POLEMOS - AMERICAN CIVIL WAR - SCENARIO

On They Come Scenario
First down the Pike - Antietam, September 17, 1862.

Historical Situation
Antietam began at dawn on the 17th when Hooker's 1st Corps artillery began to fire at Jackson's men in the cornfield north of Sharpsburg. The Civil Wars “bloodiest day” had begun.

Hooker's Divisions went forward, pushing the Confederates before them. Jackson said that his troops were "exposed for near an hour to a terrific storm of shell, canister, and musketry." About 7 am Jackson received reinforcements and began driving the Union troops back.

In response to this Mansfield counterattacked and by about 9am had regained some of the ground that had been lost. The see saw action of attack and counter was in full swing.

Terrain
The terrain is open, all other contours are counted as Steep slopes.

Terrain Effects

Gentle Slope
• No Effects.
• +1 if Uphill.

Woods
• Infantry move 1BW, unless skirmish capability 2, which move 1.5BW.
• Impassable to other troop types.
• Counts as level 1 obstacle to Units in combat.
• Obstacle level 1 to fire.

Hasty Works
• Passable by all troops, costing 1BW of movement.
• Obstacle level 1 to combat
• Obstacle level 1 to fire.

Cornfield
• Mounted Cavalry may not advance to contact.
• All troops half speed except Infantry with skirmish capability 2.
• Counts as level 1 obstacle to Units in combat.
• Obstacle level 1 to fire.

Objectives
The Union objective is reach and hold Dunker Church.

The Confederate objective is to prevent the Union holding Dunker Church.

The game starts at 6:00am and has turns of approx 20 minutes and ends at 10:00am.

Confederate Forces

Jackson's Command, Jackson, Exceptional - CinC

Ewell’s Division, Ewell, Capable - General (8 Bases)

Lawton’s Brigade
1 Veteran Base, Smoothbore (SK2)
2 Veteran Bases, Rifle Musket (SK2)
Ewell’s Brigade*
2 Veteran Elite Bases, Rifle Musket (SK2)
Trimble’s Brigade
1 Veteran Base, Rifle Musket (SK2)
Hays Brigade
1Veteran Elite Base, Rifle Musket (SK2)
Division Artillery
1 Raw, Heavy Smoothborebase

Jackson’s Division, Jones, Capable - General (6 Bases

Winder’s Brigade
1 Veteran, Elite Bases, Rifle Musket (SK2)
Taliaferro Brigade
1Veteran Elite Base, Rifle Musket (SK2)
Jones Brigade
1 Veteran, Elite Base, Rifle Musket (SK2)
Starke’s Brigade
1 Veteran Elite Base, Rifle Musket (SK2)
Division Artillery
1 Trained, Light Rifle Base
1 Trained, Heavy Smoothbore Base

Hood’s Division, Hood, Commanding - General (6 Bases)

Wofford’s Brigade
1 Veteran, Elite Base, Smoothbore (SK2)
1 Veteran, Base, Rifle Musket (SK2)
Laws Brigade
1 Veteran Elite Base, Rifle Musket (SK2)
1 Veteran Elite Base, Smoothbore (SK2)
Division Artillery
1 Trained, Light Rifle Base
1 Trained, Light Smoothbore Base

Hill’s Division, Hill, Commanding - General (3 Bases)

Ripley’s Brigade
3 Veteran Bases, Rifle Musket (SK1)

Ewell’s Brigade enters the game at Point 2 at 7am in line. All other Confederate forces start the game on the map.

Union Forces

Hookers Command - Ist Corps, Hooker, Skilled - CinC

Doubleday’s Division, Doubleday, Commanding - General (8 Bases)

Phelps’s Brigade
1 Veteran Elite Base, Rifle Musket (SK2)
Hofmann’s Brigade
1 Trained Base, Smoothbore (SK1)
Patrick’s Brigade
1 Trained Elite Base, Rifle Musket (SK1)
1 Trained Base, Rifle Musket (SK1)
Gibbons Brigade
2 Veteran Elite Bases, Rifle Musket (SK2)
Division Artillery
1 Trained, Light Rifled Base
1 Veteran, Heavy Smoothbore Base

 

Rickett’s Division, Rickett, Cautious - General (7 Bases)

Duryea’s Brigade
2 Trained Bases, Rifle Musket (SK1)
Christians Brigade
2 Trained Bases, Rifle Musket (SK1)
Hartsuff’s Brigade
2 Trained Bases, Rifle Musket (SK1)
Division Artillery
1 Trained, Light Rifle Base

 

Meade’s Division, Meade, Capable - General (7 Bases)

Seymour’s Brigade
2 Veteran Bases, Rifle Musket (SK1)
Magilton’s Brigade
2 Veteran Bases, Rifle Musket (SK1)
Andersons Brigade
2 Veteran Bases, Rifle Musket (SK1)
Division Artillery
1 Veteran, Heavy Smoothbore Base

Mansfield’s Command - XIIth , Mansfield, Skilled CinC

Williams Division, Williams, Cautious - General (12 Bases)

Crawford’s Brigade
4 Raw Bases, Rifle Musket (SK0)
1 Trained Base, Rifle Musket (SK1)
Gordon’s Brigade
3 Raw Bases, Rifle Musket (SK0)
2 Trained Bases, Rifle Musket (SK1)
Division Artillery
1 Veteran, Light Rifled Base
1 Trained, Light Smoothbore Base

Greene’s Division, Greene, Capable - General (6 Bases)

Tyndale’s Brigade
1 Veteran Base, Rifle Musket (SK1)
1 Trained Base, Rifle Musket (SK1)
Stainrook’s Brigade
2 Veteran Bases, Rifle Musket (SK1)
Goodrich’s Brigade
1 Trained Base, Rifle Musket (SK1)
Division Artillery
1 Trained, Heavy Smoothbore Base

• Mansfield’s Corps enters the game at Point 1
  7:00am - Williams Division is in March Column.
  7:20am - Greene’s Division is in March Column.
  All other Union forces start the game on the map

The map represents an approximate area of 2 miles by 1.5 miles and is about 20BW’s across by 16BW’s in depth.

Historical Outcome
The Early Union assaults failed in their efforts to reach Dunker Church. This would be left to Williams and Green’s Divisions of XII Corps, with Greene holding a position across the Hagerstown Road near Dunker Church for two hours before being forced to fall back. The Union forces continued to assault the Confederates’ throughout the rest of day in piecemeal attacks never able to break the line. Burnsides attack almost reached Sharpsburg but was finally driven off by the timely arrival of Hills Division from Harpers Ferry.

The battle was over. Casualties were heavy on both sides with the Union suffering 12,000 casualties with over 2,000 dead. Confederate casualties were almost as high with over 10,000 and over 1,500 dead. These totals represented 25% of the Federal force and 31% of the Confederate; America’s bloodiest single day indeed.

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