Return to the ACW

Its been...quite a while...since we did ACW skirmish at the club!

Rhys wanted to try it, so that was all the excuse we needed. Randomly, Lawrence got command of the Union, and I got command of the Confederates. Lawrence had Phil as second in command, and I got Rhys.
We set up a terrain, and as it was Rhys's first go, decided to do a half company sized action, with 2 forces probing to locate each other.

The terrain, the forces would start on either end of the long road.

Phil lead his men along the road.... 

...as did I. 

Rhys followed me. 

 Neither side could see each other, so we wandered on blindly!

 Phil's Feds hopped over the fence, while Lawrence continued up the road.

I lead the Rebel column off the road - unsure of whether to  line the fences, or the edge of the woods.

 I directed Rhys to follow me.

My officer kept the distant blue-bellies in sight as he directed his men towards the tree line. 

 Rhys formed up on my right on the wood edge, and we awaited the arrival of 'Those People' 

I hated giving the Feds the initiative, but it seemed the prudent thing to do. 

Phil decided to take the hill opposite our wood, and Lawrence took the rest of the Feds around our flank. 

 Phil waited patiently behind the hill, while the rest of the Union force got into position.

 The Union main force continued alongside the road, what were they up to?

Eventually, their aim became clear, as they continued past my wooded position. 

I directed Rhys to move towards Lawrence before they got into an enfilading position on him. 

Alerted by a drum beat, Phil put half his line on the hill top and fired. 

Amazingly, their fire went high, and only one of Rhys' men was hit and killed. 

 Lawrence placed a dozen men on the fence opposite Rhys...

...their fire was more effective!

Undiminished, the Virginians formed up on the fence line and returned fire. 

A very good volley tore into the Fed line. 

My men also fired on Phil's men on the hill... 

...despite the longer range I hit a couple. 

 Rhys had more men...

...Lawrence's force took heavy casualties, but the Pennsylvania boys held their position.

Phil changed target and fired at my men... 

...however, apart from hitting several trees, his fire failed to hit any of my men! 

Once reloaded, my men fired another volley. 

...more Feds were hit. 

Rhys continued to hold... 

...despite the arrival of Lawrence's second group on his flank. 

Rhys continued engaging...

 ...the ragged group to his front, who refused to flee! 

 However, another volley from my men sent most of Phil's men skedaddling...despite their officer's protestations! 

The Federal forces decided to call it a day and withdraw, as they were now outnumbered nearly 2:1. The luck was definitely with the Rebels today!

Ist Corps...by old Glory!

Today, Ian brought his newly painted 1st corps (Army of the Potomac) company to take on my Confederates.

We decided the time had come to fight in the western theatre, so the Union troops would look ok with their hats, and my Virginians were always painted to act as Georgia/Tennessee troops at a pinch, so Tennesseans it was!

Lawrence took the Tennesseans right platoon on a hill. I took the left. Our plan was to surge through the woods to our front  and take the house, the aim of our game.

 We deployed alternately with the other side, and saw the Union had deployed differently to our expectations, in a clear area away from the house!

Ah well, no plan of battle survives first contact with the enemy, so they say! 

These are Ian's new 'Black hats' - on their maiden outing!

 The Union got to move first, and advanced in 2 offset lines.

To my great surprise, they halted and fired at extreme range! 

We, of course, immediately returned fire...

Our skirmishers on our right took the whole volley. 

 Our fire caused heavy casualties on the Black hats. 

 The Federals, undeterred, sent their second platoon to the front. 

 They fired.

Shooting over the skirmishers, Lawrences men took several casualties. 

 We, in turn, withdrew our front rank men, allowing the second line to shoot.

 Phil's platoon took casualties to match Ian's! 

Once reloaded, another volley from the Feds again targeted Lawrence.

 The Feds were clearly trying to eliminate Lawrences men, leaving me alone.

 Having reloaded too, we returned fire.

Unlike the Federal fire, ours seemed to wound rather than kill most often. 

 Switching lines again, the Federals fired a devastating volley at the hill.

The Confederates reeled...

 The skirmishers were hit especially hard... 

2 sections, including the skirmishers, skedaddled! 

We still had plenty of men though, and fired back. 

 The Union line was filled with a plethora of red wound markers, but again, not many dead. They kept passing morale checks though!!! 

 They fired another volley... 

 Another of Lawrence's sections was shredded.

The survivors headed back to Tennessee! 

 My platoon was still almost untouched though, and fired. 

 The Federal line was ragged, but still held its ground!

Fire from both sides was becoming less damaging as both sides lost volume of fire, the next Union volley only caused a couple of casualties on Lawrence's men.

 With little chance of a victory, both sides now gratefully fell back to lick their wounds and bury their dead. 

This had not been a game of manoeuvre, but a simple shooting match. Perhaps not the best type of game to play, but the terrain, and the Union decision to try and fight in the open made a slugging match unavoidable!