Seeing the Elephant (Pgr Vs Highlandcharge)

[pgr]

As the title suggests, there are a lot of firsts in this one for me. First AAR, first extensive use of screen shot elements and visual aids, and 2nd PbEM. I am not one of the AACW vets. All I have is Civil War 2, a bunch of hot air on the forums, and boundless ambition

Background: April 1861

I will be playing as the Union while Highlandcharge takes the side of the South. We are playing with historical attrition and supply, medium activation, no naval box handling and medium randomization for leaders. I do feel like the last two should help the Union out. Sure, for the blockade boxes I'll have to micro supply and fresh ships, but I think having max blockade points from fleets is worth the hassle. Random leaders should make the game a bit more unpredictable (Dix with a 5-3-6 what??), and with all those 3-1-1s at the start, I figure the Union can only go up.

As far as house rules go, we are agreeing to the fairly standard "raids must be lead by a leader" rule, but we have agreed to largely wave it West of the Mississippi. (Which may come back to haunt me).

Strategy:

I'm the kind of guy that follows instructions and reads the manual, so as the scenario description says, I'll be looking at moving on Richmond, securing Kentucky and Missouri, and getting a blockade going.

The question is how?
At this point, it's too soon to answer the question. I'm going to content myself to donning a clerk's hat and worrying about numbers from now until December.

Success in 1861 will be hitting my troop levels. At this point, I want to build up between 4 to 6 corps (the troops for about 18 divisions) in the East, at least 8 divisions in the West, and 3 divisions in the Trans-Mississippi. The exact makeup of these forces is to be determined.

To get there, I plan on focusing all new recruits to 3 "Camps of Instruction" built around a training officer. Camp 1, Cincinnati Ohio with General McClellan (to be replaced by Halleck when he appears) . Camp 2, Washington D.C. (to be commanded by Mac when he comes East, and equipped with HQ support). Camp 3, St. Louis to eventually be commanded by Sigel. I'm going to be leaning on these fellas to train the sea of 3 regiment Vol brigades up to regular status before transferring them to the front.

As far as general recruitment goes, my brain rapidly fills up when I try to build 17 unit divisions from scratch. I plan on using the rule of thumb of one battery for every 4 regiments of infantry (or 1 horse arty for every 4 battalions of cavalry). As for the navy, the priority will be to cottonclads, transports, and Ironclads. Beyond one blockade squadron and perhaps an armored frigate, the blue water fleet will have to make do with automatic additions and the filling out of understrength units.

Lots of things to do, and word has it that Sumter has already fallen...

[pgr]

As usual the first few months have flown by as both sides try to mobilize as quickly as possible. The grand armies in the east just unlocked and now is the time to examine the possible opening moves.

The East:
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The first nice surprise is McDowell. Thanks to randomization, he has a solid 4-4 for attack and defense. Unfortunately, bot Beauregard and Longstreet seem to have gotten even stronger defense ratings. In addition, Highlandcharge seems to have invested in replacements, as his army has filled its units out significantly more than me. In addition, my signal corps, field hospital, and pontoon bridges are still being assembled in Washington City. So despite McDowell being active, he will remain in place until at least late July.

But how to move when the time comes? I'm currently weighing the left and right options.

The rightward option would be an attempt to win a footrace to Richmond. It may be noticed that the objective is not the Fredricksburg depot, but rather the Tappahannock port. By swinging right and hopping port to port, I feel that my supply situation will be easier than moving overland and I'll be able to keep my force concentrated as I race to Richmond. The downside to the move is that it completely ignores Beauregard and uncovers Washington D.C., inviting a rush on the capitol. I'll need to leave in Alexandria a force sufficient to block a direct move, which either requires waiting for re-enforcements to arrive or weakening the Richmond force.

