Micro Table Battles - Part Eight.

We move on to table 6.

My rendition of the map.

Woods top the valley side behind an escarpment on the western side.

A wide escarpment on the eastern side.

Ooops! an errant tree and artillery battery sitting atop a storage box in the background.

Quite a narrow valley floor between the two escarpments.

It would seem 1st and 2nd Brigades will meet up here.

An odd roll, so nothing for the rebels this time, but remember, Joe Davis' 4th Brigade is now in the valley and marching north.

Adelbert Ames shook the hand of Brigadier General Leopold von Gilsa warmly. I am especially pleased to see you today, Leo my old friend. Leopold scanned the ranks of 2nd Brigade, they looked tired and beaten, the ranks depleted.

'After receipt of your telegraph message, I gathered all the men I could and rushed south. It seems your men have suffered badly Ade.'

Ade nodded, 'We all did Leo, it was a bad evening and night, I am lucky to have salvaged what you see before you, that's for sure. But combined, we have enough troops now to stand and fight. The rebel brigade is not huge, unless of course they have received reinforcements since last night's battle. It has been impossible to find out, my scouts are constantly being met, and forced to fall back by enemy cavalry.'

Leo studied the valley sides and escarpments before replying. This is an excellent spot to hold them Ade, the last chance before we reach Garton, and the terrain there would be damned difficult to hold.'

'So here it will be then, we must organise the men quickly,  for the enemy are no more than a few of miles south of here.'



From : Major H. Gilmor 1st Maryland Cavalry

To: Brigadier General J Archer, General commanding Third Brigade. (Heth's Division)

1230 June 5th 1863, approx four miles north of Anderson.

Sir, 

I have found the enemy!

I have been steadily moving forward at a steady trot, closely following the enemy horse, and forcing them to move more swiftly than they cared to. I have reached a location in the valley at which the valley floor is very narrow. However, a low escarpment rises at each side, both easily accessible to men and artillery.

I have been watching the enemy deploy, they have certainly received some reinforcements since last evening, I counted five or possibly six battalions of infantry and one battery of cannon, plus of course, the cavalry regiment we have been chasing today. I am unable to observe beyond their deployment area, they have strung out right across the valley in two lines with artillery on the western escarpment.

I will continue to monitor and report sir. 

Major H. Gilmor

The 5th Michigan Cavalry return to their lines.

The Union deployment in two lines, the depleted 2nd Brigade battalions, mainly forming a reserve.
From left to right, or more correctly west to east are 41st New York, 'G' Battery, 4th US Artillery, 17th Connecticut, 25th Ohio, 107th Ohio, rear rank comprises 54th New York on the road and finally on the left rear flank, 153rd Pennsylvania. All units of 2nd Brigade carry forward their wound markers from yesterday.

The fresh and undamaged 1st Brigade form the buttress of this formidable defence line.

The sound of drums, and a column of dust can be heard and seen, moving ever close from the south.