GraniteStater versus havi - yes, again.

[GraniteStater]

This is not an AAR.

This is a commentary, havi & I did this before. maybe some pretty pictures, maybe not. Feel free to comment. Advice? - ahh, can't stop ya.

April 61 start - realistic options. It's the opening moves, pawn to d4.

***
June 61.

Whaddaya know! havi took HF early, I rustled up the USMC & the Washington Bde, RR'd to HF, R/R Crazy, try to co-ordinate, guys, yer goin' in against a Leader and just some militia, but who knows who's gonna show up...

and tres magnifique! 3:2 for the CSA, two Leaders, 200% trenches - they got their sorry butternut behinds kicked outta there! HF is regained. More guys coming fast and some Leaders.

A most pleasant surprise. Won't see that Battle Report very often.

[GraniteStater]

Late summer, 1861.

havi had an nasty little wiener roast at St Loo, slapping my nascent riverine fleet aside outside of Cairo, and landed some brutish types in the neighborhood. Lyons skedaddled back from Jeff City and arrived to find the party was over, they had decamped. havi has occupied the small city upstream from Cairo with some Cav, an annoyance, nothing more.

havi burnt Rolla to the ground.

Built my first Depot Jeff City.

Have retained HF, but JJ is in the upper Valley at 3:1, 1250/350, to my level 3 trenches in HF. He has another army in Manassas at the same strength, under PGT. McDowell is in Alex at that level. Can't give too much away, I'm playing with fire and gambling his forces would suffer too much from repeated attacks in MD, albeit against smaller forces (entrenched).

Grant has taken command in Cairo, in good strength with Lew Wallace and Keyes.

I already have two Blockade Fleets (Blk Sqdn + Brig + Brig). One is headed for Matagorda, on the theory it stops his off-board sales of cotton to Mexico.

Building up the River Navy.

Industry, some cannons, a few Service troops, a good number of Militia Way Out West, mostly straight leg Inf builds back East. Some Cav.

Next month is October, and we shall see how KY swings. In my other game, against fiddler25, KY seceded, although L-ville & Lexington are still feeling Union-ish (go away for a while and when you come back, they've changed the drapes; what the heck are Theaters and Theater Commanders? Can I get some?). McClellan and another Leader are occupying these.

Early game for the Union: Don't Lose.

[Cardinal Ape]

I already have two Blockade Fleets (Blk Sqdn + Brig + Brig). One is headed for Matagorda, on the theory it stops his off-board sales of cotton to Mexico.

Taking Matagorda won't stop the cotton RGD from being played.

[GraniteStater]

Thank you, it's been a while - kinda 'duh', really.

[GraniteStater]

Now it gets reeaally interesting at the end of 1861.

Lincoln told the UK to take a hike, we're keeping Mason & Slidell. FI is at 61.

Went into KY, finally - the way looks OK, so far. Seized Falmouth, in NoVA, in strength, havi didn't counterpunch, now he has another axis to look out for, plus a jump off to Fredericksburg. havi, with JJ, is in Harper's, but I hold the town* in strength against his strong stack (both in the Region, mind you, with no attacks for about four or five Turns).

Am defending the Missouri River line and Kansas. Winding up Wagons 'n a Whole Buncha Guys for New Mex and Way Out West. Engaging the clutch, getting into first gear.

If only I could ship Her Majesty some chowdah and lobstah...

* An earlier version misdescribed this - that other situation is my other game with fiddlers25.

[GraniteStater]

March 62. We have Corps now. In the East, ANEVa under McDowell has Corps at HF and Falmouth, VA. havi is lined up defending in corresponding strength. Looking at the chess board, things need to stir.

Northern KY has been ceded, basically. Grant is in Paducah, with Sherman and some folks, strong.

havi has built up a 450+ stack in KS under Stand Watie (yikes!). I am doing my best to keep the Missouri river line held. havi seems to have put not a few resources into the MO/KS theater.

Waiting for the ground to dry, Way Out West. Whole buncha folks gonna show up in the boxes and NMex when it's good weather.

havi had a Stockade built near Denver, held in about 60ish strength. Maybe scope out the Supply situation for him.

