Henry Hill, Bull Run part 2

On the afternoon of 21st July 1862 General Tyler led his Division from the Stone Bridge towards the fighting on his right flank, where the Union army was attempting to outflank the Rebels. 

General Sherman's Brigade was sent piecemeal into the battle, up Henry Hill.  The troops that had skirmished across the Bull Run all morning were now committed to an attack.  

With the Confederates shifting troops to their left flank the Union had only a limited time to break through.

I randomised the forces involved in the Henry Hill game I planned for the possibility that Sherman would send two of his regiments at once.  Turns out that the dice decided not.  The 11th Massachusetts would be facing three Confederate Regiments, although these would also arrive piecemeal.

Parson Farthingdale and his flock would be arriving on the Deployment points on the northern table edge, whilst the Confederates held Henry house and the wooded hill, with any delayed units arriving on the far right -rear table edge. 

First troops on table are the Zouave skirmishers for Catchmole's Tigers

At the Henry House the 3rd Texas advance from their Deployment point, whilst their Officers attempt to get them into a formation.

With no Union troops on table the Confederates have built a good looking firing line.

Fate takes a hand.  The Zouaves advance down the hill as Colonel Catchmole's aggressive nature takes over.  General Bee was overheard to say "There goes Catchmole again like a damn Tiger."  His Zouaves were forever after named Catchmole's Tigers.

The 11th Massachusetts try to sort out that formation but lose cohesion through shock from long range shooting.

Fluster and his sharpshooters advance on the Zouaves

The Texans begin to cause serious casualties

The Zouaves aggressively advance to a very dangerous proximity of Fluster and his men

Adding insult to injury the 7th Virginia Infantry arrive in column and march to reinforce the Texans

At the end of the turn Fluster and his sharpshooters kill the Sergeant leading the Zouave Skirmishers

The Parson is beginning to lose men, and the Texan skirmishers snipe away at his flank

Fluster wipes out the Zouave Skirmishers but is hit in the leg taking him out of the action.

The Zouaves fire a controlled volley at Sergeant Major McGork.

McGork is hit and falls.

On the left the Parson is also hit... again.  The Union army has no Officers left!

Out from the ranks steps Captain Jebadiah Quilp!  His first action is to take some of that shock away using command chits

But the Zouaves' volley kills most of the poor Sergeant Major's men

Captain Quilp has his moment, and kills a lot of Texans in a controlled Volley.

But its game over as the Zouaves charge forward

The Yankees run away...   Its going to be a long war!

Roll Call:

Major Floyd Farthingdale "the Parson."  6 Months recovery needed.

Lieutenant Winfield Armstrong Fluster, Amputated Limb. Retired and embittered.

Sergeant Major McGork, killed outright. 

The Rebels did not suffer a single Officer casualty, except for Sergeant Milhouse van Troomp, who took a careless sword wound in the buttocks from his own side.  The Colonel has apologised and offered to make van Troomp a Lieutenant of Zouaves.

Ball's Ford. Bull Run part 1

Parson Farthingdale and the 11th Massachusetts have been placed in a blocking position at Ball's ford by General Tyler, whilst the remainder of the Division are further north making a demonstration against the stone bridge.

Needless to say, the raw volunteers of the 11th Massachusetts mess it up, and young Lieutenant Fluster leads his skirmishers across the ford.  Not wanting to write a letter to Fluster's mother, explaining how the brave but dim Officer was killed, the Parson takes the Regiment across to shoot some "Rebs."

The Regiment consists of six companies of volunteer Line, under the Parson and Sergeant Major McGork, and one skirmish company under Lieutenant Winfield Armstrong Fluster.

Across the river the Confederates have blocked this ford with units from Cocke's brigade.  The eight companies of the 3rd Texas of Major Quincy Whitemoore, and Cachmole's Tigers, a smaller 3 Company Zouave regiment.

I`m using Sharp Practice 2 for these games, and as a solo mechanism I have randomly generated character traits for all of my Officers.  On drawing a poker chip marked with a Question mark the next officer's chip to be drawn takes the character trait into account.  The results can be catastrophic and the character that was to most affect these games was that of  Colonel Catchmole, an aggressive leader.

My wargames diary... even though I`m trying to blog instead...  Confederates on the wooded hills to the left, Union with two deployment points on the right

The Parson's command squeezes iteslf into the deployment zone of the Jump off point.  Three groups.

Fluster leads his skirmishers forward

The first three chips are Blue... Hail to the Chief

Sergeant Major McGork arries on the right as Fluster's skirmishers advance.  Hope that boy remembers his pistol this time...

After a Coffee Break the Union draw chips again.  The Parson advances.

Up on the ridge the Zouaves of Catchmole's Tigers show themselves, and advance aggressively.

Leaning on his walking cane Major Whitemoore leads the 3rd Texas out of the trees, looking down on the Yankees

Rebel Skirmishers go forward

The Parson tries a controlled volley, with little effect

The 3rd Texas give an answering volley, and it's a proper bobby dazzler!