The Leftward movement has the serious disadvantage of making me dependent on the rail lines. That means Beauregard must be dislodged from Manassas, a position that he is digging onto and that limits my artillery range advantage (or at least I assume I have one). It simply isn't possible to win the battle without building up more forces. A possible solution might be to have General Stone drive through the hills to the West, cutting the railroad line to the Shenandoah valley, and driving to Culpeper in a bid to disrupt Beauregard's supply lines. McDowell would have to follow hard on Stone's heels to avoid him getting cut off. The terrain is difficult and time consuming, but at least I would be putting direct pressure on Beuregard. There would also be the possibility of isolating Joe Johnston and combining with Patterson to maul him. Fun to think about, but without Divisions or Corps coordinating these raw troops in this way against good rebel leaders would be quite a risk.

The Vally Army represents a wildcard. Patterson is as bad as his un-randomised self. Harper's Ferry is little more than a blocking force. If the rebs push hard, I may be forced to refocus my plans on repelling them.

Conclusion: It is too soon to seriously undertake either option. I need more forces and reserves before departing Alexandria. The Vally Army represents a wildcard. At the end of the day, I need to decide if my goal is to capture Richmond or destroy the rebel field armies...

The West:
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In the West, Kentucky maintains her neutrality and McClellan has established his camp of instruction and is training the growing flood of volunteers from across the West. Cincinnati is proving to be an ideal location from which trained troops across the region. (In addition, Cairo Il is seeing a flood of new recruits, many in the form of those extent two element line infantry brigades the state produces. The only action taken this far was the rapid taking of Charleston Mo by the Illinois militia. That is about to change.

Back in the War Department, 4 offensive priorities have been identified:

Knoxville: Dear to the heart of the President, who wants to help East Tennessee Unionists, the city of Knoxville could be approached by a drive through the Cumberland Gap. The major difficulty would be overland supply. Depots would have to be set up in Lexington, Huntsville, and Knoxville. Even then, the supply line would be long and tenuous. Once secured, Knoxville could be used as a base for operations against Chattanooga or the Carolinas, but supplies would always be an issue. On the positive side, this axis of advance would likely be unexpected.

Bowling Green/Nashville: This is the most obvious axis of advance, well served by rail and river lines, and establishing depots in Louisville and Bowling Green would provide a springboard against Nashville. The problem is that Higlandcharge can read a map as well as I can, and a well dug in force at Bowling Green can use the Green River to great effect.

Ft. Donelson: This line of attack is designed to support the Bowling Green thrust by cutting the rail lines across the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers and using my riverboats to trap any forces north of the Tennessee. The main problem is that to achieve the necessary surprise, an amphibious assault on the Dover region is probably necessary and could be defeated by a moderately large defense force.

Mississippi River: Relatively simple, just sail down the river to Memphis, except Island no 10 and Fort Pillow have to be reduced. The same general limitations apply as with Ft. Donelson.

The grand advantage is time. Given Kentucky's neutrality I have time to calmly prepare my forces for a February 1862 launch date. I expect to be able to send forces down all these axes, and I doubt he'll be able to defend everywhere. The trick will be balancing forces across the whole front to exploit the weak spots. (And of course, if Kentucky swings the wrong way with the south taking Louisville, I'll have to fight for every inch of Kentucky.)


The Trans-Mississippi:
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The war got started early in Missouri and I find myself in a footrace. General Lyon did the nation great service by capturing Rolla BEFORE the depot could be destroyed. At the same time, Mo militia have been dispatched by steamboat to Jeff City. Even more surprising, the 2nd cav has discovered that Springfield is unoccupied, with Stearling Price down in Fayetteville. My horsemen are being sent to secure the place while Lyon races to re-enforce them. Of course with my boys so strung out, there is a danger that Price will strike them down in detail.... All eyes are on Springfield...

[pgr]

The month of August opened with a thunderclap:
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William Nelson's gambit to organize pro-union Kentuckians despite the state's official neutrality seems to have pushed the Governor of Kentucky over the edge. The state has entered into open rebellion at a moment when Union forces are still being mustered and are effectively locked in place. The fate of the war could hang on the fate of Kentucky, and I will have to scramble to secure Northern Kentucky before the Confederacy.

