Hannover
Private
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2020
The Aftermath.
Antietam was described by many who took part as ‘Artillery Hell’ and to some extent the game showed why. Both sides suffered from off-table artillery fire that caused relatively minor casualties but had the effect of basically taking the edge off their combat ability as they moved into position. The Confederates found it exceedingly difficult to support any attack through the cornfield or into the East Woods with artillery.
How did the Union ‘guns of position’ target enemy units reliant solely on line of sight? Many of the hits must have been due to them overshooting the few visual targets they could see - S.D. Lee’s artillery line and the burning Mumma Farmhouse and barn. Overshooting S.D. Lee’s artillery would land shells amongst Confederate infantry forming up in the West Woods. Walker’s and Ripley’s brigade positioned in the Mumma swale would be hit if they overshot the burning farm.
Were the Confederates too aggressive in their approach? Attacking up the Hagerstown Pike would perhaps enable Lee to continue his Maryland campaign if there was a favourable outcome to the battle but it gave them little artillery support once their Horse Artillery had been forced off Nicodemus Hill by Federal counterbattery fire. Co-ordination by both sides was difficult partly as a result of brigades arriving separated by too long a period of time and so any success that was achieved could not be exploited as there was sufficient time for both sides to recover between assaults.
The cornfield as an objective took on an importance quite out character with its true significance.
The truly important objective was East Woods, yet this seemed to take second place and Miller’s cornfield came to dominate the thinking of both sides. Units going into the field had great difficult maintaining order or distinguishing friends or foe and this ultimately added to the slaughter.
The result was similar to what actually happened, largely both sides fighting until exhaustion set in. Whilst Hooker’s I Corps could take a break from the carnage , the Confederates had to ready themselves for a further assault by XII Corps.
Antietam was described by many who took part as ‘Artillery Hell’ and to some extent the game showed why. Both sides suffered from off-table artillery fire that caused relatively minor casualties but had the effect of basically taking the edge off their combat ability as they moved into position. The Confederates found it exceedingly difficult to support any attack through the cornfield or into the East Woods with artillery.
How did the Union ‘guns of position’ target enemy units reliant solely on line of sight? Many of the hits must have been due to them overshooting the few visual targets they could see - S.D. Lee’s artillery line and the burning Mumma Farmhouse and barn. Overshooting S.D. Lee’s artillery would land shells amongst Confederate infantry forming up in the West Woods. Walker’s and Ripley’s brigade positioned in the Mumma swale would be hit if they overshot the burning farm.
Were the Confederates too aggressive in their approach? Attacking up the Hagerstown Pike would perhaps enable Lee to continue his Maryland campaign if there was a favourable outcome to the battle but it gave them little artillery support once their Horse Artillery had been forced off Nicodemus Hill by Federal counterbattery fire. Co-ordination by both sides was difficult partly as a result of brigades arriving separated by too long a period of time and so any success that was achieved could not be exploited as there was sufficient time for both sides to recover between assaults.
The cornfield as an objective took on an importance quite out character with its true significance.
The truly important objective was East Woods, yet this seemed to take second place and Miller’s cornfield came to dominate the thinking of both sides. Units going into the field had great difficult maintaining order or distinguishing friends or foe and this ultimately added to the slaughter.
The result was similar to what actually happened, largely both sides fighting until exhaustion set in. Whilst Hooker’s I Corps could take a break from the carnage , the Confederates had to ready themselves for a further assault by XII Corps.