So Goldie and I decided to play an ACW game for a change over the Xmas break. I picked the ACW scenario on the Battle of Kernstown from the Black Powder 2 book.

Goldie would of course be the Union and I the rebels.

The stated Victory conditions are:

Jackson’s aim was simply to inflict as much damage as possible upon Shield’s Division and he would probably have attacked regardless of where he’d found him. As such the game is all about casualties.

To achieve victory the Union must break both Burk’s and Garnetts brigades – Faulkerson’s and Ashby’s brigades are to small to be conted towards the destruction of Jackson’s force. Similarly, for a Confederate victory any two of Kimball’s, Sullivan’s or Tyler’s brigade must be broken.

The Union force was:

• Kimball – 4 regts and 2 batteries
• Sullivan – 3 regts and 1 battery
• Tyler – 5 regts and 2 batteries
• Brodhead – 5 cavalry regts of varying tiny/small size

Confedrate force was:

• Garnett – 5 regts and 3 batteries
• Burk – 3 regts and 2 batteries
• Faulkerson – 2 regts and 1 battery
• Ashby – 2 tiny cavalry regts and a horse artillery battery

The set up map is below.

 

The Union infantry were large units armed with rifled muskets and their artillery and mix of 12 pdr and 3″ rifled guns. The Confederates were regular units with rifled muskets or smooth bores. Their artillery were 6pdr smooth bores.

Below we have the set up on rebel right flank with the small cavalry brigade with the Union cavalry across stream in woods. Union infantry occupy farmhouse and fields in front of hill in centre with Union guns on the hill.

Rebel right where the Union in the centre can be seen and the Rebels not yet on battlefield.

Close up of the Rebel cavalry. They were a major let down, would not dismount…

Rebel left and in a rush the troops and guns arrive.

Combined Rebel artillery and musketry start to punch holes in the Union line. The Union guns on the hill are doing damage, but I started retiring the damaged units and recover morale on them rather than risk them being destroyed.

On Rebel left brigade heads for the stonewall…where it would win its famous note in history, the ‘Stonewall brigade’.

In centre Rebel units are taking some damage from the Union batteries on hill and unit in the farmhouse.

On left brigade almost at Stonewall. They weren’t moving very fast! In centre Union infantry have broken and retired.

Union reserves appear behind hill. Unit in farmhouse not retired as in cover….so have to blast them out! Guns on hill damaged and retired.

On left flank…cavalry still will not dismount…Union skirmishing cavalry are closing in.

Finally…at the Stonewall……fresh Union brigade approaching.

Union regt forced out of farmhouse…part of broken brigade so now has to retire.

Stonewall brigade not advances towards flank of hill. The Union guns would not get concentrated fire from both cannons and musket…..they would break.

After several attempts a Rebel regt finally managed to follow orders and take possession of the town. The combined firepower from them, the battery and the unit in foreground broke the Union cavalry.

It was at this time the game was called. The Union had lost their artillery(its actually broken…photo not good enough)…they had 2 broken brigades and did not hold the hill. They would be obliterated if tried to take hill with largely intact rebel gun line supported by quality infantry, which they were not.

History once again changed!