Alright, alright, alright.
Using version 1.13.
I've made it pretty hard on both of us this game. I went with the "long" combat delay. I made things a little easier with 3 redeploys...which I only plan to use when transferring my commanders between militarty districts and not to exploit prior to combat. I can only hope Soundoff does the same...which I believe he will.
Historical Attrition.
[color="Red"]TURN 1: Early April 1861[/color]
Pretty basic stuff to start. I've attacked in all the usual places. [color="red"]Harper's Ferry, Norfolk, and Ft. Sumter. [/color]
I've sent [color="Black"]Bartow's Brigade,[/color] the [color="Black"]1st SC Brigade [/color]and [color="Black"]2 batteries [/color]of artillery up [color="Black"]to Mannassas [/color]to start digging in. (This rail junction is of course critical to my defense of Northern Virginia...and for posing a continuing threat to Washington.)
I've also [color="Black"]printed money [/color]right off the bat. I'll take the inflation hit in hopes that my economy will recover sometime down the road.
I have decided to hold off on all other Draft, Finance, and political options. I want to see if Soundoff's likely Blockade roll goes bad for him and then hopefully follow it up with a good Embargo roll of my own.
All quiet on all fronts for now....stay tuned.
[color="Red"]Turn 2: Late April 1861[/color]j
Everything went about as planned. Except for this little surprise. The Winchester militia apparently spent a couple of hours trying to break the defenses at Harper's Ferry and then lost their will to continue fighting and are now defending the hills outside the town.
Otherwise a pretty normal first turn. My scratch force from Charleston is still making its way north for Manassas. I have G.W. Smith preparing to meet them...hoping for some early action and possibly a promotion.
I'm going to outline some of my first year goals. First...in the east.
I want to hold the three main Northern Virginia Departments. One in Manassas, another in Fredricksburg and the third in the Valley. As long as I can keep control of these three areas I can pose a credible threat to Washington as well as keep Soundoff an arms length from Richmond.
I plan to slap together a force for a quick assault against Ft. Monroe as soon as is practical. I know I will have a lot of automatic reinforcements...so I will likely use them combined with some purchased units.
I'll also not rule out an early move into West Virginia just to keep Soundoff thinking about his western flank.
In the West...
I will begin building up defenses at Columbus, KY and at Henry and Donelson as soon as possible. I hope to add Shore batteries to each of these positions.
With a main force of at least 10 to 15,000 troops I'll hope to advance against Bowling Green by late summer or fall. I know I'd like to have a sizeable force (at least 20,000 troops) positioned in Kentucky to threaten Louisville and keep a hold on Kentucky.
Lexington I will abandon. I'll blow the depot the first chance I get and start building up my defenses around Knoxville.
In the Far West....
Depending on whether the St. Louis massacre event fires. I hope to get some troops up to Rolla and blow the Depot there. I'll also run up to Jeff City and either set up there to threaten St. Louis or I'll just blow the rails there to slow Soundoff down and further isolate Lexington. Rolla will also have it's infrastructure torched when I get a chance. Springfield will be held as long as possible. If I can keep Missouri in play, Soundoff's entire Mississippi campaign could be put in jeopardy.
All quiet on all fronts at this point still. Stay tuned still as well.
.
Everything went about as planned. Except for this little surprise. The Winchester militia apparently spent a couple of hours trying to break the defenses at Harper's Ferry and then lost their will to continue fighting and are now defending the hills outside the town.
Otherwise a pretty normal first turn. My scratch force from Charleston is still making its way north for Manassas. I have G.W. Smith preparing to meet them...hoping for some early action and possibly a promotion.
I'm going to outline some of my first year goals. First...in the east.
I want to hold the three main Northern Virginia Departments. One in Manassas, another in Fredricksburg and the third in the Valley. As long as I can keep control of these three areas I can pose a credible threat to Washington as well as keep Soundoff an arms length from Richmond.
I plan to slap together a force for a quick assault against Ft. Monroe as soon as is practical. I know I will have a lot of automatic reinforcements...so I will likely use them combined with some purchased units.
I'll also not rule out an early move into West Virginia just to keep Soundoff thinking about his western flank.
In the West...
I will begin building up defenses at Columbus, KY and at Henry and Donelson as soon as possible. I hope to add Shore batteries to each of these positions.
With a main force of at least 10 to 15,000 troops I'll hope to advance against Bowling Green by late summer or fall. I know I'd like to have a sizeable force (at least 20,000 troops) positioned in Kentucky to threaten Louisville and keep a hold on Kentucky.
Lexington I will abandon. I'll blow the depot the first chance I get and start building up my defenses around Knoxville.
In the Far West....
Depending on whether the St. Louis massacre event fires. I hope to get some troops up to Rolla and blow the Depot there. I'll also run up to Jeff City and either set up there to threaten St. Louis or I'll just blow the rails there to slow Soundoff down and further isolate Lexington. Rolla will also have it's infrastructure torched when I get a chance. Springfield will be held as long as possible. If I can keep Missouri in play, Soundoff's entire Mississippi campaign could be put in jeopardy.
All quiet on all fronts at this point still. Stay tuned still as well.
.Why thank you! I appreciate that very much 
.
Some things I didn't mention about the current turn...
I did invest in some rail and river this time around 10 and 5 points respectively.
It is also apparent that Soundoff has waited to implement the Anaconda plan and has declined to go with the total blockade. I'm sure he's probably playing the waiting game like me. Fortunately time is on my side, since I'm beating him in both VP and NM...the FI score will continue to go up. I have all year to use the Embargo...I think he will have to gamble on the blockade to try and bring the score back down.
I will also wait one more turn to draft troops. I'm quite torn over what I want to do. I know my NM will increase quite a bit throughout the year (allowing me a few extra conscript companies) , but having at least 20 or 30,000 troops ready for summer and fall campaigning could prove a key for me.
We'll see...
.
Some things I didn't mention about the current turn...
I did invest in some rail and river this time around 10 and 5 points respectively.
It is also apparent that Soundoff has waited to implement the Anaconda plan and has declined to go with the total blockade. I'm sure he's probably playing the waiting game like me. Fortunately time is on my side, since I'm beating him in both VP and NM...the FI score will continue to go up. I have all year to use the Embargo...I think he will have to gamble on the blockade to try and bring the score back down.
I will also wait one more turn to draft troops. I'm quite torn over what I want to do. I know my NM will increase quite a bit throughout the year (allowing me a few extra conscript companies) , but having at least 20 or 30,000 troops ready for summer and fall campaigning could prove a key for me.
We'll see...
[color="Red"]Turn 3: Early May[/color]
Not much action at all this turn so it's pretty much straight to preparations for the next turn. I'll be adding a little historical narrative here and there just to warn all you readers.
G.W. Smith and Winder met with the two brigades in Manassas and have taken joint command of the force. Of course there is an entire yankee army only miles away which could prove problematic . Hopefully my eastern army can rail northward without any trouble. Methinks there might be a cavalry raid or two on the way to disrupt things.
The Shennendoah militia (formerly known as the Winchester Garrison) will attempt another assault at Harper's Ferry, but have been ordered to retreat if facing significant opposition.
General Polk has been ordered to take his 3,000 men north to Columbus, KY to begin setting up earthworks there. As I mentioned before, if I can get one or two shore batteries in this location it'll be hard for Soundoff to make a move down the Mississippi. He'll have to find another way to outflank my position...most likely by land...which I can handle.
In Montgomery, Jefferson Davis, the newly elected President of the Confederacy, calls an emergency session of the Confederate Provisional Congress. He asks the House and Senate for swift passage of a new tax on lower-tier landowners. All those with 10 or fewer slaves would pay an additional quarter cent per acre of land owned and an additional half-cent per slave owned. It would be enough for the Confederate government to raise around 400 thousand dollars.
The following day, Congress passes a resolution, calling for all able bodied men willing to sacrifice their lives in service to the southern cause to take up arms in exchange for 10 Dollars up front and another 11 dollars per month through at least 5 months of service. Approximately 24,000 men answer the call.
The men are gathered in Tennessee to form a new army. An army with the goal of securing southern Kentucky and protecting Nashville. 4 brigades and a regiment of cavalry are gathered to form what will be the Army of Southern Kentucky.
Stay tuned for Late May!!
Not much action at all this turn so it's pretty much straight to preparations for the next turn. I'll be adding a little historical narrative here and there just to warn all you readers.
G.W. Smith and Winder met with the two brigades in Manassas and have taken joint command of the force. Of course there is an entire yankee army only miles away which could prove problematic
. Hopefully my eastern army can rail northward without any trouble. Methinks there might be a cavalry raid or two on the way to disrupt things.
The Shennendoah militia (formerly known as the Winchester Garrison) will attempt another assault at Harper's Ferry, but have been ordered to retreat if facing significant opposition.
General Polk has been ordered to take his 3,000 men north to Columbus, KY to begin setting up earthworks there. As I mentioned before, if I can get one or two shore batteries in this location it'll be hard for Soundoff to make a move down the Mississippi. He'll have to find another way to outflank my position...most likely by land...which I can handle.
In Montgomery, Jefferson Davis, the newly elected President of the Confederacy, calls an emergency session of the Confederate Provisional Congress. He asks the House and Senate for swift passage of a new tax on lower-tier landowners. All those with 10 or fewer slaves would pay an additional quarter cent per acre of land owned and an additional half-cent per slave owned. It would be enough for the Confederate government to raise around 400 thousand dollars.
The following day, Congress passes a resolution, calling for all able bodied men willing to sacrifice their lives in service to the southern cause to take up arms in exchange for 10 Dollars up front and another 11 dollars per month through at least 5 months of service. Approximately 24,000 men answer the call.
The men are gathered in Tennessee to form a new army. An army with the goal of securing southern Kentucky and protecting Nashville. 4 brigades and a regiment of cavalry are gathered to form what will be the Army of Southern Kentucky.
Stay tuned for Late May!!
[color="Red"]Turn 4: Late May, 1861[/color]
There was little action this turn other than another minor skirmish near Harper's Ferry in which my Confederate militia was once again turned away. It looks like I'll have to wait to kick Soundoff completely out of the Shennendoah Valley.
Soundoff went with the Total Blockade this turn. It was a successful gamble. The British were not moved into sympathy for the south even after the declaration of blockade.
The main eastern army continues to muster in Richmond. P.G.T. Beauregard should have somewhere near 20,000 troops once all men and material are in place. Johnson will have another 6 to 7,000 in the valley.
Polk pleaded with Montgomery to allow him to attack Paducah, but his requests were denied. Jefferson Davis cited the continuing fragile relations between both he and U.S. President Lincoln and Kentucky. It was important not to attack along any front in the state and thus jeopardize its neutrality and possibly its seccession.
I have opted to begin forming some troops for the defense of Missouri and Arkansas. Also a small militia regiment to assist in the defence of Wilmington, NC.
A quick look at the overall objectives screen for this turn. As you'll see, I'll need to get lucky with my next Embargo roll, or possibly go with a cheaper option to start...possibly some commercial or even territorial concessions.
I'll be needing to use those precious victory points soon, but I'm hoping I'll have a few hundred saved up by that time. If I can help it...I don't want to give up the advantage in FI score per turn.
Not many movements for the coming turn. I've made a few logistical moves. Some cavalry, headed by Bushrod Johnson is moving, under cover, into the wooded areas of South-Central Kentucky on its way to Lexington to both get a better idea of what Soundoff is doing there...and to blow the depot at Lexington.
I've also sent out all blockade runners to begin collecting much needed War Supply.
Until next turn!!
There was little action this turn other than another minor skirmish near Harper's Ferry in which my Confederate militia was once again turned away. It looks like I'll have to wait to kick Soundoff completely out of the Shennendoah Valley.
Soundoff went with the Total Blockade this turn. It was a successful gamble. The British were not moved into sympathy for the south even after the declaration of blockade.
