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[CENTER][color="Navy"][SIZE="6"]Across Five Aprils[/size][/color]

[CENTER][/CENTER][color="RoyalBlue"][SIZE="3"]or possibly less[/size][/color][/CENTER]


This AAR is of a game which I am playing against my old man...he is not allowed to view the following items. This will be a really loose form AAR...no narrative or anything. I may throw a few creative tidbits in here and there, but I am not going to have the time to get too into it.

Comments are more than welcome, but to be fair to my old man...I will more than likely follow my own course in the game and politely disregard any operational advice. He doesn't have a forum of people advising him on what to do so I would kindly ask that I not have one either...so please if you would like to comment on the "goings on" please feel free. Feel free to lambast me on how I'm running my campaign. That's always fun as well .

With that...away we go!


[CENTER][color="Blue"][SIZE="4"]The Game:[/size][/color][/CENTER]

AACW v1.09e
Slightly random leaders
Historical Attrition
Medium Delayed Commitment

All other rules normal


[color="Blue"]Pre-War Planning and Production[SIZE="5"][/size][/color]

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The North was already coping with the fact that war with its Southern neighbors was an inevitability. Northern factories were already beginning to churn out the latest weapons of war in record numbers in preparation for what was hoped would be a short, however grand conflict. New York City was among the leaders in this production. New Locamotives were being produced in record numbers at factories across the north...only a glimpse of the boom that was to come.

All across the Free States of America, chubby Capitalists with their big money mills, steel and iron manufactories, smoke could be seen filling the sky of nearly every major northern city. New York City, Phileadelphia, Pittsburg, Chicago...industry in these major metropolitan areas would receive very healthy subsidies by the Republican Administration to start the war.

[color="Teal"][SIZE="3"][CENTER]Light Industrial Investment in New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Illinois[/CENTER][/size][/color]
[CENTER][SIZE="3"][color="Teal"]Construction of 10 more locamotives and 5 extra transport flotillas[/color][/size][/CENTER]


There was no estimation of what Washington had planned to do with the army that was rumored to be massing there. Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott and his subordinates kept very quiet about their plans. There was sure to be a push on Richmond however.
[CENTER][/CENTER]Thousands of men across the Union were called up and trained to fight and preserve their country. Grand parades were held throughout the north as the new recruits finished their training and marched off to war.
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[SIZE="3"][color="Teal"][CENTER]Replacements ordered for Line, Militia, Cavalry, Supply, Artillery and Light Infantry[/CENTER][/color][/size]

It was the largest military build-up the nation had ever seen. All that was left was to see what the South's next move would be...

Late April and still little action on the Military front.

Several events however. Lincoln proclaims a grand blockade of the south....However the Federal Navy is somewhat lacking. There are only 40 to 50 heavy ships with the rest being sloops, gunboats and transports.

[color="Blue"][SIZE="5"][CENTER]We shall need to build some more of these:[/CENTER][/size][/color]
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After the capture of Norfolk by Southern Militia, reports reach northern officials in Washington that the hull of the U.S.S. Merrimack was salvaged by rebel engineers and that the south may have plans to design a new form of fighting river vessel. Union engineers are already at work on a vessel of their own. A prototype of what engineers call the Ironclad class of warship. designed for coastal and river combat.

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A few more replacements are ordered for line and militia regiments along with an extra replacement element for cavalry. Trouble is brewing in Baltimore after the 8th Mass. Regiment opens fire on a mob of seccecionists. Southern Sympathisers begin tearing up railroad tracks and bridges that lead to the capitol. The transfer of troops from the more populous regions of the north is severely hampered as no troops are immediately available to quash the small revolt. President Lincoln in Washington worries that it may be cut off from the rest of the north if something is not done.

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Meanwhile, no immediate move is made by the rebs against Harper's Ferry in West Virginia. I will hopefully have a chance to build the militia regiment there into a strong enough force to repel any attacks until reinforcements can arrive. The valley will be a critical objective in the first years of the war.

Fort Sumter is reinforced with a regiment of newly raised volunteers. Their arrival on April 12th enrages the Southern Provisional government and a bombardment of the fort is ordered in hopes that it will surrender to the rightful authority of South Carolina.

The nation's first draft is also issued. Washington wishes this to be a brief affair and the quick capture of the southern capitol-to-be will likely bring a swift resolution to the war.

Several Generals are sent to stations throughout the north.

[font="Arial Black"][SIZE="7"][color="Blue"][CENTER]Long Term War Plan[/CENTER][/color][/size][/font]

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The overall Strategy will not be easy. But the goal is to cut the vital Southeastern state off from the rest of the Country and triumph from there.


1861-

East:

1. Advance against the Confederate Capital and capture it before winter

2. Sieze and control the vital Shennendoah Valley for use in future operations

3. Land troops at Fort Pulaski and form a beachhead for the eventual overland push on Savannah and Charleston.


Trans Mississippi

1. Advance Quickly against Nashville and capture it before snows begin to fall

2. Control rails in Northwest Tennessee w'Columbus as tentative supply base.

3. Invade Southern Alabama and establish a base of operations there. Short Term Objective Being Mobile.


West:

1. Invade Texas with a two front attack. One strong column out of Laredo will take Houston and another will sieze Dallas (Kauffman).

2. Secure Missouri for the Union.


1862

East:

1. With Richmond captured and Southern Morale at less than 60 percent, advance to a line along the James River and dig in.

2. Capture Savannah and Charleston, using Savannah as base of Supply


Trans Mississippi:

1. Quickly sieze and secure Forst Henry and Donelson and Island Number 10.

2. Advance swiftly on Corinth and Chattanooga.
a. Knoxville and Memphis will be peripheral objectives in 1862.

3. Capture and hold Mobile while advancing north along Mobile bay.

4. Capture and hold New Orleans


1863

Trans Mississippi

1. Armies from Corinth and Mobile advance along north South Rails and join up in Eastern Mississippi for the Drive West to Vicksburg.


