The refurbishment of my magnetic base stands continues.
magnetic stand for cavalry, with the cloth covering to the right all standing on the same cloth covering the tabletop
This time a fun cloth was found as a roll end in a local fabric store.
$10 score! and it had enough there to cover the table fully and produce an army's worth of the base stand covers for one of my Napoleonic armies - I chose the Austrians.
a single stand pulled forward
cover removed to show magnets
cover 'inverted' to show inside of the cover
did up a fast video about them
now onto the olive green fuzzy throw set for my Russians ...
We were able to get in another battle in the fictional 1863 campaign set up.
This time it was to be Longstreet vs. Reynolds along the Potomac and the US Navy were able to field some ships of the Atlantic Blockade squadron to assist.
Major General John Reynolds commanded the Union forces
The game space this time was Drop Zone Games in Nanaimo, where we had access to one of the many excellent game rooms they have.
I needed a few minutes to get the space ready for action and thankfully the staff was willing to let me into the space those few minutes early ...
Then came time for a quick strategic brief - not so long for the Confederate player, as he has been commanding the whole way for the Confederacy. The Union commander had some decisions to make with only limited inputs - I thought he came up with a great forward-thinking plan, that included the strategic objectives of cutting off the Confederates from any further supplies to the south as well as the tactical aim of peeling them back from the river crossing.
The Confederates decided that the crossing was critical and determined to hold on.
one surprise that the Confederates had the US NAVY was in attendance with two Steamers and half a dozen other ships to bombard the shores
due to the maneuvers out of Harper's Ferry (far off the battlefield top left) the battle would not start till mid-afternoon
Shepherdstown was the urban area this time on the banks of the Potomac River
Confederate artillery were massed to drive off the Union forces that must cross open ground
the great bend in the river is at this point
two full Union Corps were present, with parts of another Corps also
along with the USS IROQUOIS
troops were very close from the start (as we only had a few hours to game)
first blood went to the Confederacy as they destroyed a Union battery
then II Corps started showing up on the open flank
While III Corps pushed along the river
two Confederate Divisions held the south side
Pickett was tasked with holding the north bank
by 3:30 pm there were masses of more Union guns half of the Army of the Potomac's reserve artillery was on the field
an enormous push was on to open a hole in the Confederate lines
guns as seen from the east
Pickett was doing well on the north bank
July 3, 1863 - yet again Pickett was in a charge
the Union men did hold for a time ...
four o'clock and the battle was raging everywhere
Union Division command on the north bank was dead and replacement was being organized
while on the south side Barksdale's independent command was utterly massacred and Barksdale himself was dead
thing were looking possible for Reynolds ...
save for a very tough rebel battery Madison's that stood when all others were falling back
Brewster's Brigade was now in the front line
damage to the USS IROQUOIS having moved to be able to maul the north bank Confederates
Fauquier's and Fayette's batteries combined to silence and damage the USS IROQUOIS
it was not to be enough
Union forces did not reach the river crossing
supporting infantry did not arrive on this battlefield and Reynolds was to have a -2 movement penalty because of the casualties
This was a tactical victory for the Confederacy, yet a strategic coup for the Union ... by nightfall there were going to be two Union Divisions of II Corps to the south of the Longstreet and no way to move out from the Potomac River area via road except to the west ...
game action time-lapse
the original briefing map
detailed zone information that the Union commander had directed the two Divisions of Hancock's II Corps to move further south of the field and intercept any and all forces moving south
a very rough situation picture of what Longstreet was now facing
Now from a campaign perspective, what would Longstreet do? March to support Lee? Force a way south? Hold the river crossing another day?
What does Lee do? Attack again south? Push east? Move north and actually take the capitol of Pennsylvania? Go west then south and escape across the Potomac, with Longstreet keeping the way open? Go west?
The 'big battle' for the fictional campaign of June/July 1863 has come about.
We decided to label it "Battle of Utica Mills" in Maryland, north of Fredrick City.
in location was Doubleday's I Corps
The early fight had been with parts of A.P.Hill's Corps and Hill had died in Union hospital from wounds received and taken prisoner.
Then came a sharp day of action across the region, starting close to the mountain gap, then driving back the Union cavalry under Buford; when everything halted as the leading elements of I Corps firmed up a line near Hunting Creek, which flows south near Utica Mills.
Then the leading elements of Ewell's Corps began to make their presence known and the situation for our battle was set.
though not on the battlefield at the start, Ewell made good time south to the field, bringing his Corps artillery
Meanwhile General Lee had determined to move up all the remaining Artillery and evacuate South Mountain and make the engagement at Utica Mills his action station, while leaving Longstreet to manage the rear along the Potomac.