The main eastern army continues to muster in Richmond. P.G.T. Beauregard should have somewhere near 20,000 troops once all men and material are in place. Johnson will have another 6 to 7,000 in the valley.
Polk pleaded with Montgomery to allow him to attack Paducah, but his requests were denied. Jefferson Davis cited the continuing fragile relations between both he and U.S. President Lincoln and Kentucky. It was important not to attack along any front in the state and thus jeopardize its neutrality and possibly its seccession.
I have opted to begin forming some troops for the defense of Missouri and Arkansas. Also a small militia regiment to assist in the defence of Wilmington, NC.
A quick look at the overall objectives screen for this turn. As you'll see, I'll need to get lucky with my next Embargo roll, or possibly go with a cheaper option to start...possibly some commercial or even territorial concessions.
I'll be needing to use those precious victory points soon, but I'm hoping I'll have a few hundred saved up by that time. If I can help it...I don't want to give up the advantage in FI score per turn.
Not many movements for the coming turn. I've made a few logistical moves. Some cavalry, headed by Bushrod Johnson is moving, under cover, into the wooded areas of South-Central Kentucky on its way to Lexington to both get a better idea of what Soundoff is doing there...and to blow the depot at Lexington.
I've also sent out all blockade runners to begin collecting much needed War Supply.
Until next turn!!
[color="Red"]Turn 5: Early June, 1861[/color]
General McCulloch believes there are more defenders in Tuscon than his original intel outlined to he desides to set up a defensive blocking position outside town. Frustrating, (he was ordered to attack) but part of the game. I will withdrawal him back to Dallas so that he doesn't get outflanked by the enemy cavalry.
General Bushrod Johnson makes his way north to Lexington. He has been ordered to gather information about the enemy's whereabouts in the area of Louisville...gather supplies in Frankfurt and then make for Lexington to blow the depot. He will return to Tennessee via the Cumberland Gap and take over the defense of Knoxville.
Enemy cavalry is spotted near Leesburg and so will be dealth with. I am sending a cavalry regiment north to intercept the enemy regiment and either prevent them from cutting any rail infrustructure south of Mannassas or simplly push them out of Southern soil.
Magruder's Division is sent to Fredricksburg. Magruder with two brigades and an attachment of sharpshooters will rail to Fredricksburg and begin setting up a defensive position there. I had a hard choice to make here...either march them there...or rail them there. Muddy roads would have caused a 22 day march...going by rail would drop my rail capacity below the threshold to move supplies...I had to rail them just in case Soundoff planned any sort of raid against the city to take out the depot.
Lastly, President Davis has called for additional troops to help guard the coast in North Carolina. The Governor has obliged and is forming one brigade. Also Louisiana begins to form troops for its own defence. New Orleans will be a key objective for the enemy.
Not much fighting so far, but I expect things may begin heating up by Turn 6. We will see....perhaps some action in the east...or around Louisville...or in Texas. Will the St. Louis event fire? Stay tuned.
General McCulloch believes there are more defenders in Tuscon than his original intel outlined to he desides to set up a defensive blocking position outside town. Frustrating, (he was ordered to attack) but part of the game. I will withdrawal him back to Dallas so that he doesn't get outflanked by the enemy cavalry.
General Bushrod Johnson makes his way north to Lexington. He has been ordered to gather information about the enemy's whereabouts in the area of Louisville...gather supplies in Frankfurt and then make for Lexington to blow the depot. He will return to Tennessee via the Cumberland Gap and take over the defense of Knoxville.
Enemy cavalry is spotted near Leesburg and so will be dealth with. I am sending a cavalry regiment north to intercept the enemy regiment and either prevent them from cutting any rail infrustructure south of Mannassas or simplly push them out of Southern soil.
Magruder's Division is sent to Fredricksburg. Magruder with two brigades and an attachment of sharpshooters will rail to Fredricksburg and begin setting up a defensive position there. I had a hard choice to make here...either march them there...or rail them there. Muddy roads would have caused a 22 day march...going by rail would drop my rail capacity below the threshold to move supplies...I had to rail them just in case Soundoff planned any sort of raid against the city to take out the depot.
Lastly, President Davis has called for additional troops to help guard the coast in North Carolina. The Governor has obliged and is forming one brigade. Also Louisiana begins to form troops for its own defence. New Orleans will be a key objective for the enemy.
Not much fighting so far, but I expect things may begin heating up by Turn 6. We will see....perhaps some action in the east...or around Louisville...or in Texas. Will the St. Louis event fire? Stay tuned.
[color="Red"]Turn 6: Late June, 1861[/color]
Union cavalry launch raid into Culpeper. Shurtz's cavalry regiment is spotted by my detachment working its way behind Smith's position in Manassas. Apparently Shurtz was able to avoid all of my attempts to engage. Soundoff is now in a position to cut off my main army's route to Manassas.
The Harper's Ferry Guard leaves its inner defences. It looks to be setting up defences outside town. Scouts report they are digging an extensive trench network. General Johnson is ordered to attack and seize Harper's Ferry. From this position he can cut the B&O completely and provide a threat to Maryland and Pennsylvania.
The Confederate "Army of the Potomac" leaves Richmond for the front. Beauregard and approximately 20,000 men board trains meant to carry them to Manassas.
Magruder has set up around Fredricksburg. He and his small command are beginning to set up defences along the river front and in the open area outside the city.
In the Heartland, Polk begins digging in, Confederate gunboars are sent up river to gather intelligence about the enemy and cause any other damage they can.
In Missouri, a Regiment of volunteers wil destroy the depot and tear up rails at Rolla. it will then move to secure Jefferson City for the Confederacy.
I figured that since it was about time to start raising some money for what i'll likely need for an embargo sometime in the future...I'd better sell some war bonds. So Davis authorizes the sale of $222,000 worth of war bonds.
Also a new call for volunteers is raised. Fewer men answer the call because there is no up front pay. (I'm not going to start drafting troops until Soundoff does...I want to feel out how agressive he's getting first.)
Lastly, several thousand more southern men take up arms across the heartland, in the far west and even in Virginia. 3 Brigades are raised....one each in Mississippi, Alabama and Virginia. Militia is raised in Louisiana and Arkansas...Workers begin constructing large shore batteries in Savannah (those will likely be used at Columbus, KY.)...and a group of volunteer marksmen gathers in Mississippi as well. The Confederacy's first dedicated unit of engineers is also assembled.
Will Shurtz's cavalry be run out before it's able to sever Beauregard's link to Manassas? Will Johnson's attack at Harper's Ferry succeed? Can Missouri be held for the Confederacy? Stay tuned....
Union cavalry launch raid into Culpeper. Shurtz's cavalry regiment is spotted by my detachment working its way behind Smith's position in Manassas. Apparently Shurtz was able to avoid all of my attempts to engage. Soundoff is now in a position to cut off my main army's route to Manassas.
The Harper's Ferry Guard leaves its inner defences. It looks to be setting up defences outside town. Scouts report they are digging an extensive trench network. General Johnson is ordered to attack and seize Harper's Ferry. From this position he can cut the B&O completely and provide a threat to Maryland and Pennsylvania.
The Confederate "Army of the Potomac" leaves Richmond for the front. Beauregard and approximately 20,000 men board trains meant to carry them to Manassas.
Magruder has set up around Fredricksburg. He and his small command are beginning to set up defences along the river front and in the open area outside the city.
In the Heartland, Polk begins digging in, Confederate gunboars are sent up river to gather intelligence about the enemy and cause any other damage they can.
In Missouri, a Regiment of volunteers wil destroy the depot and tear up rails at Rolla. it will then move to secure Jefferson City for the Confederacy.
I figured that since it was about time to start raising some money for what i'll likely need for an embargo sometime in the future...I'd better sell some war bonds. So Davis authorizes the sale of $222,000 worth of war bonds.
Also a new call for volunteers is raised. Fewer men answer the call because there is no up front pay. (I'm not going to start drafting troops until Soundoff does...I want to feel out how agressive he's getting first.)
Lastly, several thousand more southern men take up arms across the heartland, in the far west and even in Virginia. 3 Brigades are raised....one each in Mississippi, Alabama and Virginia. Militia is raised in Louisiana and Arkansas...Workers begin constructing large shore batteries in Savannah (those will likely be used at Columbus, KY.)...and a group of volunteer marksmen gathers in Mississippi as well. The Confederacy's first dedicated unit of engineers is also assembled.
Will Shurtz's cavalry be run out before it's able to sever Beauregard's link to Manassas? Will Johnson's attack at Harper's Ferry succeed? Can Missouri be held for the Confederacy? Stay tuned....
-
Pubcrawler
- Private
- Posts: 39
- Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2008 3:23 am
- Location: Marching on Atlanta
@biggp7--Don't worry about it man . I wouldn't blame you for being biased toward Soundoff anyway. He's a great player and a good guy to boot.
@pubcrawler--Indeed. I hope I'm making my strategy as concise as possible. I get a little ADD when I'm AAR'ing. Thanks for reading too
NOW....on to the game.
[color="Red"]Turn 7: Early July, 1861[/color]
Lincoln orders the Union's first draft!!
Congress passes new legislation raising millions for the war!!
(Soundoff went ALL OUT this time around. He went with 8% bonds, Exceptional taxes, and Full Mobilization. He's going to have plenty of troops, ships and guns to play with, but he's given me a huge advantage in VP. If this game is as tight as I think it might be...this could prove well for me.)
Union Gen. Schurz is kicked out of Virginia!! (My cavalry was somehow able to intercept and force Schurz to retreat out of Culpepper BEFORE he was able to cut up the rails there. I apparently chased him all the way to Stafford where he finally turned, fought and beat my cavalry back.
Harper's Ferry garrison surrenders to Johnson!! (The attack goes off without a hitch. Johnson captures about 135 Union prisoners...a unit of sharpshooters. That will be helpful.)
Union Admiral Foote beats back southern river fleet near Cairo!! (Soundoff was apparently able to bring Foote down the river sooner than I thought. My river fleet has been pushed back.
Union shells sink pair of fishing schooners!! (Actually this was the Harriet Lane Squadron leaving Richmond for the atlantic blockade box. They apparently weren't able to make it past Ft. Monroe's guns.
Federal Cavalry seizes Fayetteville!! (Soundoff was able to get some cavalry down to Feyetteville, Ark and take it. Which significantly reduces the number of troops I can use in Missouri. I will be forced to take the important production center of Lexington, MO if I want to maintain any sort of force in the state at all. Or rebuild the Depot...which will be costly.)
Alright...now to my plans in each Theatre, Government action and reinforcements.
In the East:
I will hold fast with Beauregard and the Army of the Potomac, whose ranks have now swelled to a more respectable 22,000. McDowell sits only 20 or so miles away with a comparable force. G.W. Smith, with one brigade, will head south to Williamsburg, VA and prepare for the assault on Ft. Monroe, General Winder, with one brigade and some artillery, will make for Fredricksburg and bolster our forces there. Gen. Ruggles will make for Wilmington, NC and take command of its defence.
General Jackson is congratulated for affecting the bloodless capture of Harper's Ferry. Hardly a single shot was fired when the Union garrison saw Jackson's brigade, at the head of Johnson's small army, perched atop the hills surrounding the town and ready to shell the city. Jackson is congratulated and given command of the south's first Cavalry brigade and is ordered to intercept a new federal formation of cavalry that's been spotted near Leesburg.
(NOTE: Soundoff has apparently gathered Patterson's old command in Grafton, WV. That cancel's out any attack into WV...but it does put around 14,000 Union troops far out of position to do anything about a jaunt by Johnson into Maryland ...It might just be too tempting....but I'll wait to see if Jackson earns a promotion first.)
In the West:
The Army of Southern Kentucky is coming together nicely. It will consist of three large Infantry brigades and two small detached regiments of cavalry. It looks like they will be called into action soon. Union General Keyes has been spotted north of Nashville. For now, a cavalry regiment is sent to tear up the rails.
