American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC)

Greetings.

I posted that I was In Search Of a Gettysburg opponent for a game and Mark Truitt CSA accepted the, um, challenge. We are playing Historical 1 with fog of war, manual defensive fire off, and rout limiting off. We'll try to do about one turn per day, and I'll try to post an AAR. Don't expect lots of detail or lots of maps. I'll post a map every 10 turns or so, or by request.

Disclosure - I've played this scenario as each side before, and I expect that my opponent knows the game pretty well.

Here's the beginning victory dialog:



I'll go ahead and state that, realistically I probably won't win. After all, I don't have a record of brilliance and Mark is ranked Brigadier General. However, I think I'll consider it a 'win' if I survive the game with a viable army and maybe control a victory location or two.

Here is the Jump Map (thanks to Chris Iddings for the tip):



My current 'plan' is to move everyone to Cemetary Ridge. Buford's Cavalry on Chambersburg Pike will delay the CSA as much as possible, possibly allowing the 1st Corps to advance to Seminary Ridge, with a second option of moving to Cemetary Ridge.

Here is a close up map with some VP locations noted and major road names and places displayed:

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Field Lieutenant
4th Infantry Brigade
2nd Division (Corcoran's Legion)
VIII Corps

Jay, I am looking forward to the AAR! Best of luck to you even if you are on the wrong side .

I really like that map with the VPs and names. It isn't as cluttered as what you would see if you held the shift key. That is one you created from a screenshot and edited, correct? I sure wish that was a possible map mode. Only the most important place names and the VP amounts showing would be helpful for understanding the situation both while playing and in an AAR.

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Lt. Col. Thomas Wayne (Iddings)
6th Brigade, 3rd Division, I Corps
Army of the West

Looking forward too.
I would recommend to turn the hexes off for doing screenshots, it gives a better impression of the terrain features & height differences, especially in the more zoomed out map view.

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Lieutenant General Christian Hecht
Commander I Corps, Army of the Potomac

"Where to stop? I don't know. At Hell, I expect."

Chris, you are correct. I open the screenshot in old paint to add text (I've just got whatever apps came with the computer). I like the simplicity but I find that I didn't include the Hagerstown Road label on the map.

Mark agreed not to read the AAR until the game is over. We agreed to all optional rules except manual defensive fire and rout limiting.

It is 0740 and turn 3 of 156. Here's a map of contact:



Gamble is forward hoping to keep much of the CSA in line or unlimbered to slow down. However, it seems that Mark planned to fortify the heights anyway. Gamble will need to bug out before he gets pounded by artillery.

I've got the rest of Gamble's command blocking the road and building breastworks, backed up by artillery. Devin is getting started building breastworks on Seminary Ridge. I Corps (-) got released and is en route to Seminary Ridge.

Edit - thanks Christian and you're right. I've turned hexes off and contours on before and liked the results. I'll try to remember.

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Field Lieutenant
4th Infantry Brigade
2nd Division (Corcoran's Legion)
VIII Corps

It's turn 6 of 156; I think I'll wait to post another map for another couple of turns.

The CSA is slipping a brigade out on his right (Herr's Ridge - Gamble's detachment spotted them).

Robinson arrived, so all of I Corps is on the map. It will take about 5 turns (almost two hours) for the leading elements of I Corps (Wadworth) to reach Seminary Ridge and about another hour and a half (four turns) for the trailing elements to arrive. They might make it just in time to stop the advance...

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Field Lieutenant
4th Infantry Brigade
2nd Division (Corcoran's Legion)
VIII Corps

It's turn 7 of 156. I'm going to go ahead and post a map, mostly to add a couple of road names: Hagerstown Road and the unnamed road roughly between Marsh Creek and Hagerstown Road at Herbst Farm now called Old Mill Road. Who knows if back then it was just called Mill Road.



As you can somewhat see, the CSA has advanced a brigade down the road, probably to flank Seminary Ridge. I've got a couple of detachments of Gamble's troopers keeping watch, but they can't fight a brigade of infantry. I'm preparing to abandon the roadblock on Chambersburg Road, and will probably abandon Seminary Ridge. I Corps probably won't make it in time, so they'll form at Cemetery Ridge. Much of 11th Corps arrived, and they'll take position on the right. Wherever that may be.

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Field Lieutenant
4th Infantry Brigade
2nd Division (Corcoran's Legion)
VIII Corps

Turn 8 of 156. Calef's Horse Artillery performed a 'shoot and scoot' - firing during the defense, then scooting to Seminary Ridge. I don't want to risk losing them. Gamble's troopers are still at the roadblock, and will probably scoot next turn.

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Field Lieutenant
4th Infantry Brigade
2nd Division (Corcoran's Legion)
VIII Corps

Turn 9 of 156. Gamble's troopers fall back toward Seminary Ridge. Wadsworth won't make it to Seminary Ridge in time, and even if he did, one division versus one Corps backed by artillery isn't a good match. I Corps will form on Cemetery Ridge.