Lee in person would arrive on the field of battle around mid-day
General Meade was still in Frederick City, managing a rail-loading of II Corps and the more experienced half of the Army of the Potomac's reserve artillery. He was preparing to send them off to Harper's Ferry and the command of General Reynolds, to effect a cut-off of the Confederate army.
General Meade sent off General Slocum to command the situation in Utica Mills and to report back no later than mid-day if the army wing along the Fishing & Hunting Creek region could hold off the Confederate army for the balance of the day, V and VI Corps were already dispatched and the latter half of the Army reserve Artillery would also be sent off to effect this mission.
General Slocum's task was to hold out the day north of the Fishing Creek
With this general situation set up, I then consulted some area maps and a few satellite images to generate a tabletop somewhat consistent with that ground.
I then pushed my home-spun geo-hex system to the maximum, using up all the hill slope sections that I had and ended up making a whole new one.
Time Lapse of the tabletop setup
My deck had been prepared with the table, and a pair of tents to keep off the anticipated light summer shower (turn out there were two that happened during the game) ... only a little mishap with draining off one bit of the water accumulation cause a few drops to land on the tablecloth - otherwise all was dry.
Then the players arrived - you can see them arrive in the time-lapse. We needed to assemble some of the troops from the collection of one of the players - Nate thank you so much!
setting out the needed troops
Now we were ready to lay out the battlefield and start the day's action.
overview of the whole field at 8 am
Slocum's view from Adamstown
Utica Mills to the right of this image
Brigadier Doubleday was in command of Union forces at the front
Union cavalry, under Buford, held the bridge and area north of Hunting Creek
Confederate pressure was immediate
more Confederates were arriving every hour for the first two hours
Confederate infantry pushed through the north Catoctin mountain woods right away
Union columns of V Corps began arriving at the far south end of the field - beyond Fishing Creek
the action was immediate across the whole line right from the start of the day
by 8:30 am there were formations of Confederate infantry across the Hunting Creek
Eagle eyed readers will notice the little clock face - something I have added since the dice I use normally to identify the time or turn just don't look as good or fit with the period as well.
I have a brass/white one for the AM and a darker one for the PM turns.
Union die rolls (the blue one) were poor in early hand to hand action
camera was MIA for a while, then at 10 am returned as the columns advanced from the south
they had crossed Fishing Creek and the head of the column was V Corps command
Buford's horsemen had done great work beyond the Hunting Creek, now they would move to the south bank and into the headwaters
while the other half of the horsemen and all the artillery Buford had along with I Corps artillery were pouring fire into the advancing rebels
this fire did not stop their advance ...
melee was joined again (I am including some photos of the players since I did not take a group photo near the end of the action)
Doubleday's reserve was committed early as he could see V Corps arriving in the south
what a view that was
the troop column covered a full 6 feet of tabletop
Slocum monitored the arriving troops and the supply columns and hospitals established in Adamsville
Army of the Potomac artillery were here in force
the column of V Corps, just about to deploy
Sykes now had to decide where to deploy to assist Doubleday directly or to form a new line along a muddy branch of the lesser Hunting Creek
the columns were long
Doubleday was forced to use his artillery train guards as a final infantry reserve
... and still the Union Cavalry held the one stone bridge across the Greater Hunting Creek
Confederate artillery were now ranged to deliver some killing blows
an overhead view of the action
Rebels seemed unbeatable in the woods!
the barricades at the Hunting Creek were breached
an illustrative image
Major-General and Wing Commander Slocum moves forward with the artillery of the army his intent is to determine whether the army he has can hold the day north of Fishing Creek AND report this to MG Meade by mid-day.
Sykes had decided to leave open room for I Corps to fall back and hold a line at the lesser Hunting Cr
Confederate infantry did finally get slowed down by the massed cavalry and their fast loading rifles!
it would not be enough to help I Corps though
the stone bridge was held, but nothing else along the Hunting Creek - so the Confederate artillery could be delayed
still the Union columns advance
with masses of artillery behind
the brave final stand at the stone bridge across Hunting Creek
high noon and a second Union line was forming up
while the first, near Utica Mills was just barely holding on
the hilly west flank of the battlefield was the key terrain to break through
while the creeks formed the barriers to fast movement along the flat eastern half of the field next to the Monocacy River
the wooded hills were intense battlegrounds
Confederate view looking south the second line of Union troops could be seen firming up
Union brigades continued to slow down any progress in the woods
post mid-day, Union troops keep advancing
MG Slocum has sent off the messenger "Army will hold north of Fishing Creek"
With this message arriving in Frederick City, sometime in early afternoon, Meade will order the trains to finish loading artillery and steam out to Harper's Ferry and complete the movement of II Corps, this will put three full corps in the area to face down a damaged Longstreet ...
at this point the greater Hunting Cr was breached
yet still the tenacious cavalry and mangled artillery train guard grimly held on ...
even making an ill fated charge ...
