Pickett's Charge redux

 

The Scenario

After setting up the table, the Confederates seemed closer to the Union than ideal - Rifled Musket range was reduced from 24" to 18".

The Union Lines

Hays and Gibbon's troops were deployed historically, making full use of the stone wall defences running south of the Bryan House. But with only 3 brigades to the Confederate 7, they were looking at a a long, hard day...

Doubleday's troops were deployed en potence to the Taneytown road in March Columns, so that Amos as Union Commander could rapidly deploy them as he chose. - they would get 4' of movement if they doubled along the road.

The Confederate had 2 rounds of pre-game bombardment. Targeting the Union guns, they caused significant damage.

The Confederates Form Up

Above, Bob's Command: Pettigrew's division in front, Trimble's behind. 

Below, John's Command: Picketts Division. 

John has encroached across the post and rail fence marking the divisional boundaries - not a good start!

The Confederate Advance

The Union redeploys

Amos identified the Confederate drive on his right hand objective on Cemetery Hill by Ziegler's Grove as the biggest threat, and duly sent Doubleday north.

Where he was able to deploy in the nick of time to contest the objective!

The Northern Flank: Ziegler's Grove & Cemetery Hill

Bob aimed two of his three Brigades at the objective on Cemetery Hill and Ziegler's Grove. The latter was the site of fierce fighting with successive waves of attacks and counter attacks!

As was the objective on Cemetery Hill:

After many rounds of fierce firefights and deadly assaults, both features were taken by the Rebs, and Hay's troops were forced off the ridge:

Centre - 'The Angle'

Its the New York Fire Zouaves against the 1st Louisiana Zouaves, whilst Wheat's Tigers charge the Angle itself:

The Rebs are over the wall!

A Union counter attack goes in:

But now its Gibbon's brave defenders who are steadily forced back...

The Southern Flank

John took his time with a lengthy approach march right around the Union left flank - possibly why Amos decided to commit his reserves on his right flank. But eventually they were in place to assault:

The view from the Union left flank. With the artillery weakened in the preliminary bombardment, there was just not enough infantry to hold the whole line:

Outcome

The final tally was Confederates 7, Union 1. But the score line does not reflect the tenacious and skilled defence the Union put up against the odds. Conversely, John and Bob worked really well together to put in a coordinated set of attacks which impacted in successive blows all along the Union line. With hindsight, the Union lost the battle as soon as their artillery was attrited in the opening Reb bombardment. Next time I will give the Union more batteries or factor in the long range artillery support coming down from Little Round Top.

However, an Epic and fun day's gaming in great company!

First Kernstown Revisited

 

The Wollongong Wargamers played 1st Kernstown back in 2022, as the opening game of our Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Back then, we used Black Powder rules, so now I wanted to replay it using Valour & Fortitude...

Despite making the outnumbered Rebels as effective as possible, Veterans vs Greenhorns, this scenario is a hard ask of the Confederate player. Alan volunteered. No, really!

Deployment was historical, which as the Union player was my excuse for lining the crest of Pritchard's Hill with wall to wall rifled artillery - because otherwise it would have been a bit of a dog act!

With hindsight, I probably needn't have backed up all those guns with my strongest - Kimball's - Brigade, but Alan had moved equally fast and furiously on both objectives so they both seemed threatened...

Since each of the two on-table Rebel brigades was targeting separate objectives, even at turn two I wasn't clear which one Alan had decided to go for. I advanced my third brigade up the middle... 

To focus on supporting the defence of Pritchard's Hill - which as we know was already very heavily defended by so many guns its a wonder the hill didn't subside...

Aforementioned guns should have had no difficulty in eviscerating those pesky Southrons, but they simply would not break! Maybe this was their main effort?

Meanwhile, back on Sandy Ridge at the other, equally significant objective, the Rebs were coming on strong!

And then Alan revealed his hand - the Confederate third brigade - inevitably - headed for the less strongly defended Sandy Ridge objective!

By now it was too late to refocus my main effort - the rebel assault on Pritchard's Hill was never going anywhere anyway, but why not waste my reserve brigade in putting the icing on the cake!

Back at the real crisis point, the Rebs pushed the Union line back away from the stone wall and were massing opposite the objective, where my units were either decidedly either not fresh or actually shaken! 

However, the Union had been getting the better of the firefights and holding their own in the melee phase, so that an unlucky Fortitude test roll caused the entire Confederate Brigade to waiver - phew!

At this point it was getting towards pack up time and with the battle outcome still very much up for grabs we called it a draw. But given the scenario was heavily stacked against the Rebs, Alan had done well, and, I suspect, might well have taken Sandy Ridge given another few turns...