"Pittsburg Landing"

Pat Answer

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While I have the time and the ability to dedicate the space, another look at ACW OCD... :D

My all-time favorite game is still The Civil War, 1861-1865 by Victory Games, but this beauty, designed by Joe Youst for War Between the States, 2nd edition (Decision Games, 2004), is in my opinion the best strategic-level hex-map ever made:
IMG_0606.JPG


With my trusty home-made pieces and my quirky, heavily "house-ruled" game system, we have a fairly recognizable situation by the April 1862 turn. "Pope" has set up a siege of the Confederate river fort at Island No. 10, "Grant" has established a position at Pittsburg Landing. "AS Johnston" has used up the Confederate rail capacity for the turn, but has concentrated an army at Corinth (with an initiative marker enabling a major attack). But wait... "Buell" has not yet arrived at Savannah and has failed his initiative roll...:
IMG_0607.JPG


Further rolls allow the Confederates to advance. Union reconnaissance is hindered by less available cavalry and the fact that Tennessee is not friendly territory, but suspicion that something is afoot allows "Grant" to put the Federal army on defensive alert. He'll need it, because apparently "Buell" likes where he is very much...:
IMG_0608.JPG


What you are seeing is my take on the "double-blind" system used in many games. The player knows where the enemy is, but not what he has. Cavalry reconnaissance rolls tell you more, depending on whose side the surrounding population is on, how many cavalry units you have relative to the opponent, the terrain occupied by either side, etc.

Now, with help from the McElfresh Map Company, the fun begins in the next installment...
 
Let's zoom in on Pittsburg Landing. In the unlikely event you are a Civil War buff and haven't heard of the excellent work done by this company, I believe their products are sitll available http://www.mcelfreshmap.com/
IMG_0609.JPG


Works of art they are:
IMG_0611.JPG


Unknown to the Union player, the gray box approaching the area looks like this:
IMG_0612.JPG

Each commander (army, corps, and division level) has a different ability to influence events, represented by the "couriers" available to him to gain information, adjust orders, etc. The infantry, cavalry, and artillery "brigades" form the order of battle. The Confederates have two corps with two divisions each and one 'corps' which is really a division.

The Confederate player knows there are five divisions in the blue box though not their exact strengths:
IMG_0613.JPG


The Federals have two senior division commanders who can act like "wing" leaders in a crunch. There is a sixth division that has not been located. The Union commander hopes that when the battle comes, that division leader (note the current 'inactive status') will have sufficient initiative to leave Crump's Landing and join the fun...

0300 (Remember from my Antietam thread, the triangles here are "parked" artillery):
IMG_0614.JPG


Alrighty then. Let's make this as interactive as I can.

Any "Rebels" want to consult the CSA order of battle and suggest an arrangement and a plan of attack? It has to come from the southwest corner of the board of course, and deploying off the Corinth road will take some time.
 
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Yes... me.

Beauregard has been much criticized for doing so historically. On the other hand, at that early stage of the war and in this terrain it is hard to see how an eventual "soldier's fight" was to be avoided.

Well, sir, as yours is the only vote so far, it looks like a corps-front attack will proceed. This will save time deploying from the Corinth road. We will see if command and control suffers later.

0400: Weather roll has morning fog. Hmm...
 
Let's zoom in on Pittsburg Landing. In the unlikely event you are a Civil War buff and haven't heard of the excellent work done by this company, I believe their products are sitll available http://www.mcelfreshmap.com/
View attachment 356192

Works of art they are:
View attachment 356195

Unknown to the Union player, the gray box approaching the area looks like this:
View attachment 356197
Each commander (army, corps, and division level) has a different ability to influence events, represented by the "couriers" available to him to gain information, adjust orders, etc. The infantry, cavalry, and artillery "brigades" form the order of battle. The Confederates have two corps with two divisions each and one 'corps' which is really a division.

The Confederate player knows there are five divisions in the blue box though not their exact strengths:
View attachment 356199

The Federals have two senior division commanders who can act like "wing" leaders in a crunch. There is a sixth division that has not been located. The Union commander hopes that when the battle comes, that division leader (note the current 'inactive status') will have sufficient initiative to leave Crump's Landing and join the fun...

0300 (Remember from my Antietam thread, the triangles here are "parked" artillery):
View attachment 356200

Alrighty then. Let's make this as interactive as I can.

Any "Rebels" want to consult the CSA order of battle and suggest an arrangement and a plan of attack? It has to come from the southwest corner of the board of course, and deploying off the Corinth road will take some time.


