For Jeff Davis and Florida!

My son came over for the weekend to relax and get some in. We decided on a Johnny Reb 2 game as Billy Yank and Johnny Reb have not seen a battlefield for quite some time, I gave him a choice of two scenarios, medium sized and he chose the Battle of Olustee or Ocean Pond depending on whether you wear gray or blue. I also gave him choice of sides, I normally play the Union in this game and I don't think I have ever lost, when I have played the Rebs I have also managed to get a win or at least stop the Federals from winning, Stewart chose to fight for the Union.

This game is a meeting engagement as both sides blunder into each other, the forward troops are not very powerful and contain some cavalry, the Union player has a slight advantage in that he has a battery of guns which usually stops the Rebs trying a sneak first strike on the infantry skirmishers before they can form up. Troops for both sides then turn up over the course of the afternoon, the Union problem being they have a way to march to the front line while the Confederates can be bottled up and thus have huge problems deploying in a small space. The names of the units were changed from the originals to those of my own forces fore ease of management.

I decided against a first strike against the skirmishers for the reason mentioned above, I feared the green Tigers would be stopped by the artillery, I there moved my mounted and dismounted cavalry out on both flanks so that the oncoming troops could deploy without crowding, I also wanted to stretch the Yank line. I was helped in my efforts by the Union artillery battery running out of ammunition and having to retire to a nearby wagon. Both sides had reserves coming up and the Union looked like sending theirs to their left flank, I took the chance and kept mine in march columns to get as far forward as I could before deploying, I also pushed my own artillery up to the front. In their eagerness to take out the Tigers the 39th NY had opened up its flank to the 1st Florida and after a few volleys they hastily retreated. I had quite a few regiments up now and threw several charges in, the Union line buckled but I didn't yet have enough and Federal reinforcements were now making themselves felt, I stopped my advance and began to build up a line of battle.

The first reinforcements are beginning to arrive.

The duel between the Tigers and the Garibaldi Guards (39 NY)

The first Rebel attacks.

I was so eager to push forward that I failed my gun batteries, I lost one section to counter-battery fire and kept masking the others, I had to push skirmishers up to the front as the Union artillery was becoming a menace. I lost a cavalry regiment on my left but continued to push forward the one on my right, this forced Stewart to send an infantry regiment and gun battery to head them off, better chasing cavalry than forming a reserve. But just in case I sent all my artillery to my right. I now made a decision to charge all along my line with everything I could throw in, the Yanks were moving troops around and would soon have a second battle line to shore up the first, I had one chance to disrupt this before facing a wall of blue.

Union line recovers.

More Rebs turn up.

Muskets crashed out but I just failed to reduce the two main regiments to my front, the 63rd Pa. and 54th Mass. I was counting on this in order to break the Yankee line, I thought my efforts would now be in vain. I was wrong, the Union line buckled and fled, reserve regiments found screaming Rebs on their flanks, they too joined the rush as Federal morale began to fail, on my left more Union troops took fright and also ran. The few Union regiments which withstood the disaster and remained in the front line found themselves with victorious Confederate troops all round them, it was time to surrender, no shame.

Confederates quickly reorganise and move forward

Now boys, at them!

The Union forces in disarray and rout.

 Olustee never fails to deliver an exciting game, make the wrong decision and you will pay for it, be aggressive and you can win or fail so bad you cannot come back from it and find yourself being overwhelmed, you need your wits about you with this scenario. Neither of us has played JR2 for a long time and we made some mistakes which we caught and probably some we didn't, no matter, the rule set has stood the test of time (thirty years for me) and still delivers the goods. I hope it isn't so long until the next time the Gray and Blue fight, I still want to try the Chickamauga scenario Stewart didn't pick.

Next up Stewart's Carolingians vs my Saxons.