Polk continues to dig in deeper at Columbus, KY. I hope to have a shore battery and some additional forces in place there by the end of the summer.
My brown water fleet will maintain its position under the cover of Island 10's guns and attack anything that comes their way.
A small brigade with attached artillery is sent to Ft. Henry and Donelson to begin setting up defenses there.
In the Far West:
A tough spot this one. I think Soundoff may very well have cut off my access to Missouri for the forseeable future. Spending the money and manpower on two more wagons just to keep Missouri in play is somewhat less appealing that putting together as staunch a defence of Arkansas as I possibly can. I'm sending Gen. Cabbell with his brigade and some attached cavalry to retake the city at least.
On the plains. Gen. McCulloch is detached with a regiment of regular Cavalry and sent north to battle the Union cavalry operating in the Indian territories. Gen. Sibley will command the defense of Dallas henceforth.
In Government:
Alright...so Soundoff has given me a huge advantage in VP I'm sure with the hopes that he will be able to capture enough of my cities to make up for it. I'm going to try and take a measured response. I will print money (out of necessity), raise Exceptional taxes and call for PARTIAL MOBILIZATION. I do this to keep my NM as high as possible to keep that FI score on the up and up. Also to keep a significant lead in VP's.
I have called for the Embargo....as I stupidly forgot to use it before this turn. Soundoff got another good blockade roll. Hopefully I can get the score back to 0 this time.
and Reinforcements:
I will use the newly raised money and troops to call up 9 more brigades...8 of them the large variety...and one small brigade in Florida to guard against an incursion from the deep blue. 4 new cavalry units are called up...another shore battery (for Ft. Henry and Donelson)...A signal corps...militia...and a new Ironclad.
Will Jackson succeed in repelling the Federal raiders?? Will Keyes attack into Tennessee? Is Missouri lost to the Confederacy?? Stay tuned....
. I wouldn't blame you for being biased toward Soundoff anyway. He's a great player and a good guy to boot.
@pubcrawler--Indeed. I hope I'm making my strategy as concise as possible. I get a little ADD when I'm AAR'ing. Thanks for reading too
NOW....on to the game.
[color="Red"]Turn 7: Early July, 1861[/color]
Lincoln orders the Union's first draft!!
Congress passes new legislation raising millions for the war!!
(Soundoff went ALL OUT this time around. He went with 8% bonds, Exceptional taxes, and Full Mobilization. He's going to have plenty of troops, ships and guns to play with, but he's given me a huge advantage in VP. If this game is as tight as I think it might be...this could prove well for me.)
Union Gen. Schurz is kicked out of Virginia!! (My cavalry was somehow able to intercept and force Schurz to retreat out of Culpepper BEFORE he was able to cut up the rails there. I apparently chased him all the way to Stafford where he finally turned, fought and beat my cavalry back.
Harper's Ferry garrison surrenders to Johnson!! (The attack goes off without a hitch. Johnson captures about 135 Union prisoners...a unit of sharpshooters. That will be helpful.)
Union Admiral Foote beats back southern river fleet near Cairo!! (Soundoff was apparently able to bring Foote down the river sooner than I thought. My river fleet has been pushed back.
Union shells sink pair of fishing schooners!! (Actually this was the Harriet Lane Squadron leaving Richmond for the atlantic blockade box. They apparently weren't able to make it past Ft. Monroe's guns.
Federal Cavalry seizes Fayetteville!! (Soundoff was able to get some cavalry down to Feyetteville, Ark and take it. Which significantly reduces the number of troops I can use in Missouri. I will be forced to take the important production center of Lexington, MO if I want to maintain any sort of force in the state at all. Or rebuild the Depot...which will be costly.)
Alright...now to my plans in each Theatre, Government action and reinforcements.
In the East:
I will hold fast with Beauregard and the Army of the Potomac, whose ranks have now swelled to a more respectable 22,000. McDowell sits only 20 or so miles away with a comparable force. G.W. Smith, with one brigade, will head south to Williamsburg, VA and prepare for the assault on Ft. Monroe, General Winder, with one brigade and some artillery, will make for Fredricksburg and bolster our forces there. Gen. Ruggles will make for Wilmington, NC and take command of its defence.
General Jackson is congratulated for affecting the bloodless capture of Harper's Ferry. Hardly a single shot was fired when the Union garrison saw Jackson's brigade, at the head of Johnson's small army, perched atop the hills surrounding the town and ready to shell the city. Jackson is congratulated and given command of the south's first Cavalry brigade and is ordered to intercept a new federal formation of cavalry that's been spotted near Leesburg.
(NOTE: Soundoff has apparently gathered Patterson's old command in Grafton, WV. That cancel's out any attack into WV...but it does put around 14,000 Union troops far out of position to do anything about a jaunt by Johnson into Maryland
...It might just be too tempting....but I'll wait to see if Jackson earns a promotion first.)
In the West:
The Army of Southern Kentucky is coming together nicely. It will consist of three large Infantry brigades and two small detached regiments of cavalry. It looks like they will be called into action soon. Union General Keyes has been spotted north of Nashville. For now, a cavalry regiment is sent to tear up the rails.
Polk continues to dig in deeper at Columbus, KY. I hope to have a shore battery and some additional forces in place there by the end of the summer.
My brown water fleet will maintain its position under the cover of Island 10's guns and attack anything that comes their way.
A small brigade with attached artillery is sent to Ft. Henry and Donelson to begin setting up defenses there.
In the Far West:
A tough spot this one. I think Soundoff may very well have cut off my access to Missouri for the forseeable future. Spending the money and manpower on two more wagons just to keep Missouri in play is somewhat less appealing that putting together as staunch a defence of Arkansas as I possibly can. I'm sending Gen. Cabbell with his brigade and some attached cavalry to retake the city at least.
On the plains. Gen. McCulloch is detached with a regiment of regular Cavalry and sent north to battle the Union cavalry operating in the Indian territories. Gen. Sibley will command the defense of Dallas henceforth.
In Government:
Alright...so Soundoff has given me a huge advantage in VP I'm sure with the hopes that he will be able to capture enough of my cities to make up for it. I'm going to try and take a measured response. I will print money (out of necessity), raise Exceptional taxes and call for PARTIAL MOBILIZATION. I do this to keep my NM as high as possible to keep that FI score on the up and up. Also to keep a significant lead in VP's.
I have called for the Embargo....as I stupidly forgot to use it before this turn. Soundoff got another good blockade roll. Hopefully I can get the score back to 0 this time.
and Reinforcements:
I will use the newly raised money and troops to call up 9 more brigades...8 of them the large variety...and one small brigade in Florida to guard against an incursion from the deep blue. 4 new cavalry units are called up...another shore battery (for Ft. Henry and Donelson)...A signal corps...militia...and a new Ironclad.
Will Jackson succeed in repelling the Federal raiders?? Will Keyes attack into Tennessee? Is Missouri lost to the Confederacy?? Stay tuned....
apy:@tagwyn--Always glad to see you on here man . Thanks for reading along.
......
[color="Red"]Turn 8: Late July, 1861[/color]
British angered at Confederate cotton embargo, aggressive movement of troops near Maryland!! (My Embargo roll was bad. -19 to FI...It's going to take some serious luck to climb out of this hole. I'm also planning a little surprise for Soundoff in Maryland. More on that later.)
Jackson saves troopers in skirmish outside Union capitol!! (Jackson apparently followed his target back into Alexandria where he skirmished with Soundoff's entire army...he lost around 250 trooopers before sneaking away to Manassas.)
Feyetteville falls to southern troops, enemy retreats without a fight!! (No battle around Feyetteville, Ark. I guess Soundoff's cavalry was able to evade by slower force.)
Gen. McCulloch turned back in the west!! (McCulloch was sent north to engage Union cavalry operating around a creeks village. A sharp skirmish ended in his force surrendering the field. I'll need a little better performance out of him than that.)
Union ships weigh anchor outised Pensacola!! (Soundoff has a large fleet in the bay. A second fleet is shown as "Also being there"...I assume this is the fleet with troops on it. At least one reserve brigade will be sent in this direction.)
On to plans for this turn...
In the East:
President Jefferson Davis receives reports of slave holding loyalists in Maryland being persecuted by Union troops and military garrisons. The southern cause has significant support throughout much of Maryland and most importantly, Baltimore. It prompts the President to approve a plan proposed by P.G.T Beauregard to liberate the state from Union control and cutoff the enemy capitol.
Beauregard will continue to hold fast in Manassas. Jackson is congratulated after saving the army's cavalry and is promoted to division command. He is given a pair of brigades and sent north to Frederick, Maryland where he will meet Joe Johnson. Combined, the two will have approximately 10,000 effective fighting men. General Bee, with his brigade will stay in Harper's Ferry to guard against the inevitable counter strike from Grafton.
In an effort to slow the Grafton army down, General Whiting is placed in command of the army's cavalry and sent to tear up sections of the B&O running into Harper's Ferry and the Shennendoah Valley.
2 brigades from North Carolina and a reserve brigade from Richmond move to join G.W. Smith for the eventual assault on Ft. Monroe. Surprise and speed will be essential in this operation.
In the west:
A couple of wierd things happened this turn. Apparently Heiman's brigade over-shot the rallying point and joined with my raiding cavalry in Grafton, TN. Also Soundoff ran a couple of transport squadrons past Ft. Donelson's guns and got chewed up pretty bad. Now they have to run the Nashville guns...something they are unlikely to survive. I'm guessing Soundoff wanted to set up a depot at Grafton? Not sure though.
I will send out one cavalry regiment to cut the rails north of Bowling Green as well as another unit to intercept some union raiders that have been spotted in Clarksville, TN. Will need to repair those rails as soon as I get the chance. For now I have a line of communication between Nashville and Ft. Henry and Donelson via the Cumberland River...but if I wind up with control of Bowling Green (as I hope)...I'll need that railroad to be patched up.
Polk stands his ground. Union troops are gathering in Cairo. One brigade will be joining Polk in the coming turn.
cavalry in Jackson, TN is sent to bolster the defense of Henry and Donelson and provide a raiding threat to central Kentucky.
Pensacola will come under attack this turn as you can see. That is a large fleet and that "also here" fleet looks to contain the Union landing party.
In the Far West:
Cabbell with his brigade will meet up with some artillery making its way north from Little Rock. The cavalry regiment in Feyetteville will attempt to drive the enemy cavalry out of the region.
Gen. McCulloch will attack the Federal cavalry in Creeks again. I want to see if I can't kick them back to a safer distance from Dallas. Supply will be running low next turn...
Government Action:
Not much, President Davis has signed an executive order to suspend habeus corpus in Kentucky and West Virgina.
Reinforcements:
The threat from the coast is now real. I was wondering how soon I would need to begin preparing fully for Soundoff's eventual coastal operations. I think the time has come. Troops are being raised throughout the Gulf states to garrison all important coastal cities. Some Zouaves are added to the mix in Louisiana as well...just for some flavor .
Where will Johnson go after invading Maryland?? What's in store for Pensacola?? Will Soundoff make a move against Island 10 or Columbus, KY?? Stay tuned....
. Thanks for reading along.
......
[color="Red"]Turn 8: Late July, 1861[/color]
British angered at Confederate cotton embargo, aggressive movement of troops near Maryland!! (My Embargo roll was bad. -19 to FI...It's going to take some serious luck to climb out of this hole. I'm also planning a little surprise for Soundoff in Maryland. More on that later.)
Jackson saves troopers in skirmish outside Union capitol!! (Jackson apparently followed his target back into Alexandria where he skirmished with Soundoff's entire army...he lost around 250 trooopers before sneaking away to Manassas.)
Feyetteville falls to southern troops, enemy retreats without a fight!! (No battle around Feyetteville, Ark. I guess Soundoff's cavalry was able to evade by slower force.)