All while the second line got set up on the lesser Hunting
then the stone bridge was open to rebel traffic
Confederate view south
the 'replacement' Division commander was General Trimble (we later decided)
casualties for the Confederacy - so far Early simply retired from the field as his Division losses were too great
long view of the field - for the moment there were no new troops arriving for either side though more were expected for the Union as VI Corps had not yet arrived.
the moment of breakthrough at the stone bridge across the greater Hunting Creek
it was around this point that we made our dinner break, some interesting discussions about what might be done about a cut off Lee in Maryland. No direct access to Washington and no easy way back to the Shenandoah.
What would be done?
what appeared to be a last good chance to push the Union off the Hunting Cr and across the Fishing Cr was now
only a thin line was formed to halt at the lesser Hunting
there was room for exploitation if they could get there fast enough
... or so it appeared.
General Lee was as close as possible to assess this situation and urge forward his men
no longer would he have any local numerical superiority as the day wore on the numbers tilted into Union favor
more batteries and troops of the Confederacy were now forming around Utica Mills
fully into the afternoon, still no more troops arriving
Doubleday had fallen back with the remains of some of his artillery
V Corps would now have to take point in the battle
full crossing still in progress as fighting continues in the land south of Hunting Cr
V Corps were going to contest the woods on the north east flank
at long last VI Corps starts to appear
the first clashes along the lesser Hunting Cr have started
artillery duels are ongoing ...
rebel Guns make progress
view south from Confederate lines
Utica Mills is fully in rebel hands
Adamsville is hosting more Union troops on the main road ...
the Union line, as seen from Confederate positions, has now firmed up on lesser Hunting Creek
a dark shadow passes over Lee
the wooded hills are stubbornly contested by both sides ... now with only one Union brigade holding on by a thread ...
it is now, at 2:30 pm, that the first Potomac army reserve artillery begins to form on the hill south of Fishing Creek. This battery will grow over the next few hours and form the basis of the Union victory at Utica Mills (spoiler)
more of VI Corps can be seen arriving
V Corps were now set to actively defend
the prospects for the Confederacy were fast eroding away
more troops were needed as there was no more operational reserve on the field ... yes there were two divisions less than a days march away - one east and one north yet they could not get here to change any outcome today
Sedgewick would now make VI Corps presence felt on the field
between the Hunting Creeks was a no-mans land though Confederate forces did dominate it ... for now
looking south (into the gloom) the blue uniforms stand out
a massive Confederate gun line would now blast at lesser Hunting Creek - dominating the Union guns there and forcing the troops to fall back ... could this be the tipping point?
overview at 4:30 pm the multiple Union lines can be seen clearly
lesser Hunting Cr was released to the Confederates
they formed a line into the wooded hills beyond
could this be the tipping point? Was the Union wrong in assessing being able to hold this day?
5 o'clock, and the Union lines are tripling up
lesser Hunting was left to the rebels, they would have to cross much open ground ... with large numbers of Union guns now on high ground with a clear view of them
Utica Mills was in rebel hands for now ...
there were some Confederate troops, yet none were unscathed and most were in 'worn' condition
while in the woods the Union troops were still 'fresh'
this would be the testing moment
last chance to snatch a victory ...
order given ... move forward
overview of the Union position ... note the guns on the hill in front of the woods to the upper left of the image
these guns had a clear view of all Confederate troops, none could advance without their attention
the gun line was well covered by two lines of infantry that they could fire over ...
In one mighty salvo at long range one entire Confederate artillery battery was destroyed.
This would now continue with at least one battery being destroyed every 30 minutes, if not more.
Moving closer now would ensure utter destruction of any forces crossing the open ground.
Lee realized the battle was lost, the day was done. His forces must now withdraw north of Utica Mills and get support from the other Divisions and Stuart's Cavalry if there was to be any further action.
the woods skirmishes would not end until darkness
Confederate forces in the open would have to retreat into cover
Slocum had held the day
there were reserves of men and guns to replenish this line
now the no-mans land was dominated by Union artillery
though battered, the Union army was the victor
specific losses for Union forces
specific losses for Confederate forces
Confederate survivors
remaining Rebel forces
aftermath survivors
Union forces intact at battle end
detail regarding Union troops at end
Large Union forces survived the battle
A time lapse of the full battle (including our dinner break - watch the light shift)
thank you again to the players Chris and Nate for traveling to the game table
In a uniform from the age of 13 to 30, learned much of 'military life' and after a decade of travel have settled down to start a family. Started with boardgames and RPG's in the 1970's and added tabletop miniatures in the 1990's. Now with a family of three boys, seeking to turn this sometime hobby into more of a lifestyle.
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