The Battle of Shaunsburg Part 3

 In an attempt to capture three objectives and cut off the defending Union army’s retreat the Confederate attack ramped up in the next phase of the battle. The initial right flank attack gained strength and the Union hold on that part of the field was in for a challenge. 

Union troops hold the fence and the left flank of the defensive line. 

6:00pm-7:20pm

On the Union right flank Hays’ division was present in full on the field behind a fence in a wheat field.  They bristled menacingly and even advanced beyond the defensive line but participated little.  While the Union middle and left suffered under Confederate hammer blows the troops of the right sat firm holding off a single less than aggression Confederate brigade.  In nearly three and a half hours of fighting Hays’ division suffered only 540 casualties with 480 of these being from a single regiment caught marching to the center by a cavalry charge that hit them in column and swooped them up. 

In the Union center the situation was more grim. A single Union brigade held a stretch of nearly a mile of ground.  Parts of two Confederate divisions under John Bell Hood and D R Jones attacked and drove the brigade up the hill the Union troops were trying to protect.  This was the brigade of Hobart Ward of Birney’s division and it was near breaking.  The two other brigades of the division missed their six o’clock arrival time and were not in sight.  

An aggressive and steady push by two of D R Jones's brigades and a battery of horse artillery from Wade Hampton’s cavalry brigade was slowed but not stopped.  A brave sally forth by a lone Union regiment into the central cornfield was crushed by a Confederate charge but may have slowed the Rebel advance just enough as Carr’s Brigade finally arrived a full hour late. 

Carr arrives late but maybe not too late. 

On the Union left where the main Confederate blow had landed the Iron Brigade continued to stubbornly hold back parts of two Confederate Brigades under Barksdale and the Texas Brigade.   The timely arrival of Farnsworth’s cavalry and its repeating carbines as well as three artillery batteries lending support from atop a centrally located hill drove off the charge of the Texas brigade.    Barksdale was able to gain the far flank and hit the Union line in full enfilade with a charge that routed an Illinois cavalry battalion and rolled up the Union left flank. 

The Texas Brigade is held back 

Just as in the middle, the hard fighting Wisconsin and Indiana boys with support from the Cavalry received hammer blows but bought time.  Doubleday’s two other brigades arrived to try to support the crumbling flank.  

The Confederates too welcomed reinforcements.  Hood’s supporting artillery arrived and began pouring fire into a battalion of cavalry that was anchoring the right end of Doubleday’s left flank.   A point blank volley by a regiment in Evander Laws’ brigade sent another cavalry battalion running into the woods and up the hill in the Union center left.  If the Confederates gained that hill the Union center might collapse.  

Would the Union reinforcements win the race to drive off the Rebel attack?

Union troops march in behind the Union center 

In three hours of fighting 22420 Union soldiers suffered approximately 2670 casualties.  23580 Confederates suffered 3810 casualties.  Ward’s Union brigade in the center alone sustained 1140 casualties  while the entire division of Hays only suffered 540. Two Union brigades of roughly ten regiments supported by three battalions of artillery had held off parts of three Confederate divisions containing 30 regiments while three fresh Union brigades held off one Confederate brigade.  

Only a little over two hours of daylight remained.  Could the Union hold?

The Battle of Shaunsburg Part 2

 The battle of Shaunsburg began to develop with an aggressive right hook by the attacking Confederate army. Reinforcements were slow to arrive but the Brigades on the field began to come into range of each other.

Union batteries holding a hill in the Union center unleash on the approaching Confederates.

5:20pm-6:00pm

Barksdale’s Mississippi Brigade continued to advance with artillery support against three regiments of the Iron Brigade who marched out to meet them. The Black Hats charged the cannon that had been blasting them but were instead intercepted by four of Barksdale’s regiments led by Barksdale himself.  The Confederates crashed into the Western Brigade and knocked it back in disorder, routing one regiment and throwing two others into disorder. The Rebels were disordered as much by success as the Yankees were by defeat.  