Gen. McCulloch turned back in the west!! (McCulloch was sent north to engage Union cavalry operating around a creeks village. A sharp skirmish ended in his force surrendering the field. I'll need a little better performance out of him than that.)
Union ships weigh anchor outised Pensacola!! (Soundoff has a large fleet in the bay. A second fleet is shown as "Also being there"...I assume this is the fleet with troops on it. At least one reserve brigade will be sent in this direction.)
On to plans for this turn...
In the East:
President Jefferson Davis receives reports of slave holding loyalists in Maryland being persecuted by Union troops and military garrisons. The southern cause has significant support throughout much of Maryland and most importantly, Baltimore. It prompts the President to approve a plan proposed by P.G.T Beauregard to liberate the state from Union control and cutoff the enemy capitol.
Beauregard will continue to hold fast in Manassas. Jackson is congratulated after saving the army's cavalry and is promoted to division command. He is given a pair of brigades and sent north to Frederick, Maryland where he will meet Joe Johnson. Combined, the two will have approximately 10,000 effective fighting men. General Bee, with his brigade will stay in Harper's Ferry to guard against the inevitable counter strike from Grafton.
In an effort to slow the Grafton army down, General Whiting is placed in command of the army's cavalry and sent to tear up sections of the B&O running into Harper's Ferry and the Shennendoah Valley.
2 brigades from North Carolina and a reserve brigade from Richmond move to join G.W. Smith for the eventual assault on Ft. Monroe. Surprise and speed will be essential in this operation.
In the west:
A couple of wierd things happened this turn. Apparently Heiman's brigade over-shot the rallying point and joined with my raiding cavalry in Grafton, TN. Also Soundoff ran a couple of transport squadrons past Ft. Donelson's guns and got chewed up pretty bad. Now they have to run the Nashville guns...something they are unlikely to survive. I'm guessing Soundoff wanted to set up a depot at Grafton? Not sure though.
I will send out one cavalry regiment to cut the rails north of Bowling Green as well as another unit to intercept some union raiders that have been spotted in Clarksville, TN. Will need to repair those rails as soon as I get the chance. For now I have a line of communication between Nashville and Ft. Henry and Donelson via the Cumberland River...but if I wind up with control of Bowling Green (as I hope)...I'll need that railroad to be patched up.
Polk stands his ground. Union troops are gathering in Cairo. One brigade will be joining Polk in the coming turn.
cavalry in Jackson, TN is sent to bolster the defense of Henry and Donelson and provide a raiding threat to central Kentucky.
Pensacola will come under attack this turn as you can see. That is a large fleet and that "also here" fleet looks to contain the Union landing party.
In the Far West:
Cabbell with his brigade will meet up with some artillery making its way north from Little Rock. The cavalry regiment in Feyetteville will attempt to drive the enemy cavalry out of the region.
Gen. McCulloch will attack the Federal cavalry in Creeks again. I want to see if I can't kick them back to a safer distance from Dallas. Supply will be running low next turn...
Government Action:
Not much, President Davis has signed an executive order to suspend habeus corpus in Kentucky and West Virgina.
Reinforcements:
The threat from the coast is now real. I was wondering how soon I would need to begin preparing fully for Soundoff's eventual coastal operations. I think the time has come. Troops are being raised throughout the Gulf states to garrison all important coastal cities. Some Zouaves are added to the mix in Louisiana as well...just for some flavor
.
Where will Johnson go after invading Maryland?? What's in store for Pensacola?? Will Soundoff make a move against Island 10 or Columbus, KY?? Stay tuned....
The Rebellion couldn't be in better hands. Years of misrule and neglect from the dictatorship in Washington will soon be over-thrown and the South will continue to live with pride. Thanks Banks for writing up this great AAR it's fun to read and always ends in a cliffhanger. Good luck with your plans.
BI
BI
@BI--You certainly give me too much credit man but thanks a ton. Appreciate you following along!
.........
[color="Red"]Turn 9: Early August, 1861[/color]
Johnson Invades Maryland!! (Johnson meets Jackson in Frederick and they have joined forces. Where will they go next? I'll be addressing that in just a moment.)
U.S. Congress passes confiscation act!! (This event has fired causing my NM to go up by a whopping 10 points. It'll afford me some wiggle room with my money printing and draft options. I want to try and keep my NM right around 105 if I can help it.)
Union cavalry occupy Lexington, NC in deep raid!! (This is discouraging news...considering I had not long ago abandoned the garrison of the depot in exchange for sending it to defend Wilmington. A very costly mistake on my part. I should have kept this town garrisoned.
Southern fleet destroyed in Hampton Roads!! (This was bad. I thought attacking Soundoff in Hampton Roads might be a good idea. Turns out Ft. Monroe had something to say about that. Ouch.)
Federal troops approach Springfield!! (Soundoff has an enemy force under Shields primed to assault and take Springfield. All I have defending is one militia regiment.)
Union river fleet near Cairo grows larger by the day!! (Soundoff has gathered quite a fleet outside Cairo. I think it will be simply a matter of time before he's able to defeat my much smaller fleet.)
On to my plans for this turn:
In the East:
Alright, so this is going to be a very interesting turn. I've decided to be rather aggressive in Maryland. I have plenty of support with the local populace...I should end up with an open supply route back to Harper's Ferry. So I'm going to send Holme's division with the A.O.P to join Johnson outside Annapolis. This will give Johnson about 700 or so points to work with...enough for the next month, (which is about all I plan to stick around for).
Soundoff has some troops gathering in Baltimore under Banks...and of course his main army under McDowell and some troops in Washington. I want to split Baltimore from Washington and McDowell and then hopefully defeat Soundoff in the field. Either that or take Baltimore quickly and get out before he can overwhelm me. Longstreet will stay in Manassas with the main Army HQ in case Soundoff tries something with McDowell. (I kinda hope he does so that perhaps Longstreet can move closer to a promotion.)
What I want to do here is somewhat similar to a picher throwing it high and inside in baseball. I really want Soundoff thinking that if I have an opening...I'll do something aggressive (and perhaps rash). This will hopefully force him to spend more resources protecting the area around Washington and less on troops for an advance on Richmond.
Magruder forms a division with his troops in Fredricksburg.
General Whiting, with the army's cavalry is ordered by to Clark, VA to protect the connection between the army and the Shennendoah Valley.
Lastly, General Huger, who recently joing G.W. Smith, has formed a small division and the two generals are now ordered to march on Ft. Monroe. They will attack and push back anything that gets in their way, but they will not assault the fort just yet. Soundoff has nothing in the way of reinforcements headed there, so I'll have time to assess the situation before making the assault.
In the West:
Not much action. Soundoff didn't move his transports on the Cumberland. I guess he thinks they might have a shot of getting away unscathed. I'm sending my smaller fleet in the confluent to deal with them.
I'm forming a cavalry division under Winder in western Kentucky.
I have decided a push toward Bowling Green may be unwise at least until I can get more reinforcements to the front. I know I'll have at least 3 or 4 large brigades online in the coming turn, but they will most likely be used for the defense of Ft. Henry and Donelson and also for Polk in Columbus. So I will keep the Army of Southern Kentucky in Nashville for now.
A raid is also sent north to tear up track between Louisville and Bowling Green.
In the Far West:
It looks like Soundoff has taken the non-firing St. Louis event to full advantage...moving fast to take Springfield. It looks as though Missouri is lost. I will keep my militia unit in-state to cause trouble, but other than that I'm going to focus on defending Arkansas.
The militia guarding Jeff City is ordered to move to Lexington and take the Depot (hopefully).
Cabell's brigade will move north and set up a defense around Feyetteville. At least one more brigade will be needed to build a proper defense of the state.
Militia is also on its way from other southern cities to garrison Ft. Smith. I don't want another raid like what happened against Feyetteville.
Reinforcements:
2 militia are raised in South Carolina to help garrison towns along the vital rail link that runs from Richmond all the way down to Savannah, GA.
Also a Columbiad is ordered in Alabama. Most likely will be used at Mobile. Possibly at New Orleans.
NOTE: As it turns out...Soundoff's fleet outside Pensacola was just on its way to the Gulf blockade box. I guess I'll just have to start sending more ships to the Atlantic box .
SO....
Will Johnson's raid-in-force succeed? What's in store for the Rebel infrastructure in the deep south? Will an attack be launched from Cairo?? Stay tuned...
.........
[color="Red"]Turn 9: Early August, 1861[/color]
Johnson Invades Maryland!! (Johnson meets Jackson in Frederick and they have joined forces. Where will they go next? I'll be addressing that in just a moment.)
U.S. Congress passes confiscation act!! (This event has fired causing my NM to go up by a whopping 10 points. It'll afford me some wiggle room with my money printing and draft options. I want to try and keep my NM right around 105 if I can help it.)
Union cavalry occupy Lexington, NC in deep raid!! (This is discouraging news...considering I had not long ago abandoned the garrison of the depot in exchange for sending it to defend Wilmington. A very costly mistake on my part. I should have kept this town garrisoned.
Southern fleet destroyed in Hampton Roads!! (This was bad. I thought attacking Soundoff in Hampton Roads might be a good idea. Turns out Ft. Monroe had something to say about that. Ouch.)
Federal troops approach Springfield!! (Soundoff has an enemy force under Shields primed to assault and take Springfield. All I have defending is one militia regiment.)
Union river fleet near Cairo grows larger by the day!! (Soundoff has gathered quite a fleet outside Cairo. I think it will be simply a matter of time before he's able to defeat my much smaller fleet.)
On to my plans for this turn:
In the East:
Alright, so this is going to be a very interesting turn. I've decided to be rather aggressive in Maryland. I have plenty of support with the local populace...I should end up with an open supply route back to Harper's Ferry. So I'm going to send Holme's division with the A.O.P to join Johnson outside Annapolis. This will give Johnson about 700 or so points to work with...enough for the next month, (which is about all I plan to stick around for).
Soundoff has some troops gathering in Baltimore under Banks...and of course his main army under McDowell and some troops in Washington. I want to split Baltimore from Washington and McDowell and then hopefully defeat Soundoff in the field. Either that or take Baltimore quickly and get out before he can overwhelm me. Longstreet will stay in Manassas with the main Army HQ in case Soundoff tries something with McDowell. (I kinda hope he does so that perhaps Longstreet can move closer to a promotion.)
What I want to do here is somewhat similar to a picher throwing it high and inside in baseball. I really want Soundoff thinking that if I have an opening...I'll do something aggressive (and perhaps rash). This will hopefully force him to spend more resources protecting the area around Washington and less on troops for an advance on Richmond.
Magruder forms a division with his troops in Fredricksburg.
General Whiting, with the army's cavalry is ordered by to Clark, VA to protect the connection between the army and the Shennendoah Valley.
Lastly, General Huger, who recently joing G.W. Smith, has formed a small division and the two generals are now ordered to march on Ft. Monroe. They will attack and push back anything that gets in their way, but they will not assault the fort just yet. Soundoff has nothing in the way of reinforcements headed there, so I'll have time to assess the situation before making the assault.
In the West:
Not much action. Soundoff didn't move his transports on the Cumberland. I guess he thinks they might have a shot of getting away unscathed. I'm sending my smaller fleet in the confluent to deal with them.
I'm forming a cavalry division under Winder in western Kentucky.
I have decided a push toward Bowling Green may be unwise at least until I can get more reinforcements to the front. I know I'll have at least 3 or 4 large brigades online in the coming turn, but they will most likely be used for the defense of Ft. Henry and Donelson and also for Polk in Columbus. So I will keep the Army of Southern Kentucky in Nashville for now.
A raid is also sent north to tear up track between Louisville and Bowling Green.
In the Far West:
It looks like Soundoff has taken the non-firing St. Louis event to full advantage...moving fast to take Springfield. It looks as though Missouri is lost. I will keep my militia unit in-state to cause trouble, but other than that I'm going to focus on defending Arkansas.
