Saturday, October 7, 2017

WBTS via Vassal - Weeks 69 to 72

The Union carry forward 72 supply, receive 200 from production and 64 from newly enlightened towns.  A total of 336 for 30 personnel points.

The Confederates carry forward 84, receive 60 from major cities, 2 from imports and 108 from secessionist towns.  A total of 254 for 40 personnel points.

The Confederates augment a 3-3 and a 4-3 to be two 10-3 divisions.  They create a 3-4 cavalry division, 8,000 garrison troops and call up 5,000 militia.  This leaves them with 190 supply.

The Union augment three 3-3s to 10-3s, create two supply trains, commission a naval flotilla and raise 2,000 militia.  They have 191 supply left.

The Confederates deploy 5,000 garrison troops to Richmond.

The Union deploy a 10,000 man division to Washington, where it is reported to have gone straight on to waiting transports.  A naval flotilla is launched on the east coast.  Both the Union and the Confederate ironclads are still under fitout.  It is believed the same tailor is vying for the contracts to provide the cushions and essential items of haberdashery.

Partisans appear outside Nashville.

The Confederates actually build a fort at Fort Pillow.  This reduces their supplies to 140.

There is a leader exchange (my bad, I should have done this earlier) and Burnside is swapped for Price.  Price retires to Raleigh and is given command of a corps.

Meade and McPherson join the Union and appear in Washington in command of Corps.  Burnside goes to Baltimore and also receives a corps, his job will be to organise the scattered forces in Maryland.  McPherson will go to the valley and pick up Keyes' troops.  Meade will organise sending troops to Lyon.

The Union consume 43 supply and 8 rail.  They are left with 148 and 32 rail.  With the Confederate Fort Pillow now being a real fort, supply to Marion is blocked and the troops there perish.  17 suply are broadcast to replenish depots.

The Confederates consume 38 supply and 12 rail, leaving them with 102 supply, 12 rail.  8 supply are broadcast to Jackson's supply train using 8 rail.

Kentucky militia are raised in Bowling Green and Missouri militia are mustered in St Louis.

Week 69

The Union get the 1 chit.

Buckner is railed across the Flint River in an attempt to block Hooker.  Tyler is ordered back to Richmond.  The partisans in Tennessee cut one of the rail lines and then head to Pulaski.  This puts Crittenden and Banks out of supply.

Jackson decides that with winter coming he is best off keeping close to Memphis.

A Hill in Atlanta has a sizeable army, but no supply train or corps.  He can't decide what to do.  All the other generals out west are either without men or best left where they are.

Breckinridge is suddenly nervous, he sends an empty corps off to help A Hill.

Pleasanton is ordered to the east bank of the Duck River and told to get those partisans.  He first repairs the railway bridge.

Grant plans to move up the Tennessee, but makes no move.  Buells and Banks do nothing, but Crittenden chases the partisans out of Pulaski, but being cavalry they melt away.

Hooker marches north and captures Fort Gaines after doing a march attack on the troops there, with both sides losing 1,000 men.  Halleck needs to get moving to come down and rendezvous with him.

Lyon takes a stroll around Hampton.

McPherson moves to Winchester and takes over the late Keyes' troops.  Meade sends Lyon 10,000 men.

Burnside, now free from captivity, thinks about getting back into the saddle, but that's all he does.

Will McClellan attack?  No.

McPherson attacks, however, hitting Longstreet on the 251-400 column of CRT 3.  The Union use supply, the Confederates need supply, but don't have any.  The column shifts to 401-900.  The Union lose 3,000 men (10%), the Confederates lose 4,000 (40%) but due to their supply problem this is doubled to 8,000.  They are all but wiped out.  Longstreet narrowly escapes being wounded and retreats with his remaining 1,000 men.

Not to be out down, McClernand attacks.  He is on the 161-200 column of CRT 2.  No supply is used.  Both sides lose 1,000 men.

Crittenden attacks, but the partisans again slip away.  I now realise I moved the partisans over bridges controlled by the Union.  I also assume partisans cannot "own" land or change ownership except for the time they are physically occupying a hex.

Partisans in Tennessee


Week 70

The Union get the 4 chit.  Goodbye Longstreet.

The situation in the Valley before the Union move

McPherson sends a brigade of 2,000 men to secure Front Royal in the expectation that McClernand will be following him down the Shenandoah Valley (or is it up the Valley?).  He then gets after the retreating Confederates with a march attack.  It is on the 900+ column and the 1,000 Confederate are eliminated for no loss.  Longstreet and his now empty corps is displaced and he realises if he goes down the road it is the end of the line.  So he jumps over the river and heads for the hills.

McClernand makes a dash for New Market.  The forced march costs 4,000 men, but New Market is captured for the loss of another 1,000 men (equalling the rebel loss in that important location - it acts as a supply source).

Halleck is told to head down the Chattahoochee and meet up with Hooker.

Pleasanton is told to eat a hearty breakfast and then go get those partisans.  The subsequent march attack sees the partisans destroyed, but for the loss of a 1,000 troopers.  However, as Pleasanton is sitting down to write his report, a Southern fanatic rushes up to him and stabs him through the heart.  This is the third fatality for the Union side (although nothing compares to the death of Lee on the Confederate side).

Grant doesn't feel like moving.  Does he possibly have a hangover?

Crittenden stays put as well, as does Banks and no one even bothers to ask about Pope.

McCook gets the railway line repaired.

Buell cowers by the banks of the Mississippi.

Sumner gets moving in Missouri. He positions himself between Ironton and St Louis, well placed to react to any partisan activity should it eventuate.

Hooker, hearing that Halleck is coming to join him, doesn't move from Fort Gaines.  Maybe he is watching out for what Bruckner might do?

