American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC)

Clash of Titans Tournament

The Clash of Titans Tournament is now open for enrollment!!

Tournament Background Information:

Jackson Goes West

Stonewall Jackson survives his wounds at Chancellorsville and rejoins the ANV just in time to fight at Gettysburg. The battle is a stalemate and Lee unable to prod Meade into attacking him on ground of his own choosing withdraws to Virginia at the end of July.

Bragg having suffered the humiliation of being outmaneuvered by Rosecrans during the Tullahoma campaign and now having lost Chattanooga has tried Jefferson Davis's patience for the last time. With the Gettysburg Campaign having achieved no concrete results, Vicksburg and the Mississippi River now under total Union control and Bragg apparently unable to stop the advance of the Union Army of the Cumberland, Davis makes a fateful decision. He meets with Gen. Lee and over his vociferous protests he explains that he is promoting Stonewall Jackson to full general and sending him west to replace Bragg. However, Stonewall does not want to suffer from the same handicaps all of the commanders of the Army of Tennessee have operated under i.e.: constant interference from President Davis. Jackson agrees to the promotion and assignment only under the conditions that he chooses his corps commanders and commands without interference from Davis. Davis reluctantly agrees as long as Jackson keeps the president informed of his movements and plans. Jackson arrives at Lafayette on September 10th to take command and immediately reorganizes the Army of Tennessee as follows:

Army of Tennessee: General Stonewall Jackson
1st Corps - Lt. Gen. William Hardee (18,917): Cheatham Division, Hindman Division and Walker's Division
2nd Corps - Lt. Gen. D. H. Hill (17,265): Breckenridge Division, Preston Division and Stevenson's Division
3rd Corps - Maj. Gen Patrick Cleburne (18,990): Cleburne Division (commanded by Brig. Gen. Polk), Liddell Division, Johnson Division and Stewart's Division
Forrest's Corps - 6,557
Wheelers' Corps - 7,016

Total Strength 68,745

Grant Takes Command

President Lincoln was greatly relieved when Lee withdrew to Virginia at the end of July along with the fall of Vicksburg. He was genuinely euphoric over Rosecrans’s capture of Chattanooga on September 4th. Then euphoria faded as spies in Richmond reported some disturbing news. There were strong rumors that Davis had met with Gen. Lee to discuss replacing Bragg. However, the spies could not determine if Davis wanted Lee to take over the hapless Army of Tennessee or one of his subordinates Gen. Jackson or Gen. Longstreet. Lincoln though impressed with Rosecrans’s results thus far considered the man no match for a Lee or Jackson. For once Lincoln was not going to let the situation outpace his ability to react. Without consulting his Secretary of War or Army commander Henry Halleck, Lincoln sends US Grant a telegram to take command of the Army of the Cumberland. Grant leaves Gen. McPherson in command in Mississippi and along with Gen. Sherman he boards the first steamer north. On September 9th Grant arrives in Chattanooga and takes command from the furious Gen. Rosecrans. Grant quickly replaces Crittenden and McCook with Sherman and Hooker, but before the army can even absorb the rapid changes in command the campaign begins.

Jackson moves east towards Nashville and Grant moves to block:

On Sept. 12th, 1863 the Confederate AOT marched out of Lafayette heading northwest to Stevenson Alabama. Joe Wheeler's Corps screened the army to the north and Bedford Forrest's Corps screened ahead of the army to the northwest securing the river crossings and hiding Jackson's exact movements from the northern cavalry. Jackson now puts his army to the test as he pushes them hard toward Shelbyville Tennessee in an attempt to gain a march on Grant. The next day Grant summarizes the information arriving from this cavalry reconnaissance and concludes that Jackson is headed for the Union supply base at Murfreesboro to capture badly needed supplies and then push on to Nashville. Grant knows this is Jackson's apparent goal on the surface, but he is certain Jackson's real purpose is to draw the Army of the Cumberland into a battle and defeat it in detail thus clearing Central and East Tennessee of Union forces and opening the door to an uncontested invasion of Kentucky. The two armies screened by cavalry now push hard towards the site of the hard fought battle the year before.