The militia guarding Jeff City is ordered to move to Lexington and take the Depot (hopefully).
Cabell's brigade will move north and set up a defense around Feyetteville. At least one more brigade will be needed to build a proper defense of the state.
Militia is also on its way from other southern cities to garrison Ft. Smith. I don't want another raid like what happened against Feyetteville.
Reinforcements:
2 militia are raised in South Carolina to help garrison towns along the vital rail link that runs from Richmond all the way down to Savannah, GA.
Also a Columbiad is ordered in Alabama. Most likely will be used at Mobile. Possibly at New Orleans.
NOTE: As it turns out...Soundoff's fleet outside Pensacola was just on its way to the Gulf blockade box. I guess I'll just have to start sending more ships to the Atlantic box
.
SO....
Will Johnson's raid-in-force succeed? What's in store for the Rebel infrastructure in the deep south? Will an attack be launched from Cairo?? Stay tuned...
[color="Red"]Turn 10: Late August, 1861[/color]
Union army retreats to Washington!! (A bloodless campaign which left my opponent wary of his most valuable city, Washington D.C., and hopefully puts my army in much better position to defend Richmond.)
Joe Johnson poised to strike Annapolis!! (I got lucky....more in a minute)
Union raiders stopped at Battle of Garysburg!! (The Lexington, NC raiders attempt to take Garysburg and its vital rail depot...but are stopped by the local militia in a rather brutal little battle. My hometown boys lost 125 brave souls, the enemy horsemen 30. I have reinforcements en route from Suffolk.)
Springfield falls into Union hands!! (Well there it was, the expected assault on Springfield. The only thing good about this situation is that I won't have Lyons attacking into Arkansas...Missouri is lost
).
Camp Dick Robinson erected in central Kentucky!! (as per event. A few thousand volunteers meet in the hills of the bluegrass state.)
CSS Alabama kiel laid in London shipyard!! (A rather interestingly difficult event which has fired despite my -31 FI....of course it always fires...but explaining it in narrative form would just be hard.)
Now, to my orders for the turn:
In the East:
It looks like Soundoff didn't want to wait to protect Washington. I was surprised to have seen him withdrawal from Alexandria so soon. AND to have left such a weak garrison in the town. This provides me with a very unique opportunity. All offensive operations in Maryland have been cancelled, Beauregard rushes telegraphs to Harper's Ferry and then on to Johnson to march south...Magruder is also called north from Fredricksburg...where the army will concentrate after the successful capture of Alexandria. If Soundoff sees through this maneuvre, which he very well may...Longstreet will get some serious combat chops.
All told, if I can concentrate the army in Virginia...I will have a total of around 1300-1500 power sitting right across the river from his capitol...more than enough, if I dig in tight enough, to repel most attacks.
If I also manage to take Ft. Monroe...that will cut off access to Virginia from that direction. Things may be looking very good after this turn .
Anothing brigade will march to join Huger and G.W. Smith prior to the big push on the fortress. There should be close to 12,000 troops participating in the assault...more than enough I would think.
I am, of course, still quite wary of the army in West Virginia, which strangely hasn't moved at all...this worries me a bit. After the army is concentrated I will probably send a couple of brigades to defend the Valley.
In the West:
I have some raiding cavalry operations outgoing and incoming. The 10th Alabama Cav. which tore up some rails southwest of Louisville will return to Tennesee and prepare for future raids. I have the 10th Tennessee Cav. heading west out of Nashville to meet any raiding threats north of Waverly, TN.
Gen. Winder, with about 3,000 troopers will move into Paducah and establish control of the area around the town so as to make strong raids to points north. Soundoff doesn't appear to have his cavalry as strongly organized and Winder, if active, should be able to do some significant damage in Illionois.
My main 3 armies are staying put. Reinforcements are en route to Columbus and Fts. Henry and Donelson. 2 shore batteries have been completed. At least one will be sent to Columbus, KY.
In the far West:
Springfield is lost...my militia in Lexington stumbled upon about 3,000-4,000 troops gathered outside town. Their captain has ordered his men to stand their ground on the field of battle. They will die with honor!
Gen. McCulloch is called east from the territories and will command the main army in Arkansas. For now it will consist of 2 regiments of infantry and 2 small regiments of cavalry and 8 guns. A defense of Feyeteville is McCulloch's main priority. I hope to have at least one additional brigade in the town soon...Soundoff will probably be moving fast to take the town...but he may give me a little breathing room this turn...we'll see.
Reinforcements:
Nothing much to speak of...just a supply wagon. And an additional militia regiment in Tennessee. I need to rebuild a depot...and better defend another .
Union army retreats to Washington!! (A bloodless campaign which left my opponent wary of his most valuable city, Washington D.C., and hopefully puts my army in much better position to defend Richmond.)
Joe Johnson poised to strike Annapolis!! (I got lucky....more in a minute)
Union raiders stopped at Battle of Garysburg!! (The Lexington, NC raiders attempt to take Garysburg and its vital rail depot...but are stopped by the local militia in a rather brutal little battle. My hometown boys lost 125 brave souls, the enemy horsemen 30. I have reinforcements en route from Suffolk.)
Springfield falls into Union hands!! (Well there it was, the expected assault on Springfield. The only thing good about this situation is that I won't have Lyons attacking into Arkansas...Missouri is lost
).
Camp Dick Robinson erected in central Kentucky!! (as per event. A few thousand volunteers meet in the hills of the bluegrass state.)
CSS Alabama kiel laid in London shipyard!! (A rather interestingly difficult event which has fired despite my -31 FI....of course it always fires...but explaining it in narrative form would just be hard.)
Now, to my orders for the turn:
In the East:
It looks like Soundoff didn't want to wait to protect Washington. I was surprised to have seen him withdrawal from Alexandria so soon. AND to have left such a weak garrison in the town. This provides me with a very unique opportunity. All offensive operations in Maryland have been cancelled, Beauregard rushes telegraphs to Harper's Ferry and then on to Johnson to march south...Magruder is also called north from Fredricksburg...where the army will concentrate after the successful capture of Alexandria. If Soundoff sees through this maneuvre, which he very well may...Longstreet will get some serious combat chops.
All told, if I can concentrate the army in Virginia...I will have a total of around 1300-1500 power sitting right across the river from his capitol...more than enough, if I dig in tight enough, to repel most attacks.
If I also manage to take Ft. Monroe...that will cut off access to Virginia from that direction. Things may be looking very good after this turn
.
Anothing brigade will march to join Huger and G.W. Smith prior to the big push on the fortress. There should be close to 12,000 troops participating in the assault...more than enough I would think.
I am, of course, still quite wary of the army in West Virginia, which strangely hasn't moved at all...this worries me a bit. After the army is concentrated I will probably send a couple of brigades to defend the Valley.
In the West:
I have some raiding cavalry operations outgoing and incoming. The 10th Alabama Cav. which tore up some rails southwest of Louisville will return to Tennesee and prepare for future raids. I have the 10th Tennessee Cav. heading west out of Nashville to meet any raiding threats north of Waverly, TN.
Gen. Winder, with about 3,000 troopers will move into Paducah and establish control of the area around the town so as to make strong raids to points north. Soundoff doesn't appear to have his cavalry as strongly organized and Winder, if active, should be able to do some significant damage in Illionois.
My main 3 armies are staying put. Reinforcements are en route to Columbus and Fts. Henry and Donelson. 2 shore batteries have been completed. At least one will be sent to Columbus, KY.
In the far West:
Springfield is lost...my militia in Lexington stumbled upon about 3,000-4,000 troops gathered outside town. Their captain has ordered his men to stand their ground on the field of battle. They will die with honor!
Gen. McCulloch is called east from the territories and will command the main army in Arkansas. For now it will consist of 2 regiments of infantry and 2 small regiments of cavalry and 8 guns. A defense of Feyeteville is McCulloch's main priority. I hope to have at least one additional brigade in the town soon...Soundoff will probably be moving fast to take the town...but he may give me a little breathing room this turn...we'll see.
Reinforcements:
Nothing much to speak of...just a supply wagon. And an additional militia regiment in Tennessee. I need to rebuild a depot...and better defend another
.[color="Red"]Turn 11: Early September, 1861[/color]
[SIZE="5"]DISASTER AT ANNAPOLIS!![/size]
A terrible turn of events on August 16th as Union generals Banks and Milroy strike at Johnson with the help of Carl Schurz and his cavalry. Johnson fought back assault after assault and retreated west until he was surprised to find Schurz's cavalry blocking his path of retreat into Carrol, MD. Johnson was soon cut-off and much of his tattered army (4,000 troops) surrendered at the end of the day. Johnson, Jackson and Kirby Smith are ridiculed in southern papers for days after the battle.
(This was a true surprise. You can see it but Johnson tried to retreat six times and failed each miserably. Call it a major mistake and possibly an oversight, or misunderstanding of the rules on my part. Apparently Soundoff was able to get Schurz's cavalry into Carrol, MD...the area Johnson was most likely to have retreated if attacked...although I thought having 44% military control in Montgomery, MD would have been more than enough to open an automatic retreat path through there. At any rate...lesson learned...time to regroup!)
[SIZE="5"]FEDERALS ASSAULT VIRGINIA!![/size]
Harper's Ferry taken without a fight!! (Soundoff sent a new division under Morrell to Harper's Ferry...he had a power of about 440....even with strong entrenchments and hills to defend...Bee ordered a withdrawal. I was somewhat discouraged by this).
Covington falls as volunteers defend to the last man!! (My 3rd Reserve Brigade was ordered to hold the town at all costs...they did...and they were destroyed. More bad news on this fateful late August, '61. Blenker now sits in Covington with about 7,000 troops poised to strike into the heart of Virginia).
Reinforcements arrive at Ft. Monroe!! (Looks like there was backup closer than I thought. Hooker arrives at Ft. Monroe with an entire division. I have a feeling this was a trap Soundoff had hoped to spring on what he assumed would be an assault by me. Good thing that didn't happen.)
.......
[SIZE="3"]Kentucky joins the Southern cause!![/size] (This was good news on an otherwise crappy turn. This will help give me a buffer against Soundoff in Tennessee.)
Massacre at Lexington!! (Sumner destroys the militia near Lexington, MO. A valiant stand by the lesser troops. Missouri is no longer contested by my forces.)
.........
Orders for the coming Turn, We'll start in the east:
Oh what a way to stary off the Fall eh! . Man, I think the ONLY silver lining I could take away from the debacle that was Late August, 1861 is that I now have control of Alexandria Virginia and sit right at the doorstep of a rather lightly defended Washington D.C. Soundoff's entire eastern army participated in the attack at Annapolis and so remains there as of Sept. 1st.
It's time to start thinking defensively now. Any offensive plans have been put on hold (quite possibly for the remainder of the game)...the defense of Richmond is now the first priority. Beauregard is given orders to hold his position and cover the reorganization that will hopefully happen in Manassas soon. Bory is ordered to retreat if he feels he is being pressed too hard.
Bee and his brigade will meet with Johnson, Jackson and Smith as well as Bohnam and the remnants of the Shennendoah army in Mannassas and reorganize there. A militia regiment in Strasburg will destroy the rails and depot and travel to the meeting....as will a light brigade in Culpepper. I anticipate I will either form some sort of scratch command under Jackson and Kirby Smith to counter Morrell in the Valley...or I will use the troops to further reinforce Beauregard.
General Ruggles is sent to meet up with a scratch force in Lynchburg, he will have at his disposal Wise's regulars, some militia, a cavalry regiment...and some supply wagons will meet him there as well.
General Huger is ordered to evacuate the seige works around Ft. Monroe with around 6,000 troops and make for West Point, where he will board a train and set up defenses around Norfolk, VA. Smith and his troops stay in the seige works for now to delay Hooker should he decide to come out.