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By early September, the situation in Kentucky seems to have stabilized. Louisville is held in force and a small river fleet is attempting to block railroad communications to Munfordville. I won't really feel secure though until Munfordville is taken and I can create a line behind the Green River. In Western Kentucky, General Wallace as been ordered to secure Paducah to prevent the rebels form placing guns on the Ohio River. A real offensive won't be possible until at least December, but if I can grab advanced jump off positions, I will.


Meanwhile in Missouri...

Lyon managed to win the footrace to Springfield and secure its depot, but only at the cost of being completely out of supply when he arrived. A few days later, a large rebel force arrived, and Lyon was caught while trying to withdraw...[ATTACH]26945[/ATTACH]
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(there are those who suggest he should have stood his ground...) Lyon has dug in to the North of Springfield as reinforcements arrive from across Missouri.

In the East, the Confederacy took the initiative attempting to take Harper's Ferry and destroy Stone's command in Leesburg. These have produced the biggest battles so far, with Union forces acquitting themselves satisfactory. General McDowell feels particularly ill-used by the national press which described his performance in Leesburg as a defeat despite him driving K. Smith from the field.
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[Q-Ball]

Good AAR, like the style. Randomized generals makes an enormous difference, particularly for the Union. Having McDowell be a 3-4-4 is pretty big, he is usable now the entire game. I also separates all the 3-1-1 generals for sure.

[pgr]

Good AAR, like the style. Randomized generals makes an enormous difference, particularly for the Union. Having McDowell be a 3-4-4 is pretty big, he is usable now the entire game. I also separates all the 3-1-1 generals for sure.

I think the jury is still out for randomized generals. I mean, leadership is so poor for the Union, it can only get better right? Well it seems like Highland's leaders have generally boosted their stats. So it seems to be a bit of a wash really...

[pgr]

The year 1861 draws to a close. Richmond still is in Rebel hands. Northern papers bemoan a "lost summer" and over cautious generalship. Yet public moral seems high and army mobilization is largely progressing according to plan.

The Little Napoleon--- The East

Ever since taking charge as General-in-Chief of the Union Army, George B McClellan has instituted major reform of army organization along divisional lines, and has been busily drilling the volunteers into veteran soldiers. Now in early December, the general presents his plan to destroy the rebel armies in the East:

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Following the success of General Stone's cavalry raid against Fredricksburg, McClellan is convinced that the right flank of the rebel armies can be turned. Proceeding forward with the army pontoon train and the 4 crack divisions of the Army of the Patomic, Beauregard's army will be cut off from its base of supply in Richmond by a move on Culpeper. General McDowell's army will move into a blocking position in Falmoth. General Banks will leave the defense of Harper's Ferry to a small screening force while moving to hold the Alexandria defenses.

Once these maneuvers are completed, the Confederate army in Mananas will be attacked and driven into the Shenandoah valley for eventual destruction.

President Lincoln is impressed, and encourages McClellan to move immediately in order to provide a decisive victory before the end of the year. McClellan explains that his intent is not to move before March. This will provide him time to achieve overwhelming superiority of numbers and to perfect coordinated Corps operations. Lincoln reluctantly agrees, but observes that in two months, the rebel army could easily slip out of the trap...

The River War--- The West

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Winter has brought an effective halt to operations in the West. The Union finds its self in a promising position. General Halleck's Camp of Instruction is busily forming reserve troops in preparation for new division commanders in January. Northern and Western Kentucky are secure. As soon as river ironclads and transports are completed, offensive operations can be resumed. At the moment, Confederate forces are concentrated in Fort Donelson seemingly prepared to counter any moves into southern Kentucky and Northern Tennessee. However, proper use of river forces could result in ASJ army being trapped in Dover while federal armies move on Island no 10 and Bowling Green. The priority for the moment, however, is to continue to muster the troops and supplies necessary for simultaneous advances across the whole front.