Georgia:

1. Capture Atlanta

2. Forces based in Savannah move Northwest to join Army in Atlanta.


1864:

Trans Mississippi:

1. Combined Army will move to capture Vicksburg


Georgia:

1. Combined Army will move Northeast to strike Confederate Eastern army from the rear.

East:

1. By way of the Shennendoah Valley...take remaining parts of Western Virginia

2. Land at locations in North Carolina to complete the grand siege.

By Early May, morale was doing as well as could be expected. Compared with southern morale it would have to do. The rebs wouldn't be earning any cohesion bonuses from NM and we hoped to keep it that way. Washington was not happy with foreign affairs either. Britain and France expressed some distaste toward the north for executing a blockade of the south. They claimed idealism as the reason...."the United States should be ashamed that it has decided to starve it's own kin". However everyone knew that the real reason was because British tailors would have far less cotton to work with.

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Aside: The fruits of the "random generals" selection seem to be relatively plentiful. A nice surprise to start the campaign, however I sense Banks' hike in strategic value will be trumped by his slow movement speed. Perhaps it will balance out

That's Milroy at the top if you were wondering. He will be in charge of the Valley Campaign.



Washington continues to collect infantry volunteers for the army forming in Alexandria, General Irvin McDowell, commanding. Adjutants, staffers and some horses were also needed to fill out the General's mobile HQ. Northern Factories were ordered to starting pumping out 6lb. cannon while horses from ranches across Ohio and Indiana were requisitioned for limbers and for cavalry use....supplies were being gathered for the coming campaign.



Regiments and material were called up in Ohio and Indiana to form a new division in the west. General George B. McClellan was already making plans for his summer and fall campaigns into Kentucky and Tennessee. Boston shipyards kicked into gear as the navy was in need of supplimentation if the blockade and amphibious campaigns were to be a success.

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The model below would represent the economic investment trend throughout the first year of the war. Funds would be shifted elsewhere if needed.

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Moving to Operations in the East. McDowell continued to gather the main northern army after the capture of the forward base at Alexandria, just across the Potomac from Washington. The capture of the town served a dual purpose...allowing for the afformentioned forward operating base and giving the President slightly less to worry about in light of rebel uprisings in his backyard....of course referring to Baltimore. The President wasn't comfortable with a major rebel staging ground being literally a bridge away from the Union Capitol.

General Milroy along with the newly formed Washington Brigade, made up of grizzled Pennsylvania regulars were sent to Harper's Ferry to begin forming for Operations in the vital Shennendoah Valley

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There was still no word of where the Southern Army would be forming, although Northern Spies were quite certain it was somewhere near the new southern Capitol of Richmond. McDowell hoped the south was suffering the same delays in forming that he had. He also hoped their soldiers were just as inexperienced. This first clash, he thought, could be ugly.

We're reading, keep it coming. It's good stuff.

The latter half of May was not kind to the Rebel cause. There was a significant decrease in Confederate National Morale due to several unknown factors. Union officials still weren't sure what may have caused the drop. A reported skirmish in the streets of St. Louis may have had an affect on overall morale and resolve in the Western slave states, but experts all assumed that the "St. Louis Massacre" as it was tabbed by the pro-south newspapers, would have had a positive affect on overall morale on the home front. Lincoln was admittedly happy to hear the news.

He gave his first innaugural address to express his and the administration's resolve to see the conflict through. It was a boost for Union morale, but there was still only tempered excitement among Northerners, especially those along the border states and in the west, who did not as much appreciate the idea of going to war with their countrymen.

However due to the South's position in the conflict to that poin, Britain and France still favored them. Washington would have to keep a tight leash on the European bohemoths.

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After days of heated debate, only weeks before the official end of the 1861 session...Congress pushed through emergency military funding at the request of the President and his chiefs of staff. It was a limited amount of funding as Politicians agreed, to varying degrees, that the war would be short lived after McDowell got underway. General Scott was among the only top officials who believed this war may require substantial appropriations for many years to come.

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Recruiting posts continued to see thousands of volunteers sign their lives to 3 months of service with the Union. Much needed bodies for the ranks of the Federal Eastern Armies.

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Another new division was being formed from recruits in Illinois and Ohio. Some sharpshooters were called up, along with an extra cavalry regiment and two new 10lb Artillery batteries. The Western army would be on the march soon. Volunteers on the borders states also began to form to defend their homes against likely rebel cavalry raids.

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Turning to Operations in the East. General Patterson began forming his Pennsylvania command for use in the valley. He chose Cumberland, PA as his staging area. High command deemed it necessary to open up that flank in order to combine Patterson's forces with Milroy's in the Shennendoah valley. However with muddy conditions and rails held by confederate sympathizers in Northwest Virginia's mountain country, Patterson was forced to take the long way around to Harper's Ferry. Milroy would have to fend for himself for the time being.

He not only intended to do just that, he decided, on his own initiative to attack. Milroy was intent to get things started in his theatre of operations and set about advancing on the rail junction at Winchester with his Pennsylvania regulars along with Schurz'scavalry regiment, who was, unbeknownst to Milroy, nearly a two weeks ride from Harper's Ferry.

McDowell continued to muster his army in Alexandria. The campaign in the East was being thought about in tents and upon tables for several days. Generals in the Army of Northeastern Virginia were torn between destroying the rebel army...and sidestepping them with and aggressive move toward Richmond. McDowell still had time as the rebel army was still undetected to his front....only a small detachment at the critical rails at Manassas Junction. The General hoped the rebels would make the decision easy.

