The fort had been built with the strategic topographical advantage of commanding a very narrow piece of land, bounded on the west by Tutters Neck Pond and on the east by Cubb's creek, restricting access to the town of Williamsburg beyond. My Union forces are unaware that General Hancock's stand against a Confederate force south of here and his outflanking move against the Rebel line have already won the battle.
The Confederates are pulling back, and only a shadow force holds on in the fort, but as far as the 11th Massachusetts are concerned the assault needs to work or the day is lost.
Civilians on the Fort Magruder map
1. Miss Scarlett, with a revolver
2. Mrs Firefly, looking for her drunken husband
3. Rufus T. Firefly, with a bottle of bourbon
4. The Duke boys, cropping an old cottonwood
5. Mr Rhett Gable, Southern gambler
6. Otis P Driftwood, whiskey drummer
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| BATTLEFIELD OF WILLIAMSBURG, VA. FROM THE INTERIOR OF FORT MAGRUDER. SKETCH THE DAY AFTER THE BATTLE. 6TH MAY 1862 by Robert Knox Sneden. |
Confederate Force Morale is 10
Both sides will use three leaders:
11th Massachusetts
Captain Floyd Farthingdale (the Parson)
Lootenant Dick Power
Sergeant Seymour Butts
6 Regular Groups,
1 Skirmish Group
7th Virginia
Major Quincy Ewing Whitemoore
Lt. Chris P. Bacon
Sergeant Hughie Grossweiner
2 Regular Groups,
1 Skirmish Group
1 Medium Gun
Terrain
The roads here are fence lined, with very little tree cover, but the issue is those high walls allowing fire to channel from the fort, and with a gun on those ramparts it's a clear field of fire...
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| Fort Magruder |
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| The view from the ramparts |
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| The Parson speaks with Mrs Firefly, concerned for her husband, Rufus T. Firefly the town drunk of Williamsburg missing in this area. She tells him that the walls of the fort are 30 feet high. He can see that thank you... |
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| The Union bring on skirmishers and the Confederates try their balls |
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| The Parson brings on the main body. A prayer brothers... for what we are about to receive.. |
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| "Lootenant" Dick Power with two groups advances to draw fire. Do the Union have a plan at last? |
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| That gun performs terribly... and no wonder. It is a Napoleonic vintage Gribeauval 8pdr |
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| Major Whitemoore (for it is he!) brings his boys out onto the ramparts, two groups plus a skirmish group |
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| The Union skirmishers advance under Sergeant Seymour Butts. Telegram for Sergeant Butts, don't get too close to the business end of that gun... |
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| The view at the height of the action as the Parson waits for his Lieutenant to draw the fire. If a man called Dick Power can`t stand his ground what chance for the rest of us? |
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| Seymour gets into trouble, cannister trouble. He survives but loses half his men |
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| And still the Union main body delay |
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| And Sergeant Hugh Grosswiener takes his skirmishers out to flank Dick Power, the poor Union Lieutenant. |
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| Dick loses a group |
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| A volley from Major Whitemoore on the ramparts inflicts nine shock and a single kill. Unfortunately for the Union its a 1 and Lieutenant Dick Power is hit in the breeches. |
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| And the Parson had finally moved towards the enemy, just as he loses three groups and an Officer and Union morale collapses. |
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| So it's congratulations to our Rebel friends as the Union slink off. |
A Confederate win, however this is Williamsburg and at nightfall the Confederates pull back. The 7th Virginia are in a state of High Morale.Their Commander has returned. The 11th Massachusetts however have lost yet another Officer to the field hospital.
A roll for Lootenant Dick Power reveals that he will be fine, and that the musket ball ricocheted from his cast iron jockstrap. He can return to the Regiment, and Dick Power fans can look forward to many more puns on his name...
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