Bill and I played the Bloody Big Battles scenario for Shiloh again. It is on tap next week too, since Ken has requested it. It's a crackerjack game. Only when editing the photos did I realize that we played Shiloh without using a single tree. Just imagine that the default terrain type is woods and the yellow green areas are cleared fields.
Bill commanded his Confederates and I my Yankees. He got off to a roaring start, hitting Sherman's division with Hardee's Corps and Withers' division (Bragg's Corps). Sherman's scattered defensive fire didn't slow the attack. The offensive fire included two battalions of artillery at point blank range and knocked two stands off Sherman's division. Then the swarm of Confederate infantry took out another two in the assault. Bill picked Hardee's Corps to stop and loot the camp while Withers went on and exploited into Prentiss, defeating him. The rules don't allow a unit to exploit twice in one turn, so Withers looted the Union camp. Good thing, or they'd have been all over me.
Hardee advanced slowly from Sherman's camp. Sherman's survivors fled the field. Bargg advanced and exposed a flank to Union artillery fire. I made the mistake of pivoting to take the shot, exposing the artillery flank to Hardee. I couldn't get any infantry into the Hornet's Nest.
Polk and Breckinridge piled up on the Corinth Road.
On the third turn Hardee attacked the Hornet's Nest while Bragg threw an attack past the eastern end of the nest. Hardee's fierce attack sent Union infantry and guns flying back.
It was the third turn of the game and the Hornet's Nest was gone, as was Sherman's division. The remains of Prentiss' division cowered back at Pittsburg Landing. It was time to take a deep breath.
Bragg's attack was stopped with losses.
McClernand went in and drove Polk's troops back but was isolated.
Hardee's troops shot it out with numerous Union infantry.
And then my dice heated up.
Not for long.
We broke for dinner. And then, back to the fray.
The Confederates failed to throw Grant's army into the Tennessee River, though they sure had me worried early on. It was only when Cloud Field changed hands for the third time (five in total) that I started to believe the line would hold. We played nine turns in a little over 3 and a half hours. We also played the night turn just to see what it would look like in the morning. Each side recovered some lost troops. The four fresh divisions of Union troops made an imposing mass. While it would be possible for the Confederates to hold out for 5 turns for the nominal tie, it wouldn't be easy. In any case, we'll play this again from the start next week so Ken can get a look at first day action. Perhaps I'll remember the trees. Confederate losses were 9,000 infantry. The Union lost 8,000 infantry, 24 guns and 4,000 infantry fled the field, including what remained of Sherman's division and his detached brigade under Stuart. My gun boat didn't fire a shot, as usual but this game it supported my left flank. The battered Confederate right flank shot at my left but didn't close because they feared canister from the gunboats.
It was a fine game. The air was full of the looming disaster that defines Shiloh for me.
tries a stucco repair product to contour his bases.