In the West:
The Kentucky event is very encouraging because it means I can rather heavily bolster the defenses of Fts. Henry and Donelson without worry as much about an advance from Bowling Green. It also makes my Army of Southern Kentucky a viable threat to Wallace and his approximately 9-10,000 troops in Bowling Green because they will soon be completely cut-off. I suspect Soundoff will withdrawal from Bowling Green, but I'm not going to count on it.
A lot of action with cavalry this turn. I've sent a regiment to secure the area around Clarksville, TN...another to block the bridges and fords north and west of Carthage, TN. A third will raid north and cut the rails east of Brownsvill, KY...northeast of Bowling Green. A fourth will be sent to protect the crossings west of Fts. Henry and Donelson from raiders. Winder, with his cavalry divisio will clear Paducah of any enemy activity and begin to setup defenses. (my raid into Illinois is cancelled because Soundoff sent some ships to block the river crossings).
Coastal artillery is also en route to both Columbus, KY and Fts. Henry and Donelson.
In the Far West:
Not much action at all. Shields still sits outside Springfield...McCulloch has gathered his small force in Fayetteville and is setting up defenses. Stand Watie was activated this turn. I am sending him on a raid north to burn and pillage as much of Missouri as he can.
Goverment Action and Reinforcements:
Congress is called to Richmond yet again to approve an emergency military appropriations bill. The government will print additional money to refill the ranks of the battered Eastern forces. Several brigades are called up throughout South Carolina and North Carolina.
Soundoff appears to have focused rather heavily on artillery. So I have also ordered 6 batteries (64 guns) be built in North Carolina and ready for transport to the main eastern army...or wherever needed.
Generals in Nashville are calling for a substantial upgrade in clerical and logistical staff as troops continue to join with the newly formed Army of the District of Southern Kentucky. President Davis calls together some of the best military minds (and political friends) to be sent to Nashville to form the nations second official field army.
Will Beauregard be attacked at Alexandria?? Will Soundoff abandon Bowling Green and central Kentucky?? Will Blenker move east out of Covington??...stay tuned...
[SIZE="5"]DISASTER AT ANNAPOLIS!![/size]
A terrible turn of events on August 16th as Union generals Banks and Milroy strike at Johnson with the help of Carl Schurz and his cavalry. Johnson fought back assault after assault and retreated west until he was surprised to find Schurz's cavalry blocking his path of retreat into Carrol, MD. Johnson was soon cut-off and much of his tattered army (4,000 troops) surrendered at the end of the day. Johnson, Jackson and Kirby Smith are ridiculed in southern papers for days after the battle.
(This was a true surprise. You can see it but Johnson tried to retreat six times and failed each miserably. Call it a major mistake and possibly an oversight, or misunderstanding of the rules on my part. Apparently Soundoff was able to get Schurz's cavalry into Carrol, MD...the area Johnson was most likely to have retreated if attacked...although I thought having 44% military control in Montgomery, MD would have been more than enough to open an automatic retreat path through there. At any rate...lesson learned...time to regroup!)
[SIZE="5"]FEDERALS ASSAULT VIRGINIA!![/size]
Harper's Ferry taken without a fight!! (Soundoff sent a new division under Morrell to Harper's Ferry...he had a power of about 440....even with strong entrenchments and hills to defend...Bee ordered a withdrawal. I was somewhat discouraged by this).
Covington falls as volunteers defend to the last man!! (My 3rd Reserve Brigade was ordered to hold the town at all costs...they did...and they were destroyed. More bad news on this fateful late August, '61. Blenker now sits in Covington with about 7,000 troops poised to strike into the heart of Virginia).
Reinforcements arrive at Ft. Monroe!! (Looks like there was backup closer than I thought. Hooker arrives at Ft. Monroe with an entire division. I have a feeling this was a trap Soundoff had hoped to spring on what he assumed would be an assault by me. Good thing that didn't happen.)
.......
[SIZE="3"]Kentucky joins the Southern cause!![/size] (This was good news on an otherwise crappy turn. This will help give me a buffer against Soundoff in Tennessee.)
Massacre at Lexington!! (Sumner destroys the militia near Lexington, MO. A valiant stand by the lesser troops. Missouri is no longer contested by my forces.)
.........
Orders for the coming Turn, We'll start in the east:
Oh what a way to stary off the Fall eh!
. Man, I think the ONLY silver lining I could take away from the debacle that was Late August, 1861 is that I now have control of Alexandria Virginia and sit right at the doorstep of a rather lightly defended Washington D.C. Soundoff's entire eastern army participated in the attack at Annapolis and so remains there as of Sept. 1st.
It's time to start thinking defensively now. Any offensive plans have been put on hold (quite possibly for the remainder of the game)...the defense of Richmond is now the first priority. Beauregard is given orders to hold his position and cover the reorganization that will hopefully happen in Manassas soon. Bory is ordered to retreat if he feels he is being pressed too hard.
Bee and his brigade will meet with Johnson, Jackson and Smith as well as Bohnam and the remnants of the Shennendoah army in Mannassas and reorganize there. A militia regiment in Strasburg will destroy the rails and depot and travel to the meeting....as will a light brigade in Culpepper. I anticipate I will either form some sort of scratch command under Jackson and Kirby Smith to counter Morrell in the Valley...or I will use the troops to further reinforce Beauregard.
General Ruggles is sent to meet up with a scratch force in Lynchburg, he will have at his disposal Wise's regulars, some militia, a cavalry regiment...and some supply wagons will meet him there as well.
General Huger is ordered to evacuate the seige works around Ft. Monroe with around 6,000 troops and make for West Point, where he will board a train and set up defenses around Norfolk, VA. Smith and his troops stay in the seige works for now to delay Hooker should he decide to come out.
In the West:
The Kentucky event is very encouraging because it means I can rather heavily bolster the defenses of Fts. Henry and Donelson without worry as much about an advance from Bowling Green. It also makes my Army of Southern Kentucky a viable threat to Wallace and his approximately 9-10,000 troops in Bowling Green because they will soon be completely cut-off. I suspect Soundoff will withdrawal from Bowling Green, but I'm not going to count on it.
A lot of action with cavalry this turn. I've sent a regiment to secure the area around Clarksville, TN...another to block the bridges and fords north and west of Carthage, TN. A third will raid north and cut the rails east of Brownsvill, KY...northeast of Bowling Green. A fourth will be sent to protect the crossings west of Fts. Henry and Donelson from raiders. Winder, with his cavalry divisio will clear Paducah of any enemy activity and begin to setup defenses. (my raid into Illinois is cancelled because Soundoff sent some ships to block the river crossings).
Coastal artillery is also en route to both Columbus, KY and Fts. Henry and Donelson.
In the Far West:
Not much action at all. Shields still sits outside Springfield...McCulloch has gathered his small force in Fayetteville and is setting up defenses. Stand Watie was activated this turn. I am sending him on a raid north to burn and pillage as much of Missouri as he can.
Goverment Action and Reinforcements:
Congress is called to Richmond yet again to approve an emergency military appropriations bill. The government will print additional money to refill the ranks of the battered Eastern forces. Several brigades are called up throughout South Carolina and North Carolina.
Soundoff appears to have focused rather heavily on artillery. So I have also ordered 6 batteries (64 guns) be built in North Carolina and ready for transport to the main eastern army...or wherever needed.
Generals in Nashville are calling for a substantial upgrade in clerical and logistical staff as troops continue to join with the newly formed Army of the District of Southern Kentucky. President Davis calls together some of the best military minds (and political friends) to be sent to Nashville to form the nations second official field army.
Will Beauregard be attacked at Alexandria?? Will Soundoff abandon Bowling Green and central Kentucky?? Will Blenker move east out of Covington??...stay tuned...
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]Have you ever stopped to think and forgot to start??
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Major Tom
- Lieutenant Colonel
- Posts: 275
- Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 4:00 pm
- Location: Alexandria, Virginia
Banks --
I am being thoroughly entertained and educated by this AAR, the first one I've followed.
Great stuff!
I'm sorry about your tragic disaster at Annapolis. This might not be the right palce ofr this (I'm not sure what the protocol is for commenting on AAR's) but...
Since you had a supply wagon with you, your evasion would have been a pathetic 4. Under the ZOC rules, soundoff would have had to generate only 208 ZOC points to keep you from retreating to Montgomery County, where you had a 44% military control. No telling what his ZOC was, but if he had 100% military control of Annapolis, a good sized Corps stack could easily generate that much ZOC.
Soundoff's move with Shurz's cavalry was either brilliant or lucky, but wiether way it was brutally effective.
I can't wait for the next installment!
I am being thoroughly entertained and educated by this AAR, the first one I've followed.
Great stuff!
I'm sorry about your tragic disaster at Annapolis. This might not be the right palce ofr this (I'm not sure what the protocol is for commenting on AAR's) but...
Banks6060 wrote:[B][color="Red"]You can see it but Johnson tried to retreat six times and failed each miserably. Call it a major mistake and possibly an oversight, or misunderstanding of the rules on my part. Apparently Soundoff was able to get Schurz's cavalry into Carrol, MD...the area Johnson was most likely to have retreated if attacked...although I thought having 44% military control in Montgomery, MD would have been more than enough to open an automatic retreat path through there. At any rate...lesson learned...time to regroup!)
Since you had a supply wagon with you, your evasion would have been a pathetic 4. Under the ZOC rules, soundoff would have had to generate only 208 ZOC points to keep you from retreating to Montgomery County, where you had a 44% military control. No telling what his ZOC was, but if he had 100% military control of Annapolis, a good sized Corps stack could easily generate that much ZOC.
Soundoff's move with Shurz's cavalry was either brilliant or lucky, but wiether way it was brutally effective.
I can't wait for the next installment!
Sic Semper Tyrannis
@ Major Tom--The commentary is MOST welcome my friend! And while I'm not totally clear on the math I've found a better understanding about what should and should not be done in this game. One of those things is...don't "raid in force" unless you have a secure path of retreat. Thank you for the comment...it's nice to know there are people paying attention .
@Maqver--I second your opinion! And thanks to you for reading along as well .
.
@Maqver--I second your opinion! And thanks to you for reading along as well
.[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]Have you ever stopped to think and forgot to start??
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Major Tom
- Lieutenant Colonel
- Posts: 275
- Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 4:00 pm
- Location: Alexandria, Virginia
Banks6060 wrote:@ And while I'm not totally clear on the math I've found a better understanding about what should and should not be done in this game. One of those things is...don't "raid in force" unless you have a secure path of retreat.
Yep, that's pretty much it in a nutshell. Even knowing the formula for ZOC, it's hard to explain the concept any better than you just did.
And you also don't need the formula to know that when you're raiding in force, the only secure retreat is the way you came in, because you picked up some military control in that region while passing through. And becasue you can't retreat into a region with enemy troops, all it took was a small cavalry force in your line of retreat to trap you.
Even knowing that in the abstract, seeing it actually play out is immensely instructive.
A painful lesson for you, and a pain-free one for me
. I gotta read more of these AAR's!Sic Semper Tyrannis
[color="Red"]Turn 12: Late September, 1861[/color]
Yankees storm the valley!! (Morrell has made his way up the valley all the way up to Strasburg with an entire division. This is certainly not good, but I fortunately was able to take out Strasburg's Depot before Soundoff could capture it.)
Union army pulls out of Bowling Green!! (Soundoff pulled out like I thought he might. Kentucky swings heavily into my hands. This could mean very good things in the future.)
General Shields Federals withdrawal from southwest Missouri!! (This was a strange move, but I'll discuss it more in a moment.)
CSS Alabama laid down in London!! (This happened a turn or two ago...just forgot to mention it .)
Orders for this turn, Starting of course in the East:
As you can see I've managed to get most of the Army of Potomac Back together. Jackson actually joined Beauregard in Alexandria. The main army continues to dig in around town and block the river crossings. The army now consists of three "Grand Divisions". One under Magruder, another under Longstreet and a third under Jackson.