The Snow March-- The Trans-Mississippi

The fall in Missouri bore witness to extensive raiding activity directed at Federal supply depots. The approach of winter seems to have forced the raiders into winter quarters. The Pathfinder, General Fremont himself, has ordered the concentration of all available forces in the state to Jefferson City for and advance on Springfield. It is a gamble given the weather, but General Fremont is convinced that the well equipped supply trains of Lyon's force will allow for a quick advance to the South. Springfield is the last rebel supply depot in Missouri, and if it falls the Rebels will be forced to retreat to Arkansas or face the freezing weather without supplies.
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[minipol]

It will be hard for the CSA to recover from this. A lot of regions I like to control as the CSA are already in Union hands.

[pgr]

Proclaiming that the rebellion will be crushed in time for the troops of the Army of the Potomac to return to their family for Easter Egg Hunts, General George B. McClellan launched his grand turning movement to Culpeper on the 1st of January. The key to the plan would lie in poor weather preventing a confederate reaction and counter attack.

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By January 15 McClellan's move had been accomplished. Culpeper was occupied and the road to Richmond cut for the Confederate forces in Mananas. At this critical juncture, the young Napoleon.... did nothing. As Washington protested that an escape route remained open through the Shenandoah Valley, McClellan insisted that his forces lacked the discipline and coordination to move on the Confederate works. In the interim, General Milroy's holding force at Harper's Ferry was pushed back by Thomas J. Jackson. As Senators started to panic in the Capitol, McClellan reluctantly ordered General Dix's independent command forward to cut the rail line in Clark Va. The resulting battle was a brilliant tactical success, with the troops of General Joe Hooker preforming particularly well.

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The situation in Early March is promising. The Confederate forces in Mananas are entirely trapped, and the newly formed corps of the Army of the Potomac prepare to launch a final assault...
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[Harleyfrank]

I think I'm missing something. When I try playing "Seeing the Elephant" it only lasts 5 turns, with an option to play on after that. No option to build new units or anything. It doesn't seem like 5 turns are enough to do anything other than try and circumvent Manassas and get as near Richmond as possible, but it's pretty much hit and miss. Best I've managed is to get as far as the open space next to it. And that's when McDowell decides he's going to do what he's been told to do, which sometimes he doesn't.

I am new to the game though, so maybe I'm not doing it right.....

BTW why, if I move MCDowell do I have to also move each division individually? I thought they were all in the AOTP and would move with him.

I enjoyed the AAR. Very clear and detailed. Thanks.

[charlesonmission]

Regarding movement, sounds like you aren't using the stacks properly. Take a look at this tutorial.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIjFoi6Mqpo

I think I'm missing something. When I try playing "Seeing the Elephant" it only lasts 5 turns, with an option to play on after that. No option to build new units or anything. It doesn't seem like 5 turns are enough to do anything other than try and circumvent Manassas and get as near Richmond as possible, but it's pretty much hit and miss. Best I've managed is to get as far as the open space next to it. And that's when McDowell decides he's going to do what he's been told to do, which sometimes he doesn't.

I am new to the game though, so maybe I'm not doing it right.....

BTW why, if I move MCDowell do I have to also move each division individually? I thought they were all in the AOTP and would move with him.

I enjoyed the AAR. Very clear and detailed. Thanks.

[Jim-NC]

@ Harleyfrank - Welcome to the forums.

I believe that although this is titled seeing the elephant, they are not playing the "seeing the elephant" scenario, but are in fact playing a longer one (they would have to confirm this of course).

[pgr]

I think I'm missing something. When I try playing "Seeing the Elephant" it only lasts 5 turns, with an option to play on after that. No option to build new units or anything. It doesn't seem like 5 turns are enough to do anything other than try and circumvent Manassas and get as near Richmond as possible, but it's pretty much hit and miss. Best I've managed is to get as far as the open space next to it. And that's when McDowell decides he's going to do what he's been told to do, which sometimes he doesn't.

