Scourge of War: Gettysburg Corps vs Corps Sandbox Battle

[Toonces]

This battle was fought in Scourge of War: Gettysburg.  The set up was in Sandbox mode, Corps vs. Corps, normal difficulty, full Gettysburg map, Gettysburg day 1 OOB.

I'm fighting as Gen Wadsworth, 1st Division under Doubleday in I Corps.  My subordinate units are 1st (Iron) and 2nd Brigade.

Start time: 0900.

Our orders arrive via courier from Doubleday: defend in the vicinity of Alm's House, north of Gettysburg.  I am allowed to engage enemy units as required.

I get my units on the road.  Not knowing which direction to expect trouble, my intent is to set up a blocking position north of Alm's House, north of Gettysburg. 

Iron Brigade in the lead; Second Brigade in trail.





A good overview of the situation.  My units are positioned NE of Gettysburg near the yellow square.  Second Division is in a line east of Gettysburg.  Third Division is in/south of Gettysburg.



Unexpectedly the threat shows coming from the south, through Gettysburg on the road northward to my defend objective.  I turn my troops around and get them into line.  A miscommunication in my orders results in a bit of a delay getting my entire Division on line before the Rebs show up.  The Rebels unlimber a great deal of artillery- looks like two batteries at least.

[Toonces]

The Rebel artillery is basically driven off.  Meantime, Reb infantry enters Gettysburg and is engaged by Third Division.

This view is from north of Gettysburg looking southward into the town.  The road exiting off bottom right leads to my defense point.



Having driven off the Reb artillery I get my Division on line in a blocking position north of Gettysburg, facing south.





Confused fighting breaks out in town.



I see Rebel infantry forming to the west of Gettysburg.  My thinking is to move one of my brigades from its current position into a blocking position, forming a north-south line facing west to block this movement.



Additional Reb infantry forms east of Gettysburg, so I split off my other brigade to form a blocking position southwesterly of my defense point.  My Division is a bit split now, but should still be able to remain mutually supporting.  But this is probably where I start to lose the battle by breaking my Division into wings prematurely.



The overview of the battlefield at 1004.  My brigades are formed in a curved line northeast of town facing southwest.  Second Division remains east of town and Third Division is heavily engaged in town.  The Rebel forces can be seen developing in, west, and northeast of town.

[Toonces]

I move Second Brigade, my left wing closer to Gettysburg to block the Reb infantry.  Third Division can be seen to my east (right) in the screenshot.



Second Brigade engages, but then additional Reb infantry shows up on my left flank!



Time is 1014.  Some hard fighting dislodges one of my Regiments.  Meanwhile, another Regiment pivots south, on the east side of town, trying to stem the horde. 





The Iron Brigade, my right wing, is maintaining its blocking position north of Gettysburg, but it's time to get them in to support Second Brigade.  This shot is from Gettysburg looking north.

[Toonces]

Bringing the Iron Brigade in to support Second Brigade seen shooting on the top left.





Iron Brigade enters the fight.



But due to the close quarters of the fighting, and the aggressiveness of the 2nd Wisconsin, they get into a melee.  The time is now 1024 and the fight has been raging for almost an hour and a half.

[Toonces]

This is zoomed out, looking from northeast of town facing southwest.  The Iron Brigade is in front, facing southwest.



Overview of the battle.  My brigades are the blob of units northeast of town.  Second Division remains in reserve east of town.  I probably should be paying a lot more attention to the mass of Rebels lingering to the west.



In intercept a courier...I appear to be winning.  Time to press the advantage!  But what I should really be doing is looking for the requested Reb reinforcements...



Fighting continues in town.  This is just on the northeast edge; my defense point is along the road going right, northward.





The time is 1032 and things start to go poorly quickly.  That mass of Rebels to the west of town begin to move.  I see the move and realize that my defense point is completely uncovered now.  I try to pull back my brigades, but the thing is, the Iron Brigade is fully engaged in town, and Second Brigade is a mess, with one regiment routed and another decimated.  Still, I order the units to pull back.  Additionally I send couriers to Doubleday and Second Division requesting support.

This view is east of my defense point looking southwest.  The road exiting to the center right goes to my defense point.  Reb infantry can be seen heading that way while a regiment of Second Brigade is in column racing to head them off.



A lot going on here.  It's 1036.  I get close enough to the Rebs to cause them to stop and engage.  I have three regiments engaging (the one on the bottom right beginning a melee attack).  You can see the defense point to the left (north); Gettysburg is behind me and I'm looking northeast.  The dead Rebel artillerists can be seen in the far background, as well as one of my routed regiments.





It's 1042 and I'm losing this fight.  The Rebels have driven off one regiment.  Another has rallied at the stream to the north.  The regiment to the right is probably in the process of falling back or routing.  Where the hell is Second Division?