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After nearly a week of severed communication. A Union spy, planted in Charleston reported that action around Fort Sumter was non-existent. Confederate commanders were reportedly content just sitting outside the battered fort and waiting for the men to starve to death. Washington hoped the lack of rebel initiative would carry through a little longer. Rumors began to fly that the fort could be used as a base of operations against the deep south...once forces were available to be sent there of course.

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Commissary Banks!!! He will keep Stonewall well supplied. LOL apy:

Union national morale increased over the past 14 days. The Union citizenry was more and more anxious about the action brewing all across the country. Many eyes were resting in the east on Milroy's advance on Winchester and McDowell's Army of Northeastern Virginia massing in Alexandria.

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After consistent pressure from his generals, President Lincoln approves the call for more logistical support for his armies. The recruitment of additional divisions and artillery would have to wait for now.

(There isn't a single supply train in the nation at full strength!! eek )

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Milroy along with the Washington Brigade dug in around Winchester. His forces were unable to surround the city, but managed to set up along the hills North of the town. Rebel militia had dug in tight to defend the town. Milroy's small force wasn't able to find a place to flank the defenders and so they spent the early part of June setting up a siege. There were brief skirmishes but very few casualties between the forces. Union scouts patrolling the areas south of Milroy's position discovered a large Rebel force farther up the valley in Mt. Jackson, VA. There was no idication who led the command or what it consisted of. Milroy became rather unsettled and sent orders to Schurz to move with all haste to positions south of Winchester to keep an eye on the Confederates.

Patterson's force was also on its way south via the rails from Baltimore. These would be all Milroy needed for an assault on the town and, he believed, sufficient to mount a campaign against the Confederate force in Mt. Jackson.

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Things were also beginning to heat up in the far west theatre. General Nathaniel Lyon was given Command of the Union Army in Missouri. His first task was to ensure the safety of St. Louis. Reports from Union spies indicated a large rebel force gathering in Northern Arkansas with designs on marching against the state's capitol and then on St. Louis itself. Lyon had at his disposal one regiment of regular infantry, several St. Louis volunteer regiments made up mostly of German immigrants, some cavalry and 12 guns "on loan" from General Helleck's St. Louis defense force. It took several days of bartering for Lyon to aquire the guns.

The President saw fit to add a pair of small Missouri brigades to the recruitment pool to further suppliment Lyon's forces. Helleck also began construction on logistical support...Supply wagons were gathered and formed up for Lyon's advance south.

Lyon devised a plan that would send him south along the Meramac River toward Rolla. Lyon would use the river to cover his southern flank. He would then cut west through the broken terrain around Rolla, sweeping west then South to cut the roads leading to the town, hopefully ensuring the peaceful surrender of the garrison there. Reports indicated only a small detachment of militia in the town. From there. Lyon would counter-march his small army to secure the rail-lines leading west to the former capitol, force a crossing of the Gasconade river and continue west to Jefferson City. The campaign was intended to cut central and Northern parts of the state off from Southern influence and relegate Confederate forces to the Southern base in Springfield for operations. It would contain them, so Lyon assumed.

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In a surprisingly aggressive move rebel cavalry managed to sneak past Union gunboat patrols across Missouri's "Great Confluent" in the dark of night and sieze the Union staging area at Cairo. The small force was now threatening Illionois infrastructure as well as posing a problem for Helleck in St. Louis. General Lyon's pacification of Missouri was being put back on the table after reports were recovered that the small cavalry regiment intended to move against Selma, just east of the Gateway City to destroy the rails and depot there. Helleck was concerned about this threat from the east, and when a substantial rebel force, consisting of some two brigades of volunteers appeared along the Mississippi...Helleck became even more nervous. If Lyon was allowed to move south with his army, St. Louis would be virtually defensless against a strike from the east. Lyon's plan was debated hotly on June 13th....Lyon was reportedly so angry at his superior's indecisiveness that he leant forward at one point during the exchange and quipped, "Sir, east, south, west, it does not matter...I will NOT stay in this city!!" and with that stormed out of the room.

Lyon was ordered to stay in St. Louis through June for the time being...much to his shagrin.

Helleck instead dispatched the newly arrived Admiral Foote with his small fleet of gunboats to prevent a Confederate crossing. Foote departed the night of the 13th.

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[color="Navy"][SIZE="5"][CENTER]The Gainesville Campaign[/CENTER][/size][/color]

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By the onset of July, McDowell was ready to move against the confederate capitol. After many days of debate, he and his commanders decided that the army would operate directly against the Rebel army and destroy it before moving south. Word had reached McDowell that Milroy was hard pressed in Winchester with Patterson's reinforcements moving very slowly and a large Rebel force moving down the Shennendoah Valley from Strasburg, threatening to push Milroy back. Intelligence reports from Milroy's recon patrols indicated a Rebel force of nearly 15,000 men, more than Triple his force bearing down upon him. Milroy wired Patterson to hurry with his reinforcements before the Union lost the rails at Winchester and left McDowell's Right Flank vulnerable to attack. The intel was vastly exaggerated, however, as General Joseph Johnston had a mere 6,000 men moving northeast toward Winchester. He had not caught wind of Patterson's full strength in Harper's Ferry.

McDowell devised a plan of action that would ensure the rebel army, which by July 1st had begun de-training at Manassas Junction, would not be able to link up with Johnston in the Valley and cut them off from their vital supply artery...the Orange and Alexandria Railroad.

While Confederate forces were still unorganized at Manassas with little information about the disposition or strength of his army, McDowell decided that he would give 24,000 men to one of his more promising generals and order them to swiftly move first against Gainesville, cut the rails joining the valley with the Orange & Alexandria...then drive south to Warrenton and sever the Rebel supply line to Richmond. Once this was completed, Asboth would dig in for the likely Confederate counterattack and McDowell, with the rest of the army would drive south from Fairfax Courthouse and strike the Confederate army from the rear. General Asboth, who showed courage leading a wing of the attack against Alexandria would be given command of the army's 24,000 man vanguard. Immediately however, things began to go wrong for the Union.