Directly to the left of the charge the Texas Brigade tangled with two other regiments of the Iron Brigade and were ready to get stuck in when Union cavalry stampeded up the road behind the Union line, dismounted and fired repeaters to great effect. The charge of the Texas Brigade was broken up in confusion. The horse artillery and another cavalry regiment blasted the Mississippians who attempted to reform to face them.   

Shaken but not routed, the Iron Brigade fires into the Mississippians 

In the Confederate center left Hampton’s cavalry caught the Second New Hampshire marching in column along a road in front of them. They charged.  In the resulting melee the New Hampshire regiment is killed or captured to a man as sabres and pistols make short work of them.  The cavalry in turn sustained heavy losses from fire from both left and right as several Union regiments and a battery of guns moved to seal the breach.  One Cavalry Battalion fled and Hampton is wounded in the attack.   

A Union volley empties Confederate saddles. 

Meanwhile on the Union far right Hancock’s entire Corp is on the field in strength  

Look at that strength 

In two hours of fighting 22410 Union soldiers (half on the field) suffered approximately 780 casualties. In that same time 23580 Confederate soldiers (half on the field) suffered 1360 casualties.  The Union left and center are pressured but have not broken.  The battle continues.

Looking across from the Union right and Confederate left 

The Battle of Shaunsburg Part 1

 Inspired by every American Civil War battle in which an army is forced (or chooses) to line up with a river to the rear and a limited route of escape should things go wrong, the Battle of Shaunsburg presents a portion of the Union army of approximately 22410 strong facing a Confederate Army of approximately 23580.   In this scenario using the Johnny Reb 3 rule set, the  Confederate Corp of General James Longstreet is attempting the crash through a portion of the Union army in order to gain the rear of the Union army and block its retreat. 

Looking across the field from the Union right 

The scenario begins at 4pm with parts of three Union Corps led by Generals George Meade (1st Corp) Winfield Scott Hancock (2nd Corp) and Dan Sickles (3rd Corp) holding a line across the length of about three and a half miles. Three Brigades and supporting artillery are on the field with three available roads from which to enter behind the Union lines.  Union reinforcements are scheduled to arrive at 6pm but several of the six Brigades in reserve are trying to arrive early. 

Three Confederate Brigades with supporting artillery enter opposite the Union line from six possible roads.  Those roads also provide the arrival points for seven additional Brigades that are scheduled to arrive at 5pm.  Both armies armies also have small cavalry detachments arriving in reserve. 

The Confederate goal is to take objectives behind the Union line.  These objectives represent punching holes and cutting off the avenue of retreat for the Union army.  Six objectives are on the board but only three secretly chosen by the Confederates are the true objectives and the Union side doesn’t know which ones. After all roads of entry are chosen and on board troops are set up, the Union Generals are allowed to swap two objectives possibly making Confederate troop dispositions less ideal. 

4:00pm to 5:20pm Union forces lined up left to right  with the Iron Brigade of Doubleday’s Division holding the far left near a small house and larger barn.  Hobart Ward’s Brigade of Birney’s Divison held a hill and farm in the center and  Caldwell’s Brigade of Hays’ Division aggressively pushed forward on the right near a large wheat field.

A pair of batteries on small hill in the Confederate center opened the attack to minimal effect.  The weight of the Confederate attack fell against the Iron Brigade as Barksdale’s Mississippi Brigade shook out skirmishers and advanced supported by a three batteries of mixed guns.  The Texas Brigade emerged from a wood shrouded Road to move on the center left and Garnett’s Virginians marching up the middle.

The opening fight erupted when Confederate batteries rained shot and shell into the Wisconsin and Michigan regiments who advanced from the protection of their fence to exchange fire. 

The Black Hats advance on the guns

Union batteries in the center chased off a Virginia regiment that disengaged and reformed.  Caldwell’s Brigade moved up to a stone wall in front of the wheat field but initially met no resistance.  

Confederate reinforcements arrived on the left in the form of Kemper’s Brigade and immediately exchanged cannon fire with Caldwell’s supporting battery but to little effect.  

