Yee Ha.

Big week, two games one after the other, first up is Matt who wanted to try Brandy Station and get some cavalry on the table, something seriously lacking in most of my Johnny Reb games since taking them up, despite having enough for around eight brigades. Ryan and I put our scenario together years ago and it is in two parts, I put together the northern part of the fight, so three large Confederate brigades versus two Union and a small infantry brigade. Matt bravely took on JR having only played once before and it is quite different to what he usually plays. Matt took the Confederates which left me with the Union forces.

Union forces.

Confederates.

Brandy Station (just noticed no railway, duh).

One Reb brigade is already on the table with another arriving on my left as soon as the game starts and a third arriving on turn 2 on my right. I was crushed together in a wood with my only elite troops at the rear of the column, the Rebs are nearly all elite, it did not look promising. I decided to move the infantry to the right and shuffled Devin's brigade of cavalry along to my left while Whiting's elites took their place but sadly they could not all get to the front line, I also sent  two batteries to support Devin. 

Starting positions.

Rest of the Federals turn up, no room at the inn.

Jones on the hill.

Hampton turns up.

I eventually got Devin into a firing position as his breechloaders had the range on the enemy muzzle loading carbines, some good shooting sent one of the Reb regiments routing to the rear, this was a setback for Hampton's attack and his brigade now looked pretty weak as I readied Devin to prepare to charge. I was feeling better but should have known better, Devin was hit and stunned by a sharpshooter and his brigade halted until he recovered, at the same time both my artillery batteries now ran out of ammunition, you couldn't make it up. Matt took the time to reorganise and now sent Jones' brigade to move on the Union centre right, this was not a success so he turned towards the cavalry in the centre and those moving on Hampton.

Union left get ready to attack.

Traffic jam.

Artillery runs out of ammunition, did they bring any? 

As my artillery floundered charges now swept across the empty ground on my left, although I had a good start here the results left several of my regiments disordered up against elite Rebs in the second round, I was forced to send these boys back into the fray. Meanwhile on my right the Reb brigade here had advanced very slowly and my infantry had them covered this flank was secure, but looking across the battlefield I couldn't say the same for the centre and left. I still had a couple of regiments in reserve but as Confederate cavalry had now broken through my line I found these in the wrong positions to counterattack. It was time to leave.

Lee's brigade on the Union right.

Lee and Jones move forward.

Guns that work.

Another hard fight and a tough one for the Federals, Devin being hit and my line halted had a drastic effect at the wrong time, the less I say of the lack of ammunition the better, I also found it very difficult to get my reserve cavalry up to the line and it was fed in piecemeal. 

I have added a stand of sword and buckler men for my Spanish pike blocks. Matt Smith very kindly printed off some Patrol Markers for me, The Big Red One for my Yanks, I have also found some pieces which will do for Jump Off Points, so that will be them done and a few itches scratched. 

Yesterday was my second date with the dice, I was at Erik's and he had set up a scenario based on the lifting of the siege of Newark by the Royalists, my objective as the dashing Prince Rupert was to prevent the Parliamentarians from simply leaving the battlefield. To do this I would have to destroy the enemy forces or cut them off from the two bridges which would allow them to retreat. At first I went straight for the enemy cavalry and after a hard fought engagement and with more cavalry turning up I swept them from the field. 

Royalist cavalry.

Newark.

Parliamentarian festung.

By this time I realised that my cavalry would now have to attack the main Parliamentarian position which included artillery and infantry regiments behind stone walls along with a couple of cavalry units which had escaped as I now saw that there was no point attacking them as I would be unable to cross the river anywhere apart from going through Newark and hopefully putting myself and my army on the enemy line of retreat, and beating them of course. My cavalry were no longer fresh and some had to find shelter beneath Newark's walls taking them out of harms way. My infantry had now turned up but were a long way from the city so I only managed to get the garrison into a position to possible try and make a fight of it, this did not help as the retreating enemy would easily outnumber my forces before the rest of the army could arrive in support and I would have no room for maneuver. 

My cavalry victorious.

I head for Newark, I need to get to the windmill in the background.

We called a halt at this point as it was obvious the scenario needed a lot more time before my large flanking move would be ready and I had no intention of attacking the fort, it was also getting dark and I am at the mercy of modern LED car lights. So, my cavalry did well but I just couldn't see my infantry having any chance of taking the fort. I could be wrong but didn't want to chance it. Once again a well researched scenario using Erik's very smart collection on a lovely table. Tactically I did well but didn't win as I saw it, in reality the Parliamentarian commander retreated so would it be a strategic win beating his cavalry and making him leave as the rest of the Royalists turned up, not sure. The main point it was an afternoon of gaming.

Next week I have a friend coming for a couple of days from Welsh Wales for some JR, I am looking at the Battle of Perryville and maybe a smaller scenario depending how the larger one goes. 

Contemplating battle on the morrow. On the Perryville battlefield 1992.

I have decided to free all my slaves to avoid reparations, what? We don't have any, never have? Our ancestors were farm labourers. Oh I'll be OK then.........................