MurdocK's MarauderS: Utica Mills - After Action Report 2 July 1863 (fictional)

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.