Battle of Square lake - Costly Confederate Victory

The Missouri border town of Square Lake nestled peacefully on the banks of lake Square Lake. Well, perhaps not entirely peacefully as the local rowdies were known to shoot their guns in the air at any excuse. In fact, occasionally they also shot at each other.

Today there would be new targets as a Confederate army advanced to the Southern and Western edges of the city. The townspeople were all Unionists, although roughneck Unionists.

Approaching from the North was a slightly larger Federal army .Both armies to occupy the town.

Below: Texan infantry, supported by cavalry, advance towards the town.

                            To the right is a battery of 12 pounder horse artillery and some Missouri infantry.

                             Federal infantry, cavalry and artillery advance towards the town.

                The towns people take pot shots at the Confederates who return fire. Men on both sides die.

           Unseen in the picture an armed female takes deadly aim, with a revolver, from on top of the bank.

 Federal jayhawker cavalry and some elite zouaves advance from the North/East.

  Confederate cavalry dismount to take positions behind a wall as civilians take pot shots at them and other Confederates.

 The Missouri infantry exchange fire with Union infantry advancing around the Eastern perimeter of the lake.

   The Confederate positions come under increasing massed fire. In the distance a Hellish Yankee flying device can be seen.

  Finally, Yankee troops enter the Eastern side of the town. Towns people who have survived yell their encouragement.

                    freah Federal units move up, including the zouaves and a colored unit.

                               But what have we here? The previously dismounted Confederate cavalry have mounted and moved around to counter the fresh threat!

                   Confederate skirmishers exchange fire with townspeople in Sadie's Bath house. Sadie, herself, shoots her revolver, before passing on to the great bath house in the sky..

                       Confederate infantry keep union troops at bay on the Western front, but not without many casualties.

                                   Union troops on the mid Northern field fail to advance into the city.

SUMMARY
Our game was set to go for the usual 15 moves. Little happened for two moves except for exchange of fire between towns folk and Confederates. The town's folk fire was negligible but niggling.

However, Mat's Union forces formed a powerful firing line across the board and deterring Confederate movement into the streets. My Confederates held a defensive line in the East and attempted to push Union forces from the West while other troops (at first cavalry and then infantry) held a covered position behind a staunch wall behind the bath house.

In the West gun batteries on both sides dueled until the remaining confederate gun crew withdrew a single cannon to the edge of town to later cause some damage among the zouaves before being silenced by return musketry.

The Feds could not cross the lake and had only a narrow strip between lake and mountain to cross to the Eastern part of town. mat employed mounted cavalry skirmishers who were hard to kill but got close enough to reform and charge my infantry. They destroyed my elite Texan unit but were then mown down by my Missouri infantry. Then more Federal troops crossed the narrow strip of land and firing duels occurred between infantry of both sides until some Missouri cavalry charged and routed the enemy infantry - only to be shot to pieces afterwards by massed Union firing from across the lake.

Yet another Union infantry accessed the town in the East, only to be charged by the remaining Confederate cavalry and pushed out of town.

On move 15 the town was free of Union troops and the remaining townspeople few in numbers. However, the Confederate casualties were heavy and the Southerners were hoping for reinforcements. it was a costly victory.

MECHANICS

Mat had four reserve units and I had three; these were diced for from move two with increasing chances of arrival as the game continued.

Loyalty of the town people was determined by dice roll when a unit got within a short distance. Options were Fed, Confed, neutral or a pox on both your houses. I got the short straw on that one. The Replicants kneeling female gunslinger on the bank roof lasted several moves and killed about three of my men.

Firing and melee, with shooting distance modifiers was one per 4 for Veterans and one per six for average troops. Casualties were halved for battle formation, full for column and quarter for skirmish. Skirmishers had a minus one firing modifier. Cavalry were one dice per three (assuming rapid fire carbines) but minus one for firing from horseback. Horse holders were one per four.

Towns people had one dice per figure but always required sixes to hit. Saves 4-6 were given for hard cover and 5-6 for soft cover.

VICTORY CONDITIONS

Town occupation - 30 points
Isolated house in East - 10 points
Surviving units - 1 point each
Enemy units destroyed or vanquished - 5 points each

My Rebs lost about 130 men whilst the Yankees lost around ninety. I lost four units (including battery) to the Union's three, including battery.. The points favored my side even though I had lost more men. If the battle continued the Confederates would have been in severe difficulties as their units were mostly severely depleted. Of course, a relief force might have arrived before they could be evicted.

Mat wanted a small battle so we used only one table.