Grant has the more direct route to Murfreesboro from Chattanooga and despite Jackson’s best efforts he wins the race to the city, but just barely. On the evening of Sept.17th Union cavalry ordered by Grant to race ahead to the city occupy the roads leading out of Murfreesboro as Wilder's Lightning Brigade and the lead elements of Gen. Sherman's 21st Corps begin to arrive. Forrest's Corps arrives from the south as the sun rises to scout and screen the approach of Hardee's 1st Corps and D.H. Hill's 2nd Corps. Their infantry divisions are pushing hard up the Shelbyville Turnpike. The stage is now set for the first Clash of Titans.

Army of the Cumberland - US Grant
14th Corps - Thomas - 19,887
20th Corps - Hooker - 14,558
21st Corps - Sherman - 15,018
30th Corps – Sheridan - 13,299
Cavalry Corps - 9,164
Unattached - 721

Total strength 72,647

Nashville Reserve - Howard's 11th Corps - 9,965

Tournament Details:

The Clash of Titans will offer the following options for participants. Players will be able to choose between two tournament paths:

Play a single 23 turn battle (for those with very limited schedules)
Play a single 40 turn battle (this will be the Clash of Titans first main battle Fortress Rosecrans)

The 40 turn battle will be a meeting engagement with exit hexes and no objectives hexes with points for casualties and troops that successfully exit the field at an appropriate exit hex only.
The 23 turn battle will have 2 objectives and points for casualties.

Tournament Start Date: Both battles will begin Sunday December 1st.

Completion Deadlines:

The time allotted for Battle #1 will be 60 days.
The time allotted for Battle #2 will be 90 days.

Optional Rules:

-Artillery capture will remain off as there seems to be no general consensus on its usage.
-Extreme Fog Of War off.
-Manual Defensive Fire off.

Bonus Prize!

The last commander standing for each game receives a JTS game of their choice.

Battle #1 (23 Turns):

The Second Battle of Stones River is about to begin. This scenario will cover only the portion of the battlefield West of the West Fork of the Stones River.

Instructions for the Union player: Grant has ordered General Sheridan to march immediately to the Franklin Road by the shortest route possible. When he arrives he will be joined by General Thomas and two of his divisions. They are to then coordinate their efforts to determine the size of the enemy force and then not only block its efforts, but drive it back if at all possible.

Instructions for Confederate player: General Cleburne has been ordered to attack North immediately and secure the Franklin Road. He must do this as rapidly as possible as his aide may be needed in the reduction of the enemy force at Murfreesboro and the capture of Fortress Rosecrans with its precious mountain of supplies.

Battle #2 (40 Turns):

The Second Battle of Stones River (also known as the Battle of Fortress Rosecrans).

Jackson has lost the race to Murfreesboro, but only just barely. Both armies are still in column behind cavalry screens as the sun rises on September 18, 1863. Both commanders know this will be a kill or be killed affair. Neither general is prepared to lose and there is little chance that any units will be held back. Every man and every gun will see action this day in what promises to be the bloodiest battle of the Civil War.

To Sign Up:

Contact Nick Kunz at nick.kunz@comcast.net

Players have the choice to:

1. Sign up for the 23 turn battle

2. Sign up for the 40 turn battle

3. Sign up for both

Let Nick know which one you choose!

(Note: You will need Campaign Chickamaga updated to version 3.0 to participate)

Tournament Coordinators: Brigadier General Larry Mills (ANV) & General Nick Kunz (VMI/ANV)

Special Thanks & Acknowledgements:

We need to thank the play testers John Dragan, John Brogden and Derald Riggs!

Last Update: November 25, 2019

Scott Ludwig