"Favorite Battle?" Topic

That's right, if you had to pick one battle, which would it be and why?

Franklin, TN – though have a half dozen that are close behind

Spotsylvania. It was fought on my birthday.

Antietam (sharpsburg). It could have ended the war one way or another.If order 191 had not been found the southern invasion might have been sucessful. Or the army of Northern Va. could and probably should have been crushed then and there.

Shiloh, It had everything, strategic and tactical surprise, heroic stands, mistakes and blunders by both sides. It was the first battle that shocked both the Union and Confederacy with the number of casualties on both sides. The battle showed that it was not going to be a quick war.

Terry

Plum Point Bend. Despite it being a sort-of Confederate victory I like it because it is a tale of warning about the dangers of hubris. Plus it is a neat and gameable scenario.

Stones River, since I live there.

Gettysburg! It has it all, or almost all. John Miller

First Bull Run, (Manassas) is mine.

1st Manassas, watch them Yankees run.

Chickamauga. Great personalities. Units from several different theaters on both sides coming together to fight (Virginia, Mississippi, East Tennessee). Savage fighting back and forth.

Vicksburg.

Gettysburg. I was just there with MRS Bunkermeister. Last week I have been posting photos on my blog, including photos with the plastic army men on Little Round Top and at the Angle.

Mike Bunkermeister Creek
bunkermeister.blogspot.com

Chickamauga, then Cedar Creek.

I like the battles with the swing in fortunes. Looks like one side is going to win big, and then BOOM everything changes. Well, Chickamauga was never going to be a defeat for the CSA, but things could have been so much worse for the Union.

Since I rate them equal my answer is Antietam and Gettysburg as both had imho the biggest impact on the war and are chalk full of "whit ifs" to speculate on and enough high drama to fill a boot so to speak.

Christopher

Shiloh and Gettysburg – likely and unlikely heroes, rapid changes in fortune, careers made and destroyed. Plus anything in the Trans-Mississippi West.

Of all the ones, I've actually games, I have to go with Chickamauga given the mix of units and the close nature of the terrain. Second place goes to Fredericksburg. Mother options for both sides are much wider than is usually though and it makes for a great game.

Antietam – the cast of characters alone is could make it a favorite. And Lee always said it was his best handling of troops. Plus it is an easy drive from my house (actually, most of the Eastern battlefields are an easy drive from my house. Lucky me.)

Battle of Glorieta Pass, NM March 26 to 28, 1862

Labadieville, Louisiana. Great tabletop scenario. Not too big or too small. Interesting terrain and units.

Antietam.

Antietam.
There are numerous suspenseful instances throughout the battle where the Union is about to crush the ANV & Confederate troops arrive just in the nick of time to avert Southern disaster.
Jerry

Probably Lookout Mountain as my ancestor fought there but I have always been fond of Franklin-Nashville

Atlanta. I thought about it for a second every day that I drove to work past the marker along the interstate. I went past it a lot.

Chickamauga – It's the battlefield that I have visited most often and had many twists and turns in the various portions of the battle. And it has one of the most interesting ACW units in Wilders Brigade.

Gettysburg. It's like three battles in one!

Perrysville KY a great battle

Cedar Creek.

First Bull Run/Manassas.

Sailor's Creek because the end of this brutal war was near, very near.

Best, Lowell

Chancellorsville

The 'Seven Days'; a bit of a cheat, but the overall operational effect could have been decisive, leading to an end of the war in 1862 (and still has some unusual uniform options).

Wilson's creek? prairie grove? Helena?

Mill Springs? Shiloh? Corinth? Chickamauga? Franklin?

Cant choose!

Chickamauga – I feel it was the pivotal battle in the West – the Confederacy's last decent chance to avoid defeat in that theatre. I also find the use of Longstreet's corps from the ANV in this battle very interesting. In addition, I like that it's a multi-day battle so has more opportunity for punches and counter-punches. It also features the quirky leaders, colossal blunders, desperate defenses, timely reinforcements, and squandered opportunities that typify combat in the American Civil War.

Much of the same could be said of Gettysburg, but it has been done to death (even so, it would be my second choice). Chickamauga is every bit as deserving of your attention, so check it out!

Personally Iuka because my great-granddad was in it (4th Minnesota)

To game, Stones River followed by Gettysburg

I have read a lot about Antietam but I find it hard to game unless you drill down on specific parts of the battle

Stones River. Mostly because of an excellent book I came across, "No Better Place to Die."

Pea Ridge. Good study of the value of commanders in battle.

Antietam (although Chancellorsville is a near second). Arguably the most significant battle of the war and on the biggest stage. And its one of the best preserved sites to visit. It also features officers doing exceptional things on the battlefield: JEB Stuart directing artillery on the left flank, John Gibbon directing the fire of a Napoleon of his old pre-war command, DH Hill carrying a musket and leading a counterattack at the Sunken Road, etc etc. The battle is full of those stories. And I still think AP Hill's epic march to the battlefield and attack on the right flank remains one of the war's most incredible events. I love studying this battle.

Antietam, dont know why! – just a battle I find interesting!

Antietam. Mixture of terrain, desperate fights with a mixture of weapons, mix of veteran and green troops, and a battle that really had a chance of going either way. I kind of like 2nd Manassas in the same way, but it isn't as highly studied, so not nearly as much has been written about it.

Gettysburg for the sheer scale of the beast and the enormous wargame potential.

Agree with you Redbanner 4145. I think the battle of Atlanta is the most interesting and challenging to game.

1st Bull Run

Kernstown (a storm in a teacup)

Antietam for the distinct phases of the battle and it changed the whole focus of the war.

Both battles at Fredericksburg, and Salem Church.

Gettysburg without a doubt, Lee`s biggest mistake and so many " what ifs".