American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC)

<b>Mar 1864</b>

The Union is shutdown again by winter but Lee decides its time to move with some help from Taylor. The Army of Tennessee advances on Shiloh which is now commanded by Banks since Grant went to the east coast. Gen. Lee with reinforcements from Gen. Taylor numbers 100,000 men with 19 artillery brigades. I estimate the Union force at fewer than 70,000. My better leaders combined with veteran troops should give me the edge in spite of supply problems. I have sufficient confidence in the size of my force that I detach Harry Heth’s command of 12,000 to attack Humbolt so I can force Banks to retreat across the river into Central Tennessee rather than toward Cairo which will need his protection.


LG. Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
1/1/III AoM (CSA)

<b>Apr 1864</b>

The Confederacy is now on a role which I doubt the Union can stop or slow down. My offensives took both Shiloh and Humbolt. In the West my victorious armies go on the move taking back mostly defenseless regions. Lee moves into Paducah overrunning the small force there. In Central Tennessee small forces of infantry and cavalry overrun Murfreesboro and Nashville. A scratch force is put together to try and take Gallatin on the north side of the Cumberland River.

In the East the Union army is concentrated in Staunton with a long tail of large garrisons in Winchester and Manassas. I decide rather than attack the main army to test there garrisons and ability to support them. Bragg moves the Virginia army out and crosses the Rappahannock River to attempt to take Manassas. Hopefully I am not overreaching myself but the smell of Union defeat is in the air if things are just pressed.


LG. Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
1/1/III AoM (CSA)

<b>May 1864</b>

Well the Union isn’t ready to roll over an play dead yet. I was able to occupy some regions in the west without a fight but Manassas was a tougher nut and Bragg got thrown back. Worst I lost Jackson to another wound. He seems accident prone.

This turn I decided to pull my forces back and reconcentrate and wait for my casualties to be rebuilt. Lee pulls the western army back to Humbolt. Bragg moves back to Richmond. I send Taylor to take over Beauregard’s forces in Georgia along with a fresh Corps from the west. Beauregard is sent into the mountains of eastern Tennessee to see if he can get something going there.


LG. Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
1/1/III AoM (CSA)

<b>Jun 1864</b>

Grant attempts to break out of the Savannah region with another attack into Jenkins, Ga. This time it was bad timing since I had sent Taylor with major reinforcements to the area. Instead of meeting an equal force he ran into one almost 50% larger than his army. While inflicting heavy and equal casualties Grant had to retreat back the way he came.

In the West I don’t get all the initiatives I really need to win a major battle but I have little risk since the Union took another Political hit to get some better commanders. The Union army still in Tennessee is now under McClernand so I will give me the test to see if he deserves command. Lee moves most of his main army into Dickenson to attack McClernand. The attack is a little weak and will probably lose but it’s a cover for my side attacks intended to take the rest of Tennessee and maybe parts of Kentucky. Small detachments strike at Lawrence, Bowling Green and Glascow. A little larger force under Beauregard strikes at Clarksville. We will see what happens.


LG. Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
1/1/III AoM (CSA)

I caught the posts up to date so Gen. Collins and I would be posting the same months now as we wrap up this game.

The primary area of contingent has been the Kentucky and Tennessee regions throughout most of the game. Virginia and the coast has almost been a side show whose main purpose was to force the otherside to draw off troops from the real battle for the central states and the Mississippi. To give you an idea of what is being fought over and to help you locate where we have been fighting I am going to try to link in a map of Tennessee and surrounding regions.



The regions used by the game are labeled in red. The square box inside each region is the game's display of the infrastructure of that region. Starting from the upper left and going clockwise they show the number of Factories, Rails, Populaton and Resources of that region. Note that Lousiville, Memphis, Nashville, and Chattanooga are the most developed (most of all of those things) regions.

Also note how the four rivers in this area cut the map up into sections. The Mississippi on the left, the Ohio going acrosse the north, the Cumberland dividing Kentucky from Tennessee, and the all important Tennesse River first heading south from the Ohio then turning due East below Tennessee and finally turning Northwest at Chattanooga. Also note the darker blue inside the light blue of the rivers. These are deep rivers that gunboats and transports can move on. When the Union controls these the South can't even cross the rivers. That is what make defending western Tennessee and Nashville at the same time so difficult for the Rebel player. The two armies are not mutually supporting. It is why I retreated once I lost control of the Tennessee to Shiloh and Decatur where my armies could support each other. But there is still a problem. If the Union had gotten all of central Tennessee under control they could then threaten Chattanooga. And if you look real close at the map there is no direct connection between Corrinth and Chattanooga. The rail line crosses the Tennessee River in the Huntsville region. Lose it and your armies are split.

