The Battle of Antietam 1862 - Part Four

Turn Eleven - Union.

Hooker is only able to activate a single division, so the shattered 3rd Division is ordered to pull back out of the wheat field.

Union artillery exact some revenge on the rebels.

A confederate battery is destroyed whilst Taliaferro's Brigade suffer again.

Turn Twelve - Confederate.

Ewell's Division is ordered to advance across the field and continue to put pressure on the withdrawing Yankees.

The now depleted rebel grand battery unleashes again.

First Division once again bearing the brunt, this division is close to breaking point.

2nd Brigade of 2nd Division fall victim to one of Ewell's batteries.

The casualties mount.

Fortunately for Hooker, his request for support is answered by 12th Corps coming down the pike. (troops have just been placed on table, not in any battle formation yet)

Also arriving on the field from the North East is 2nd Corps.

The Union now have three corps on the field, to just one for the rebels.

Turn Thirteen - Union.

'The colonel of the regiment rode up waving his hat, shouting to fall back and form up behind the fence line. My men, or what was left of them, didn't need a second telling, and rapidly began to fall back. I looked over my shoulder and could see the rebels had climbed the fence and were coming after us at the trot. I doubted that I had enough men left to form any sort of firing line, our only hope was the artillery batteries, still deployed in the field. 
As I reached the closest of them, a captain of artillery shouted,  they would give one dose of canister to the rebs and then would skedaddle, leaving the guns behind. 
I had almost reached the fence when I heard that single volley of cannon fire, I prayed it would give me enough time to organise some kind of defensive line.'

Lieutenant K. Brown, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, Hooker's Corps.



3rd Division are activated to continue their withdrawal.

The cards also allowed for 2nd Corps also to begin deploying.

As the retreating 3rd Division streamed past, the artillery batteries gave that one dose of canister to the fast approaching rebs.

'The order came to advance, the field ahead was full of dead and dying Yankee's. We jumped the fence and quickly formed up. We were going to chase them blue bellies out of the field. 
Them boys were running like jack rabbits, and we would be hard pressed to catch them before they made the fence at the bottom of the slope.
It was at that moment I saw two things that made me slow down some. Cannon deployed in the field right in our faces and beyond that I could see what looked like the whole damned Yankee army marching out the the forest.
I didn't see 'em for long as the cannons ahead disappeared behind clouds of black smoke...'

Private F. Frey, Early's Brigade, Ewell's Division, Jackson's Corps.

Every brigade of Ewell's Division took casualties. Their bodies falling and lying beside those of their enemy.

On the Union right, artillery too opened up with mixed results.

Taliaferro's Brigade were now down to half their elan.

Turn Fourteen - Confederate.

Jackson too had seen the Union reinforcements arriving on the field to the North East and along the pike in the North West. His job was done and he ordered a general withdrawal.

Ewell's Division fall back to the fence line.

Jackson's Division also begin to withdraw along the pike, and toward the Dunker Church.

A view from the North East.

The wheat field from the North.

12th Corps arriving along the pike.

Private Frey's view of 'the whole damn Yankee army!'

Looking North West from Confederate lines.

The rebel batteries gave a parting shot.

Destroying another battery.

As well as wiping out the remains of 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division.

The grand battery on the left flank also dispatched a leaving present.

1st Brigade of 1st Division being the recipients.

At this point, Phase One of the battle ends. Jackson's Corps has successfully held up Hooker's Corps for the whole morning, and very nearly destroyed it in the process. His line of withdrawal is open and so he can extract his whole force South of the Dunker Church.

Losses will continue over to Phase Two, though I will allow batteries to resupply ammo. Also Union 2nd and 12th Corps will not start on the field but will have to arrive as reinforcements, having being committed, though not seeing action in Phase One.

I can now rearrange the table and do the necessary admin to allow Phase Two to take place.

The Battle of Antietam 1862 - Part Three

Turn Seven - Union.

A good turn of the cards allows the whole Corps to advance. 1st Division cross a hedge and begin to cross a small field. In the centre, 2nd Division advance to maintain a line with the divisions on either side. Finally 3rd Division climb the fence of the wheat field and begin to move up the gentle slope.

Turn Eight - Confederate.

With no requirement to move, the rebels behind the fence on the South side of the wheat field are ordered to stay low and remain out of sight of the advancing Union troops. On the Confederate left flank a massed battery opens up.

Two hits on advancing infantry and a miss for counter-battery fire.

1st and 2nd Brigade bear the brunt of the artillery fire.

Turn Nine - Union.

Hooker is able to advance two of his divisions, The 3rd now halfway across the wheat field and the 2nd keeping pace to their right.

3rd Division can hear artillery fire away to their right, but all is quiet in the wheat field.

