Pea Ridge 1: Flat Creek

 I was determined as you know to get my ACW troops out this year having missed out last year so getting over Lockdown 3.0 blues I kicked off my Elkhorn Tavern/Pea Ridge Campaign. It is best played out with five players as a type of kriegspiel so that everyone can take some part in table top battles and no one is left behind as they say, I have found this doesn't quite play well remotely when only one person can actually fight the battle, damn you Covid-19. Anyway, two players had to fall out due to real life so I decided not to recruit anymore and would work with one Yank and one Reb.

Curtis (Fran) arrived at Springfield to find the Rebs had left hours before, so after a quick rest he pursued, but not before General Sigel had demanded to take his own part of the army on a detour to cut Price (James) off further down the Telegraph Road, Curtis placated Sigel and decided instead to send Jeff Davis with his division on the detour.  It soon became apparent the Price was making a stand at Wilson's Creek, messages were sent to Davis to flank the Confederate position but the terrain and the weather made it uncertain when Davis would actually turn up, Curtis decided therefore not to force battle as it was late in the day but deployed for the next day.

During the night Price made a successful withdrawal but on reaching Flat Creek on 17th February decided to stand and defend the crossing, ever looking over his shoulder for news or sight of Ben McCulloch's Arkansas forces, the weather and terrain was playing havoc with the couriers of both armies. Curtis, arriving on the morning of the 17th at Flat Creek decided to attack without Davis who was trailing behind on the Telegraph road but close enough to take part should the Rebs put up a determined resistance.

Price's forces covered the creek crossing and both sides of it, this time the Federals instead of stretching out the Confederate line decided to throw most of their weight against the Rebel left, Curtis maintained a reserve to the left of the road and dismounted cavalry extended the Union left along the creek. Should the Reb left break the reserve and Davis were to push forward and complete the victory.

 

Battery with no ammunition pulls out

 Once the Union army had deployed and showed its strength on his left Price immediately began to send what reinforcements he could to help 2nd Brigade. Lady luck seemed to have abandoned the cause of the Confederacy or perhaps Price just had a bad quartermaster, battery after battery began to run out of ammunition and Kelly's battery lost a gun to Union counter-battery fire, all of this had a detrimental effect on the defence, reserve batteries were ordered up. Meanwhile the Union lines crept forward only taking minimal artillery fire. Musketry now swept the woods but once again the Reb fire was mainly ineffective their poor weapons causing misery in the ranks. The Federal fire was the opposite and the Reb line began to wilt.

Davis arrives on the Telegraph Road

Rebs begin to retire

Confederate left smashed

  Sensing the weakening along the Rebel front Colonels Greusel and Osterhaus threw their men forward in a wild charge. The 44th Illinois swept all before them breaking both Bevier's and Hughes' Missouri battalions capturing the latter in a mad run through the woods. Rosser's battalion on the other hand stood firm and halted the attack by pushing back the 36th Illinois, this action bought Price time to start reorganising his defence and start withdrawing his troops. Over on his far right the Union cavalry boldly began to push across the creek, although no great danger and 1st Brigade sent troops to counter the move the move still caused Price concern.

 

 

As the afternoon wore on Price ordered the Missouri Guard to act as the rearguard while the rest of the army skedaddled down the Telegraph Road, Casualties on both sides were relatively light considering the number of troops involved, the Rebs suffering around 80 not including the loss of Hughes' battalion, it remains to be seen if any stragglers from Bevier's battalion will rejoin the army. The Federal forces suffered almost 400, many of course wounded.

 

Rebs camp prepares to move.