Johnson, with around 6,000 troops will stay in Mannassas this turn and defend against any sort of flanking moving from Maryland and also be watchful of anything fishy from Morrell in the valley. There is a path for Morrell to cut my army off in Culpepper, but I don't think Soundoff will make that move. I'd just take out his force in the field. (Morrell might also make a quick march to Charlottesville, but I also doubt that will happen.)
Ruggles will be joined by Holmes just north of Lexington, VA where he will set up a defence against Blenker in the hills. It is a strong position along a railroad that will allow him to react to any movement toward Charlottesville or Lynchburg.
There is no time to wait for Huger to board the trains in West Point. So he will take the slightly riskier route across the mouth of the James River to set up around Norfolk. I don't like where Hooker's sitting and I know there are ships at Ft. Monroe for him to board if Soundoff decides to make a move against Norfolk.
Whiting, with the army's cavalry will finish tearing up the rails in Frederick, MD and rendesvous with Johnson in Mannassas.
A note...Fredricksburg remains quite vulnerable to an attack from the water. I want to present a strong force near Washington to prevent any sort of move like this for now. I plan to move a small force back to the town to re-man the trenches.
In the West:
Wallace has withdrawan from Bowling Green to what appears to be a gathering of several commands in Evansville, IN. I don't have it marked on the map, but I anticipate this is probably a force that will attack Fts. Henry and Donelson either in the coming turn or soon.
I've ordered A.S. Johnson, who recently arrived from California to take command in the west, to move the main body of the Army of the District of Southern Kentucky to positions around Bowling Green. Hardee, also recently arrived, will move west and join the defence of Henry and Donelson...altogether, Hardee will have around 15,000 troops...more than enough for now.
Polk holds fast in Columbus, KY...now reinforced with heavy coastal batteries...if Soundoff makes a move down the Mississippi...it's gonna hurt. Cleburne's large brigade moves north to take up defensive positions outside Paducah. Winder has been digging his trenches for him there.
All told...forces in the west are strong...I have in total about 41,000 troops to work with and all are in very solid defensive positions. Hopefully i can make these districts more and more impregnable as the campaign season ends. A.S. Johnson, backed by the new Confederate government of Kentucky in Bowling Green, has his sights set on Louisville.
In the Far West:
Shields move out of Springfield. Either Soundoff knows that command is cutoff for now, or he's trying to bait me into a battle there. Well I'm not going to take the bait yet. Although I hope to keep Soundoff busy fixing rails. Stand Watie and his Indians will continue pillaging along the Gasconade River and then cut the rails between St. Louis and Rolla.
Reinforcements for this turn:
Since Soundoff has given me an opening in the Far West, I think i'll take advantage of it and call up some more troops in Arkansas. Another 5 element brigade will hopefully gather in Feyetteville. Volunteers are raised in Mississippi...the government approves the creation of its first dedicated mobile army hospital. Also shipbuilders in the deep south begin the construction of another brig...possibly two if they can find enough wood .
Will Soundoff strike Fts. Henry and Donelson?? Will Morrell move out of the valley?? Is Blenker thinking the same thing Ruggles is thinking?? Stay tuned...
Yankees storm the valley!! (Morrell has made his way up the valley all the way up to Strasburg with an entire division. This is certainly not good, but I fortunately was able to take out Strasburg's Depot before Soundoff could capture it.)
Union army pulls out of Bowling Green!! (Soundoff pulled out like I thought he might. Kentucky swings heavily into my hands. This could mean very good things in the future.)
General Shields Federals withdrawal from southwest Missouri!! (This was a strange move, but I'll discuss it more in a moment.)
CSS Alabama laid down in London!! (This happened a turn or two ago...just forgot to mention it
.)
Orders for this turn, Starting of course in the East:
As you can see I've managed to get most of the Army of Potomac Back together. Jackson actually joined Beauregard in Alexandria. The main army continues to dig in around town and block the river crossings. The army now consists of three "Grand Divisions". One under Magruder, another under Longstreet and a third under Jackson.
Johnson, with around 6,000 troops will stay in Mannassas this turn and defend against any sort of flanking moving from Maryland and also be watchful of anything fishy from Morrell in the valley. There is a path for Morrell to cut my army off in Culpepper, but I don't think Soundoff will make that move. I'd just take out his force in the field. (Morrell might also make a quick march to Charlottesville, but I also doubt that will happen.)
Ruggles will be joined by Holmes just north of Lexington, VA where he will set up a defence against Blenker in the hills. It is a strong position along a railroad that will allow him to react to any movement toward Charlottesville or Lynchburg.
There is no time to wait for Huger to board the trains in West Point. So he will take the slightly riskier route across the mouth of the James River to set up around Norfolk. I don't like where Hooker's sitting and I know there are ships at Ft. Monroe for him to board if Soundoff decides to make a move against Norfolk.
Whiting, with the army's cavalry will finish tearing up the rails in Frederick, MD and rendesvous with Johnson in Mannassas.
A note...Fredricksburg remains quite vulnerable to an attack from the water. I want to present a strong force near Washington to prevent any sort of move like this for now. I plan to move a small force back to the town to re-man the trenches.
In the West:
Wallace has withdrawan from Bowling Green to what appears to be a gathering of several commands in Evansville, IN. I don't have it marked on the map, but I anticipate this is probably a force that will attack Fts. Henry and Donelson either in the coming turn or soon.
I've ordered A.S. Johnson, who recently arrived from California to take command in the west, to move the main body of the Army of the District of Southern Kentucky to positions around Bowling Green. Hardee, also recently arrived, will move west and join the defence of Henry and Donelson...altogether, Hardee will have around 15,000 troops...more than enough for now.
Polk holds fast in Columbus, KY...now reinforced with heavy coastal batteries...if Soundoff makes a move down the Mississippi...it's gonna hurt. Cleburne's large brigade moves north to take up defensive positions outside Paducah. Winder has been digging his trenches for him there.
All told...forces in the west are strong...I have in total about 41,000 troops to work with and all are in very solid defensive positions. Hopefully i can make these districts more and more impregnable as the campaign season ends. A.S. Johnson, backed by the new Confederate government of Kentucky in Bowling Green, has his sights set on Louisville.
In the Far West:
Shields move out of Springfield. Either Soundoff knows that command is cutoff for now, or he's trying to bait me into a battle there. Well I'm not going to take the bait yet. Although I hope to keep Soundoff busy fixing rails. Stand Watie and his Indians will continue pillaging along the Gasconade River and then cut the rails between St. Louis and Rolla.
Reinforcements for this turn:
Since Soundoff has given me an opening in the Far West, I think i'll take advantage of it and call up some more troops in Arkansas. Another 5 element brigade will hopefully gather in Feyetteville. Volunteers are raised in Mississippi...the government approves the creation of its first dedicated mobile army hospital. Also shipbuilders in the deep south begin the construction of another brig...possibly two if they can find enough wood
.
Will Soundoff strike Fts. Henry and Donelson?? Will Morrell move out of the valley?? Is Blenker thinking the same thing Ruggles is thinking?? Stay tuned...
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]Have you ever stopped to think and forgot to start??
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Major Tom
- Lieutenant Colonel
- Posts: 275
- Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 4:00 pm
- Location: Alexandria, Virginia
Great stuff, Banks!
Another thing I've learned from your AAR --- I didn't realize you could move coastal artillery, so I've never bought them! Getting coastal guns into those western forts is great! This just shows me how much I still have to learn about this game.
The story's pretty compelling so far. I'm rooting for you to bounce back n the East after that disaster in Annapolis.
Another thing I've learned from your AAR --- I didn't realize you could move coastal artillery, so I've never bought them! Getting coastal guns into those western forts is great! This just shows me how much I still have to learn about this game.
The story's pretty compelling so far. I'm rooting for you to bounce back n the East after that disaster in Annapolis.
Sic Semper Tyrannis
Major Tom wrote:Great stuff, Banks!
Another thing I've learned from your AAR --- I didn't realize you could move coastal artillery, so I've never bought them! Getting coastal guns into those western forts is great! This just shows me how much I still have to learn about this game.
The story's pretty compelling so far. I'm rooting for you to bounce back n the East after that disaster in Annapolis.
Thank again man
.
Yeah those coastal guns will be very helpful in those two positions. Island 10 already has a coastal battery...that makes two guarding the river approaches there. Fts. Henry and Donelson are very close to having a substantially increased artillery presence with Hardee's arrival plus the coastal guns (which i will most likely move OUTSIDE the fort once my trenches are dug deep enough).
Unless he wants to risk losing lots of ships and/or troops...Soundoff is going to have to find another way into both of these locations.
At Columbus and Island 10....I can see him trying for a landing at Paducah and flanking Polk. Either that or making his way through the swampy terrain in eastern Missouri and Arkansas and trying for an expedition south of my position...(considerably riskier i might add.) Paducah is the likely location though.
Fts. Henry and Donelson...only way I can think of is through Kentucky and I've pretty much got that locked up.
Now....having said all that...I'm pretty sure he's got enough manpower to just bull his way through the inevitable bombardment and land anyway...we'll see.
Thanks again man
Cheers!
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]Have you ever stopped to think and forgot to start??
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Stonewall_matt
- Conscript
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Thu Oct 23, 2008 5:12 pm
- Location: Nottingham, England
- Contact: WLM
@stonewall--Thanks! . I appreciate you following along. I'm quite certain most of the lessons you'll learn by reading what I do are of the "What NOT to do" type.
NOTE: I apparently didn't click the "Submit Reply" button on this last night...so that sucks and I'm going to do a rather quick synopsis.
Turn 13: Early October, 1861:
More yankees pour into western Virginia!! (There are now two divisions in Covington. Not great news.)
McClellan takes command in the west!! (I've learned McClellan will be handling things in Kentucky for now. Methinks this means Soundoff is sending Grant east.)
Watie and redskins ride north!! (Stand Watie and his indians continue their long raid in Missouri.)
Orders for this turn, in the East:
Two divisions in Covington now, one lead by Blenker, the other Hurlbut. Kirby Smith is sent south to reinforce Holmes in Lexington. Two cavalry regiments will move north of Lexington to check any flanking move toward Charlottesville.
General Whiting with his cavalry will push into Leesburg and establish control of the region thereby further preventing any Union flanking march there.
Beauregard with the Army of the Potomac will hold fast in Alexandria. Johnson has been given official command of the army's 4th "Grand Division". He will remain in Mannassas for now and keep an eye on Morrell in the valley.
Huger holds Norfolk. G.W. Smith with 6,000 troops will withdrawal to Williamsburg. I've decided he is too exposed in the works around Ft. Monroe.
General Bohnam is tasked with establishing a new supply depot in Lynchburg. I'll more than likely need this to remain operational in western Virginia.
In the West:
Not much action here. I'm moving Winder's cavalry division north and east to scout Soundoff's army in Evansville and possibly provide a threat to the depot at Vincennes.
Col. Johansen with his cavalry regiment will repair the rails and move north to scout Louisville.
You can't see it in the screenie, but I've sent one regiment of cavalry after Soundoff's stranded regiment in Tennessee.
All other commands will hold position.
In the Far West:
Earl Van Dorn has now taken command of the small Army of the District of Arkansas. He currently has about 3,000 troops at his disposal. That will soon be almost doubled. Troops are forming up in Panther, Ark for a march to reinforce Van Dorn. After they arrive, he will have around 5,500 troops and 16 guns.
Stand Watie will cut the rails between St. Louis and Rolla and then raid north to Bloomington, MO burning everything in his path. I hope to burn up much of central Missouri with these guys. I certainly want to keep some attention focused on this area to pull forces from other theaters.