A painting of the advance into wheat field by a Union officer who was an eye witness.

Union 1st Division artillery return fire and score two hits.

One rebel battery suffers casualties as does Winder's infantry brigade.

Turn Ten - Confederate.

'We were told to keep our heads down and not try to peer over the fence, at first I could hear nothing but artillery fire away to the left. Then from the front the sounds of Yankee officers could be heard, shouting and controlling their men, much like our own do. The voices got steadily louder. Behind this fence, we were looking at each other and wondering if our officers were going to let those blue bellies step right on top of us.
At once a shout went up and we were ordered to stand and take aim. The field, empty a short while ago, was full of Yankees, line upon line of them! Our cannon fired canister, just as we unleashed a volley from our muskets. I cannot describe the deafening noise it all made. I was hurriedly reloading my musket, but could see nothing through the dense cloud of powder smoke, surely no man could have survived that onslaught of lead.'

Private F. Frey, Early's Brigade, Ewell's Division.

The wheat field becomes the scene of carnage, rebel artillery firing canister and brigades of infantry unleash devastating fire on to Union 2nd and 3rd Divisions.

Almost every cannon and musket ball found a target.

'A line of butternut and gray clad men arose to our front, where there had been nothing but a split log fence a second before. That line erupted in wall of flame and smoke, and we paid the price in full. Men fell by the dozens, great holes appeared in our ranks as balls and canister tore through flesh and bone. It was as if a nest of angry hornets where buzzing about me, it took a moment to realise it was musket balls and not insects. My hat was gone, but otherwise I was untouched, but around me lay the dead and the dying, the screaming and the silent.
I attended to my duties and attempted to rally what men I could still find, it was the only thing that kept me sane.'

Lieutenant K. Brown, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division. Hooker's Corps.

2nd and 3rd Brigades suffer horrendous casualties, virtually destroying the fighting capability of 3rd Division.

One of the artillery batteries also took two hits from counter-battery fire and was destroyed.

1st Brigade of 2nd Division too, was decimated by the rebel onslaught.

As if things couldn't get any worse, Jackson's massed battery opened up again on 1st Division.

1st and 2nd Brigades being left to pay the butcher's bill.

General Hooker looked on in horror and disbelief as his Corps had its guts ripped out in one devastating blow. He quickly dispatched couriers calling for reinforcements from Mansfield's Twelfth Corps and Sumner's Second Corps.

He was lucky, they would arrive on the field in two turns.

The Battle of Antietam 1862 - Part Two

Turn One - Union.

The whole of First Corps were able to advance, no reserve moves in this game as it would have put the Union beyond the wheat field after the this first move!

Turn Two - Confederate.

Jackson was able to activate is whole force too, they advanced to meet the enemy.

The Confederates have off board artillery of three batteries. I chose to allow each battery to roll four dice each, with my usual rolling skills, I managed one 6 out of 12 dice!

The hit being taken by 1st Brigade of 1st Division.

Looking South after the first two turns.

Turn Three - Union.

On this occasion only 3rd Division were able to activate, and they moved nearer the wheat field. (sorry about poor picture quality in this shot)

A soldier eye view from Union 3rd Division, the wheat field slopes down to their side, severely restricting the view of what is beyond.

The view from 1st Division isn't much better, but they can see the enemy on a slight rise ahead, beyond the hedged field. Although in artillery range, they simply cannot see a target.

Turn Four - Confederate.

The whole Confederate force was able to continue its advance. The two divisions forming an impressive defensive line. Jackson's Division to the left of the turnpike and Ewell's Division to the right and approaching the wheat field.

Ewell's boys too still do not have much sight of the enemy beyond the field. The rebel artillery too, remains silent due to not having a line of sight to the enemy,

View from the lines of Talliaferro's Brigade of Jackson's Division, on a rise beside the turnpike.

Off the board artillery for the rebels, 12 dice and no sixes! At least I am consistent.

Turn Five - Union.

Once again the cards are against Hooker, he is able to only activate and advance 2nd Division.

Ewell's Division advance to the fence line of the wheat field, and for the first time can peer down the slope to see what is in front of them. Jackson's Division could, but did not, move. Happy with his position and he still has a full brigade of infantry and two batteries on the Dunker Church plateau, to cover his line of retreat.

The last barrage by the off board artillery produces just a single hit, 'Fighting Joe' should send me one of his lady friends as a reward for my dice rolling!

The unlucky recipient this time is 4th Brigade of 3rd Division, the losses could, and should, have been much greater.

Looking North down the slope of the cornfield from the fence line held by the rebels.

I shall conclude this part here, most of the opening movements are now complete and the fighting should take place soon.