Kernstown – turns 5-8

Dave’s artillery continued to shower the 1st West Virginia with canister but despite this their morale held and the lads were able to reply with close range rifle fire. In the end it was the artillery whose nerve broke first and the guns were forced to limber up and retreat back down the Laurel Grove Road.

The 1st West Virginia see off the West Augusta artillery (you can just see a limber sneaking off between the buildings!).

 The 37th Virginia having turned the Union right flank settle down behind a rail fence to exchange shots with the 7th Ohio.

Meanwhile the battle in the centre of the field was intensifying and Dave took the decision to carry out a passage of lines by pulling back the worn out 4th Virginia through the advancing ranks of the 27th Virginia. At this point Dave revealed that the 27th were a 'veteran' unit and they were at full strength having been shielded from shot and shell by the ranks of the 4th.

The veterans of the 27th Virginia prepare to swop places with the rather jaded men of the 4th Virginia.

The 23rd Virginia belatedly get to grips with the 1st West Virigina near the Glass Farm.

 The Rebs got the best of a duel between skirmishers on the Union left flank but this had little impact on the outcome of the battle.

I was a bit nervous about being confronted by fresh ‘veterans’ particularly as both my regiments lining the wall opposite them were ‘green’. However I needn’t have worried because the Virginians stepped forward into a cauldron of fire from 13 infantry stands and my artillery and they were soon dropping like flies.

 As the 27th Virigina advanced they were greeted with a solid wall of flame from the Union line (+1 for resting weapons!).

As we moved to the morale phase at end of turn 8 it was crunch time with all the front line units having to test. My 1st West Virginians broke under the flanking fire of the 23rd Virginia but Dave suffered a worse result with both the 33rd and 27th Virginia taking to their heels.

The Rebel line starts to crumble...

...and then breaks completely (Dave has even added the correct regimental name to the flag of the 33rd VA - nice touch!).

So at the end of turn 8 the Union had amassed 11 VP’s (2 broken enemy infantry units, 1 broken enemy artillery battery, 4 enemy stands removed and possession of the Stone Wall) whilst the Confederates had only 4 VP’s (1 broken enemy unit, 2 enemy stands removed) – a convincing win for the North!

 The positions of the units at the end of the battle - turn 8 (click the image to zoom in).

Next game will be another of these 15mm ACW ones as we have been enjoying playing them and the rules are now 99% there. Meanwhile the flocking of the 1/300th armies continues – we hope it will all be over by Christmas!