Carrying on the ACW streak Goldie offered to run an Antietam Refight on a Saturday excursion to the Hutt Club.

The Battle of Antietam, or Battle of Sharpsburg particularly in the Southern United States, was a battle of the American Civil War fought on September 17, 1862, between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia and Union Gen. George B. McClellan’s Army of the Potomac near Sharpsburg, Maryland and Antietam Creek. Part of the Maryland Campaign, it was the first field army–level engagement in the Eastern Theatre of the American Civil War to take place on Union soil. It remains the bloodiest day in American history, with a combined tally of 22,717 dead, wounded, or missing. Although the Union army suffered heavier casualties than the Confederates, the battle was a major turning point in the Union’s favour.

The game was fought on a 15 foot by 6 foot table with 5 Union and 3 Confederate players. For the Union Keith, Stephen, Robert, Alan and Terry(me) lined up. The Rebs were represented by Russ, Sheridan and Reg.

Goldie rounded the forces down so each Union player had around 8 foot regts and 2 batteries and the Rebs 10 foot and 2 batteries. Russ and Robert both had some cavalry as well. Map of battle is below.

Table from the end where Reg and I were. Apparently, I was meant to form march columns and rush over the bridge and get destroyed. My mate Mark from ‘1866 and all that’ was telling me today that historically 350 Rebs held off 8,000 Union troops on this bridge. I had 4 regts and 2 batteries…as did Reg…so we just sat and looked at each other all game. We could both see into a gully…but after turn 1 when I made Regs’s skirmishing regt retired shot up…no one ventured down into the gulley. My second brigade is heading to the ford where a unit of dismounted cavalry was waiting to stop me.

And here they are…they were even my own figures…traitors.

On hill overlooking the bridge and the gully…2 of my new batteries watched……all game….

Next to me was Robert who also had a bridge to cross…this one a 3D print of Alan’s….very cool bridge…Sheridan has troops in a sunken road waiting…..so that’s a -1 to hit and a +1 on saves type of sunken road……going to be hard to shoot them out of there……

Down far end of table Keith has the Iron brigade who are advancing on. Reb’s on other side of field.

Their neighbours have given up on a steady advance and raced ahead.

Back down my end…here is what Reg had on other side of the big bridge…same force as me…..now in Black Powder ACW…you can only make 1 move and still be able to fire…so even if I managed to get a march column across the bridge…it still could not shoot…..so I not be trying that silly tactic…so at least I was pinning an equivalent Reb force away from action further west!!

Keith moving through field…Russ advancing on him…..Steven is off table Keiths left and in top left Robert is moving on by the covered bridge…but he cannot cross the stream so it’s a shooting match…until Alan who will move up on his right can force the sunken road so Robert can burst through the bridge!

FLANKS…..FLANKS…FLANKS…..every game i keep talking about…FLANKS……here Jeb Stuart is leading the charge in person.

A close up….after game have ordered bunch more command figures including mounted standard bearers from Perrys so can make this a proper Jeb Stuart Cavalry base!

Roberts’s command included 4 small cavalry brigades so here they are dismounted and lining stream to left of wooden bridge.

The Gods were smiling on Keith….Jeb Stuart didn’t obliterate the Iron Brigade. But it is not advancing with its neighbour which Russ is bound to take advantage of.

Oh dear…..Robert has lost a regt.. it is ‘Whupped’ from shooting so must retire 12 inches…so it’s off table for game….and cannot come back.

Alans on table and advancing on the sunken road.

Dice can be a real ‘b****h’ can’t they. Close range artillery can be quite devastating…rolling double ones is not what you want…the Reb’s summoned me from the other end of table to record this event!

Steven arrives…Irish Brigade leading the way.

Keith moving thru the field……

View from Russ position….was a bit cramped behind table on that side so not many pictures taken! Nice vignette of the ladies watching the battle.

The excitement…I am shooting at the dismounted cavalry….there goes the 5 seconds of my turn. Reg rolled 3 great break tests from shooting dice rolls……he was moving a small reserve force to help them out…..