I've almost got the 24th Michigan extricated from Gettysburg, facing north, ready to hit the Rebs on the flank and rear.



I can't get 6th Wisconsin out, though, as Rebs continue to filter into the town.



Now the Rebels move into a blocking position, keeping the Iron Brigade hemmed into Gettysburg.  This is facing south into Gettysburg and the Rebs are blocking my north movement along that road.

[Toonces]

The time is 1103.  Rebs get behind my units trying to head north out of Gettysburg and another melee breaks out.  Interestingly, although not apparent at the time, the leader of the Iron Brigade- Meredith- is dead.  This is likely contributing to my leadership problems in getting the brigade to break off contact.



Still trying to get out of town.  This is facing east, on the north end of town; the road going off the left side leads to my defense point but I can't get there.





It's 1206 and the battle is now 3 hours old.  We're nearing the end game.  The camera is near my defense point, looking southerly back towards town.  Finally Second Division gets into the fight, seen coming in from the left.  Meanwhile what looks like a Division+ along with artillery is coming in from the west.  Whatever is left of my remaining regiments is in there somewhere.



1216.  I've gotten one regiment out of Gettysburg and have them lying down in the wheat just behind my defense point.  They are exhausted and shaken...I need to rest them.  My only remaining regiment is on the very right, facing south, fighting Rebs coming up.  In the background you can see the Rebel artillery coming up.



1230.  My two regiments are on the right side of the screen; Second Division remains engaged south of the defense point between the Alm's House and Gettysburg.  One regiment is still laying down resting.  The other regiment was laying down, but I have them on their feet and am forming them up in response to the Confederate threat just coming up from the west.



1243 and it's end game time.  The camera is at Alm's House, my defense point, looking south; Gettysburg is in the background.  The remainder of Second Division is engaged to the left.  One regiment is laying down in the center of the screen.  Rebel artillery is taking Second Division under fire.  My thoughts at this point are as follows:  I've rested my two regiments for a while now and their morale is somewhat recovered and they are fresh.  If Second Division routs there is nothing left to defend Alm's House but my two light regiments.  So I decide to get my troops up and charge the artillery with the intent of driving them off, relieving the pressure on Second Division.  In retrospect, perhaps I should have stayed up and seen how Second did a bit longer...both regiments are being led by officers well down the chain of command; I am dead, Merideth is dead, the Colonel of Second Brigade is dead...I should have thought harder on this.



The charge!



Nooooooo!!!



And that's that.  Both regiments rout in the face of artillery, cannister shot, and a stiff Confederate infantry regiment, and I've got nothing left.  I let the clock run for a while to see if the Rebs will move up and capture the defense point, but it appears they don't have much left either.  So I exit out with a final score of 287 (Wadsworth had about 1200, but was killed along with Rowley of Second Division and both of my brigade commanders).  The result in inconclusive.

The final shot looking north from Gettysburg towards Alm's House.  Rebel artillery and wagons move along the road.  The carnage in the main fight at the north end of Gettysburg and again on the fields south of Alm's House are evident.  Concession time is 1355, total fight time was just under 5 hours and real time was about 3 hours.

[BanzaiCat]

Excellent, Toonces! Makes me want to buy this game; I love what I'm seeing here and your narrative helped paint a picture that makes it look like a lot of fun.

[besilarius]

If you have a big open area before you (like north of town at the start), can you send out scouts?  Or only whole units.
Can you request some cavalry from Corps to scout an area?

[bob48]

Awesome screenies, Toonces. One day I must get this game. I have the old 'Take Command' and played it lots, but this looks so much better.

[JasonPratt]

That screenshot of the dead Yank and Reb lying alone next to each other in the grassy field, is haunting.

[Toonces]

If you have a big open area before you (like north of town at the start), can you send out scouts?  Or only whole units.
Can you request some cavalry from Corps to scout an area?

Good questions.

You can't send out scouts, but you can send your regiment in a skirmish formation which will deploy some skirmishers 50-100 yards in front of your main line.  You can also order them to probe and they won't be quite as aggressive I think.  Ideally I would have liked some cavalry (and artillery) support.  In doing some more research, the problem is that the OOB didn't have cavalry or artillery for this Corps for some reason, while the Rebels do have artillery.  I think it has to do with how the different sides constructed their OOBs; Rebels attached their artillery to their brigades whereas the Union had detached artillery I think.  At any rate, I didn't have either for this scenario, which really made a difference.  Some counter-battery fire would have been perfect.

[Toonces]

That screenshot of the dead Yank and Reb lying alone next to each other in the grassy field, is haunting.

I thought so too.

[besilarius]

According to this posting:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gettysburg_Union_order_of_battle
First Corps had six batteries of artillery for the corps and one company of cavalry.