Yes we have at long last started an ACW campaign at the club. Foolishly I was appointed the Union General in charge while Tim is the Reb General. It is a fictitious campaign so don't go saying things which may or may not happen as time goes by. It is also a small campaign with both land and riverboat battles. And this is the story of how I loose the campaign part 2!
As we were again defending the Union were allowed to set up the terrain. Which we did with a ribbon of woods and fencing that we hoped to use as a "Stop Line!" We had a farmstead on the right to defend and a road entrance on the left to defend. Given that we had a disaster of a starting set up where the only thing that worked in our favour were the terrain stayed the same. Each and every unit was to start quite chewed up or not on the table MOST was just not on the table. As most of our units have to be 6 bases in total the option of losing D3 stands from each unit before the game starts is really quite harsh. Still I had the cavalry and the right wing with the farmstead to defend and Peter and Matt the left and the centre when or even If the troops turn up.
The above picture shows all the troops which did turn up in time. 2 units of Cavalry (both 4 stands each) and 3 Artillery pieces. That's all we had to defend with.
These are all our troops which did not turn up at the start of the battle. As you can see not the best start and with so much off the table we really did have to drip feed any reinforcements to where we would need them. At least that was the plan.
Luckily in the first few turns our support did start to arrive in bits and pieces. And Peter decided to fortify as best he was able the entrance area. (And not get the troops where they were needed). But hey ho his troops and I do try not to leap up and down and interfere with subordinates by micro managing.
Matt Brings an artillery unit to reinforce the farmstead. It was either that or leave it exposed and unsupported. So I am glad he did so. As the Rebs commanded by Scott move in and then stop outside my long range but within his. Oh well other than abandoning the farm nothing I could do about that.
I dismount my second cavalry unit to give enfilade fire should the Rebs charge in. This restricts the artillery but as it is now damaged by counterbattery fire it was no longer on top form.
Eventually the Rebs do attack and drive my skirmish line of dismounted hosemen back deeper into the farmstead. But at heavy losses to them and not so heavy losses to me. Matt and Peter both get more troops on and while the Reb Cavalry move to encircle the farmstead are brought under fire and driven off.
Peter decided to flank march. He succeeds but then his troops are no where near his commander and can't receive any orders. so in desperation (while still in march column) launches an assault on Tim's Rebs who are in an attack line. Well while I will admit nothing of any value is achieved without risk and that it could have been glorious the chances of success really were against him. Yeah guess what. he lost two units from the game and it is unlikely that we will ever get them back in the campaign. Which really hurts. Pete is a "Murdering officer"
More Rebs assault the farmstead so my second unit of cavalry mount up and ride off. The Artillery is lost another unit in the campaign I can't see us ever getting back. But I hold the farmstead. And one of the reb units will at least need time out of the line.
The countdown clock ends the game and we tally up the Victory points. We have 51 victory points but lose as the Rebs have 67 Victory points. We are not out of the campaign just yet but another loss like that and we might as well be simply because we cannot replenish our losses. We will still have fresh troops next battle but hardly any choices of what we can field. Still it's a game.
