Cutler Saves the Day

 An icy start to the day as I had to scrape the car to see where I was going in order to park it at the rear of the drive to accommodate Fran's transport as he was turning up for a game, parking space in the village at the weekend is virtually non existent. 

I had set up an ACW game very loosely based on the first day at Gettysburg, Union cavalry had been swept from a forward ridge and the remnants had retired to meet the oncoming Union infantry while the Rebs reorganised for a further push to cement victory. I had to protect a crossroads which could be used to funnel Federal reinforcements to the area while the Rebs had to capture it. I deployed the Iron Brigade on my right and Cutler's brigade in the centre while the cavalry held the far left, the plan was to advance my right and hold with the centre and left. Fran had three brigades and deployed with one opposite the Iron Brigade while Anderson's brigade held a long front line with the Texan's in reserve behind them, it became apparent that the Reb plan was to punch a hole through the Federal centre and on to the crossroads, the Georgians would weaken the Yankee line and the Texans would administer the coup de grace.

I quickly advanced the Iron Brigade in order to take a small wood to my front, I thought the Rebs would contest this move but in the end they did not. I pushed skirmishers out to cover Cutler's men and cautiously advanced the rest of the brigade and took up a holding position with the small 95th Pa. in reserve. The cavalry dismounted and moved forward to take Church Ridge which I thought might have been a target of one of the Confederate brigades, but I was wrong again and the troopers hunkered down behind the stone walls supported by a battery of rifles close by.

The opening volleys.

The Iron Brigade advances.

Union cavalry make a mistake.

A mass of Grey heads for Cutler's brigade.

 The enemy centre moved forward fairly quickly and I wondered if Cutler could hold long enough for my right flank to win. As the smoke from the first volleys cleared I saw my skirmish line standing rooted to the spot trading shots with the Rebs, more and more of the enemy joined the firefight but nothing seemed to phase the 95th NY and 7th Indiana in harms way. General Hood himself moved to the front and shouted encouragement to his troops but to no avail, a battery of Union Napoleons behind the blue line kept up a steady fire on the mass of Rebs and added to their casualties.

I now got carried away as the Iron Brigade got into position to open up on the Georgians to their front and looked like winning the firefight, with most of the Rebs in action in the centre of the battlefield I gingerly advanced the cavalry from behind their stonewall to pressure the Confederate right. Not a good idea as it turned out and they retired again as soon as they could. Still the Union centre held with the skirmishers out front and taking everything which was thrown at them, a Reb battery which could have been a problem ran out of ammunition and retired to replenish. Just as Fran tried to continue his advance General Anderson was shot from his horse and his brigade ground to a halt while his replacement was notified, this was to happen three more times during the course of the fight as each successor lasted only a very short time in the front line. The Texans were also to lose their commander later just as they needed to push forward, only the presence of General Hood managed to stave off disaster. The Union did lose Meredith of the Iron Brigade but the effect was only temporary as the Federal right plunged forward and the Georgians broke.

The Iron Brigade attacks.

The Rebs flounder.

Cutler under pressure.

 With his left shattered Fran made an all out effort to at last break the Union centre, the crossroads was so close, the annoying skirmishers, well one of them, had been sent to the rear in rout and a Union regiment which had broken through the Reb right had been surrounded and despatched, so things looked good. The boys in blue however were not done, Cutler lost a couple of regiments but the 95th Pennsylvania refused to break and held up the Reb thrust, behind them a new Union line was forming supported by the Napoleon battery. Fran looked over his shattered regiments and brigades and called a halt to the needless slaughter.

Confederate High Water Mark.

Confederate left disappears.

Since we started playing Johnny Reb we have had some excellent games but this one was a roller coaster, the Union skirmish line just refused until the last minute to give way, then as the Rebs reorganised to follow up their regiments took frightful casualties which in the end wore them down. The loss of four commanders for Anderson's brigade also slowed the attack and made it almost impossible to keep up momentum. We both had our share of luck at the right and wrong moments but I think the Union just pipped the post on that score, I certainly seemed to punch the air more times than Fran.