I am new to the game though, so maybe I'm not doing it right.....

BTW why, if I move MCDowell do I have to also move each division individually? I thought they were all in the AOTP and would move with him.

I enjoyed the AAR. Very clear and detailed. Thanks.

I may have caused some confusion in my title! The campaign is April 61. I named it "Seeing the Elephant" because it's my first AAR--- sorry

[pgr]

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Led by McDowell's Corps, the full weight of the Army of the Potomac fell on the confederate army at Mananas junction. The results were less than spectacular. After a few hours of fighting, Beauregard succeeded in breaking contact and retreating North towards Leesburg in good order. No rebel units were routed and the federal cavalry proved ineffective in pursuit. It would now fall to General Banks to hold the rebels in place...

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The resulting battle of Leesburg also left much to be desired. Blinker's division simply couldn't prevent Beauregard from disengaging before the rest of the AoP could be brought to the field.

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General Bee's command of 7000 troops was now isolated in Mananas, but General Beaguard's forces were in a position to join with General Jackson in Harper's Ferry. The net is proving too weak to hold the fish... much hard marching lies ahead.

[havi]

wow great army u got there what 80000 men! how did it get so big so early in the game?

[pgr]

Late March saw a flurry of activity. Using the newly secured rail-lines Whipple's corps was rushed to Leesburg from Culpeper, but to no avail. After a small battle in Leesburg, Beauregard's forces slipped away to Harper's Ferry.

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A major problem in the pursuit was the inactivity of the Corps commanders. McDowell's leathery in reducing General Bee's force in Mananas provoked McClellan into personally taking command with the brigades attached to his HQ command... The resulting Second Battle of Mananas was a disaster.

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In a blatant display of military ignorance, McClellan assaulted Bee's works with a mere re-enforced brigade before verifying that McDowell's troops would be ready to support. Of course, as McDowell was already in Mananas with the largest Corps of the AoP, it was assumed that his troops would immediately participate any assault.

As it happened, the support was not there. McClellan personal command was completely destroyed, all forces being forced to surrender. The commanding General himself was seriously wounded and had to be taken from the field. In his absence, no other commander saw fit to renew the attack on Bee's small force. Beaurguard's proud little rear guard thus continued to hold Mananas, tying up the entirety of McDowell's corps in the process. (For all of those participating in the little debate about attacking with army HQ's, I'm sure this will provide an example)

From his hospital bed McCellan remained in overall command. April 1st confronted him with a mixed situation. Beauregard had slipped the trap and had joined Jackson at Harper's Ferry. His combined force now numbered approximately 47,000. The attempt to isolate and destroy Beauregard had failed. However, the main Confederate army in Virginia was now cut off from its base of supply in Richmond and re-enforcements organizing under Lee. The campaign now shifted to trap Beauregard in Harper's Ferry before he could slip away down the Valley or before Lee could assist in a breakout.

Sumner and McDowell's corps would assume blocking positions along the Rappahannock while the rest of the army moved North. After a sharp engagement, General Dix's corps secured Winchester, blocking Beauregard's communications down the Valley.
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After a month of hard fighting, Beauregard's Army of the Potomac remains intact and defiant. The possibility of a trap continues to exist, but the Union army is beginning to become spread out across all of Northern Virginia.
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[pgr]

wow great army u got there what 80000 men! how did it get so big so early in the game?

Almost 100,000 actually. I issued all the money decisions as soon as I got them, and focused on the two reg brigades. I think the key is to not get into any big fights in the fall of 61. If you have to raise troops and buy replacements, it starts to press on your resources. Right now my mobilization is being hampered by a money crunch. I'm swimming in conscripts, but not much money. (I think I was too gung-ho on industry...)

[pgr]

With all the attention focused on the East, the developments in the West went largely unnoticed in the spring of 1862. The capture of Island No. 10 and Blowing Green went largely unsung, but now the press hears rumors of an impending battle in the West.

