The Battle of McColls Farm

Overview

Lee McColl and myself had another game of Black Powder ACW yesterday evening at MaelstromGames. Being rather lazy I reused the orders of battle from the last game I played. This would be an encounter game of roughly even sides. Both players would try to hold a strategically important farm house on their side of the table, while attempting to take the other players farm house.

As we were playing in 6mm we would use half distances.

In a departure from the normal rules, a brigade would not be considered broken until over half of its units were destroyed or shaken.

Union Order of Battle

Major-General Thomas A. Rowley – Staff Value 8

First Brigade - Brigadier General Francis V. Randall – Staff Value 8

Unit	Type	Armament	HtH	Shooting	Morale	Stamina	Special
83rd New York	Large Infantry	Rifled Muskets	8	4	4+	4	Reliable
66th New York	Large Infantry	Rifled Muskets	8	4	4+	4	Reliable
5th Michigan	Large Infantry	Rifled Muskets	8	4	4+	4	Reliable
Detachment 1st US Sharpshooters	Small Infantry	Breech Loading Rifles	4	2	4+	4	Marauders, Skirmish, Reliable, Sharpshooters
4th United States, Battery K	Artillery	Rifled Artillery	2	3-2-2	4+	3

Randalls Brigade

Second Brigade - Brigadier General George C. Burling – Staff Value 7

Unit	Type	Armament	HtH	Shooting	Morale	Stamina	Special
1st Massachusetts	Large Infantry	Rifled Muskets	8	4	4+	4
11th Massachusetts	Infantry	Rifled Muskets	6	3	4+	3
16th Massachusetts	Infantry	Rifled Muskets	6	3	4+	3
26th Pennsylvania	Infantry	Rifled Muskets	6	3	4+	3
Detachment 1st US Sharpshooters	Small Infantry	Breech Loading Rifles	4	2	4+	4	Marauders, Skirmish, Reliable, Sharpshooters

Third Brigade- Brigadier General J. H. Hobart Ward – Staff Value 7

Unit	Type	Armament	HtH	Shooting	Morale	Stamina	Special
20th Indiana	Large Infantry	Rifled Muskets	8	4	4+	4	Reliable
3rd Maine	Infantry	Rifled Muskets	6	3	4+	3	Reliable
4th Maine	Infantry	Rifled Muskets	6	3	4+	3	Reliable
86th New York	Infantry	Rifled Muskets	6	3	4+	3	Reliable
New York Light, 3rd Battery	Artillery	Smoothbore Artillery	2	4-2-1	4+	3

Infantry may form in either:

·         Supported line – two bases deep counting as line

·         Mixed order Supported line – two bases deep counting as mixed order line

·         Extended line – one base deep counting as skirmishers

·         March column

Confederate Order of Battle

Major-General Samuel R. Johnson – Staff Value 7

First Brigade - Brigadier General Basil C. Manly – Staff Value 8

Unit	Type	Armament	HtH	Shooting	Morale	Stamina	Special
8th Virginia	Infantry	Rifled Muskets	6	3	4+	3	Reliable Tough Fighters
18th Virginia	Infantry	Rifled Muskets	6	3	4+	3	Reliable Tough Fighters
19th Virginia	Infantry	Rifled Muskets	6	3	4+	3	Reliable Tough Fighters
28th Virginia	Infantry	Rifled Muskets	6	3	4+	3	Reliable Tough Fighters
1st North Carolina Artillery	Artillery	Rifled Artillery	1	2-2-2	4+	2

Second Brigade - Brigadier General Robert M. Anderson – Staff Value 8

Unit	Type	Armament	HtH	Shooting	Morale	Stamina	Special
8th Georgia	Infantry	Smoothbore Muskets	6	3	4+	3	Reliable Tough Fighters
9th Georgia	Infantry	Smoothbore Muskets	6	3	4+	3	Reliable Tough Fighters
11th Georgia	Infantry	Smoothbore Muskets	6	3	4+	3	Reliable Tough Fighters
59th Georgia	Infantry	Smoothbore Muskets	6	3	4+	3	Reliable Tough Fighters
Palmetto Light Artillery	Artillery	Smoothbore Artillery	1	3-2-1	4+	2