Parson Farthingdale loses most of his command after two successive volleys from the Confederates.  He then rolls a 1 and finds that he has been shot in the head.  Fortunately this is the Parson's hardest feature, and he is only stunned. The 11th Massachusetts retreat in double quick time.

It's game over.  What was meant to be a delaying skirmish has cost the Union dearly.  Later in the morning Brigadier General Sherman will lead the 11th further around the Confederate flank for the second phase of the battle, just as the Rebels move Cocke's Brigade to Henry Hill also on that flank.

1st Bull Run, Morning Phase, Ball's Ford

Morning July 21 1861  06:00

On the morning of July 21, 1861, General McDowell commanding the Union Forces confronting the Rebel advance on Washington sent  Tyler's inexperienced division of about 8000 men down the Warrenton Turnpike toward the Stone Bridge crossing of the Bull Run.  

This was McDowell's feint, as the main army attempted a flanking manoeuvre.  Tyler's men reached the Stone Bridge around 6 a.m.

All that stood in the path of Tyler's Division was a single reduced brigade of 1,100 men under Col. Nathan "Shanks" Evans.  Evans had already moved some of his men to intercept the direct threat from Tyler at the bridge, but believing he had been outflanked he hastily led men from their positions to a new location on the slopes of Matthews Hill, a low rise to the north-west.
As Evans moved Cocke's brigade moved nearer to Ball's Ford below the bridge itself.

Historically the Confederate delaying action on Matthews Hill included a spoiling attack launched by the famous Zouaves of Major Roberdeau Wheat's 1st Louisiana Special Battalion, "Wheat's Tigers," whilst Cocke's Brigade blocked Ball's Ford.

Ball's Ford is to the left as the river hooks around Matthews Hill.
The Union advances from the bottom edge of this illustration.

The Game
Rather than go with Sharp Practice 2's use of Companies for the game it seems to me that the Civil War was based on regiments (more correctly battalions but...)  My forces are therefore at a somewhat vague regimental level, but the Officers pretty much represent the Company level.  The Parson for instance commands the 11th Massachusetts, but is supported by a single Lieutenant and the Sergeant Major.  These are allocated for the size and experience of the unit as well as having a random element.

In the game Tyler has detached the 11thMassachusetts to Ball's Ford, protecting his flanks for the attack on the stone bridge. 

On the other side of the Bull Run the aggressive 3rd Texas Infantry occupy good positions in the woods, commanded by the Parson's arch-rival Major Quincy Whitemoore of Cocke's brigade.  Supporting Whitemoore are the Zouaves of Lt Col N.G Catchmole’s so called “Legion of South Carolina."

The scenario is defence in depth, with the Confederates defending the line of the Bull Run and the woods behind them.

INTRODUCTION 
This game is a Battle.  One side is attacking a position, which is held in depth.         
DEPLOYMENT POINTS The Confederates have two Deployment Points for this game.  The Primary Deployment Point may be placed anywhere in the red shaded Zone 1, a secondary Fixed Deployment Point in Zone 2.    
The Union (Blue) may place a Primary and Secondary Deployment Point within 6” of points 1 and 2.    Both sides may add other Fixed or Moveable Deployment Point if available.    
FORCE SUPPORT For support roll 1D6.  On a roll of 1 or 2, both sides may select 8 points of support.  On a roll of 3 or 4, they may select 12 points and on a roll of 5 or 6, 16 points.  Red may select entrenchments or any static defences if they wish.                           
OBJECTIVE   
To win a victory the Union (Blue) must capture the Rebel (Red’s) Primary Deployment Point.  If that is achieved, the game will end immediately.      
TERRAIN & MINOR CHARACTERS 
Zone 1 contains two woods.  Zone 2 the line of the Bull run, with the ford centrally.  Before the game begins, roll a D6 to see if any Minor Characters are present.  On a 1 to 3 none are present, on a 4 to 6 two civilian Minor Characters are present.  They have no objective but are simply conducting their everyday business.    

The 3rd Texas Infantry

Forces of the Union

Parson Floyd Farthingdale’s 11th Massachusetts 6 groups of 8, plus 6 Skirmishers ordinary raw regulars.

Colonel Judas Zebediah (JZ) Parker III’s Federal Zouaves, 2 groups of 10, plus 6 Skirmishers. Raw Militia

Forces of the Confederacy

Major Quincy Ewing Whitmore’s 3rd Texas Infantry 6 groups of 8, 1 x 6 Skirmishers. (aggressive elite)

Lt Colonel N.G (Napoleon Ghengis) Catchmole’s “The Legion of South Carolina" Zouaves (Militia) 2 x 10 plus 6 Skirmishers.

Supporting forces

List Five, Engineer Group with cart.  Sherman Lincoln Quilp, Captain of Engineers.  Commands a group of Negro engineers nicknamed the Sherman-ettes, who sing barbershop, solve complex mathematical equations and give advice musically.

List One, Doc Cocke, Army Surgeon

Preparing to resume the American Civil War.