Reinforcements:
Not much this time around. I'm going to focus more on my coastal garrisons starting this turn. Winter is coming and that typically means I will see more and more coastal operations by Union players. So I've called on two more militia regiments in Alabama (for use in Mobile) and a battery of Columbiads in Virginia.
Where will the host in Covington move next?? Does McDowell have something up his sleeve?? Will McClellan move out of Indiana?? Stay tuned....
DISCLAIMOR: I know I am quite behind now...I hope to get the updated post up later tonight. Thanks again everyone for reading and for the kind comments.
. I appreciate you following along. I'm quite certain most of the lessons you'll learn by reading what I do are of the "What NOT to do" type.
NOTE: I apparently didn't click the "Submit Reply" button on this last night...so that sucks and I'm going to do a rather quick synopsis.
Turn 13: Early October, 1861:
More yankees pour into western Virginia!! (There are now two divisions in Covington. Not great news.)
McClellan takes command in the west!! (I've learned McClellan will be handling things in Kentucky for now. Methinks this means Soundoff is sending Grant east.)
Watie and redskins ride north!! (Stand Watie and his indians continue their long raid in Missouri.)
Orders for this turn, in the East:
Two divisions in Covington now, one lead by Blenker, the other Hurlbut. Kirby Smith is sent south to reinforce Holmes in Lexington. Two cavalry regiments will move north of Lexington to check any flanking move toward Charlottesville.
General Whiting with his cavalry will push into Leesburg and establish control of the region thereby further preventing any Union flanking march there.
Beauregard with the Army of the Potomac will hold fast in Alexandria. Johnson has been given official command of the army's 4th "Grand Division". He will remain in Mannassas for now and keep an eye on Morrell in the valley.
Huger holds Norfolk. G.W. Smith with 6,000 troops will withdrawal to Williamsburg. I've decided he is too exposed in the works around Ft. Monroe.
General Bohnam is tasked with establishing a new supply depot in Lynchburg. I'll more than likely need this to remain operational in western Virginia.
In the West:
Not much action here. I'm moving Winder's cavalry division north and east to scout Soundoff's army in Evansville and possibly provide a threat to the depot at Vincennes.
Col. Johansen with his cavalry regiment will repair the rails and move north to scout Louisville.
You can't see it in the screenie, but I've sent one regiment of cavalry after Soundoff's stranded regiment in Tennessee.
All other commands will hold position.
In the Far West:
Earl Van Dorn has now taken command of the small Army of the District of Arkansas. He currently has about 3,000 troops at his disposal. That will soon be almost doubled. Troops are forming up in Panther, Ark for a march to reinforce Van Dorn. After they arrive, he will have around 5,500 troops and 16 guns.
Stand Watie will cut the rails between St. Louis and Rolla and then raid north to Bloomington, MO burning everything in his path. I hope to burn up much of central Missouri with these guys. I certainly want to keep some attention focused on this area to pull forces from other theaters.
Reinforcements:
Not much this time around. I'm going to focus more on my coastal garrisons starting this turn. Winter is coming and that typically means I will see more and more coastal operations by Union players. So I've called on two more militia regiments in Alabama (for use in Mobile) and a battery of Columbiads in Virginia.
Where will the host in Covington move next?? Does McDowell have something up his sleeve?? Will McClellan move out of Indiana?? Stay tuned....
DISCLAIMOR: I know I am quite behind now...I hope to get the updated post up later tonight. Thanks again everyone for reading and for the kind comments.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]Have you ever stopped to think and forgot to start??
@oldspec--Thanks man . Hardly advice here man. Obviously I've made several nasty errors so far...we'll see how this goes though.
.....................
[color="Red"]Turn 14: Late October, 1861[/color]
Yankees seize Fredricksburg!! (Milroy moves by water with 15,000 troops. I saw this coming...perhaps not quite this turn, but I must admit I was quite discouraged when I saw this little doozy pop up on the screen BUT it actually has offered a unique opportunity! I will address that in a moment.)
General Blenker's West Virginia volunteers breakthrough at Christianburg!! (I had considered Soundoff might make this move. I didn't think he'd do it with the ragtag volunteer division. But he did.)
G.W. Smith captures 1,000 in defense of Williamsburg!! (More sensationalization . Smith happened to run into a cavalry raider and destroyed him. This was a nice result...it increased his seniority by 3 points.)
Southern cavalry captures guns near Covington!! (I think this may have been a mistake on Soundoff's part. He somehow sent a lone battery out to be captured by my screening cavalry.)
Trapped Federal troopers on last legs!! A rather bloody little skirmish west of Nashville. Soundoff's cav was trapped and stood their ground. My regiment suffered close to 50% casualties.)
Stand Waties Indians cause havoc in Missouri!! (Watie's raid continues. More in a moment.)
Orders. I've broken up the east in two segments here. First, Fredricksburg.
I mentioned this as an opportunity. And it is certainly just that. I don't know if Soundoff is sweating right now, but I know I certainly am. Here's the situation: Milroy has two divisions...about 15,000 troops in Fredricksburg. He has NO supply wagons so I know he's trying to take out the depot and make a quick getaway. I still have about 70% MC of Stafford...and around 50% control of Spotsylvania. If I can move fast, I should be able to offer a little payback for Annapolis.
Beauregard splits his army into 3 "Wings". The first, commanded by Longstreet will drive south through Stafford, cross the Rappohannock and attack Milroy from the north.
The second, under Joe Johnson will board trains and hurry to Fredricksburg, attempting to hold Milroy in place for the attack from Longstreet. Johnson is ordered to defend and retreat if pressed too hard on his front.
Magruder will stay with Beauregard and act as a reserve, following Longstreet south and hopefully concentrating with the rest of the army in Stafford. at the end of the campaign.
Whiting and the army's cavalry will keep a couple of Union cavalry regiments busy for awhile before rejoining the army in Fredricksburg.
What I'm hoping will happen here is that Milroy, most likely looking to exit as fast as possible will be held in the region by Johnson and then hit hard by Longstreet. Hard enough to have to retreat...however he won't be able to retreat out of the region and instead will be forced to hole up in town. There I can slowly eat away at him with a seige. I have approximately 11,000 reinforcements en route from the Carolinas and around 64 guns.
Now for the area around Covington:
This is another interesting situation with MC. despite having taken Christianburg, I still have 72% MC of the region...so I will look to contest it for the time being. Kirby Smith has been ordered west to keep Blenker busy while Holmes deals with Hurlbut.
Union cavalry have made it through my lines and will need to be dealt with quickly. I have my cavalry chasing them...hopefully along their path of retreat so as to trap them as well.
Bohnam was inactive this turn . Construction of the Lynchburg depot will have to wait.
In the West:
General Winder's 2,400 horsemen are ordered by A.S. Johnston to set off on a raid into Indiana. His target is Vincennes. You'll see I've taken a route that might be difficult for Soundoff to cut-off easily when I complete the mission and am returning home. As long as I can get back to the river next turn...I should be ok. Here's what might be the problem though. Soundoff is a really good player. I'm guessing he's anticipating this raid and might rail an entire division to Vincennes to wait for me...this would not be good...but It's worth the risk to take out the depot for sure.
I am in some very strong positions in this theater. The only thing that worries me is Knoxville. So I will be detaching some brigades to reinforce the city, currently commanded by Bushrod Johnston's small force.
I'm just going to let the trapped Union Cavalry rot .
In the Far West:
Not a whole lot to show. Watie will raid east and then turn south for St. Charles. He'll cut the rails there when he arrives.
Van Dorn still awaits his reinforcements. There is still a chance he will push into Missouri in 1862.
Will Longstreet be repulsed?? What awaits Winder in Vincennes?? Can Kirby Smith hold against Blenker in the mountains?? Stay tuned...
. Hardly advice here man. Obviously I've made several nasty errors so far...we'll see how this goes though.
.....................
[color="Red"]Turn 14: Late October, 1861[/color]
Yankees seize Fredricksburg!! (Milroy moves by water with 15,000 troops. I saw this coming...perhaps not quite this turn, but I must admit I was quite discouraged when I saw this little doozy pop up on the screen BUT it actually has offered a unique opportunity! I will address that in a moment.)
General Blenker's West Virginia volunteers breakthrough at Christianburg!! (I had considered Soundoff might make this move. I didn't think he'd do it with the ragtag volunteer division. But he did.)
G.W. Smith captures 1,000 in defense of Williamsburg!! (More sensationalization
. Smith happened to run into a cavalry raider and destroyed him. This was a nice result...it increased his seniority by 3 points.)
Southern cavalry captures guns near Covington!! (I think this may have been a mistake on Soundoff's part. He somehow sent a lone battery out to be captured by my screening cavalry.)
Trapped Federal troopers on last legs!! A rather bloody little skirmish west of Nashville. Soundoff's cav was trapped and stood their ground. My regiment suffered close to 50% casualties.)
Stand Waties Indians cause havoc in Missouri!! (Watie's raid continues. More in a moment.)
Orders. I've broken up the east in two segments here. First, Fredricksburg.
I mentioned this as an opportunity. And it is certainly just that. I don't know if Soundoff is sweating right now, but I know I certainly am. Here's the situation: Milroy has two divisions...about 15,000 troops in Fredricksburg. He has NO supply wagons so I know he's trying to take out the depot and make a quick getaway. I still have about 70% MC of Stafford...and around 50% control of Spotsylvania. If I can move fast, I should be able to offer a little payback for Annapolis.
Beauregard splits his army into 3 "Wings". The first, commanded by Longstreet will drive south through Stafford, cross the Rappohannock and attack Milroy from the north.
The second, under Joe Johnson will board trains and hurry to Fredricksburg, attempting to hold Milroy in place for the attack from Longstreet. Johnson is ordered to defend and retreat if pressed too hard on his front.
Magruder will stay with Beauregard and act as a reserve, following Longstreet south and hopefully concentrating with the rest of the army in Stafford. at the end of the campaign.
Whiting and the army's cavalry will keep a couple of Union cavalry regiments busy for awhile before rejoining the army in Fredricksburg.
What I'm hoping will happen here is that Milroy, most likely looking to exit as fast as possible will be held in the region by Johnson and then hit hard by Longstreet. Hard enough to have to retreat...however he won't be able to retreat out of the region and instead will be forced to hole up in town. There I can slowly eat away at him with a seige. I have approximately 11,000 reinforcements en route from the Carolinas and around 64 guns.
Now for the area around Covington:
This is another interesting situation with MC. despite having taken Christianburg, I still have 72% MC of the region...so I will look to contest it for the time being. Kirby Smith has been ordered west to keep Blenker busy while Holmes deals with Hurlbut.
Union cavalry have made it through my lines and will need to be dealt with quickly. I have my cavalry chasing them...hopefully along their path of retreat so as to trap them as well.
Bohnam was inactive this turn
. Construction of the Lynchburg depot will have to wait.
In the West:
General Winder's 2,400 horsemen are ordered by A.S. Johnston to set off on a raid into Indiana. His target is Vincennes. You'll see I've taken a route that might be difficult for Soundoff to cut-off easily when I complete the mission and am returning home. As long as I can get back to the river next turn...I should be ok. Here's what might be the problem though. Soundoff is a really good player. I'm guessing he's anticipating this raid and might rail an entire division to Vincennes to wait for me...this would not be good...but It's worth the risk to take out the depot for sure.
I am in some very strong positions in this theater. The only thing that worries me is Knoxville. So I will be detaching some brigades to reinforce the city, currently commanded by Bushrod Johnston's small force.
I'm just going to let the trapped Union Cavalry rot
.
In the Far West:
Not a whole lot to show. Watie will raid east and then turn south for St. Charles. He'll cut the rails there when he arrives.
Van Dorn still awaits his reinforcements. There is still a chance he will push into Missouri in 1862.
Will Longstreet be repulsed?? What awaits Winder in Vincennes?? Can Kirby Smith hold against Blenker in the mountains?? Stay tuned...
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]Have you ever stopped to think and forgot to start??
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