Third Brigade - Brigadier General Joseph A. Hambrick – Staff Value 9

Unit	Type	Armament	HtH	Shooting	Morale	Stamina	Special
3rd South Carolina	Large Infantry	Smoothbore Muskets	8	4	4+	4	Tough Fighters
7th South Carolina	Large Infantry	Smoothbore Muskets	8	4	4+	4	Tough Fighters
8th South Carolina	Infantry	Smoothbore Muskets	6	3	4+	3	Tough Fighters
15th South Carolina	Infantry	Smoothbore Muskets	6	3	4+	3	Tough Fighters

Infantry may form in either:

·         Supported line – two bases deep counting as line

·         Mixed order Supported line – two bases deep counting as mixed order

·         Extended line – one base deep counting as skirmishers

·         March column

The figures and terrain are all from my own collection. The troops are all Adler 6mm.

The Game

The new General Lee - Scary, cheesy grin I know

The table was set up with a farm towards each players side of the table, we would try to hold our farm while simultaneously capturing the opponents farm. The area on my right was open woodland and an area in the center was walled fields.

I deployed my Brigades from left to right: Randall, Ward, Burling. Randall would try to hold my farm, Burling would advance through the woods and attempt to take the Confederate farm and Ward would support in either direction as needed.

Union Deployment - Wards Brigade is in the foreground

Lee deployed from L-R Andersons Brigade to hold his own farm, Hambricks Brigade in the Center and Manlys Brigade on his right opposite the Union farm.

Confederate Deployment

Lee had not played before, so, in order to explain the orders system, I took the first turn. In a fantastic display of leadership, Brigadier General Ward first ordered the sharpshooters to occupy the edge of the woodland opposite the Confederate farm and then the rest of his brigade stormed up in support of them. The rest of the Union army was more sluggish. Brigadier General Randall managed to order his sharpshooters to occupy the farm on the Union side but the rest of his brigade sat on their packs. Brigadier General Burlings brigade advanced slowly  towards some fields to their front. As the Confederates were out of range there would be no shooting.

Lee too his first turn, maybe I should start referring to him as General Lee from now on. One Regiment of Andersons Brigade occupied their farm with the rest of the brigade hanging back ready to provide support. Both Manly and Hambricks brigades advanced towards the Union held farm.

On my second turn, Randalls troops moved up in support of the sharpshooters in Union Farm, and Burlings Brigade occupied the walled fields in the center of the table, Wards enthusiasm of the previous turn waned and he was unable to encourage his troops to advance against the farm. Lee countered this and we were soon engaged. 

Manlys Brigade advance on Randalls Brigace holding the town.

Burlings Brigade emerge from the woods

Randall was unable to extricate his artillery, and they were soon swept away at the point of the bayonet - the first casualties of the engagement. However, it did not go all the way of the confederates as they were unable to shift the puny unit of sharpshooters from Union Farm.

Hambrick and Wards Brigades go at it

Hambrick got heavily engaged with Ward in the center, with some nifty shooting, it seemed that Hambricks troops were constantly disordered and were unable to make headway.

Manlys Brigade is driven back 

Despite taking out the artillery, Manley was unable to shift the Sharpshooters and things started going the Union way around that farm. Randalls units counter attacked and were soon driving the rebels back in disorder.

Hambrick tries to make headway

Around the Confederate farm things were not going well for the Union troops of Burlings brigade, a lot of disorders from shooting and command inertia put them on the back foot, while Manlys Brigade were able to outflank them.

Manlys Brigade take the fight to Burlings

Towards the end of the game we both had a single brigade broken and in the final clash both managed to break a brigade of each others. A fair result for a good scrap.