Lyon advances on Richmond.  He has a supply problem, but he has a plan.

Burnside is sulking in Baltimore.  The Confederates had said he was going to command an army.  Instead he finds himself in charge of a desk, and it's not nearly big enough!

McClellan stirs, pushing Franklin's Corps between Beauregard and Bragg.  But will he attack? No.

Keyes old corps is disbanded (saves me trying to work out if Longstreet and his empty corps are affected by it).

In the east the Confederates are in trouble.  Bragg is ordered to pull back to Fredericksburg.  Beauregard falls back, but is not sure where to stop.  He sends some cavalry to slow the Union in the valley and positions himself in Gordonsville.  There is no word from Longstreet who is hiding out in the Massanutten Mountains.

Taylor takes the initiative to reinforce West Point, having guessed that Lyon might need to make that place, with its access to port facilities, a supply base.

Hindman pulls back to defend Richmond.

Hill heads down the Chattahoochee shadowing Halleck who is on the opposite bank.  Bruckner is stuck looking for his train ticket, having been delayed by an over zealous conductor.

Jackson thinks about confronting Grant before he can meet up with either Buell or Crittenden.  Trouble is he has only 22,000 men to Grant's 24,000.  He does it!  Later he fails to attack.  The old taunts of "no action Jackson" come back to haunt him.

Forrest sends cavalry to recapture Marion.

 On to Richmond!

The Hook Up

Week 71

The Union get the 1 chit.

Beauregard decides to send D Hill back to Culpepper Court House, again just to delay the Union in the unlikely event that they advance.  This also allows the 4,000 men from Front Royal to rejoin the Confederate army.

Bruckner is ordered to Columbus.  He hopes to meet up with D Hill, but the latter is unexpectedly delayed.

A Johnston pulls the cavalry back from Marion and into Memphis.

Jackson attacks!  It's on the 91-110 column of CRT 4.  The Confederate stock up on ammo, the Union fix bayonets.  The outcome is horrific.  The Union lose 25% of their army, 6,000 men.  But for the Confederates the losses are much higher, 9,000 men, 40% of their army.  Jackson narrowly avoids being killed, by his own men.

Longstreet, now known as Lostreet, burns his Corps' papers and prepares to be captured.  This will stop the Union from getting a political point, but...  I'm going to rule that the actual destruction of all the troops in the corps represented a decisive victory [25.31].

The Union tell McClellan to go get those Rebels while they are on the run.  He pushes Curtis across the Rappahannock and Franklin down to Aquia Creek.  He then takes the cavalry and storms into the valley, forcing the rebel cavalry to retreat.

McPherson provides a brigade with a packed lunch and sends them off to the mountains to apprehend Longstreet.  They find him sitting quietly under a tree, waiting for them.  There are only so many nuts and berries a general cares to eat.  McPherson then takes the rest of his army and overwhelms the Confederates at Staunton (the other supply source in the valley).

None of the other Union generals in the east make a move except Lyon who attempts to storm into West Point.  He is stopped, but not before 1,000 men perish on each side.

Hooker gives up waiting for Halleck and destroys the rail connection at Fort Gaines before moving to Albany and doing the same there.

Crittenden forces marches to the Tennessee, 1,000 men are lost in the process.  Grant force marches to meet him and loses 2,000 men.  No one else in the West does anything.

In a bloody affair Lyon attacks across the York River and seizes West Point, inflicting 1,000 Confederates casualties, but losing 4,000 men in the process.  At least he now has a place that can be used to land supplies and perhaps reinforcements.

Week 72

The Union get the 4 chit.

McPherson is ordered to Charlottesville where he cuts the railroad.

Over in the West, Banks is ordered to the Alabama River which he reaches near Blue Mountain.  Halleck is told to keep heading down the Chattahoochee, which he does, reaching Eufaula, which he discovers is misspelt on the map.   The 1st Cavalry Corps is sent to Savannah, TN, on the Tennessee river opposite Pittsburgh Landing.  It is hoped that Grant can make some use of it.

As it turns out, none of the Union generals in Tennessee feel like moving.  The weather must be bad.  Maybe it's gonna be a harsh winter? 

Hooker moves back to the Chattahoochee and is now on the opposite bank to Halleck, exchanging pleasantries.

Lyon conducts a march attack against Taylor, capturing Urbana.  Both sides lose 1,000 men.

Both Curtis and McClernand are itching to do something, but it is best that they stay where they are, keeping the rebels hemmed in.  Burnside finally comes to his senses and starts to do the job required of him, collecting all the Union troops scattered across Maryland.  It will be a long job.  Meade stays in Washington expecting a promotion.

Lyon attacks, Taylor's residual troops are wiped out.  Taylor flees but Lyon stays put, conscious of his supply situation.

Curtis attacks D Hill at Culpepper Court House on the 201-250 column of CRT 2.  He didn't need supply, but the Confederates do, but they don't have any.  The battle shifts to the 401-900 column. The Union suffer 5% casualties (2,000 men).  The Confederates lose 20% which, given their supply situation, comes to 8,000 men.  Curtis is wounded and out of action for 11 months, but he has done his country proud.  The Confederates retreat.

Beauregard thinks about counterattacking the now leaderless Union force at Culpepper, but that would leave McPherson in his rear.  Retreating is risky as not all forces can be guaranteed of moving.  He finally settles on using his cavalry to screen the Confederate position.  It will be winter, Confederate reinforcements are coming, they just need time.

A Hill completes his move to join Bruckner.

Jackson thinks about retreating, but can't make up his mind what to do.

Everyone else stays put.

Grant and Jackson in Tennessee standoff

 Chattahoochee hook up.

 The blue cloud coming down on Richmond.


Casualties


This month the losses on both sides were 25,000 men. 

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