Asboth was given overall command over four Divisions under Generals Tyler, Nelson, Miles and Runyon. On the evening of July 2nd, A major error occured when General Tyler's command, the second division in line, for some reason took a road leading Northwast toward Thoroughfare Gap instead of following the Warrenton Turnpike Southwest toward Gainesville. ApparentlyTyler was under the impression that the whole force was to move west through Thoroughfare Gap and assist Milroy in Winchester...the mistake ultimately slowed the Federal columns down and prevented them from reaching Gainesville before it was too late.

On July 3rd, After hearing that Federal columns had already crossed Bull Run to the north and moved dangerously close to cutting the communication lines between the two Southern Armies, General Bohnam, in charge of some 27,000 Confederates moved to counter Asboth at Gainesville. It was fortunate that Tyler had made a mistake. The Confederates made a lightening fast march from Mannassas all the way to Gainesville and managed to get several forces in place the night of the 3rd, before Asboth's leading elements arrived the next morning.

Asboth's cavalry scouts brought him the bad news. It was late on the evening of July 3rd that Asboth ordered Nelson to continue his march and try to secure the town before the Confederates had the chance. Nelson marched nearly all through the night until finally reaching the town of Gainesville. It was 2am before his troops had the chance to get some rest. Much to Nelson's, not to mention Asboth's surprise, Tyler had managed to make up for lost time and was a mere 3 miles away and would be arriving on the field the next morning.

Federal Picketts still had not discovered a large Confederate force about a Mile to the South along a small stretch of road that would later be reffered to simply as "The Sunken Road". All Nelson could see were the campfires of two Confederate brigades farther to the west. Bohnam's own briagade and that of General Ewell. Magruder's entire division, save Jubal Early's brigade had positioned itself along a defensive line in the sunken road. General Whiting was arriving with his brigade just as the sun began to pop over the horizon on the morning of July the 4th. Independence Day....for one side, it may very well have been....

[color="Navy"][SIZE="6"][CENTER]The Battle of Gainesville[/CENTER][/size][/color]

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At daybreak, General Nelson's men awoke to the sound of blaring trumpets and beating drums. The lead Division's pickets had discovered three brigades and the artillery of Magruder's Division in the Sunken Road blocking the route South to Warrenton. Nelson knew that clearing the way to Warrenton was the key to success in the campaign, but also knew that his men were in need of rest after the long march from Centreville. The General was also aware that Tyler would not arrive on the field for at least another 4 hours. Word from the cavalrymen patroling to the west indicated a strong Rebel force of at least two brigades, supported by a regiment of cavalry approaching from that direction. They were a mere 2 miles down the road. Nelson realized that he needed to move against Magruder in the Sunken Road but hesitated for fear of leaving his Division's right flank up in the air.

Nelson orderd up the division's artillery to positions south of the Warrenton Turnpike. At 6am, Nelson had 30 guns at his disposal, 5 full batteries. By 7O'clock they began to drop sporadic fire on the Confederates manning the embankments of the sunken road. At around 7:15, confederate guns began barking back.

Seperating Nelson and Magruder was an open plain, nearly 3/4 of a mile across and 1 mile wide. Magruder's men occupied a strong position in the naturally fortified embankment of the sunken road and the heavily wooded terrain directly south of it. His reserve regiments were virtually invisible to Federal artillery spotters. General Bohnam, who trusted his old brigade to the command of a colonel and friend was on his way up the Warrenton Turnpike from the west with the 3rd Va Cavalry and General Ewell's Brigade in tow. Scouts reported of only one division in the vicinity of Gainesville. Bohnam was unaware of Tyler's men, fast approaching the battlefield.

The spirited artillery exchange lasted for nearly 2 hours. Opposing skirmishers traded fire as Nelson began probing the Confederate line for weak points. One picket managed to bring word that Magruder wasn't alone. A Brigade of Rebel troops, later discovered to be Whiting's brigade, were bouviacked in the woods south of Magruder's position and were in a good position to counter any strike on Magruder's left flank. To Magruder's right, pickets reported that the woods were so dense that any major movements would be virtually impossible. Nelson was hemmed in...he had only one line of advance and he knew that he would be forced to take it. But with Miles and Runyon still hours away he decided it was time to attack.

Nelson ordered his three brigades into line at around 9:45am and they began advancing across the open plain at almost exactly 10am. The Federal troops began taking case and shell shot from 10 Confederate cannon, muzzle down on the Sunken Road embankment. The fire was rapid and intense. Some soldiers simply fell out and ran back toward Centreville, many others were victim to the awful onslaught. By the time Nelson't Brigades came within musket range, they were nearly at the breaking point. Confederate sharpshooters mounted in the trees just behind the sunken road were raking a terrible fire on the ranks of the Union attackers. When the Federal troops came within 75 yards of the sunken road, Three brigades of confederates suddenly rose all at once....and like one officer wrote, "unleashed the most awesome volley any man would every witness." Advancing Union regiments were stopped dead in their tracks as lead filled the air around them and men began dropping, seemingly with each passing second. Minie-balls could be heard zipping through the air all around the green Union troops. Some stayed on their feet, some crouched, other's lay cowering under the withering fire. Finally, Nelson's Brigades managed to open up a respectful response. Union muskets began peppering the confederates, hitting few, but giving them a taste of the heat of battle as well.