Speaking of Cemetery Ridge, I noticed that I misspelled it as "Cemetary" earlier. "I will say, that a man must be a d—d fool, who can’t spell a word more than one way" (Nyrum Reynolds).

11th Corps 2nd Division arrived, joining the 1st and 3rd Divisions. They'll assemble at Culp's Hill.

Gamble will scout and provide security to the west and Devin will scout east, after they fall back.

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Field Lieutenant
4th Infantry Brigade
2nd Division (Corcoran's Legion)
VIII Corps

Jay can you post what type game it is (Phased or Turn based)? And, what options your are using in the game?

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General Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
AoT II/1/3 (CSA)

Kennon - thanks for reading. We are playing Turn-based (move / fire, then melee, then send turn). We are playing Gettysburg v 2.01 Historical 1 with fog of war, manual defensive fire off, and rout limiting off. We don't have any house rules (like no column attack). I think if I were to make a house rule, it would be that I win

It's turn 11 of 156 (day 1, 1020) and we're still exchanging files at a good pace. The CSA is near Oak Ridge, flanking the Union Seminary position. Calef's artillery fired and made some CSA artillerymen tired, and Calef will scoot next turn. Gamble may hold the ridge one turn past that. Mark seems to be organizing his troops getting ready for an assault. I can't see them, but I 'know' they're out there (thus no screenshot). I'm sure there are Rebs behind every tree and hill.

Wadsworth is forming a double line (Cutler forward with Meredith on an elevation behind). Robinson will form a double line on the left (soon) and Doubleday will form the reserve (soon). The 11th Corps will form the right wing in about one and a half hours. Devin's videttes up north will have a hard time surviving when they're released. One unit won't have a clear road to retreat on.

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Field Lieutenant
4th Infantry Brigade
2nd Division (Corcoran's Legion)
VIII Corps

It's turn 12 of 156. I'll post an image when it gets exciting. The forces are building toward a clash - the Union was outflanked at Seminary Ridge by the CSA from Oak Ridge - so the artillery scooted as planned then the cavalry followed. I don't want them to get swallowed up and the infantry will be involved within two or three turns. Wadsworth is building breastworks at Cemetery Hill and Doubleday is taking position in reserve. Robinson is about an hour away and the lead element of 11th Corps, Schurz, is more than an hour away.

The videttes started being released so I expect some Confederates from the north (one could role play the foreknowledge as good local citizens providing information).

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Field Lieutenant
4th Infantry Brigade
2nd Division (Corcoran's Legion)
VIII Corps

It's turn 13 of 156; still not exciting, but it's getting there. Here's an image:



Devin's vidette didn't get away unscathed, a couple of big cavalry regiments attacked as they were running away. We see even more Rebs on Bendersville Road.

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Field Lieutenant
4th Infantry Brigade
2nd Division (Corcoran's Legion)
VIII Corps

Well, it only took until turn 14 of 156 for me to make my first stupid mistake. I had one of Devin's nice cavalry regiments hidden in a dale, and an opportunity to get some artillery presented itself. My troopers charged the guns, forgetting to check and see if there was a 500 man infantry regiment in the stack. Um, they didn't capture the guns or take the position. In fact it was about as bad as you would suspect, with worse to come in the next turn.

In other news, soldiers and artillery are on the way to Cemetery Hill to bolster the defenses. I've spotted a brigade of Rebs way out on my left flank - it seems that they might be headed for the Emmitsburg Road to cause trouble.

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Field Lieutenant
4th Infantry Brigade
2nd Division (Corcoran's Legion)
VIII Corps

I lose more points to making mistakes with my cavalry then anything else. It has turned victories into draws and draws into losses.

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Lt. Col. Thomas Wayne (Iddings)
6th Brigade, 3rd Division, I Corps
Army of the West

Turn 15 of 156 saw the cavalry get shot up then rout (thankfully) towards Gettysburg. I've been trying to make lemonade out of re-enacting the Charge of the Light Brigade, and it may be that Mark will be more cautious in his advance. I don't know if he realizes it was a mistake, or if he thinks I'm just really aggressive (foolhardy?). It seems that his forces are scouting every hiding spot and he has thrown out brigades to protect his flanks. I've got some shot up troopers and a couple of detachments to slow him down.

Robinson arrived and is forming a double line on the left, extending the line from Wadsworth's position. Schurz is close, and will deploy on the heights south of Gettysburg, extending the line from Wadsworth's right. The 11th Corps will deploy from there to Culp's Hill. It will be hours before more Corps arrive, and hours more before they can take position.

Thanks for the commiseration Chris. I actually took fewer losses than the real Light Brigade, so there's that...

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Field Lieutenant
4th Infantry Brigade
2nd Division (Corcoran's Legion)
VIII Corps