Blockade Squadrons are slipping down the ways, to be coupled with Brigs and TPs. The River fleets are coming online. A couple of TPs to the Shipping Box, to augment income. Some others distributed to needy fleets.

Quiet, but things are developing - can't say much for this Turn, Stuff is Gonna Happen, favorably, I hope...

FI is at 56.

[1stvermont]

Great stuff, like the updates. i like to see how others play. Keep an eye on Watie.

[GraniteStater]

Thanks for the interest.

[havi]

Special news from south, union invades never heard commander grant comes down to south... He finds out that southern boys are waiting and eagar... To be continue

[GraniteStater]

Uh-oh.

[havi]

Well it is April1862, we both have our armies mobilized. In Virginia I have corps at position to defend holy south territory for Yankee inveder. The yanks only occupies Alexandria of soil of Virginia and Falmouth to, but we have plans to kick them out there. Nothing major have happend there no figths with blue bellies they just sit behind their barricades and wait it suit us.

Then in west we have litlle bit of movement mr.Grant took Paducah and build him self of bourbon distillery there, then Grant and Sherman went 2 months boozer and waiked up of cruise ship on missippi going to fort doneldson. Sadly those 2 old bastards didn't know there where bishop waiting with 17000 munks, they just kicked Grant back to his rowing bout but not with out of cost. 9000 prisoners we took and let 10000 yanks to 6feet deep. It was great day for states right.

At NM we are keeping bond fires across the state nothing major.
Well we continue this and I'm sure that union will keep pushing even harder, but rightseus causes will previle.

P.s sorry about my English.

[GraniteStater]

I'm going to staple it to my forehead:

SCOUT!

A river landing at the end of winter - I thought it might be a soft point, I didn't know.

Patience and G2, patience and G2. Unfortunately, I tend to be impatient and overlook things. But I might finally learn:

SCOUT!

[havi]

No scout, just attack. We have bayonets ready.

[GraniteStater]

Oh goody - got the marshmallows?

[havi]

Marshmallows, union guts and all the Grants bourbon

[1stvermont]

" bishop waiting with 17000 munks"


LOL

[GraniteStater]

Wasn't as bad as it could have been. I was trying to co-ordinate a meet-up by Keyes with a small Div with Grant's force, landing at Donelson.

The BR showed Keyes with just two Arty batteries - odd. Even if his Inf got wiped out, it should be on the UI.

Anyhow, it was a fair fight, but the landers took the brunt of it. Not too bad for walking into a biker's bar (nothing against bikers, some good people I know like hogs - and this is NH, Laconia is around the corner).

They retreated in fair order. I think I can extricate and regroup. In the meantime, other axes are being approached.

[havi]

Can u hear the bells of south? They ring, they ring a sweet sounds of victory. Great things have happend... Will continue soon

[havi]

Well now it is may 1862. In Virginia everything is stable, except JBT is at harroldsburg with his cav. No new Gettysburg he is our eyes and ears against union wave.

At west Grant runs back to Paducah just find that confederacy is waiting for him. When union admirals see what is waiting they bull down that all rugged stars and banners and pull up the stars and bars. Same time the poor old grant jump off the ship and start swimming back to shore.
So I just captured all the union river fleet and the admirals came too. Has anybody else Evers captured 7ironclads couple of gunboats and 2 admirals with out loosing any soldiers at all? At the same I captured grant to Paducah with out escape?!

[GraniteStater]

OMG. I haven't seen the Turn yet. I hate that CSN river fleet. If anything is ahistorical, that is.

[Cardinal Ape]

That sounds brutal. Very nice haul.

Some good banter is an essential part of the PBEM game. Yesterday was April 1st, it reminds me of the most dastardly thing I've ever done in this game. Last year as an Aprils fools prank I sent my opponent the new turn and told in the mail that 'I am sorry about Stonewall.'

[RebelYell]

With huge losses in men and a captured river fleet to top it off you can just imagine Lincoln stepping down.

Time for a new start?

[RebelYell]

I hate that CSN river fleet. If anything is ahistorical, that is.

So are the nonexistent coastal defenses of CSA in the game when in reality they had plenty of guns suitable for fixed positions captured from the federals, I would happily trade those for that fleet.

