Tempting the Fates

 After my less than sterling performance at Ravenna last week I felt I was on safer ground yesterday with the Battle of Olustee February 20, 1864. I have a high opinion of my skills with Johnny Reb II and I have fought this scenario a lot as both the Union and Confederates and have usually won or be on the way to winning as night falls. To counter-balance my boast I am usually pretty clueless at any WWII game and pretty average with most others.

Anyway, Fran turned up on time and we set to, I was the Federals and Fran was the Rebs (are we the bad guys?), he immediately tried to stretch my line by moving his right flank cavalry along the edge of the board, but a good volley from the defending US cavalry gave him pause and he quickly dismounted. On my right the same things was tried and I moved the 13th Ky. against the small Confederate cavalry unit to its front seeking a quick victory, to my chagrin the 13th had not brought enough ammunition and ran out, back they went. I got the green 63rd Pa. up and into line and felt fairly confident that I could hold out until the rest of my forces arrived.

The game begins.

Rebs start arriving.

Same view.

Rebel reinforcements started arriving and shook out into a firing line, muskets rattled and a firefight began, the 54th Mass. and a battery had arrived, the guns went into the front line while I sent the 54th to my left where I hoped they would swiftly destroy the Confederate cavalry holding their right and sweep in and roll up the Rebels, or at least force them to send valuable reserves that way. Meanwhile I had more regiments running to the front but so had the Rebs and they concentrated on my centre and right, it was at this moment that the 63rd had had enough and ran for the rear, luckily I had men arriving and the dangerous gap was plugged, but only just. I breathed a sigh of relief.

Come on boys!

Big hole in the centre and a battery gone.

Rebs close in.

Confederate pressure mounted and it was now time to reform the 54th back into line from skirmish and sort out that Reb cavalry, no it didn't happen as the 54th milled about failing to build a line, they now became the target of a Reb battery and casualties mounted. I still felt that I could push on here but next the Massachusetts men refused to charge! The hope I had had of turning the Confederate right evaporated, elsewhere in the centre the 20th New York skeddaled to the rear, another hole to plug. I was quickly running out of units.

The Rebs now closed in on my right, the 9th NY Heavy Artillery just shaking into line now ran for the rear, again just as I was starting to form a second line of defence. In desperation I threw two charges in against the enemy, I caught them offguard, the 20th NY failed their charge but the 11th Mass. went in and in a bitter melee captured the 2nd Mo. We only had a few moves left and as I surveyed the scene I was going to lose my left flank, mainly due to the lacklustre performance of the 54th, and a build up of Confederate forces, my charges on my right had only been partially successful and it did not look like they could hold off a Rebel counterattack, my centre was still fairly intact but would soon be outflanked or forced to retire, I called it a day.

More Rebs.

The Rebs might have got their objective if we had played another three turns as my army was in a precarious position, so in all fairness they were on their way to victory, the victory conditions need amending but no matter by the end of sixteen turns you can usually tell who will eventually win, and this time despite my boast it would not be me. The 13th Ky. despite losing its ammunition fought like Trojans against a tidal wave of gray, so no shame there, even the 39th NY who always give me pause when taking a morale check also stood their ground, but enough of my regiments ran to ensure I could never build a decent defence. The Rebs were ably led by Fran and took suprisingly little casualties for what seemed a hard fought battle to me. The regiments used are from my own forces, not the ones at the battle, apart from the 54th Mass. so don't get confused.

 Once again Johnny Reb II and Olustee had delivered a great game, it remains one of my favourites. Tomorrow it is English Civil War with Stewart Simon's beautiful figures at the club, I must be due for a change of luck, it doesn't matter, everyone is down with the lurgy, night off.

The end, the Reb left.

The end, the Reb right.