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| Union on the offensive |
1864 sees the protagonists once more in the field. Overall, the Confederate war effort goes badly replacement for men and material are becoming harder to get. If it was not for Nathaniel’s cousin the state house the Union force would have enjoyed a large bonus in troop strength. After a string of victories the Confederate brigade has eager to steady morale, the artillery and cavalry are in good shape while the infantry are average. On the Union side the brigade has reluctant to steady morale. The main positive is the Union supply line is good with fresh regiments and artillery arriving to make up for any battle losses.
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| Union line in the pre-dawn light (ie its a bit too dark |
Under pressure from high command Thaddeus opts to attack thanks to broken intercept of the confederate plans. Ominously, he manage to make it pass the Confederate cavalry to unleash his attack. Hoping to reproduce the strategic success of the Union at Antietam he engages the Confederates in the cornfields hoping to limit the brigade exposure to artillery by advancing through the corn under cover.
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| Cornfields from the Confederate side |
For the US the plan is to hold the centre and the confederate right flank. While the 28th, 54th and 55th infantry turned the Confederate left flank. For the CS the plan is pure five straight wins cocky. The cavalry with artillery support is ordered to turn both flanks while the infantry held the center. The fact the CS cavalry would be attacking in isolation against 2-3:1 odds was, at best, optimistic. Neither planned worked particularly well.
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| Apparently defender means a lot like attacker down South |
The CS plan become unstuck first with the 8th Texas and 1st Virginia Cavalry moving through the corn only to blocked by the US 4th Rhode Island artillery supported by infantry and cavalry. A charge across open ground against a combined arms force did not seem like a good idea. So the cavalry went to ground officially to block a numerical stronger force.
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| 4th Rhodes artillery deploy to be a pain in the ass for most of the game. |
In the centre the 13s (13th Alabama and 13th Georgia) skirmished with the veteran sharpshooters of the 63rd New York. The Confederate came of the worse and were force to break their line to charge the yankees to clear out the corns of the harassing sharpshooters. But the 63rd was able to retire in good order and just formed another line anchored around the 4th Rhodes artillery.
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| Union centre moves through the corn |
The battle was settled on the CS left flank. The 7th Texas cavalry was tasked to clear the flank but ran headlong into the main Union attack force. In the confused fighting the cavalry was charged by the infantry but just managed to fight them off. Under pressure the cavalry fell back. The 1st/5th Texas and the 4th Texas had to be committed from reserve to reinforce the flank. heavy fighting followed as both sides delivered some epic charges. The Union forces bogged down when the 63rd and the 54th wandered into swamp and struggled to break the Confederate line. In a moment of confusion the 55th Mass exposed its flanks to the eager veteran of the 4th Texas who obliging charged and broke the regiment. The 28th regiment was also broken in the fighting. Of the twenty five Union companies committed only five remained. The Union brigade broke under the pressure and quit the field.
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| CS 7th cavalry clash on the left flank |
Post battle for the Union, Thaddeus is promoted with high command happy to see him taking a aggressive stance in the battle. 28th Mass disbanded due to losses while the 54th and 55th Mass gets heroes. The Union again break the Confederate codes. The union artillery gets an overhaul. 5th US gets light rifle, the 4th Rhodes get extra light rifle and 5th New York replaces its Napoleons with Howitzers. The Brigade is reinforced with the 56th Mass (colored) infantry and the 10th New York Cavalry with ten companies of eager infantry and six troops of steady cavalry respectively.
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| 1st/5th Texas arrive in support |
Post battle for the Confederacy, Nathaniel gets promoted to a full general. The 13th Alabama becomes veterans and gets reinforcements while the 4th Texas also get reinforcements. The Confederate artillery also gets an overhaul with 1st Texas Artillery replacing its Napoleon with heavy rifle and Rock-ridge battery replacing its Napoleon with light rifle. The Brigade is also allocated the Richmond artillery battery arrives with one heavy and one light rifle.
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| CS defenders dig in |
Union Forces
Commander: Major General Thaddeus Koch
Skills: European Service, Drillmaster, Political Savvy
Epic Points: 24
***
2/88th Regiment
(5 companies,Reluctant Veterans, Old Reliables, Hero, Sharpshooters )
63rd New York Regiment
(4 companies, Reluctant Veterans, Sharpshooters)
29th Massachusetts
(3 companies, Steady Veterans)
54th Massachusetts
(4 companies, Steady Veterans
Old Reliables, Hero)
55th Massachusetts
(6 companies, Steady Recruits, hero)
56th Massachusetts
(10 companies, Eager Recruits)
***
1st New York Cavalry
(3 troops, Reluctant Recruits, Hero)
10th New York Cavalry
(6 troops, Steady Recruits)
***
5th United States Artillery Battery
(1 Light Rifle, 1 Heavy Rifle )
4th Rhode Island Battery
(3 Light Rifles )
5th New York Battery
(2 Howitzers)
6th New York Battery
(2 Napoleans )
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Confederate Forces
Commander: General Nathaniel Cullen
Skills: Friend in the Statehouse, Preacher, Artillery officer, Mexican War Veteran
Epic Points: 34
***
4th Texas Regiment
(7 companies, Eager Veterans)
1st/5th Regiment
(5 companies,Steady Veterans)
1st Louisiana Regiment
(4 companies, Steady Recruits)
13th Alabama Regiment
(6 companies, Eager Veterans)
13th Georgia Regiment
(2 companies, Reluctant Recruits)
***
8th Texas Cavalry
(4 troops, Steady Veterans)
1st Virginia Volunteer Cavalry Regiment
(6 troops,Steady Recruits)
7th Texas Cavalry
(8 troops, Eager Veterans)
***
1st North Carolina Artillery Battery
(2 Heavy Rifles)
5th Texas Artillery Battery
(1 Light Rifle,1 Heavy Rifle)
Rockbridge Artillery Battery
(1 Light Rifle)
Arkansas Artillery Battery
(1 Light Rifle,1 Napolean)
Richmond Artillery Battery
(1 Light Rifle,1 Heavy Rifle)
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| CS right flank on the move |
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| 4th Rhodes fire on the CS right flank |
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| On the Union right flank the 5th Artillery lose sight of their infantry as the infantry moves into the corn |
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| CS 7th cavalry forced out of the corn |
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| CS artillery fires in support of their infantry |
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| CS right flank advance stalls taking fire |
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| Reluctant recruits from Georgia stall in the corn |
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| Carnage in |
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