Johnston had cutting off the Federals from the river as his objective. Hitting Sherman and Prentiss with the first line, and then deploying the subsequent troops to the right. Push the Federals away from the landing rather than to the landing.
 
0430
"Bragg" moves the 'II Corps' into attack position. He wants to make sure both divisions 'C' and 'D' are aligned. His orders are to push as due north as possible, guiding on the Pittsburg-Corinth Road. ("Polk" is to follow once the way is cleared and to guide on the Bark and East Corinth Roads. "Hardee" will generally follow "Polk" so the main attack is weighted against the Union left.)
Skirmishers on both sides are active already, with sight and sound hampered by some fog.
IMG_0619.JPG


0500
In this timeline, "CF Smith" did not accidentally bark his shin getting into a boat. He is out in front with Division '3'. He was up early receiving reports from the pickets. Calmly, he orders his front line units to fall back if pressed and sends word directly to "Grant" at the Landing. (He does not know "Grant" is at a different Landing at the moment...)
IMG_0620.JPG


0530
Local sunrise in five minutes. The fog is thinning.
"Bragg" is just about set up. It will be hard to find good posts for artillery in this terrain, but limbered batteries are available. Skirmishers report more activity on the right.
"L Wallace", with Division '2' on the Federal left, considers how best to coordinate his somewhat scattered command. "McClernand" stirs Division '1' at the Landing. He has already dispatched one of the gunboats upriver to find his commander, but has no problem acting as deputy in the meantime. He sends word to "Sherman" to get Division '4' (behind "CF Smith" at the Sowell properties) ready.
Pittsburg Landing 0530.JPG
 
0600
"Bragg" puts "Ruggles" on the left and "Breckenridge" on the right. They have very little trouble clearing Fraley and Seay fields and pushing the Federal cavalry screen back in disorder. While the sturdier infantry falls back as ordered, Union commanders hastily exchange messages about exactly where a main line of defense should be placed.
Pittsburg Landing 0600.JPG


0630
The Federal cavalry refuses to rally but is saved from destruction by the broken terrain. The Confederate staff officers at the fork of the Bark Road ensure that "Polk" heads to the right before setting up his attack. "Clark's" division is in front, followed by "Cheatham".
Pittsburg Landing 0630.JPG


0700
The first artillery shots echo across the field, definitely more sound than effect at this point. "McClernand" moves most of his division up past Cloud Field, pausing long enough to tell "Hurlbut" to stay ready in place as the main reserve. He seems to be thinking the Hamburg-Purdy Road makes a logical place along which to organize.
Pittsburg Landing 0700.JPG

"Clark" doesn't like the fact that the Bark Road seems to be leading away from the sound of the guns and has halted part of his force behind "Breckenridge's" right flank.
 
Johnston had cutting off the Federals from the river as his objective. Hitting Sherman and Prentiss with the first line, and then deploying the subsequent troops to the right. Push the Federals away from the landing rather than to the landing.
Exactly right! Unfortunatly, with innacurate maps, lack of local guides and poor information as to the locations of Grant's division caused much confusion and mistakes. Jophnston allowed Beauregard's staff to develop the attack plans and his staff officer Thomas Jordan drew up the Confederate attack plan with a copy of Boneparte's plans at Austerlitz on his desk.

The Shiloh plateau forces an attack from the South to drive the enemy back to Pittsburg Landing, Grant's base of operation. The heavy rains, lack of paved roads and poor discipline of troops coupled with the other factors doomed the Confederate attack from the beginning in my opinion.
Regards
David
 
Exactly right! Unfortunatly, with innacurate maps, lack of local guides and poor information as to the locations of Grant's division caused much confusion and mistakes. Jophnston allowed Beauregard's staff to develop the attack plans and his staff officer Thomas Jordan drew up the Confederate attack plan with a copy of Boneparte's plans at Austerlitz on his desk.

The Shiloh plateau forces an attack from the South to drive the enemy back to Pittsburg Landing, Grant's base of operation. The heavy rains, lack of paved roads and poor discipline of troops coupled with the other factors doomed the Confederate attack from the beginning in my opinion.
Regards
David

Good points.
That’s part of what I find most interesting about ‘replaying’ events: note how the layout of the roads is already having an influence...
 
Well the game is based upon the terrain, correct? That is why it is crucial to study the terrain of any battle which influences the actions and outcomes.
Regards
David
 
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