Managing big army stacks

[MrFreeze]

Hi,
End of 61 in the main campaign, playing the Union. (first time on CW2)

I try to understand the importance of generals in the game prior to mid-62 (which as I understood will be the trigger to have a proper OOB). Right now my army in Maryland/Virginia is facing a huge confederate stack (pw 1750).

Is it 'better' for me to fight this stack with 4-5 smaller armies with one or two generals and lower penality, or having a hudge stack myself with a -35% penality? If a stack has a -35% penality what is the advantage of having one or more generals in it? Is it better in the beginning of the game to send my generals elsewhere where they can be effective?

last question, about special units such as Medical corp., HQ support, and the super cool balloon, is having more than one per type stacking the bonus ? Beside the manual, is there a tuto / or more information that I can read somewhere that explain better the advantage / when to use / each of theses specials units (and maybe also an effective composition of an army) ?

Thanks !

[Ol' Choctaw]

Have you organized into divisions yet?

Divisions may contain as many as 18 elements, counting the General in charge. Most should be infantry, one a sharpshooter, several artillery and a couple of cavalry.

In late 61 you should have at least a couple of 3* generals to make armies that can use several divisions in a stack. Small stacks of one division will not work all that well against a large one if you are moving to attack. An army with 3 to 5 divisions should be able to exceed the power of the stack you mentioned.

The special units only count for a stack. More than on will have no effect. HQ units take the place of medical and signal units so a HQ and one of these units is overkill.