Meanwhile Tyler's Division began arriving on the field. His first three brigades were immediately sent to protect Nelson's exposed right flank from two oncoming rebel brigades. The two forces met one another with a roar of cannon and musketry and battled back and forth, attacking and counter attacking, charging and counter charging for almost the entire morning. The fire was fast and hot throughout the fight, but both sides were tolerating it well. At one point, Ewell's troops came within 15 yards of one of Tyler's Union brigades before unleashing a terrible volley that nearly sent them running for the protection of the guns, but the Federal men stood fast and returned fire with a rolling volley of their own which eventually forced Ewell to withdrawal his regiments to a safer distance.

The air began to fill with smoke and the scent of gunpowder as the battle raged through the morning. Surprisingly, Nelson's men on the Union left were holding fast under withering confederate musketry and canister fire. One Confederate wrote of the scene, "It was as if the yankees wanted to die, it was among the bravest of acts I'd ever seen." Federal and Rebel troops traded fire along the sunken road for half an hour. select Union regiments would advance on the rebel position, but would ultimately be stopped by a hail of bullets before turning back and hugging the safety of the long summer grass. One of Magruder's staff officers alerted the general to the fact that the Union left was up in the air and vulnerable to an advance and flanking maneuvre. Magruder ordered a regiment of Longstreet's brigade to advance and enfilade the Federal attackers. The exchange lasted almost until noon. By 11:30am, Nelson believed that Magruder's position along the road embankment was completely impenetrable by his division alone and ordered his troops to retreat and reform.

Tyler's 4th brigade along with the independent 2nd Wisconsin were ordered to move and hold the left while Nelson re-formed. Asboth arrived on the field at around 11:45 with news that Miles and Runyon were not far away. they would be on the field within the hour.

Union Cavalry attacked the Confederate 3rd Va Cavarly on the far western flank of both armies. a short melee ensued before the inexperienced Union Cavalrymen were forced to retreat.

[color="Navy"][SIZE="6"][CENTER]The Battle of Gainesville[/CENTER][/size][/color]

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As noon passed, the popping of musketry and the boom of cannon could be heard across much of the Virginia tidewater. The Battle of Gainesville was hitting full stride as both sides continued to slam each other with shot and shell.

As Nelson reformed his division to the rear of the Union Line, Union General Tyler sent two of his reserve units to hold the Federal Left until help could arrive. Tyler's Fourth Brigade, Under Colonel Allen Wright and an unnattached regiment from Wisconsin under the command of a brave and flamboyant French immagrant by the name of Guerrier moved to secure the federal flank. As they moved into the open field they were immediately subject to the barrage which had crippled Nelson's advance earlier that morning. Case and Shell began exploding all around the two units. Their brave stand on the left, however, would prevent a disasterous defeat in the afternoon to come.

On the Confederate line, Magruder's Brigades continued to offer a steady helping of musketry and had done well stopping the advance of General Nelson's troops, but Union Artillery massed just South of town was beginning to take its toll on the Confederate soldiers hugging the embankement of the sunken road. One private described the scene, "shells would pass over our heads with a loud whirring sound, some of them bursting trees to our rear, others landing harmlessly short of our position. Yet some others would reap terrible destruction upon our ranks. One such shell exploded within only yards of my position along the embankment of the road. The yankee shell literally ripped its victims limb from limb...I would never have dreamed to witness something so greusome in my entire life."

Were it not for the Union artillery barrage, the new units holding the federal left would surely have quit the field in terror at the accurate Confederate musketry.

On the right, Tyler's first three brigades were still locked in a desperate struggle with the Rebel brigades of Bohnam and Ewell. The two forces continued to fight back and forth. A small patch of ground, perhaps only 150 yards across, just West of Gainesville where the two sides had spent most of the morning fighting seemed crawling with the dead and dying. Some men tripped over their fallen comrades as they advanced, then withdrew, then advanced again. The horror of battle was telling for both sides.

On the far Union Left, A brave cavalry officer led his regiment in a charge against Longstreet's position in the sunken road, an attempt to relieve the beleagured Federals now desperately holding on to the only connection to the rest of the Union Army. The attack was halted within 25 yards of its target with a swift volley of canister and musket. more than 300 horesemen from that regiment alone were felled during the attack...a grim reminder of the advances in technology which had made such an attack utterly futile.

General Asboth watched to carnage unfold before him. He turned to look east and saw something he thought which made his heart skip a beat and with that spurred his horse for the east to greet the good news. Miles and Runyon had arrived!

[color="Navy"][SIZE="6"][CENTER]The Battle of Gainesville[/CENTER][/size][/color]

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It was 1:30 in the afternoon before General Miles was able to get his men into position to attack. General Asboth was informed that there was a wide opening between the Confederates occupying the sunken road and those sparring with Tyler who had by now been pushed back to the woods southwest of town. The General would take advantage of this opening and Miles was the man called on for the job.

Miles was ordered to move into the rift in the Rebel line, flank both forces and destroy them in detail. Miles was all too eager to get moving...little did he know that General Bohnam, who had been conducting some personal reconnaisance of his own, had discovered the same gap and ordered General Whiting's Brigade to fill it.

Miles' troops were arranged in three ranks, one brigade in each, as space did not allow him to spread his troops into a proper line of battle, something which doomed his advance to failure. As Miles' men advanced closer and closer to the gap in the rebel line, watching as the Confederates under Ewell passed on their right...and the Confederates in the Sunken Road pass on their left...seemingly unaware of their maneuvre, their hearts began to flutter with excitement. It was at this moment that Whiting's men burst from the trees to their front with a loud screach, later reffered to as the rebel yell, stopped, leveled their rifles and let loose an awesome volley that raked Miles lead brigade with a hail of lead. The green federal troops were utterly stunned. Confusion resulted and the lead brigade began to falter. Another volley, then another slammed into the Advancing Federal troops, finally Whiting gave the order to fix bayonets. The Confederates charged with what one seargent described as, "a fury seen only in mad men". It was all that Miles lead brigade could handle. Before the Rebel troops even made contact with their line, the Union soldiers broke and headed for the rear. The route acted as a title wave through the ranks of Miles' men. Soon his entire division was in dissarray and high-tailing it for the Federal rear. Whiting had saved the Confederate Army.