[GraniteStater]

With huge losses in men and a captured river fleet to top it off you can just imagine Lincoln stepping down.

Time for a new start?

Great to see ya.

No, we fight. NM is 89 right now. Big battle in Loudon County, VA. Lot of MTSGing on both sides, lotsa new widows. A Union Vic, then technical defeat, but we still hold the Region and the original occupant is much reduced.

JEB Stuart managed to evade being surrounded entirely in Annapolis and escaped thru PA and swung over to the neighborhood of the Valley. Shudda had that plumed horse-lover, he was boxed and targeted.

Grant, Sherman, WHL Wallace. et. al., are in dire straits in Paducah. A surrender could happen. Paducah was held in decent strength, but havi rustled up a 1000ish force outta somewhere and attacked the tip of the fat peninsula. Grant is cut off entirely - the CSN rules the Mississippi and Ohio - along with my former modest fleet (he took the town of Paducah. I couldn't steam from Paducah because of Hollins and 21 vessels (!!!) - I do think he built some to go with the six 'clads or so he gets for free, and probably mostly gunboats, but still...) sitting right there. I had level 4 entrenchments and a reasonable force that Grant joined. They just got whumped in the first quarter, and it was downhill from there.

Just unmitigated disaster, no way to pretty it up.

Now tell me, who in the name of blue blazes was Hollins? Anybody? And Buchanan? In all my reading, I have never, ever encountered stirring tales of great Southern admirals, other than Semmes. What, did they ace Navigation at Annapolis?

This, I think is a valid complaint. In every single PbeM, the Union has to deal with the Ueber Fleet on the Mississippi under a 5-4-4.

Right.

Not good modelling, imho. Maybe I'm way off base, but...

anyhow, the weather has been a bit screwy Way Out West in the boxes, too. Now it's May and - Harsh Weather.

I would change my builds, I think. Need to build more of a river fleet. I thought my modest program was enough, but, apparently, should do more.

[havi]

No it's not a Aprils fool i came and took it. But is it a bug that I got those 2 union admirals at bonus? Well I will but them on ice in Deep South, not realistic to use them to fight against union.

And for the CSA river fleet, I have build all the cottonclads what I can and couple of gunboats so I can fight against union. I'm big fan of those cottonclads they can take the ironclads on and are much cheaper. Well we soldier on let's see what union do next the war is not over

[DrPostman]

You could read about the Battle of the Head of Passes where Hollins routed
a Union Fleet. The CSA never conducted their brown water fleet
well, choosing to use civilians to captain their boats instead of
an actually fleet. The Battle of Memphis illustrates how messed
up that command structure was with army units controlling the
batteries on the various ships. But at that one battle they either
got damned lucky or pulled off a hell of a surprise. I like to think
this game gives us the chance to manage things a little bit differently
than they actually did, and use the resources at hand much better.

[DrPostman]

As for Hollins, here ya go: [url=Commodore George Nichols Hollins]Commodore George Nichols Hollins[/url]

[DrPostman]

Franklin Buchanan had a much more storied career, having commanded the
CSA Virginia and prior to that the first Superintendent of the US Naval Academy.

One fellow I'd love to introduce you to was a certain Lieutenant
Charles Read,
Seawolf of the Confederacy. Someone should make a movie about his life
some day:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Read_%28naval_officer%29
I tried to get the devs to include him but they said 3 CSN officers were
enough.

[Cardinal Ape]

I've had to deal with some pretty nasty CSA Mississippi fleets as well. It can be tough to keep pace with all the free ironclads they get. As the Union I really prefer to wait for ironclads before building new ships, but sometimes you gotta bite the bullet and build a few timberclads. Those and cottonclads are surprisingly nice for their price.

Judging ahead of time who is going to win a naval engagement is something I find rather difficult. I've gotten burned a few times. I think my fault was not giving enough credit to the huge difference of NM in the first year. That extra cohesion seems to give CSA fleets a nice edge.

I can't imagine playing two games at once, both without Sherman. If havi kills Grant and Sherman, and then you manage to fight on to victory that will definitely be something to be proud of. Good luck.

[GraniteStater]

Thanks, Your Eminence. And thanks to DrPostman.

We soldier on.