Sorry this is late. Having issues uploading images for some reason. I'm going to give it a shot again tonight at home. For now, here's the opening part.
Turn 6 -
Story:
Jefferson Davis stood on the dock watching as sailors secured lines and prepared to begin the process of unloading the ship. One of the first few blockade runners to come in to Virginia bobbed in the slight current. He wondered how long the ships would be able to come in. Eventually, the Union would expand their navy enough to actually make the blockade that Lincoln had declared effective. Well, there were plenty of ports and thousands of miles of coastline to slip supplies in to. After meeting with the captain of the ship, and congratulating him on his voyage, he left the docks and began walking back to his coach. The reports from Missouri were mixed, McCulloch was satisfied his troops were ready for a fight, but advocated a pull back to Springfield to join forces with Price. We would be giving up Jefferson City, but concentration of force was going to be a key for his forces, so he approved McCulloch’s request. Gen. Lyon seemed to be rather confused. After sending forces to quickly secure Rolla, he had moved to the north of Jefferson City, circling around to advance on Price in Springfield. It wasn’t wise to leave a force in your back, and Davis could not understand the movement. Regardless, he had enough problems without worrying about Yankee mistakes.
Once back in the White House, he signed the order allocating John B. Floyd to Texas. Floyd showed initiative, but little military skill, so he would be sent to one of the out of the way theater. He should have no problems with his duties there. Better to hide him in a more out of the way location than to have his deficiencies put out in plain sight in a more important area. He was planning an expedition to liberate the southern portion of the state before heading toward the southwest territories. Sibley was to be ordered to New Orleans to handle its defenses. He had shown very little to recommend him for any real type of command.
His forces in Tennessee were slowly being pulled together. There was now a brigade sized force organized in Memphis, which would be heading north to defend the supply stockpiles being gathered in Humboldt. In addition, some smaller forces are converging on Nashville. He shook his head at the scarcity of forces he had to cover the immense stretch from the Appalachians to Indian Territory. He had received complaints from some of the Indian tribes there about Union incursions into their treaty lands. He had no great use for the Indians, but one of their prominent leaders, Stand Waite had been pushing for a commission in the armed forces. If he could gather the forces he was promising, he could be a useful tool to keep the western flank of the Confederacy free from Yankees. All in all, it was much better to have the Indians on their side. He would have to talk to some of his western men to get some background on Waite, all he knew was that he was rabidly opposed to abolition and had opposed John Ross by advocating for moving the Cherokee Nation to the Indian Territories. He would wait until he got further information on him before coming to a decision on whether to grant him the commission he was seeking.
The Army of the Potomac was deemed ready by Beauregard to advance to the front. Beauregard was still requesting troops to further his grand offensive plans, but instead, he was ordering him to split General Longstreet and his powerful brigade from the force to reinforce Magruder around Ft Monroe. Beauregard had been quite unhappy with this arrangement, but Davis pointed out to him that the sooner that fort fell, the sooner Beauregard would be able to draw from the forces now charged with investing it. So after a bit more grumbling, he had packed up and prepared a leisurely march toward Manassas Junction. He explained that he would rather march to get the men accustomed to it, since they would need the practice, “To chase down the damned Yankees once we show them what real Southern men are made of”. Johnston and his force would advance on Winchester to join Bushrod Johnson and begin preparations to move on Harpers Ferry. He believed he had managed to convince Johnston of the validity of his position. He hoped so; Johnston was too valuable a general to be removed this early in the going. Besides, his old friend had already gathered some congressmen into his circle, simply removing him could prove to be difficult.
The cabinet meeting was contentious, to say the least. Mr. Memminger pressed for more taxation. Davis approved a proposal to issue war bonds at an 8% return. It will hurt in the future, but the cash flow is needed to purchase the items needed for defense. Mr. Benjamin reported on the state of Kentucky and Missouri, as well as small pockets of unionists in various places through the Confederacy.