Meanwhile on the Confederate right, General Longstreet, yet again faced an assault from the Union foe. However this time it was courtesy of General Runyon and his two brigades of Pennsylvania Volunteers. The assault managed to make it all the way into the Confederate positions along the sunken road, but was ultimately forced back after a bloody melee. Runyon's volunteers suffered grimly in the affair. losing nearly 15 percent of their original strength.

Whiting opted not to follow up his success against the Union center, for fear of isolating himself. So he opted to shore up the Confederate line in a postition at the edge of the woods west of the Sunken Road. The Yanks had been repulsed at every advance. Now an eery lull fell over the battlefield.

General Asboth, with his division commanders, huddled around a table discussing the army's next move. All the generals knew that the Army would need to move Magruder out of his position in order to move on to its objective and so it was decided that one final attack with 3 of the army's four divisions would send Magruder reeling. The advance was scheduled to take place at 4 O'clock. Union and Confederate Artillery Continued to lob ordinance at one another. The Union guns were taking a heavy toll on the beleagured rebels manning the sunken road. perhaps they were on their last legs. Several of them had only a few rounds of ammunition left to fight with.....the final attack would come...soon.

[color="Navy"][SIZE="6"][CENTER]The Battle of Gainesville[/CENTER][/size][/color]

General Asboth had his three divisions in place for the final assault at precisely 4:00pm. Union artillery had been hammering away at the Confederate line along the sunken road for the past hour and a half. The damage was limited, but what Asboth hoped would strain was the Rebel morale in the face of such a barrage and subsequent onslaught.

For the attack, General Nelson was ordered back into action to forme the vanguard of the advance. General Runyon's tired Pennsylvania volunteers, the light infantry, would form up on Nelson's right flank. With the still shaken, but resolute men of Miles Division in support.

Confederate gunners were nearly out of case and shell shot so the Union troops were able to advance with relatively light resistence across the field. However the morale of the Federal troops was shaken as they passed over their wounded and dead comrades laying on the open plain. Many of their friends bodies lay mutilated by Confederate cannonade....others were still attempting to crawl to the safety of Gainesville...many would reach a hand and pull at the trousers of the men passing over them for help. Some men, still un-conditioned to the product of war, stopped to help their comrades and the Union lines became disorganized before reaching muskey range.

Magruder's weary troops watched in awe from the Sunken Road. A Private with the 5th Virginia Regiment was remembered to have leant over to one of his comrades and ask, "Is them yanks insane? I thought they'da had enough by now...". Magruder told his brigade commanders not to allow their troops to fire until the enemy was within 100 yards. However Confederate cannon, with plenty of close range ordinance, begun unloading on the advancing Union troops with double shot cannister, plowing holes in their ranks.

Huge swaths of the Union ranks utterly seemed to dissapear in the face of the terrible barrage. Confederate sharpshooters rained precise shots down upon the advancing federals, killing many officers and men. The Union lines wavered again, but continued forward. General Nelson, in an uncharacteristic act of bravery rode ahead of his division, up and down the line as men fell all around him and others mowed down by rebel cannon. He urged his Division forward, an act which emboldened the entire Union advance. The General turned to face the enemy in the Sunken Road and with his sword pointed toward them, exclaimed to his soldiers..."There they are!! The fools who thought our proud resolve could be diminished! NOW AT THEM boys!!! Heros are made this day!!" With that the general jumped off of his horse, unholstered his side-arm and began firing blindly into the Confederate ranks as he jogged toward their line. His men were utterly moved by the display and let out a loud cheer before kicking forward at the double quick. The troops of Runyon's Division rushed forward as well. A rebel private later reported that his best friend, witnessing the display was shot dead by the seemingly mad general.

Confederate resovle was shaken after the roar of voices from across the field reminded them that there was still dirty work to be done. Longstreet and the other brigade commanders ordered their units up again, for one last time, they said..."Up, FIRE men, FIRE and send them back to their homes and we shall be free!". With that the confederates lining the Sunken Road opened up the hottest exchange seen on the field to that point. Once the command to "Fire at Will" was given, one union officer said, "It was as if the very air you breathed was made of bullets."

Union regiments advanced to within 20 yards of the Confederate Line and finally halted....they leveled a volley upon the defenders that, for the first time, sent many of them reeling into the woods behind them. The Confederate line was faltering. The Sunken Road may be within Asboth's grasp. Union troops continued the hot exchange as smoke filled the air around them. After about 15 minutes an officer from a New York Regiment described, "the boys could only aim at the enemy's muzzle flashes." The smoke was so dense that each man could only see a few yards in front of him and each man that was hit seemed to have been struck by some phantom in the mist let alone a minie ball.

Magruder received great news soon after. Early's Brigade had arrived. And it was these fresh troops that would win the day. Early's regiments immediately plugged all gaps in the Confederate line and offered an added barrage of musketry to the already weary ranks of the advancing Union divisions.

It was all the Union troops could handle. They began falling back as their comrades continued falling all around them. It took an act of God to keep them from routing, but General Asboth finally came to terms. The battle was lost. General Tyler's relatively rested Division was ordered to form around Gainesville and cover the retreat of the 3 other divisions. The Union would have to find another way route to Richmond.

The battle was a bloody one...Union casulaties approached 5,000 in all. Approximately 1,113 men lay dead...another 3,388 lay wounded and the rest were missing or unaccounted for. Confederate casualties were considerably less, but still telling. 2,800 in all. The Sunken Road was literally layered with bodies, wounded, dead and dying. The fields west of Gainesville were also a minefield of moaning Confederate casualties. Total, the rebs had lost 745 killed, nearly 2,000 wounded and the rest missing. It was a bloody affair for both sides.