The Union Cavalry of Farnsworth’s Brigade arrived on the Union left behind the Iron Brigade while Confederate Cavalry of Hampton’s Brigade galloped forth on the Confederate center left.  

Hampton arrives 

In an hour and twenty minutes four Confederate Brigades of infantry and a Brigade of Cavalry were on the field advancing on four Union Brigades of infantry and a Brigade of Cavalry.  Approximately 90 Union and 120 Confederate casualties served to decide little at this stage of the battle.  

The Union line was not yet tested but a dangerous gap was developing in the center and the on the Union left one Brigade was facing two.   What would the following hours bring?  Find out in part 2

The Battle of Novice Mountain Part 3

 The final hours of the Battle of Novice Mountain bring to its conclusion the bloody work started earlier in the day as Union forces try to hold the two flanking passes while taking the middle pass.  

5:40pm-7:00pm

McClaws’ Division on the far Confederate right has pierced the Union line at the wall and driven off the Zouaves of the 11th New York and the Irish Brigade but two Rhode Island regiments and the 3rd Maine drive them off routing two South Carolina regiments and driving beyond the wall their division originally held. They, in turn are struck  and driven back to the yard  but McClaws’ division is spent and can do no more.  The Union left has held.

New Englanders seal the breach and drive back the Confederates 

On the Confederate left near disaster strikes as down go two brigade commanders, and division commander Daniel Tyler is carried from the field.  It is fortunate that Corp commander Joseph Hooker is up and is able to stabilize the flank.  It may not be enough.  Several Union regiments and a battery of guns rout and Hood’s division has regrouped on the flank.  Massed artillery breaks a Confederate charge before it can be launched from behind a stone wall but farther left six regiments are sent forward against two Union regiments only to be thrown back in disorder.  If the charge had succeeded the flank would have broken.  The Union flank holds on the right.   

The Union line erupts in flame across the front. 

  In the center the more slowly developing Union push finally rolls across the widest pass.  The Confederate Division of DR Jones deals punishment from near a small farm house but is late in blocking the pass.  Jones decides it’s time to throw in a large brigade in an all out assault.   Like the assault on the Confederate left Jones has numerical superiority.  Six regiments charge the 3rd Vermont who are supported by one other regiment.   The result is a repulse.   The confederates have failed to prevent from Union troops from taking the center pass. 

The Confederates fall back in confusion. 

Conclusion

In five hours  approximately 18490 Union troops battle 19340 Confederate troops with estimated casualties 6783 Union and 6630 Confederates. Two Union brigade commanders and a division commander fall.  

The Union army by taking and holding all three objectives has scored a major victory and has disrupted the Confederate march on the far side of the mountain and can now pitch in. 

On a purely gaming note: The two Confederate charges on the last turn saw 12 total regiments charge four. In both cases during the dice down for impact the Union side could only break the charge by rolling double ones.  Both did.   The gaming group “engineer” says that’s a 1/1296 probability.  The “actuary” was silent on the matter.  

The Battle of Novice Mountain Part 2

 The day starts to heat up after the Confederates try to block the Union attack launched earlier.  The Union right continues to push against the Confederate left while only probing the center.  On the Union left it’s the rebels who arrive late but come in swinging. 

3:20pm-5:20pm

Tyler’s Division pushes against Hood’s Division who holds a stout position behind a stone wall. Tyler sends the Brigade of Phelps to the right of the wall to try to flank Hood but Kemper’s Brigade of Virginians arrive on the field in time to check the move.

An exchange of volleys on the Confederate left. 

Kemper aggressively charges Phelps’ Midwesterners but is thrown back in disorder. Phelps sees advantage and launches his own assault that hurls Kemper back causing one regiment to route (but later rally) and the rest of the Virginians to fall back.   The boys in blue are themselves in disorder from the charge and two Confederate batteries add to the confusion by firing into the reforming troops to further try to check them.   The wall continues to swirl with smoke as the Confederates fire volleys into the Union troops in front of them   Three Union batteries add to the return fire but the wall lessens the casualties.  The Union right still holds the pass and remains stuck in.

In the center, two Union Brigades belatedly advance on D.R. Jones partially arrived Division but the hesitant advance allows Jones to bring his second Brigade up.  When the Union Brigades enter musket range near a fence across their path they are met with volleys from the Confederates waiting there  

Muskets and cannon open up on the advancing Yankees.

It’s on the Union left flank where the action is most violent.   McClaws Division will sustain 2520 casualties in the first three hours and twenty minutes; more than the other two Confederate Divisions combined.

Holding behind a stone wall flanked by woods on either side New York and Pennsylvanians of the Irish Brigade supported by a battery of guns pour heavy fire into attacking South Carolinians and Mississippians as they advance on the wall  

Fire Zouaves anchor the line until contact. 

The South Carolinians take a heavy pounding approaching the wall but Barksdale’s Mississippians and Semmes’ Georgians score a breakthrough into the yard of a farmhouse behind the wall.   Artillery horses are shot down but Battery E of the U.S Artillery blasts the rebels with Canister taking a heavy toll as the Confederates cross the wall. Small Union counter charges pick up prisoners but the two Zouave regiments route from the yard.   Other Union regiments held in reserve volley into the once exuberant-now disordered Mississippians  and  Georgians.  

The wall is breached but reserves approach. 

The Union left is now a swirling and disordered brawl. 

In three hours and twenty minutes approximately 18490 Union troops battle 19340 Confederate troops with estimated casualties of 4090 Union and 4110 Confederates.

Next: The decisive hours.  

The Battle of Novice Mountain Part I

 Inspired by the Battle of South Mountain, this game of ACW using the Johnny Reb rule set represents the Union forces of General Hooker’s First Corp attempting to push through the gaps of the lesser known (some would say unknown) Novice Mountain in order to catch the Confederates marching strung out along the far side.  James Longstreet’s Corp must hold back the Union troops until nightfall thus allowing the rest of the army to clear the gaps.

   The scenario begins at 2pm with two brigades of Union troops attacking two Confederate Brigades across three passes of Novice Mountain.  Three objectives are located on the far crest of the mountains, one on each road that crosses one of the passes.   Six additional Union Brigades are scheduled to arrive starting at 3:20pm while seven Confederate Brigades are scheduled to arrive starting at 4:40pm.  Each turn  represents 20 minutes.

2pm-3:20pm

On the Union right the Division of Daniel Tyler is aggressive and marches forward against the Confederate Division of John Bell Hood.  Evans’ Brigade of Rebels gains a stone wall as Phelps’ Brigade of Yankees gains the objective  

D.R. Jones’ Confederate Division moves up the Confederate center and takes the second objective but no Confederates are to be found on the Confederate right as James Ricketts’ Division pushes through the gap to the objective on the Union right.

Layfatte McClaws arrives early due to some some good fortune and starts to move up the Confederate right to meet Ricketts. Abner Doubleday marches up the Union center but does so timidly and stops at a stone wall out of range of all but the longest cannon fire and well short of the objective.

Looking out from the Confederate center.

On the Union right Phelps’ Brigade of Tylers’ Division pitches in setting off a tripwire of cannon and musket fire from the Confederates behind the stone wall. The second Michigan routs under the withering fire but the first Louisiana who don’t have the benefit of the wall and who hold the farthest left flank of the Confederate line take a heavy punishment   They stand their ground.   More Union and Confederate Brigades arrive on that end of the field.

The Confederate left explodes. 

In one hour and forty minutes approximately 14000 Union troops battle 13000 Confederate troops with estimated casualties of 630 Union and 660 Confederates.

Next: The battle heats up  

Irregular Cup Dungeon Bowl Final Results 2023

Witch Gate Wanderers claim the Irregular Cup.

Witch Gate Wanderers (Dark Elves).  14 Touchdowns

Blood Mountain Brawlers (Orks).  10 Touchdowns

Asaheim Alcoholics (Norse) 9 Touchdowns

Castle Rock  Raptors (Human) 9 Touchdowns 

Altdorf Casual Practice Squad 8 Touchdowns