Few turns later……they are still there……even when tried the march column charge…my boys refused to move…..they knew better!! Reg’s reserves have arrived as well…..fate really.

Back in the real battle……I couldn’t figure out why the Union players were not charging the join in sunken road……

The battle was looking very messy…….if someone manages to get a good charge in….there are a few units not in good shape who might pop easily on break tests.

Aha…Steven has a got a charge in on the flank of one of Russ’s regts…..

Steven wins…but is now shaken…..in a precarious position…..

Russ goes in on them…….look at the clump of Union troops…..if they pop…all units within 6 inches of the popping unit must make morale test….

Which is the BEST way to break the line. Steven actually rolled really well and did not end up as badly as he could of.

I missed a photo opportunity where Jeb Stuart once again found a flank…FGS!! FLANNNNKSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS,,,,,,But Keith was shaking the Rosary Beads and beat him off…then shot up the unit and they and Jeb disappeared…….

Sheridan has been holding the sunken road all game……but as one can see…he is getting a few ‘Whupped’ units….Reg has committed his reserve brigade to hold the line.

View from Russ hill again……nice blue line advancing…….

End of game coming up…Steven has broken one of Russ’s brigades…..he gets over excited and charges after them…..so Russ taught him a lesson about OPEN FLANKS…OMG…FLANKS!

So here is end of game where the action was…..result is deemed a draw…….ladz really seemed to enjoy it…lots of dice rolled….got quite noisey at times…..a good sign…

Meanwhile down the other end….I woke up …to find Reg actually had an average dice roll and retired 12 inches…so could rush over stream…where some Reb units were waiting…we died…nough said…..

So learning from game is….

FLANKSSSSSSS

FLANKSSSS

FLANKSS

FLAN….

Now onto the exciting part of MY day….I was quite grumpy when got home so my beloved made me a lovely steak…mushroom gravy…creamy mash and salad meal…with which I consumed 2 glasses of the Saddleback Pinot Noir previously mentioned in a post. She also went and procured me a large block of Kitkat chocolate….love that woman…..and so consumed that while enjoying my latest whisky….which I purchased for myself for father’s day….it is from Wolfburn and is called ‘Fathers Day!…how cool is that!!(It was an early night)

Here is some information on this wonderful release……

Wolfburn ‘Father’s Day’ 7yo Limited Release 2022 58.2% 700ml

Limited release consists of just 1840 bottles in total. Crafted from spirit matured in a combination of wonderfully sweet Oloroso sherry butts and ex-bourbon quarter casks it is a shade over seven years old.

This hand-selected cask pairing has done an astonishing job of producing a smooth and rounded single malt whisky – and to maximise the flavour we have bottled it at cask strength.

Sweet, aromatic and sumptuous in character, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable dram.

The bottle comes complete with a neck-tag so that Fathers Day gifts can be personalised.

NOSE: Fresh bourbon aromas are softened by sweet sherry essence. Hints of toffee and caramel shine through.

PALATE: Chocolate truffles meet sticky toffee pudding and trifle sponge – and the whole mouthful is wonderfully overlaid with gentle hints of peat smoke. By any standards this is a rich and flavourful dram, bursting with flavour.

FINISH: Caramel sweetness is present, accompanied by hints of toffee and demerara sugar. A traces of peat smoke remains until the very end, ensuring a beautiful lingering finish.

Now I have to admit this is one of the few times I actually could taste what they are talking about…..the sweetness of the toffee/sugar was evident. It is very easy to drink…..the final peaty taste at the end is not overpowering and I now have the issue my beloved being impressed by it so much am going to need to get another one!

So for me that’s the end of ACW for a while….it’s time for some Ancients and ‘Hail Ceasar’ rules starting with a game with Keith tomorrow night. He has completed a lovely Macedonian Army so we are going to push some troops around as a refresher…then am playing Reg in 2 weeks and bound to fit more games in. Also discovered a SAGA group that meet in a movie theatre cafe on a Wednesday night close to my work and a group testing a new ‘Hail Caesar’ Gallic Wars Supplement up the coast so am going to be very busy!

Terry out for now….til next time…..