The contention came with the reports from Mr. Toombs and Secretary of War Walker. Toombs had apparently met our friend from London, and was just about willing to cut all ties to the island forever if it would get rid of the man. Walker advocated ending the embargo, saying that he would remain unable to get the weaponry needed to equip our growing military without having cotton exports to pay for it. Attorney General Benjamin felt that the balance between the damage being done to our relations with England and any future benefit we might achieve was a delicate one. So he advised continuing for now, but being very cautious. Davis let them wrangle it out with Toombs for a bit before stepping in and announcing that the embargo would continue for the present. If it continued to have deleterious effects, then policy could be reconsidered, but reminded them that recognition was vital to our cause. If it did not come in the natural process of things, we would have to either accomplish what we could through embargo, or granting trade or territorial concessions. Territorial concessions were never a serious possibility in Davis’ mind. The Monroe Doctrine would not be overturned in his presidency. If the Confederacy let the Europeans back in to this hemisphere, chances are, we would never be able to extract them again. Besides, if the nation survived this trial, further expansion would necessarily be to the south, directly into the areas concessions would be letting England and France into.
The only thing Mr. Mallory has to report is the laying down of two additional blockade runners to be launched as soon as practical. The meeting ended and everyone filed out, Walker and Toombs still arguing over the embargo policy. Davis stood up and paced back and forth near his desk. Those brigs represented supplies needed desperately elsewhere, but until more industrial capacity was available to the country, they would need all the supplies those ships could bring back.
He was already feeling the pressures of trying to pull a country of individualists into an actual nation, capable of defending its borders. Too often, troops were being raised and kept in their own states as home guard units, rather than being forwarded on to locations where they would be able to do more. He recognized the fear of seaborne invasion, but he knew the Union did not as of yet have the seaborne capacity to launch and supply such an invasion. Of course, he knew it was more of a test of his, and his government’s, power more than it was a genuine determination to defend their borders. They were going to great lengths to show that they held the power in the Confederacy. Though he understood the acts, he knew that if it continued, they would be unable to resist the Union offensives. Eventually, they would come to understand that too, he hoped.
Actions:
Movement -
McCulloch will attempt to fall back on Springfield. Lyon is closing in, and while I'm pretty sure Price could win a battle, I'd rather have a bit more backup.
I operate John B. Floyd to Texas and will have Phifer's Brigade join him to move on Laredo next turn.
Memphis force, consisting of the 1st TN Brigade, Brewer Cav Battalion, and Memphis supply unit will march to Humboldt to join the supply units already waiting there.
The 1st Tennessee Cavalry and supply unit from Knoxville will march to Nashville.
Zolicoffer arrived in Hampton, and Magruder will be joining him in the next day or two. With my main army active, I split Longstreet and his Brigade (STR: 203) off to join them there. If I can move fast enough, it may be a sufficient force to take Monroe, especially if Butler is as bad as usual.
The remainder of the Army of the Potomac and Huger's force will march to Manassas.
The Valley force will move to Winchester to join Bushrod Johnson's force. Joe Johnston will cause me no end of problems I think, at least until I can make him a corps commander, due to his low Strategic rating. It may in fact, cause me to abandon the Valley completely until I can properly organize my army. I try to play somewhat historically, so I limit the splitting off of forces simply to ensure I have active generals. Johnston is in command, and will stay that way for now.
I move the Frigate to join Semmes in the shipping box and the gunboat to join the Virginia in Norfolk, with both given evade orders. I neglected to do this last turn. Remember kiddies, always cycle through your units to make sure you've given all the orders each turn.
I operate Sibley to New Orleans; maybe he can enjoy himself on Bourbon Street while the rest of us fight this war.
Purchases -
Once again, down to no Light and Field Art, so I purchase one of each.
Cotton Embargo option is again open, so I choose it, and hope for a slightly better result.
To do this I need more money, so I go ahead and select the 8% War Bonds option which will bring in $463,000. Not as much as I'd like, but better than nothing.
I build one of the large Mississippi brigades. These large brigades are darn useful for the Confederates, since in the early turns when you can't form divisions, and later when you hit the division cap, they provide you with a nearly division sized force that any general can run, and they don't cost any supplies to activate. Obviously, the mixed brigades have been a bone of contention in the past, but I personally think they tend to offset the fact that we're stuck with a set number of generals with no opportunity to promote regimental leaders or anything to compensate for early deaths or anything.
Since I have spare WS and money, I also commission two brigs to backup my industrialization plans.