: Brig Gen Doubleday

                                                                                 Morale

Rowley Brigade                     8 stands                     Veteran

Stone Brigade                       8 stands                     Experienced

Stannard Brigade                  8 stands                     Green

Robinson Division: Brig Gen Robinson

                                                                                 Morale

Paul Brigade                         8 stands                     Experienced

Baxter Brigade                      8 stands                     Experienced

Corps Artillery

A                                           1 stand                       Veteran

B                                           1 stand                       Veteran

III Corps

Birney Division: Brig Gen Birney

                                                                                 Morale

Ward Brigade                        8 stands                     Veteran

De Trobiand Brigade             8 stands                     Experienced

Graham Brigade                    8 stands                     Green

         

Humphreys Division: Brig Gen Humphrey

                                                                                 Morale

Brewster Brigade                  8 stands                     Green

Burling Brigade                     8 stands                     Green

Carr Brigade                         8 stands                     Green

Corps Artillery

C                                           1 stand                       Veteran

D                                           1 stand                       Veteran

XI Corps

Barlow Division: Brig Gen Barlow

                                                                                 Morale

Von Gilsa Brigade                 8 stands                     Veteran

Ames Brigade                       8 stands                     Veteran

         

Steinwehr Division: Brig Gen Steinwehr

                                                                                 Morale

Smith Brigade                       8 stands                     Experienced

Coster Brigade                      8 stands                     Experienced

Corps Artillery

E                                           1 stand                       Veteran

F                                           1 stand                       Veteran

Initial Set up

         

 The Confederates opted to place two full divisions, those of Rodes and Heth with 8 brigades around the entrenched town on table 1C.

With them Longstreet and Lee set up their HQs

This allowed the Confederate C-in-C (Ian) to converse directly with his front line commander (Ozzy) .Cockes' independent brigade (the local militia) manned the town defences. This meant that upto over half the total confederate strength was positioned on table 1C. 

Andersons division was left in reserve on table 2C, with 4 brigades and the New Orleans Defence Force (3 brigades) occupied the walls of the city.

Robertsons Cavalry Brigade were on their own by the small settlement on table 1B.

Robertsons Cavalry HQ posted behind the small settlement on 2B

Opening Gambit

As the battle commenced the Union moved  their first divisions onto the tables. On the Union left III Corps marched onto 1D. Humphrey's Division consisting of the three Green brigades of Brewster, Burling and Carr began to organise on its flank facing table 1C, but made no aggressive move toward the Confederate positions on 1C whilst Birney's division of Ward, de Trobiand and Graham marched toward the underfunding table 2D.

No Union forces hit table 1C.

On the Union centre right, two divisions entered the table 1B and due to the presence of Robertsons CSA cavalry had to deploy. On the left of the this position advanced Smith and Costers brigades of Steinwehrs Division /XI Corps.

Steinwehrs Division, their mission to protect Franks left flank on table 1B

These two brigades also began to form a defensive position facing the Confederate positions on 1C. On the right the formidable 1st Division (Wadsworth)/I Corps consisting  of Merediths Black Hats and Cutlers brigade moved toward the left flank of Robertons Cavalry.

Merediths Black Hats (Iron Brigade) and Cutlers brigade along with their Corps artillery batteries enter table 1B

On the Union right flank, the two remaining division of I Corps, (Doubleday and Robinson) with four brigades, the Army Reserve artillery and Pioneers marched uncontested onto table 1A. This surprised the Union C-in-C as he had expected the Confederates to contest the gaps in the ridge lines. 

The Confederate first turn was short. Russ used his divisional commander to detonate preplanned explosives on the small bridge on table 1B.

The Confederates won the initiative and Robertsons Cavalry deployed and attempted to swing around the rear of Steinwehrs division. On table 1C frantic activity broke out amongst the Confederate brigades as the two divisions of Rodes and Heth began to move toward table 1B and Franks small flank guard. Meanwhile Flank managed to get Steinwehrs Division into some semblance of order to meet the Confederate threat

Steinwehrs Division forms awaiting the Confederate tidal wave.

and Devin's Cavalry brigade of Buford's Division accompanied by their commander entered 1B to attack Robertson's cavalry and cover Steinwehrs rear.

The Confederates attempted to turn Robertsons cavalry away from the Federal cavalry threat but the Federals won the initiative and struck Robertsons outnumbered troopers in the rear.

In a display of fraught combat (i.e awful dice rolling by Frank) a Desperate Struggle ensued and with the odds evened Robertons Crack horsemen got the better of Devins men and pushed them back.

The Confederate cavalry then won the initiative , rallied and charged Devins milling cavalrymen. Despite being outnumbered , the rebels broke the Union troopers who fled from the table.
On the other side of the woods Steinwehrs two brigades of Coster and Smith were about to begin their own desperate struggle as the first of the Confederate brigades (Ramseur and Daniels) entered the fray.

Lee, Longstreet  and Rodes ride close to the bullets as they follow their leading brigades charging into the open flank of Brigadier General Coster's outnumbered men. In the distance O'Neal and Iverson arrive to threaten Smiths isolated brigade.

Coster was hit hard and then as the Confederates won the initiative he was flanked and pushed back into the woods. Smith attempted to hold but was then hit by the arriving brigades of O'Neal and Iverson. Smiths brigade also fell back amongst the trees as the Confederate brigades pushed forward.

Confederate brigades push into the woods on the Union left.

Desperate messages were passing between the Union C-in-C and both his flank commanders as Dennis's III Corps advance stalled on table 2D at the end of their order and Frank requested reinforcements to stop the Confederate attack onto 1B.

Whilst Steinwehrs men fought and died amongst the woods behind them the Union Ist Division /I Corps had created a new defence line with its left on the small buildings and holding place on its right the Iron Brigade (Ian was later to ask me not to paint anymore of those chaps).

The Iron Brigade (Crack)(nearest the camera) and Cutler (Veteran) use the time forged by Steinwehrs desperate defence to form a new line

To their left and a little further back the combined artillery of I and IX corps formed a grand battery and to their left Barlow's division of XI Corps entered the table

Barlows all veteran division rush to form up on Cutlers left. A defensive line began to form but would it hold against the jubilant Confederates battering the thin line of Steinwehrs forward division.

and  formed up its two Veteran brigades on the Union left. Table 1B had now become the stage for a fierce battle that would last the rest of the day as the four brigades of Heths division entered the table behind Rodes, and began to support Rodes brigades attempts to shift Coster and Smith, whose men were grimly giving ground at the cost of mounting casualties. Eight Confederate brigades now faced two desperate Union brigades but a Union defensive line had been established made up of four of the best brigades in the Union Order of Battle.

However the Union C-in-C (Mark) had finally released Dennis troops on table 1D and three Brigades plus artillery support moved onto table 1C with orders to take the town, still occupied by Cockes Independent brigade (under Russ's direction) and advance into the Confederate rear on table 1B.

Cocke's Militia prepare to defend the town.

The new threat to the Confederate plan as Humphreys division is released onto table 1C. 

On table 2A I Corps were now building a bridge across the river and were threatening to advance upon the city.

Would Cocke delay Humphreys division? Would Steinwehr hold? Would the City defences? Could the Union rescue the situation on table 1B? See Part 2.