OK, this update will take us through the end of 1862, from where we left off, in May of '62. During this phase of the war, you will see the Union attempt advances in Virginia and Tennessee, succeeding in one place, but failing in the other. The CSA admits to overbuilding and perhaps overcommitting on one front. But the lead at the end of the year may portend the outcome of the game .....
Results of L May 62
Headlines:
Rosecrans Crushes Longstreet's Attack on Humboldt! +3 USA NM
Porter Beats Semmes on the Cumberland!
Sigel Retakes Lexington MO
Johnston Trapped North of the Cumberland! Can They Escape?
MoniKerr: I didn't expect an attack on Humbolt with all the mud. I thought he might try for Nashville to mount a rescue operation for Johnston. Looks like the end is near for the Confederate river fleet, and maybe Johnston's command as well.
Results of E Jun 62
Headlines:
Johnston Foils Grant at Livingstone TN...Twice...But Kearny's Arrival Turns the Tide Third Time Round! Is Johnston Still Trapped North of the Cumberland?
Ship Battle Continues on Cumberland!
Cleburne was trying to figure out how to escape destruction of Johnston's corps/army which was on the north side of the Cumberland, trying to move South, but somewhat thwarted by the Union gunboats. He wrote: Hrm. New plan, operation Don't Die. Let's see if this will work.
MoniKerr was seeking complete destruction of Rebel warships, and capture of the remaining four transports there.
Results of L Jun 62
Headlines:
Johnston Slips Across Cumberland!
Semmes' Transports Escape from Cumberland!
Island #10 Siege Continues as it Bombards Porter!
Longshanks' note: looks like your Operation Don't Die was a success ... so far!
The crossing of the river worked somehow. The union ships may have chased the transports long enough to allow the crossing. Got this from Gen. Cleburne: Well, I'm across the river. Ruggles is worn out though and can't march anywhere. Hopefully Walker can cover him for a turn. Hopefully they retreat south. Worst case scenario, they retreat back across the river...
The escape was perilous though, as Union troops were pouring into Central Tennessee. MoniKerr: He's not out of the woods, or maybe I should say mud, yet. Pat is unlucky to have mud along his escape route. I'm going to try and get behind him.
Results of E July 62:
This was a big turn, with lots of significant moves that set the scene for the rest of the year. The Union was foiled in Virginia, but made real success in Tennessee, especially on the Mississippi.
Headlines:
16,000 Yankee Casualties at Fredricksburg! Rebs Hang On But Lose 11,000! Smith Defends F'burg as Holmes MTSG Against McDowell and McClellan! +3 CSA NM
Sumner Captures Island #10...But Jackson Takes Fort Monroe! +1 CSA NM
Jackson Takes Hampton on the Way to Ft. Monroe! +2 CSA NM
Longshanks' note: +6 CSA NM, -6 USA NM ... biggest swing of the game I think. Amazingly vicious fighting at F'burg. Sumner's accomplishment is usually 'top billing,' but is dwarfed by Jackson's Peninsular March, which is in turn eclipsed by F'burg. What a turn!
MoniKerr: Once more into the breach at Fredericksburg! But this time on conservative attack not normal. The aim here is to bleed him and if lucky capture the objective. I still have 7 of the original 9 divisions able to fight. What looked like a bad turn really wasn't so bad, aside from the loss of 6 NM. Jackson and 3 divisions are way out of position. Pope can entrench very quickly, so I hope he can block the peninsula while McDowell keeps the pressure on. J E Johnston remains trapped [south of Gallatin] and there is now a second division in the trap with him. The only force capable of breaking the ring is Longstreet and he has supply problems, plus he is protecting Memphis. And the Memphis depot looks bare. So far the casualties are 94000 Union to 80000 CSA. That's an exchange rate I can live with. Gotta keep up the pressure.
Results of L July 62:
Headlines:
Second Attack at F'burg! McDowell Crushed - 13,000 lost vs. 4,600 for Rebs' Smith and Holmes! +6 CSA NM
Forney's Corps Chases Whipple's Corps Out of Roanoke!
Pope's Corps Cuts Peninsula, but Jackson Slips South to Norfolk!
Yanks Press South in Central Tennessee, Led by Grant!
Porter's Fleet Bombarded Steaming Past Memphis!
Joe Johnston Appears to be Surrounded in Carthage!
Longshanks' note: another turn full of action. determined Yanks suffer major defeat at F'burg, but make gains most everywhere else. With about one year to go, this game hangs in the balance with no clear leader. well fought, and pretty exciting to watch.
Gen. Cleburne: Wow. Didn't think he could get to F'burg on day 3. Almost another disaster. Magruder arrived but didn't join the force yet, so he did most of the fighting by himself looks like. Time to go rescue J Joe. I also could've made a serious mistake elsewhere. But we'll have to wait and see.
Gen. MK: Whatever happened to a conservative attack?
Back to the drawing board...
Results of E Aug 62
Grant, Longstreet Switch Positions! Longstreet to Pulaski, Grant to Humboldt!
Joe Johnston Creeps South!
All Quiet on the Eastern Front!
Longshanks' note to Gen. MK: any particular reason you haven't blown up Island 10 and Fort Donelson?
MK: Forts are depots and harbors so they are useful for resting and recovery. Also forts H & D proved very useful in bombarding his fleet. I'm keeping Island 10 as a fort and filling it with 2 additional coastal batteries to prevent any sneak attack on Cairo or Paducah.
Gen. Cleburne: Still lots of volatility in TN. I have to telegraph one move, but I'm hoping he can't stop it. As for Monroe, I ordered the depot blown last turn but it didn't happen. I honestly don't care about the fort. I'm not going to be sailing past it or anything. I was hoping he would sail out and get wumped. Otherwise it has no value to either of us. It may have scared him into stopping outside of Norfolk/Monroe. I hope he tries to land at Suffolk!
