Union Artillery

The entire Union artillery force has been parading prior to going off to Confederate HQ for a refit!

The Road To Richmond

The problem with using 2ft square terrain tiles is that the road network is not really suitable for use with 1/300th figures. To provide extra roads I've been experimenting with using strips of brown fabric (click on the images to enlarge them).

Not too bad when the edges are hidden with fences etc and this colour is a good match to the existing roads. This system should dramatically increase the road configurations for our games. Just don't ask me to cut any curves!

Take a look at Lee's solution to the same problem - click here.

Crane's Station - Confederate OOB

Here is the Confederate OOB for the Battle of Crane's Station. It wasn't posted earlier to keep General McClellan in the dark regarding the size and composition of the Confederate force. Mr Pinkerton of course told the poor general that he was facing at least 150,000 rebels...

Army of Northern Virginia ~  General Lee (A)

18 infantry brigades – 147 SPs – 7  Batteries - DM level = 6 

Cavalry ~ Stuart (A)

1/3 Brig               8

2/3 Brig               8

3/3 Brig               8

ART Horse           8

AP Hill        (B)

Field                      8

Gregg                    8                   

JR.Anderson         8

Branch                  9

Archer                   9

Pender                  9

ART bty                8          

ART bty                8                

Longstreet  (B)

Kemper                9                

RH.Anderson       9

Pickett                  9

Wilcox                  8

Pryor                    8

Featherston         7

ART bty               8

ART Rifled           8

Magruder       [C)

McLaws division (B)

Semmes               8

Kershaw               8

Jones division    [C)

Toombs                 8

GT.Anderson        8

Magruders division (C)

Griffith                 7

Cobb                    7

ART bty               8
ART bty               8

The Battle of Crane’s Station - Conclusion

Keyes finally received orders to advance and ENGAGE the enemy line at Beckettville whilst at the same time Sumner was told to flank the left of Longstreet’s position there and ASSAULT.

 The blue and the grey battle-lines finally engage at Beckettsville.

A hot firefight ensued and Longstreet himself was added to the casualty list, carried from the field with a mortal wound as he tried to steady the Rebel line.

 Longstreet goes down (see the red marker by the corps stand!).

Meanwhile McClellan had ordered Porter to abandon his position at the Quaker Farm and form a new one at the church on the Westpoint Turnpike. However, as the Union troops started to withdraw they became mixed up with Cooke’s cavalry moving east on the turnpike resulting in another traffic jam.

 It's all over for the boys in blue!

Magruder and Hill continued to press hard on Porter’s shrinking line and then suddenly it was all over. At the end of turn 17 (3.00pm) the Union army had 6 brigades simultaneously broken and the Confederates had therefore achieved their victory condition.

Lee had won a convincing victory but lost one of his best generals in the process. McClellan decided he was happy with his old base and didn’t really want to change it after all. The Army of the Potomac disengaged and moved away to the north…

The situation at the end of the game (click on the image for a closer look).