Bohnam decided that nothing more could be gained by pursuing the Federals back through Gainesville. His troops were very fatigued. Not only had the vicious battle taken its toll, but the hot July sun as well. The only fresh units Bohnam had at his disposal were Whiting's and Early's brigades, hardly enogh to mount any sort of effective offensive. So Bohnam left Whiting in command of three brigades to secure Gainesville and returned to positions along Bull Run Creek with Magruder's Divsion for some much needed rest.

By 7pm, much of the Union army had departed, only sporadic gunfire could be heard from either side. Tyler's Union cannon could still be heard covering the retreat. McDowell recieved news of the defeat during dinner and reportedly slammed his fists on the the table, shocking his guests and spilling his plate of food all over the floor. He was lucky to have retained his army in order, he thought later however. They were still fit for a fight and he had other plans.

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A regiment of Tyler's Division holds off a Confederate advance by General Ewell's Virginia Brigade

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General Bohnam forms up his old Brigade in preparation for an advance on Gainesville




[CENTER]A New York Regiment of Irishmen advance on the Sunken Road in the sweltering July heat

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[CENTER]Union Cavalry attempt to break Confederates along the Sunken Road[/CENTER]

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[CENTER]Bohnam's tired Rebel Brigade moments before the withdrawal to wooded areas to the rear[/CENTER]

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And a quick screen shot of the battle's resolution from the game's perspective. As you'll see some of my numbers and the game's numbers don't quite match up, I apologize for that, but I was working mostly off of memory. I hope you can forgive the error .

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Nice pictures!

Just to catch everyone up on the rest of July's action elsewhere, of which there was a limited amount.

General Lyon, without the express permission of Helleck decided to advance Southwest on Rolla after receiving word that Sterling Price had managed to march his small army from Arkansas to Central Missouri in just 30 days. Lyon's cavalry scouts spotted the enemy army on July 13th just across the Gasconade River. Price would have to be dealt with before any attempts were made further south.

General Sumner was approaching the Missouri Capitol from the West with a small contingent. Lyon decided not to directly force a crossing against Price, but outflank him farther to the north and move directly on Jefferson City, and there, link up with Sumner and his troops for the drive south. The move eventually succeeded and Price was forced to withdrawal to the friendly confines of the Missouri Ozarks.

Proving to be a real thorn, a small regiment of Rebel Cavalry managed to sieze the Union depot at Salem Illinois. Engineers steering a train filled with Federal Cavalry bound on dealing with the little problem ended up taking the wrong rails south and wound up passing the vulnerable Confederate horsemen and leaving the Union troopers with a 4 day ride north to catch them. The regiment's young colonel hoped that the Rebs would stay in Salem for a time before making their next move.


Price is spotted by Union Cavalry in Feyetteville, AR in late June



Lyon and Price opposite the Gasconade River from one another on July 13th...Lyon's troops suffering from mild fatigue



Rebel Cav take Salem, IL




By July things were getting underway in Kentucky as well. General George B. McClellan had arranged his command of just over 20,000 troops into two divisions. His plan was to advance south to Bowling Green, using the rails as his supply artery, and from there mount an offensive against Nashville. The offensive would hopefully draw some pressure away from the far west theatre of operations as well as some of the tension in the east while McDowell rested his army.



The human toll after Gainesville is telling, but the Northeastern Virginia Army is still in good enough shape to be moved.




And a final look at resources, VP's and NM as July comes to a close.



And in perhaps one of the greater blunders in Military History, Union General Irvin McDowell nearly sealed the fate of the divided country by taking his army directly South....The road to Washington was left wide open...and General Bohnam in Manassas was ready to pounce.

Yeah, Runyons mini militia division is torn up LOL

As Asboth's weary colums began streaming back into Centreville on July 8th and 9th, McDowell had already received the news about the battle at Gainesville. The General had now lost the momentum in the campaign and what would seem to have been a brief stanza in American History, a small pause for conflict while cooling heads prevailed, now seemed more and more to be a war, a real war in all it's grit and gloom...and it was now that the General believed the war could last through Christmas much to the shagrin of Washington politicians.

In his report to President Lincoln, Gen. McDowell wrote, "This army has been stung by defeat, the enemy's resolve appears much stronger than was initially observed. Perhaps our boys won't be home for Christmas."

McDowell however, being a gruff veteran and competitive soul, was not about to let the initiative slip away and devised a new plan. One that could put the Union army on the doorstep of the Confederacy's beloved Richmond before Autumn set in.

McDowell first needed to tend to his army. While the retreat from Gainesville was orderly and conducted well by all parties, the men's morale was markedly lower than it had been the previous month. They were in need of rest and a chance to recouperate. Replacement troops were already on their way from Washington, but they would not be enough to fully compliment the losses taken at Gainesville. Hardest hit were General Runyon's small division of militia and volunteers and Gen. Miles division of regulars. Runyon's two brigades had seen some of the grittiest hand to hand fighting of the entire battle and it showed. Mile's division, which had literally melted away in the face of a sweeping countercharge by General Whiting's brigade during the battle was missing nearly 30 percent of its original strength. Many of the men simply turned tail and ran home, many of them were never found. Nelson's troops came out of the affair relatively well, and with some replacements would be ready to move again come August. Tyler, who was congratulated after the battle for his efforts on the vulnerable Union left
was bloodied but could also be moved.

During the closing days of July, McDowell rested his army, keeping a close eye on the Rebel host still dug-in outside Manassas Junction and spoiled over his new plan.