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The situation is quite fluid. Confederate forces in the theater are almost as numerous as Federal troops, and they have the benefit of interior lines. Normally, the Union command of the river would allow for superior mobility, but the defeat of Porter's fleet in the battle of Realfoot lake has disrupted union communications along the river. Compounding the trouble, Polk's force has now split Grant's troops from those of General Wallace. In the East, Don Carlos Buell's Army of the Tennessee is reaching the end of its supply lines from Louisville. The construction of a depot in Bowling Green should relieve the immediate supply problems, however Buell lacks the supplies and troops to threaten Nashville with out Grant's support.

Never missing a minute, Grant sets out to defeat Polk, and with it the left flank of the Confederate position...

[pgr]

It's also worth noting that my money has gotten very tight, while the manpower is through the roof....

[pgr]

The Winter March ended in success and the fall of Springfield.
Unfortunately, Spring has brought a return of deep raiding in Missouri.

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[pgr]

Most of 1861 at sea consisted of fitting out half-strength flotillas and establishing a rudimentary brown water blockade along the Atlantic Coast. General Shields was tasked with outfitting an army/navy division for use in coastal operations, and Fort Pulaski was chosen as a first target.
The fort fell by March, and the decision was made to occupy undefended Savannah.

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Now, the War-Department finds its self at a bit of a crossroads. With all possible reserves being diverted to Virginia, there are no reserves to exploit the potential advantage of using Savanna as a base of operations against Charleston or Atlanta. Some suggest holding Shields in place. Some advocate for leaving a residual force at Fort Pulaski and using General Shields's force against other Confederate ports (Mobile or New Orleans). Still others argue for the creation of a full army to drive North along the coast to Virginia.

However, before any new operations commence a minor Confederate naval offensive must be stopped. The sudden appearance of Confederate Ironclads has spurred northern shipyards into action...

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[ArmChairGeneral]

In regards to the 2nd Battle of Manassas, (post #15) how did you order the battle? McClellan started in Alexandria and moved to Leesburg in Assault posture? Was McDowell also in Assault posture, it appears so because he chose to go after the lone garrison unit? Was Bee inside the structure or in the field? It looks in the battle report like McDowell chose to attack the garrison while McClellan engaged Bee's Division in the field (I'm guessing) on round two when he MTSGed in support of McDowell.

[pgr]

McClellan was in Alexandria going to Mananas. McDowell was inactive in Mananas (inactive and on a defend posture). Bee was in the structure. The screen shot is just of the general battle. You can see that the battle only lasted 2 rounds. Round 1, ONLY McClellan attacked... and his whole force committed and was wiped out, with him getting wounded in round two. McDowell was present, but none of his units committed. And McDowell didn't carry on the fight after McClellan was wounded.

[ArmChairGeneral]

Hmmm.

According to the shot you posted, McDowell killed the garrison unit (the icon with the star and ribbon indicates that they destroyed an element). Did you edit the shot at all? Usually the icons only show in the boxes with combat units, so that is weird.

Anyway, my guess is this is what happened: McClellan arrives and fights. McDowell is in defensive posture and so will only join the fight if attacked, or if other friendlies are severely threatened. (He is inactive, so no MTSG behaviors for this battle). Since McClellan was certainly threatened, McDowell switched postures and joined on the next round, but the targeting mechanism picked the garrison not Bee (there is always a small chance this can happen). Certainly a little bit of bad luck here, but I think the takeaway is that using a small stack to initiate battles that you are hoping a large stack will join puts the smaller stack at risk unless there can be some MTSG, but even then MTSG only happens on the second round, so the small stack needs to be big enough to hold out for a round on their own.

Sorry if I sound like I am second-guessing your moves, just trying to get to the bottom of what happened. When I lose these kinds of battles unexpectedly it is usually because of something to do with multiple stack behaviors, which are complex and hard to decipher from the info we are given.

Thanks for doing this AAR, looking forward to seeing how it plays out!