Sun Nov 06, 2011 10:01 am
Late December 1864
Missouri
There was a little action in Missouri. My Indian unit destroyed the RR and moved to Union. The Union took back Bloomington. This clearly show the Union isn’t going to give me a free pass in this far flung theatre. Furthermore, General Crittenden with a brigade, militia, and 2 batteries has showed up across the river near Bloomington. I can only imagine they are coming to Jefferson City. On one hand, I could raise a militia unit and battery in Jefferson City, but I’m hesitant to put resources into a region which I can’t really believe is going to help me hold off the union. Jefferson City only provides +4 in GS and I can’t industrialise in the state. This leads me to believe that putting non cavalry units in there would lead to them starving, even if I could hold off the Union. This turn the Indian unit will destroy the RR and head back to Jefferson City. I’m also sending 1 more general to Jefferson City to bring a full complement of 4 generals there.
[ATTACH]16322[/ATTACH]
Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi
Some interesting movement has happened here. Gordon’s division made it to Port Hudson and took over the town without a fight. However, they barely beat the Union fleet at the river crossing. This is interesting as I didn’t know where the Union fleet went and it has now reappeared. By using “previous turn replay” I can see that the fleet must have come from Little Rock. Cheatham’s force in Vicksburg hit the Union fleet pretty hard with 49 hits. This has dropped the strength of the Union fleet to “yellow”. My best guess at this point is that Mortar will attempt an evacuation of Lyon’s force who has recovered to power of 250 and supply is at the orange colour. The supply for Lyon went up since Port Hudson had about 100 GS in the town. My militia unit made it onto the New Orleans fleet without a fight. I’m going to have Gordon dig into Port Hudson, but I’d be very surprised if Lyon attacks there. I think the evacuation is the most likely scenario. The Union could attempt some wild manoeuvre of going south, beating the smaller New Orleans flight, running the heave guns of New Orleans and taking a fort at the mouth of the Mississippi. Or even go for Mobile or the lightly defended southern Texas. However, I think that is not likely, so here is what I’m going to do. I’m going to leave the New Orleans fleet as is with defend and retreat. My Mississippi fleet from Vicksburg with power of 1115 will target the Union fleet on conservative attack. It takes 11 days to reach the Union fleet in its current location; it might not make it this turn. However, if the Union fleet moves north on the Mississippi, then a battle will most likely happen.
[ATTACH]16323[/ATTACH]
In northern Mississippi, my blocking fleet has arrived and Kershaw continues to dig in with 1 division. I’ve noticed some more movement by the Union into Austin MS. There is now 2 corps there with a total of 3 divisions I believe. Unfortunately, the weather is still good in Mississippi. I'm sending Cleburne's division from Henry TN to reinfoce Kershaw's new position. The position in Henry is unlikely to be attached since the Union would have to attack across a river for Grant to join and Henry is a forest with mud.
[ATTACH]16324[/ATTACH]
Tennessee – nothing happened at all other than Chattanooga build +2 WS. I’d rather have GS though. Supply in Nashville is 43 / 1255. Virginia
Virginia
It was a pretty good turn for industrialization; Petersburg +24 and Hampton +14. There were no battles, but Mortar has surprised me by going straight for the east west Virginia RR. Clearly, my plan to open up some additional supply that way isn’t going to happen. The big move is that Kearney’s corps has moved in Burkeville. I also made a mistake in my division restructuring. I wanted to send Winder’s division from Richmond to Petersburg, but I seem to have forgotten to do that. So, Petersburg is virtually undefended. Winder’s division from Richmond will go to Petersburg and be there in 2 days, which should be enough to stop any attack that would happen there, although I don’t really expect an attack as I think he knows I have quite a large force in Richmond ready to move. Basically, Trimble’s brigade fled Burkeville back to Petersburg. I’m pulling the cavalry unit in Campbell back to Petersburg. And I’ll let the cavalry unit in Covington to rest 1 more turn. In addition to sending Winder to Petersburg, I’m sending a small brigade from Longstreet to Lee and a small brigade from Jackson to Petersburg. The Union now has power of 6000 in the 3 regions of Buckingham, Appomattox, and Camden. If the Union wanted, they could bring that all that to bear against Lee. My fleet is still in Norfolk and is nearly 100% (current power 2158). The Union has rebuilt all the RRs in WV, I still hold Grafton un-garrisoned there. Supply in Richmond is 266 / 1981
[ATTACH]16325[/ATTACH]
Economic plans
It is late December, so that means options are available again. I’m doing 8% bonds which will raise about 1 million in cash and an embargo this turn. The embargo will give me +3 NM. I will wait 1 turn to call for volunteer and mobilise since I have no WS. Therefore, I’m reducing industrialization in VA and TN to light this turn. That will leave me with 37 in WS. I don’t think I can win by VPs now as he gets 50 per turn and I get 45. Therefore, I would rather take the VP hit with the bonds than the NM hit with the taxes or printing.
Replacements – 1 each in elite, line, and light artillery.
[ATTACH]16326[/ATTACH]
-
Attachments
-
-
-
-
-