Battle Of Nettle Creek ACW

 Yesterday Mat and I played another ACW game. As usual I was the Confederate general. The scenario did not coincide with any historical battle although many of the units were based on actual ones. This time the forces opposing each other were exactly the same types. There were nine infantry regiments a side, including seven B class, one C class and one A class. There were four 12 pounders a side and three cavalry. (One of the toy cannons I used is bigger but I counted it as 12 pounder this time). The artillery were A class, the cavalry two B class and one A class. That is over 250 figures a side.

We played the scenario where we rolled dice from the beginning to see how many troops turned up each move with freedom to choose which unit types they were. This proved to put Mat at a disadvantage as he could bring on only two units first move as opposed to six for my self and his bad luck continued so he was facing a bigger force for the first few moves. Even so he went on the offensive with his cavalry charging mine and destroying one of my units. However, his cavalry did not survive long.

Despite my larger force I was cautious in deployment and advance, keeping elite units in reserve or back to enable them to be sent to crucial areas. Also we did not specify where on the player's board length troops had to come on so reaching the enemy's side of the field too early could quickly end in disaster if a pile of his reserves suddenly appeared in the area. 

Apart from Mat's cavalry charges all other exchanges involved shooting. I deployed a battery of two cannons early and they put some holes in Mat's forces before his infantry fire and an exploding cannon, from misfire, put an end to them. This time we had a limit of six shots before ammunition ran out but at point of destruction only one round was left. My other two cannons moved to the other end of the battlefield and did good service there. They had one round left at the end of the battle.

My infantry had time to move into forest in the centre of the filed and exchanged musketry duels with the enemy. At first they were outnumbered at one side but more troops came forward to form a continuous line and survived the war of attrition due to cover saves.

My infantry also were close enough to kill the enemy cannon crews before they could do much damage.

My centre became especially strong and whittled down Mat's infantry and cannon crew. My right wing was less strong but stayed on the defensive and held its own. My two surviving cavalry units were kept at the rear to deal with any advances.

Below: After sustaining heavy fire the Black Hats under Colonel Timpo change to skirmish formation. This slowed their demise but the musketry was too much for them.

                    CSA infantry and Texas 8th cavalry stand in defensive positions on my right flank.

                              The 5th Missouri fire from forest in the centre of the field.

                               A much depleted Confederate unit, wading in the shallow creek, has changed to skirmish formation. Mat tried, unsuccessfully to destroy it. In the middle the crack sharpshooter regiment deals deadly lead to the Union. In the foreground the white uniformed Missouri militia uses cover as it also pours fire in.

                    On my left flank my infantry use cover to protect their firing line.

                       Towards the end of the battle a CSA Texan regiment edges away from the centre and behind the Carson farmhouse fence, formerly used by the artillery. It is about to enfilade a fresh Federal regiment.

                                              CSA artillery at my left flank down to one round

                                                                          Union left

         That Union greatcoat regiment was about to get a nasty surprise when the battle ended when a mighty storm hit, obscuring all.

                          This Union regiment caused some confusion in its grey uniforms.

                                                 'Cain and Abel' dish out the punishment.

    Texans in cover

    Quantrill's Raiders await the order to run down fleeing enemy troops but the order was not given.

                                                      General Price surveys the battle.

CONCLUSION

The battle lasted 12 moves and less than three hours. WE rolled dice to see if the battle continued on a 5-6 but unlike out last game, when it lasted 17 moves, it did not'; I have an idea we then said it would continue on a 4-6. The CSA sustained two lost gun crews (counted as two lost guns for points purposes although one gun was not actually destroyed), one cavalry regiment and one infantry regiment. The Feds lost all their cannon crews, their three cavalry units and five infantry regiments. The points allocation were one point for each enemy gun or unit destroyed or sent off the field and five points for each table quarter. The CSA possessed two quarters and were disputing at least one other.