Longstreet Campaign: The Battle of The New Glarus Turnpike 12th June 1863

 

Wednesday evening saw another game in our Longstreet campaign where drew and I played out an action at the New Glarus Turnpike.

Confederate forces
Major General Gerald P. Whippam (EP:23) is a 31 year old Floridian and is already a Veteran of the Indian Wars and is accompanied by his personal Scout who's reliably provided the best ground to make a stand in earlier engagements. At the Battle of Battle of Keller's Heights Doctor Thaddeus Marle joined the force as Whippam's Personal Physician

Unit	Type	Elan	Experience	Strength	Notes
21st Virginia	CAV	Seasoned	Veterans	6
19th Texas	INF	Eager	Recruits	2
4th South Carolina	INF	Seasoned	Veterans	5	Hero: Sgt. Jones
2nd Florida	INF	Cautious	Veterans	3	Sharpshooters
8th South Carolina	INF	Seasoned	Veterans	6	Sharpshooters
27th Georgia	INF	Seasoned	Veterans	3
10th Maryland	INF	Seasoned	Recruits	3
18th NC	INF	Seasoned	Recruits	6
Battery D Georgia Light Artillery	ART	-	-	3	Two 12lb smoothbore, one 6lb smoothbore
Battery A 3rd Virginia Artillery	ART	-	-	2	One 12lb smoothbore, one howitzer

Union forces

Elias Rogers (EP:9) is a 29 year old graduate of West Point and had made a career as an Artillery Officer in the United States army. He is a Leading Abolitionist and is steadfast in the cause. The Irish Catholic Fire and Brimstone Preacher Father Seamus O'Riordan has seen fit to attach himself to Colonel Rogers staff.

Unit	Type	Elan	Experience	Strength	Notes
26th New York	CAV	Cautious	Veterans	3	Hero: Sgt. Benson
20th Maine	INF	Cautious	Veterans	2	Hero: Lt. Chamberlain
39th Ohio	INF	Cautious	Veterans	2
10th Iowa	INF	Cautious	Veterans	6
2nd Wisconsin	INF	Seasoned	Veterans	6	Amalgamated with 15th VT
27th New Jersey	INF	Eager	Recruits	8	Old Reliables
55th Massachusetts	INF	Eager	Recruits	10	Colored troops
Battery B 6th US Artillery	ART	-	-	3	One 6lb smooth-bores, Two light rifles
Battery E 10th Pennsylvania Artillery	ART	-	-	3	One 12lb Napoleon, two heavy rifles

Randomising a scenario we would be playing the Crossroads game, which is quite handy as my gaming cloth already has one painted on it! Rolling for scouting my Scout failed yet again - he probably has in half the games we played in this campaign - so Drew chose to attack. Truth be known, with all those tiny units in my force I would have likely chosen to defend anyways.

The terrain was laid out as below, looking from the attackers side to the defenders.

With his superiority in artillery, more, guns, better guns and his Artillery Officer, I though I should try to deploy n a way that would preserve my troops from the devastating effects of the preparatory bombardment he would subject me to before launching his larger infantry regiments at me.

As was expected any troops that were initially deployed in sight of the Union guns immediately cam under fire so I had to withdraw them into cover and let the union troops march on while trying to inflict a few casualties of my own.

My broke box was filling up fast though as the tiny two and three stand units only had to lose a base or two to be broken. My plan though involved trying to cause as much damage as I could on my right flank with the 21st VA, 4th and 8th SC who were not in sight of the guns.

It was to nought though, the 27th NJ dislodged the 8th SC from their positions in the woods. On my left the 10th IA had swept aside the 19th TX then their charge drove the Batt. D GA Lt. Art. from the table and in the centre the badly battered 55th MA supported by the 20th ME held the crossroads.

For the first time in the campaign Whippam had been Whipped!

For his skilful handling of the troops Rogers was immediately promoted to Major General!

A few more shots from the game, thankfully Drew took rather a lot as I did not get too many myself.