An ACW remote game - first attempt at 'campaign structure'

As a first attempt to set up a meeting engagement one of the Nanaimo Historical Wargamers came up with a scouting method of setting up a marching engagement in the American Civil War period, using Fire and Fury on the tabletop.

the US deployment planning map - we did not know until after the battle that the Union had lost terribly in the race to the field.

 We arrived, I was to take command of two Union cavalry brigades, independent, so they had simple screening orders to make room for the arriving 2 corps on the road and the woods to the northeast.  No information about the Confederates was given.

table at start - long view from the north - a Confederate brigade and some artillery were in a breastworks on a hill to the east of the crossroads

Union horse lead while 2 Corps marches onto the field

leading cavalry under Apperson, attempt to put some pressure on the crossroads, a full Confederate division with artillery have won the 'race' to the crossroads

more Union foot arrive

Apperson swings right to gain cover in a wood to the north of the crossroads

Scott swings south, to screen for 1 Corps arrival

overview, the crossroads are in the center left of the image, with Confederates to the left and Union to the right

Scott takes some fire from Confederate batteries, they expel all powder and must withdraw, leaving more time and room for 1 Corps to deploy

Apperson in the woods facing down 4x their number

Scott seen riding off southbound

another top view, this time the Confederates are on the top of the image, Union the bottom

massed Confederate columns are caught on the march by Apperson from the woods

1 Corps is finally moving forward after a long march through the woods

one Confederate column is badly shot up and the other does not advance

this lack of advance ties up 3x the number of horsemen for another hour

Confederates are spreading out using interior lines of communication to keep both flanks secure, the crossroads looks like it may be able to be captured ... only just

2 Corps is too far back to help Apperson, who still managed to hold the woods for another hour

Union columns advance, just not at double quick ...

the flank of the Confederate breastworks looks like it may be able to be breached, if only 1 Corps can get there fast enough

The crossroads

Scott now emerged within the Confederate encampment and scattered some stragglers - now Confederate troops were vulnerable to their rear!  Some Confederate guns turned about to fire on the rampaging Union horse

2 Corps was still slow marching

Apperson had inflicted more casualties on the advancing Confederates, then withdrew across open ground to the Union lines forming on the north hilltop

Confederate cavalry now sprung out from their wide flank march to hit 2 Corps artillery and foot troops from their flank unexpectedly.

this was devastating to the Union advance on the crossroads

Confederates press towards the north hill slope

Confederate cavalry brave fire from many Union muskets and guns ...

while Union troops finally move on the crossroads

initial hit went in the Union favor, driving back Confederates

Confederate cavalry tried for one more success ...

charging into the north hilltop held my Union

all the attackers to the hilltop were beaten back and the Confederate cavalry was utterly destroyed, even before reaching the lines

another Confederate assault on the north hill was defeated

at the crossroads, the Confederates counter-attack

this counter-attack drives back all Union brigades with many losses ...

The Confederates hold the crossroads, both sides had some losses, the time needed to march a corps through the woods then distance to make contact with the Confederate lines made the crossroads an impossible task to take in the time given.