My American Civil War armies are ready to go, actually they are ready to go back to Cyprus with me after a stay in the UK.  My intention is to continue the Fredricksburg Monitor's coverage of the Civil War, following the fortunes of Parson Farthingdale's Company of the 11th Massachusetts, dealing with the war battle by battle.

The Parson has no less than six groups of eight men, and a skirmish group of six, all counting as raw recruits.  The Company has one Captain, a "Lootenant" and a Sergeant Major.  Their performance during my battle on 17th May 1861 at the Cub Run indicates that they have a long way to go.  In that fight the Sergeant Major was killed so I have generated another, raised from the ranks by the Parson, using my random generator, "Character of a Man" table. 


The newly painted Confederates are also ready (pending a dip)  Major Quincy Ewing Whitemoore's Texicans are stronger than the Union forces, at seven Groups of good aggressive troops and one skirmish group, as well as two groups of Zouaves and their skirmishers.

The multi based units are EM4 Miniatures, whilst the single based are from the newer Perry Confederates, excellent figures.  I splashed out on Perry metal skirmishers for this ACW setup, but used plastic Officers and Sergeants.

Doctor Sigmund Friend's Character of a Man Table

The Doctor is studying nervous disorders in the general population and specifically within the Military Man.   He believes that he has discovered a simple table that can tell us the nature of a man's character, merely by rolling a dice upon it.  Turns out Dr Friend is also a bit of a drinker!

The character of a man table
Use 2d6. WHITE and BLACK. 

1.1    Gambling debt
1.2    Got a lady into trouble
1.3    An argument with a fellow officer
1.4    Repeatedly found drunk with the company mule
1.5    Enamoured of Miss Kitten from the cat house
1.6    Intolerant Religious indignation at fellow officers
2.1    A fervent and fanatical abolitionist, or Slave Owner
2.2    Owes monies to serious people at home
2.3    Angry and ill tempered
2.4    A bone idle fellow, always asleep
2.5    Regularly smokes a pipe of exotic herb
2.6    Suffers from gastric windage.
3.1    A game leg, origins unclear
3.2    Harbours a secret love for his Sergeant
3.3    A terrified poltroon
3.4    A rash, impetuous heroic idiot
3.5    A quiet thinker, liable to snap at any minute.
3.6    Talks to himself as another persona
4.1    Has a thick country (or over cultured) accent
4.2    A Mummy's boy, won't do any work
4.3    An innocent. Believes everything he hears.
4.4    A psychotic, who fixes murderously on one thing.
4.5    A hobbyist, obsessed with catching butterflies etc…
4.6    A thief who steals indiscriminately
5.1    A bully, who shouts and busters
5.2    A dangerous bastard who is skilled in violence,
5.3    A weasel of a man,
5.4    A Braggart and bully.
5.5    A dandy with a dress sense
5.6    A fine dancin’ man for the ladies.
6.1    Poor cross - eyed fellow with a fine moustache.
6.2    A portly, eatin’ man, with a heroic appetite.
6.3    A bible reader, always ready with a quote
6.4    A Jewish tailor’s boy, with fine manners
6.5    An exiled Russian Nobleman, “skilled in the Wars.“
6.6    A real joker, it's the way he tells ‘em.

Newly Promoted Sergeant Major Link Hogthrob McGork
(Owes monies to serious people at home)  McGork is an Irishman from the Bronx in New York.  He is a fine strapping fellow, who has fought barefisted in the ring in the Madison Gardens and the Bowery.  Word in the Company is that the new Sergeant Major "borrowed" hundreds of dollars from the Five Points waterfront gangs.  He seems to have a paranoia about anyone from New York.  he is not a religious man in the manner of the Parson, and has nothing but contempt for the dithering "Lootenant" Fluster.

Dyle Crossing: The Counter Attack

BRITISH

15 Platoon 2DLI
Lieutenant Ingram (Religious)
Sergeant Irving (Idealistic)
Anti Tank Rifle team
2" Mortar team
2 Vickers light tanks 3RTR
Additional Section under CSM Hook

GERMAN

9 Platoon 31st Inf
Leutnant Rosas (Aggressive)
Feldwebel Durch (Cautious)
Ant Tank Rifle Team
4 Sections
Tripod Mounted Mg34
Pre-game barrage

Jump off points are established

The modern satellite map showing the Dyle Crossing.

The tree cover is much thicker than it was in 1940.

German Section 2 is pinned by CSM Hook

and his section, losing 5 men.

German Feldwebel and his section wiped out in the centre and the Vickers shoots down the German MMG team.    

The Jump point is captured as a COC dice ends the turn.

CSM Hook gives enfilade fire

Smoke dropped by the Mortar on the river bank

The Vickers tank is destroyed and the British lieutenant wounded.  With the Germans down to two sections and taking casualties from the advancing British, they withdraw.  A British win. 

Pretty much the only British win of the campaign.  The BEF begin their withdrawal from the Dyle unimpeded.