The second Battle of Sauk Meadows

Thaddeus Markgraf, photographer to royal houses of Europe captures the events of the day.

A week last Thursday Seth came around to mine and we played another game of Sharpe Practice using the American Civil War collection. Seth had bought with him a rather nice 19th Century photographer - Dixon Miniatures I think - to record the event.

We played the Attack on an Objective scenario, I defended with the blue-bellies and Seth attacked with the sucesh.

Confederate troops sweep unopposed up the turnpike.

It's been over a week, and I've been away on business since, but reading my scribbled notes, the forces were:

Union

• Leader status III
• Leader status I
• 4 groups of 8 infantry with rifled muskets
• Leader status II
• 3 groups of 8 infantry with rifled muskets
• Leader status I
• 1 group of 6 skirmishers with rifled muskets
• Leader status I
• 1 medium gun with 5 crew

Union artillery, primed and ready to unload canister upon the Rebels

Confederates

• Leader status III
• Leader status I
• 3 groups of 8 infantry with rifled muskets
• Leader status II
• 2 groups of 8 infantry with rifled muskets
• Leader status I
• 1 group of 6 skirmishers with rifled muskets
• Leader status I
• 1 group of 6 skirmishers with rifled muskets
• Leader status II
• 1 group of 8 cavalry with mixed weapons
• Leader status I
• 1 medium gun with 5 crew

We used the 1864 lists so that there was not such a huge disparity between the starting points values of the Union and Confederate forces. The Confederates started with a Force Morale of 11 while the Union started with a 9

Captain Joshua Scrivener encourages his troops to the fore.

As we are playing quite large games, one thing we are trialling is putting an extra blank chit/card into the deck/bag if either player has more than 10 Leader / Command cards in the deck, the blank card has two roles:

1. If drawn as the first card out of the deck it counts as a Tiffin
2. If drawn at any other time it breaks a sequence of Command Cards counting towards a random event.

Union skirmishers take position on the scrubby knoll.

The early phases of the battle were a huge success for the Confederacy, supported by a screen of skirmishers the main force of the infantry were pushing up the road towards their objective with no Union troops to be found. The Confederate horse also started a sweep out to their left flank.

Eventually though the Union troops started to trickle on to the battlefield and it seems that the grey (and brown and other shades) tide may not have such an easy journey.

And still the Rebels pushed on

Detaching off the sergeant with a group of infantry to cover their right flank, the Union captain pushed his main force through the woods in front of his objective, while the cannon and skirmishers covered the left.

Soon the Union skirmishers were taking pot-shots at the advancing rebels and some were soon seen falling in their ranks.

Lieutenant Harry Parkinson leads his Confederate horse in a brutal charge on the Union right flank.

In a flurry of activity the Union gun was wheeled into position and loaded with canister (four command cards put to good effect), but, it was unable to fire during the course of the game and the rebel skirmisher fire was soon racking up shock points on the crew.

The Union foot pushed through to the fore of the woodland and let rip a volley into the Confederate ranks, slowing their implacable advance.

Parkinson is mortally wounded and his troopers retreat in disarray

The Confederates came on and their cavalry raised to the gallop and swept into the single group of infantry protecting the Union right flank. Fisticuffs ensued and the Confederates had a big advantage of combat dice. But, it was all to nought, the Confederate roll was terrible, for the loss of no Union troops the Rebel Lieutenant was mortally wounded and three more of his riders were felled.

The horse turned tail and ran from the field.

Unable to overcome stiff resistance the Confederates withdraw.

With a strong Union presence covering their objective and their best chance of capturing it retreating in disarray the Confederates broke off the attack and retreated licking their wounds.

I'll not be able to get a game in now for a few weeks, but more troops are on the painting table ready to join the next battle.

The Confederate left recover their dressings after pushing through the fields.

Captain Nathaniel Phillips sees his plan come to nought and orders the withdrawal

Newly painted figures often fare badly, the Confederate gun only activated the once!