Results of L Aug 62
Grant Stuns Johnston in South Tennessee - But Rebs Escape to Pulaski! +3 USA NM
Porter Turns Stonewall Back at Anderson TN +1 USA NM
Fort Monroe Pounds Farragut!
Longshanks' Note: A Union turn this time ....
Gen Cleburne: I thought he had moved Fitzjohn out of Anderson. Darn mountains... Operation Don't Die has been combined with operation Run Away.
Results of E Sept 62:
Johnston Defeats Grant in a Close-Fought Battle at Pulaski!
Rebs Make Good Their Escape South of the Tennessee River!
Memphis, Chattanooga and Knoxville are Last Rebel Strongholds in Tennessee!
Longshanks' note to Cleburne: nice job. Operations Don't Die and Run Away appear to have succeeded!
Cleburne: I've committed 14 of my 26 divisions to TN. Only 8 front line divisions with 1 reserve division in VA and 3 garrison divisions spread about. I wish I could send Lee to face Grant, but he has to prop up my bad corps commanders in VA. I've never been a fan of the TN first strategy as the Union.
Results of L Sept 62
Headlines:
Three Battles Around Madison, TN!
Longstreet Beats Halleck at Madison TN!
Grant and His Corps Return the Favor, But Lose More in the Process!
Blenker Stumbles into Longstreet's Retreated Forces, and Gets Taken! +1 CSA NM
Union Takes Covington TN - Yanks Now Poised to Take on Memphis!
Wallace's Men Move to Rail SW of Ch'ville in Roanoke VA!
Union Invades Texas by Sea!
Cleburne: I'd love to continue the aggression, but alas, I've overbuilt and didn't leave enough reserves. Strictly defense from me until the end of the year. It annoys me that I kept a division in Texas for the whole game and he shows up right after I decide he wasn't coming. The door is still open for him.
Results of E Oct 62
Forney Chases Down, Defeats, Yanks at Rockbridge VA! +1 CSA NM
Forney Pursues, Destroy Wallace's Force at Roanoke! +1 CSA NM
Union Forces from Galveston Bay Take Houston and Galveston!
Kearny Presses into Mississippi, Between Memphis and Corinth!
Union Controls Everything on the North Shore of the Tennessee River!
[Longshanks' note: I haven't been tracking the VPs as I bet you both have, but I will start now, as we begin to enter the last stage of the game. So, current totals as of the end of the E Oct 62 turn: 1456 USA to 1900 CSA The USA now has the lead in vp from cities, but will have to take a lot more to make up 444 vps!]
Cleburne: Texas is done [lost to the Union for good]. Wish I would've waited until spring to send that division off. I formed a rock at Memphis. It's all I could do with my reinforcement situation. Chattanooga-Knoxville line is now unbreakable. He will move west with the Nashville hoards, I just can't really stop him aside from the Memphis Rock. I'll wait until reinforcements arrive in force and watch for mistakes. What is his plan with those 4 divisions in Rockingham? They make me nervous even though I don't see his goal. A wrong move could spell disaster.
Results of L Oct 62
Headlines:
Yanks Continue in Texas, Taking Matagorda!
Results of E Nov 62
Headlines:
Union Takes Corinth and Moves to Cut off Memphis!
[Longshanks note to MK: You're making significant gains, but can you even the score before the game ends?]
MK: It's definitely an uphill climb.
Cleburne: He's cautiously expanding. Hopefully he gets overly bold by the time I get back to full strength. I think I just saw 4 more divisions head NW from Baltimore. You know what that means.
Results of L Nov 62:
Union Fights the Sioux!
Quiet Month as Union Fleet Explores Louisiana Coast!
Results of E Dec 62:
A quiet turn. Lee Moves to Command the West! The year approaches its end! If you would be so kind as to summarize 1862 from your point-of-view, and forward that to me.
Cleburne's Reply:
Manpower is finally restored! I was tempted to start operations this turn, but I'm going to wait and make sure all of my elements are back to at least 75%. It looks like he may be preparing an all out blitz on Memphis. I'm not usually scared when I have [redacted] divisions entrenched to level 6, but he has a LOT of troops and Grant in the area. I still don't see those troops from the eastern theatre [that moved out of Baltimore earlier]. Luckily Lee has arrived to offer telepathic support from 300 miles away. Stonewall will be ready for action next turn as well.
I think there may be something wrong with the way naval attrition is being handled. I think I noticed hits being repaired on my brigs while they were in the [blockade] box earlier. And now his navy sits outside of Memphis all winter and stays in great shape even in frozen weather (though I'm pretty sure the mighty Mississippi shouldn't freeze). I guess I shouldn't complain though. My supply situation is fine even though I'm surrounded and blockaded. If he would've taken Madison [Arkansas] I might have had problems.
1862 went ok with me. I restored decent defensive lines, held onto the coast for the most part, and didn't suffer any really bad defeats. Overbuilding and running out of manpower was scary, but I think I may survive that. Moving away from Texas at the exact wrong time was a bad idea. Other than that, I don't remember any MAJOR mistakes that I've made.
Results of L Dec 62:
another quiet turn. ... we enter Jan 63 from here out .... 14 turns remaining. game ends at the very end of July as you may recall
Cleburne: Hmm. Well Marston found Lee with a few Cavalry. I have to watch to make sure he doesn't reverse east for a blow in desperation time. I'm not sure he knows [redacted] is there. He has to have seen some kind of buildup in that direction though. Hopefully I can [redacted].