The strategy called for a strong and fast advance South. McDowell believed that if he could mount a fast enough thrust toward a lightly defended Fredricksburg, cross the Rappahannock, and continue toward Richmond, he could remove Bohnam's forces from their entrenchments and farther away from Washington while at the same time, threatening the enemy Capitol and possibly getting behind the enemy army. McDowell would use a diversionary march path directly east toward Alexandria, a move aimed at keeping the Confederates in place. When within a few miles west of Alexandria, McDowell would turn his Army South and make for Aquia Landing where he would set up his supply outpost for the continued move south.

McDowell would allow Runyon to return to the defenses of Washington and continue forward with the rest of his army, the fresh division of Hunter and the battle tested troops under Tyler, Nelson and Miles. around 26,000 troops in all.

The crux in McDowell's plan was that it would leave a relatively open road to Washington if Bohnam were to make an advance there. Jeopardizing the outcome of the war and the Union...President Lincoln saw this little flaw and noted it in a private conversation with McDowell on July 29th at the White House.

McDowell, by some miracle, convinced the President to accept his plan, if for anything else, he believed, it could put a swift end to the war or at least move it south of the Rappohannock, limiting the Confederate ability to threaten the capitol in the future. McDowell assured the president that his troops were ready for the march and would surely, "catch Johnny sleeping".

So on August 1st, orders were sent and the troops began moving. Little did McDowell know that Bohnam had ambitions for an aggresive move as well....

The Campaign that would place Washington under seige by an army of it's own countrymen was about to begin.

[color="Navy"][SIZE="6"][CENTER]The Washington Campaign[/CENTER][/size][/color]

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And so the orders were issued and the now revived Army of Northeastern Virginia was on the move. As planned, the army would march along a single path to the east. In hopes that the confederates would assume they were continuing their retreat to Washington. When word reach Bohnam that the Federal Army was on the move, it took him several days to realize what it was up to.

Scouts and loyal landowners provided news that the Army of Northeastern Virginia had turned south. By August 7th, Bohnam received news that McDowell had already made the march as far south as Dumfries 20 miles to the east along the western Bank of the Potomac, not to mention several miles in his rear and in a perfect position to strike west to Warrenton, or south to Fredricksburg.

Bohnam was in no hurry to leave the vital Junction at Manassas lightly defended and was not about to do so until he was absolutely sure he had been flanked, but he finally relented when cavalry patrolling to the east confirmed a large concentration of Federal Troops around Dumfries marching south on two parallel routes. Bohnam knew now McDowell's intentions. He was headed for Aquia landing and Fredricksburg.

Meanwhile, by August 10th, Union troops began arriving at Aquia Landing, a river and rail hub which marked the end of the Richmond, Fredricksburg and Potomac Railroad. This would be the life-line McDowell would use in his drive south toward Richmond. His 26,000 man army was weary from the long march and would rest for several days while at Aquia Landing while pontoons and supply wagons were brought down the Potomac to begin construction of a Supply Depot there. This was all the time McDowell's opponent would need to mount his own offensive.

on August 10th, Bohnam received word from Richmond that General P.G.T. Beauregard and the rest of the Army of the Potomac would be arriving at Bristoe station within the week. The President and Secretary of War had received several telegrams from Fredricksburg begging for aid from the main army and promptly wired for Bohnam to meet them at his headquaters in the field.

The 3 men sat in a tent on a humid summer afternoon about a mile east of Groveton, where Bohnam had set up his headquarters. The Secretary and President pleaded with Bohnam to withdrawal his force south to protect Richmond, but Bohnam had a much bolder plan up his sleeve. His scouts had reported that a mere 6,000 man garrison was left to defend Alexandria after McDowell had made the big right turn toward Dumfries, and only 9,000 troops were left to guard Washington. Bohnam proposed that Beauregard be allowed to defend the Capitol and that he be allowed to make the advance that would win the war. After an hour or so of discussion, which at one point reached a fever pitch, so loud that several men were at gun point forced back to their tents from gawking at the spectacle. The life of the Confederacy was hanging in the balance....and Bohnam wanted to gamble it all.

At last the Politicians agreed to the plan, orders were passed down and the march north began. It would be a short 25 mile march to Alexandria before Bohnam could cross to the capitol. He took his time, he didn't want McDowell knowing of his move until it was too late. It proved to be a greivous mistake...one that would cost him later on. Bohnam's small army of about 24,000 troops pressed back the small garrison at Alexandria, commanded by General Joseph Hooker. Bohnam left a small force to guard any planned breakout....only about 2,000 troops. Something which he would also later regret.

When McDowell received the telegraph from Washington that Confederate troops were making ready to cross the Potomac, he nearly fell ill. The general knew that it would be the end of his career, the end of his command, the end of the Union if he didn't get back to save his beloved Capitol. He was angry with himself to believe that the rebel general would not sieze the initiative and advance on the lightly defended Union Capitol. McDowell's troops quickly forced their way across the wide mouth of the Potomac and made their way north to Washington...it was August 16th and Confederate troops were already arriving north of the city to dig in for a siege.

Confederates were given ample time to dig in, nearly a week before McDowell would arrive and so Bohnam arranged his command along a set of siege works nearly 15 miles in length, ringing Washington with his grand host and shaking the inexperienced defenders to their very core. a few brief skirmishes erupted along the line, but Bohnam was content to sit in his trenches and await McDowell, for he had received a telegram informing him that the Union general was hastily making his way north. The general firmly believed that the mere presence of the Confederate Army at the gates of the Union would be enough to bring about a peace settlement. Bohnam now had a mere 22,000 troops with which to face McDowell....Bohnam thought it would be more than sufficient, given the trenches his men were able to dig into the soft Maryland earth.

It was a week later, on August 23rd that McDowell arrived, but not directly to his front, as Bohnam had expected, but instead in his rear. Bohnam would be forced to abandon his entrenchments and fight McDowell in the open....

He realized his error and made preparations to meet McDowell in the field.

boo! it ended!! leure: