The 2nd Battle of Maggie’s Farm

This idyllic farmhouse occupies a strategic crossroads somewhere in western Kentucky. Will feature in a Bob Dylan song, 100 years later.

Yet another game of Regimental Fire and Fury. I’m really enjoying the set of rules, though I suppose that might have something to do with my having won the last two games.

We ended up re-running our last scenario with a few modifications. I had thought we were going to reverse the situation the two forces found themselves in, but the Scarlet J wanted to see how things would go with some slight changes.

Essentially the scenario is a fictional meeting engagement at a crossroads, somewhere in Kentucky in 1862. The CSA forces, consisting of two brigades of three regiments each, plus two batteries of two guns each, arrive (appropriately) from the south, starting at that edge of the playing area, but able to come on the field at any point along that edge’s length. The Union starts on the northern edge of the playing area, but has to come onto the mat within 6″ of where the road intersects the mat edge. The Union starts with a brigade of four regiments, and a single battery of two gun. Starting on turn 2, with a 20% chance, the USA forces may receive reinforcements of a brigade of three regiments, plus a two gun battery. Chance of reinforcement increases with every turn, and, in this case, they came on in turn 3.

So, the pressure is on for the Confederates to take advantage of their obvious early game advantage.

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The Confederate Order of Battle-completely fictional and somewhat silly.

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Divisional Commander: General George Leverett

Tillman’s Brigade

• 1st Arkansas (10 stands)
• 2nd Arkansas (10 stands)
• 3rd Arkansas (10 stands)
• J.E.D.’s Cavalry (4 stands)

Nielsen’s Brigade

• 13th (Danish) Texas (10 stands, excellent morale)
• 15th Texas (10 stands)
• 16th Texas (10 stands)

Bateman’s Battery

• 1 rifle
• 1 12 pounder Napoleon

Conrad’s Battery

• 2 12 pounder Napoleons

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On to the report, in captions.

The battle plan. Batteries rush to occupy the high ground, while Tillman’s brigade advances in line on the right, fixing the Union forces, and Nielsen’s Danish Texans advance on the left, with one of their three regiments swinging wide behind a height, to come in perpendicular to the Union lines, delivering an enfilade attack.

Looking east down the east-west road. Funny thing about our board is that I need to buy another layer of foam mats, because a lot of the needle mounted trees have a bit TOO much needle and bottom out on the table underneath. Thus the levitating little tree to the right of the road. Bateman’s battery, consisting of a rifle and a napoleon would occupy the wooded hill to the right, and pretty much have their way with the Union masses on the plain below.

Two twelve pounders occupy a commanding position on a height just south of the  east-west road, protected by a battalion of cavalry, led by J.E.B.’s younger brother, J.E.D. Stuart. Columns of infantry advance in the distance, trying to seize the initiative before the Yanks can get organized. I managed to roll a ‘double quick’ maneuver for my first turn, which was a BIG help in executing my plans.

How far can I move before coming in range of that Confederate line?

Contact! I managed to wreck that Union battery very early on.

This is the Confederate right flank, anchored by some rough ground. The 1st Arkansas tried to do some good, over here, and eventually drove that Union regiment from the hill.

Nielsen’s brigade in the far distance is maneuvering, one regiment serves as the hinge, while another advances through the forest, and the famous 13th (Danish) Texas maneuvers on the reverse slope of a distant hill to catch the Yanks in the flank.

Union reinforcements came on in turn three. This is the daunting scene they faced. The wagon is a Federal ammunition supply point. I had to make my move before these reinforcements could get into action, because I would soon be outnumbered including four fresh new Yankee regiments.

Hard pressed Yanks. Nielsen’s brigade pushes through the woods and homestead on the bluebellies right flank.

Hammer and Anvil. The 13th Texas quickmarches over the concealing hill to take the Union line square in its right flank. Chaos ensues.

View from the Confederate western battery on top of the wooded hill.

Tillman’s brigade, in a nice bit of maneuvering, dresses their lines to receive the Yankee reinforcements, who are closing the range and mean to do some bloody work.

J.E.D. Stuart’s view across said neatly dressed lines.

Gods and Generals

Serious business.

Danish Texans….chaaaarge!

A hot and tense engagement. Will the Union right collapse before they can make the weight of their reinforcements on their left be felt?

The Danish Texans do what they do best, and give the Union right a taste of cold steel, causing the bluebellies to flee to the rear.

Union forces press on my right

The Union right flank collapses, just as their 2nd brigade gets into position to threaten the Confederate right flank. Would the lines have begun to, effectively, pinwheel?  Could Nielsen’s brigade have swept through the disorganized Union right, catching the whole bluecoat force neatly in the bag? Who knows, we ran out of time. Another resounding Confederate victory!

This was a really tense and engaging game, right up to the point where the Union right flank collapsed. We made it to turn 7 before running out of time, but I don’t think the Scarlet J would have been able to recover from having an entire brigade become near-combat ineffective-at least not within the 10 turn limit.

Keys to success? I think I used the terrain fairly well, and never suffered from any real command & control issues. Knocking out his early game battery certainly helped, and getting a ‘double quick’ move to start the game put me in a position to dictate the tempo of the game. I think my opponent was a little over-aggressive. I probably would have held back, and let the Confederates cover more distance and suffer more defensive fire. That said, a static defense can be deadly to the defender, plus it’s not all that fun!