"Kernstown - Cancon 2012" Topic

Hi

My friend David who likes to write has done a report on our game based on 1st Kernstown that we played at the Cancon Gaming Convention on 28 January.

Here is a battle report on Sunday's demo game. Thanks for the game. Certainly showed the visciousness of fire fights and made we re-think the cavalry role a bit (Stupid skirmishers!) The result is based on the victory conditions as set out in the SPI Game Stonewall based on a Jackson voctory at Kernstown.)

Jackson performed no personal reconnaissance before he sent Turner Ashby on a feint against Kimball's position on the Valley Turnpike while his main force—the brigades of Col. Samuel Fulkerson and Brig. Gen. Richard B. Garnett (the Stonewall Brigade, Jackson's own first command)—attacked the Union artillery position on Pritchard Hill.
To the Confederate surprise the Union advanced first causing Garnett and Fulkerson to halt and meet the Union with artillery fire. On the Right Ashby's cavalry was initially rebuffed by Union Skirmishers but then unleashed withering fire on Union cavalry, destroying one company as well as wiping out the skirmish line.
In the centre the Confederate five batteries, assisted by Ashby's horse battery softened up the Union line, destroying first the two advancing regiments of Union troops then pounding the artillery atop Pritchard's Hill, which eventually silenced all four Union batteries. Only then did Confederates advance.
The lead brigade under Fulkerson took heavy fire and soon two of his regiments were reduced to a mere 60 men but the brigade, assisted by the artillery had wiped out all but one Union regiment to the left of Pritchard's Hill. The rest of Jackson command arrived and took position on the right of Garnett as he engaged Union regiments attempting to hold the right of Pritchard's Hill supported by more artillery.

Union Commander Kimball countered the maneuver by moving his brigade under Col. Erastus B. Tyler to shore up the right flank and soon a long range fire fight ensued. Union cavalry (which had been transferred from the Union Left and made a wide ride around the Union rear) now appeared on the Confederate left causing Confederate's to wheel two regiments to face the new threat. Jackson also called for Ashby to send cavalry to help drive off the Union horse soldiers. Ashby who had been negotiating the river and wheat fields had made slow advance against the two remaining Union regiments of Sullivan's battered Brigade. Having had his skirmish line blasted away in one volley, Ashby deemed the route unprofitable and obeyed Jackson's orders by pulling his entire command back over the river.
The day ended with both sides exchanging rifle and cannon fire with the Confederate's advancing toward the undefended Pritchard's Hill. The Union Commander saw no more value in continuing the day's bloodshed and called it quits as the sun set.
The Union Losses had been very heavy. Kimball's Brigade had vanished completely including four batteries that had been stationed on Pritchard's Hill while Turner's Brigade had only two Regiments remaining, one reduced to half strength while the other had also sustained casualties. Caroll's Cavalry had lost all its skirmishers its and a cavalry regiment. Tyler's Brigade was relatively intact and still had the support of three Batteries.

The Confederate's, surprisingly had lost no regiments although three of them were down to just 60 men Fulkerson's Brigade was the most heavily hit with only 1 regiment of three in any shape. Garnett had sustained little loss thanks to its skirmish screen and Burks had 1 regiment down to its command company. Ashby's Cavalry had sustained some casualties along with the loss of its skirmishers but was still in fighting order. Of the six batteries the Confederates had started only one had been lost.

Result:
The Confederate's had carried the day and the impact on the Union plans for invading the South would be heavily impacted. Jackson's audacity and success would lead the North to believe that the Confederate's had far more troops in the Shenandoah Valley and therefore able to outflank and threaten Washington. General Mclellan's planned seaborne invasion of the South was cancelled and the Union went over to the defensive giving the South more breathing space.

Rules?
Pictures?

Hi

I have created a thread for the photos in the Gallery section TMP link

We used the downloadable rules from the Gordon & Hague site called "Severed Union"

Paul