Is there any way to act as a covering force

[alastair]

Sorry if this has been answered elsewhere but my searches didn't find anything. What I am wondering is if there is any way of making a stack react to another one's movement. I am specifically thinking of when a breakout occurs (usually smething like a confederate invaion of Maryland/Pennsylvania) After one of these any covering forces are now a whole move behind and it takes for ever to catch up again. I have tried setting them to track the other force in a defensive posture but that alway seemed to cause combat.

Any other ideas?
Thanks

[Longshanks]

Other than March to the Sound of the Guns, which is a combat function, nothing springs to mind.

[Captain_Orso]

Longshanks is right, there is no such function or method. It's just one of those things.

Depending on to where the invading force has or is moving your best option is to use rail-movement to try to get ahead of the invading force, before they can capture a depot, or entrench or, god forbid, both.

Remember, the invader is marching where ever he is going, probably destroying the railroads in the regions through which he is invading, and will be marching back out again. Other than regions with damaged railroads you will have the advantage of rail-mobility. Make use of it.

Don't forget, as crazy as it sounds, if the South is holed up in Pittsburgh or Wheeling, when you've are trying to push them back out, they can slip out of your grasp very quickly by using river-movement, which can be a huge surprise if you've never seen this before.

[alastair]

Thanks, I kind of guessed that much. Thanks for the river escape tip

[colonel hurst]

I will give you an example of how to use a small cavalry force as a covering force, or a screen as I like to call it.

My goal was to capture and destroy the depot at Salem, Illinois. I sent a full division under Bishop Polk up the Ohio river from Paducah< Kentucky to Elizabeth, Illinois where he became a threat to Salem as well as Evansville, Indiana and Vincennes, Indiana.

At the same time I sent Ben McCulloch leading three cavalry units and a horse artillery from Columbus, Kentucky to Chester, Illinois.

The Union sent a force about 300 pwr from Missouri to defend Cairo.

I then sent Polk to Salem on red/red. Only one militia there so no problem.

McCulloch unloaded at Chester and then advanced to Pinckney, Illinois, thus creating a screen.

I haven't been able to take over the Union to see just how much of Polk's division in Salem is visible to them, but I bet they can't see much.