This map shows the area where the war is won or lost in 1862. Study it carefully. Where the resources are, where the rivers are, where the rail and road crossing of those rivers are, and the terrain in the region which determines movement rates through them and their defensibility. Unlike Virginia this is a terrible area to fight in.


LG. Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
1/1/III AoM (CSA)

<b>Jul 1864</b>

As I expected my offenses for the most part failed and Lee got badly burned and sent back across the river. This leads to an observation, as long as the Union keeps a gunboat in the Tennessee between the two regions I can’t cross. My attack was only possible when he withdrew it last turn for other business. Another interesting result of this pressing of so many regions in the West was the overall outcome. I only won in two of the five regions I moved against, Clarksville and Bowling Green., but winning those two regions and minor battles offset the Political cost of losing one major and two minor battles. This is an advantage the attacker who is usually the Union has. They don’t need to win everywhere just some of the places.

Grant having failed twice to attack the army outside Savannah decides to side step it and attack northward up the coast into Port Royal. Port Royal is one of my major coastal ports which is difficult to defend. There is no direct transportation into the region from adjacent areas. Grant moves his fleets into the Savannah River giving him a crossing and blocking Taylor’s nearby army from coming to the rescue. Port Royal falls. This does show the vulnerability of the South’s eastern ports to Union amphibious operations. They have now taken two in spite of an army of 60,000 nearby.

I get no initiative to speak of so I spend the turn shifting troops and trying to figure out how to check Grant. Lee moves to Huntsville north of the Tennessee River in preparation for cleaning out central Tennessee. This isn’t going to be that easy with a good part of my forces sent to Savannah area. I also move some heavy artillery to see if I can get control of the river but I don’t think it will work. I send a small force into Glasgow again. Maybe if I can’t take their army head on I can slowly starve it out some way.


LG. Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
1/1/III AoM (CSA)

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">This map shows the area where the war is won or lost in 1862. Study it carefully. Where the resources are, where the rivers are, where the rail and road crossing of those rivers are, and the terrain in the region which determines movement rates through them and their defensibility. Unlike Virginia this is a terrible area to fight in.


LG. Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
1/1/III AoM (CSA)
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Couldn't agree more - that's why I figured the Rebs would be sending Lee here, rather than Virginia, and why Grant and Sherman need to be in the West, not East - this is where the keys are.


General Jeff Laub
Union Chief of the Army
ACWGC Cabinet Member
http://www.geocities.com/laubster22/UnionHQ/

The Union made a slight comeback with the capture of Port Royal. Grant's army moved up the coast with an able assist by the Navy. Grant was always good with combined operations and he is doing the same in this game.

In the west the Union control of the rivers is a huge advantage that I will have to exploit in future games. Kennon is doing well though by keeping my forces off balance. What I take in one place, he takes back in another so it is a large shell game in the west which only bodes badly for the Union, where they have to be able to take territory and hold it permanently.

September of 1864 though sinks all hopes of any kind of a Union 'temporary comeback'. No initiative at all. Nothing. That turn was all internal movement with no offensives. The election is only two months away and with Lincoln's defeat Confederate independence is assured.




Bg. General Gilbert Collins
Army of Alabama
III/I/2nd Brigade

<b>Aug 1864</b>

The Union went on the move in the west taking advantage of Lee’s shift of base. They used their ability to cross rivers to overrun the small force in Humbolt. This leaves Paducah open to taking next turn. Lee has to shift back to Shiloh to help protect Memphis. He does detach Early for a small attack against Lawrence but can’t spare having to many men separated from him by the river in case McClernand attacks next turn. A small force is sent to probe the Louisville defenses as well.

In the East Grant tries to continue his winning tactics by going for Charleston the heart of the rebellion. No doubt plans to burn it down. However Taylor is ready and in position to counter the move this time. Grant finds that he has attempt one port too far. His army is thrown back with heavy losses, some 15,000 plus 50 guns and 2 ships.

For some reason my heavy artillery has been taking a heavy toll of enemy ships sinking about a half dozen last turn.


LG. Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
1/1/III AoM (CSA)

<b>Sep 1864</b>

My two attacks were driven back but that isn’t to surprising. The Louisville one was just to test the defenses. The Lawrence one was intended to win if they didn’t reinforce and the reinforced with all they had. Most of McClernand’s army moved back across the Tennessee River to reinforce it. I am hoping this will give me an opportunity to counter attack. I can’t cross the river but I can strike the small force he left behind at Humbolt of only about 30,000 men half being cavalry. I move Lee with 40,000 men against it. To see if I can block his using transport to reinforce from Lawrence I overrun Dickson on the opposite back and move two heavy artillery units into it. Only transports are in the river between so I may be able to drive them off before he reacts but I am not sure of the order of things. We will see if the strategy works.

Mean while Taylor gets initiative on the coast and attacks Grant at Port Royal with some 50,000 men. Maybe it will be the start of a campaign to expel Grant from the coast.


LG. Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
1/1/III AoM (CSA)

YORKTOWN ON THE TENNESSEE

The Confederacy has achieved her Independence. The Lincoln administration has gone down to defeat, the soldier vote wasn't enough. The Northern States had completely rejected the war by this late date.

As an added insult W.T. Sherman's army was forced to surrender on the banks of the Tennessee River. This is very strange since the navy had control of the river and their was a retreat route. Was there treachery here or had the average Union soldier just had enough of this lost war.

As an extra added insult, Confederate General Polk on horseback with two pistols was able to prevent a Union army from crossing the Ohio at Paducah Kentucky. This also mystifies me and I hope it will be corrected in a future edition of the game.

I still stand by this magnificent game and hope the club will add it very soon to our official list of games to be played. If the inferior "Forge of Freedom" can be added, surely this great simulation can be added also.

Kennon played a very excellent game and kudos to his victory.

Has anyone won yet as the Union player against another or against the AI for that matter?




Bg. General Gilbert Collins
Army of Alabama
III/I/2nd Brigade

I have won against the AI in easy mode with the Union side. Mostly threw some vulnerabilities I have observed playing the South and the inability of the AI to change plans when things go wrong.

LG. Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
1/1/III AoM (CSA)

<b>Oct 1864</b>

The artillery didn’t block which I kind of expected since it fires only at the end of normal movement. Gen. Collins moved his entire army back to Humbolt defeating Lee. He also made some minor offensives. One against Paducah which looked like it won but after the battle my leader still held the area. May be a bug in the game. Another in West Virginia against Franklin which he easily won. Another against Roanoke in Virginia which I decide to oppose with a small force throwing the Yankees back.

Meanwhile down in Port Royal Taylor dives Grant out with heavy loses. I got initiative this turn but without control of the Savannah River I can’t reach Grant to follow up the attack.

But Lee does get initiative and all the surrounding troops. And, Lee goes back to Humbolt in force this time to give the Yankees a lesson. He also sends a small force into Lawrence to retake it which will end Lee’s campaign in 64 with Tennessee cleared of all enemies.


LG. Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
1/1/III AoM (CSA)

<b>Nov 1864</b>

Lincoln loses reelection. As a lame duck president he gets to preside over the peace negotiations that end the war with Southern independence by the end of the year.

Now for some wrap up on the October turn. My strategy for clearing Tennessee worked. Lee won the battle in Humbolt and the side attack to take Lawrence was successful retaking all of central Tennessee.

The actual results were bugged as I observed concerning Paducah last turn. I checked the log file and sure enough it shows Gen. McPherson getting a minor victory in Paducah and based on the casualty reports Gen. Price’s little force was wiped out. Then came the bug. After the Reaction phase played out I checked Paducah and found the Rebel flag still flying over it. Specifically Gen. Price and the flag but not a single soldier besides him held the region. The heavy artillery I sent to Dickson was successful in driving off all transports. This made the east side of the Tennessee hostile. The north side was held by the mighty Price (President Davis and Congress later give him the nation’s highest award created specifically for him). The west side of the Mississippi was still neutral territory since it is extremely difficult terrain and not needed to control Missouri. The lack of transports in either river precluded any withdrawal to other territories (not certain it would work though). The result was the surrender of the entire army of almost 90,000 men.

Lesson learned: Watch out for extended campaigns through connected regions that depend on the ones behind you to maintain communications. Entire armies will surrender if surrounded and cut off in this game. And it is definitely a you lose result.

I am going to finish up the AAR with a summary of the tactics for the South when I get them written up.

<center><b>~ The End ~</b></center>


LG. Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
1/1/III AoM (CSA)

Great A.A.Reporting sirs!! <SALUTE>[:)][:D][8D]

Colonel Tony Best
Army of Georgia