Regimental Fire & Fury : some more ACW action

This game was put on by Steve Clarke with a view to using as many of his 15mm ACW troops as we possibly could in one action !

A first for Graham and as its been a while for us too, we were a bit rusty on the rules to start with but as they are so intuitive, it came back to us pretty quickly.

Steve had the Union and Graham and I shared the Confederate command, me on the Rebel right.

The Rebels arrive on the battlefield, guns in the centre,

and on the Hill on the Rebel left, 

Steve's Union infantry go on the offensive and cross the river

in strength

both centre and right of the line

Rebel gunners open fire to break up their attacks

This battery is over on our right and covering a ford

also we have a battery in a prepared position right of centre.

This is a view of the Union battery on their extreme right opening fire

The assault continues

and Union cavalry watch the infantry effort

Rebel infantry advance to the fence line

as the guns continue their pounding

The Rebs build up their strength in the fields facing the main Union attack

The Union troops are firmly across the river and the centre bridge now lies behind their lines

Reb cavalry on our right sweep forwards

Some accurate fire by Graham results in a Union commander eating the dirt !

These were the boys who caused that !

Birds eye view at this stage of the battle.

The river had been deemed fordable all along its length so infantry could get across anywhere

The Federals have moved up another battery beside the centre bridge

Wherever we look, the Union army looks powerful

Now a Union brigade is ordered forwards on their left against my troops

However, the Rebel cavalry are unsettling the Union lines

Firmly across the river in strength now, the Union troops roll forwards

A Federal attack column charges over the rail fences 

Initially, the Rebs are pushed back

Graham now gets his troops lined up for a counter attack in the centre

as my cavalry boys continue to confuse the enemy - here Union cavalry have dismounted in the woods trying to keep track of them

Steve keeps coming with a big regiment of infantry 

The Union cavalry get off a desultory shot at the Rebel cavalry but without much luck

Some of my cavalry have managed to catch the Berdan's Sharpshooters in the flank

and a big melee has developed in the fields in front of our entrenched gun battery 

In and amongst the confusion, another Rebel cavalry unit gets in behind the Union lines

A big fire fight erupts in the centre

as Steve's large regiment slogs it out with Graham's regiments.

Now Graham is counter attacking across the river on our left

Graham has driven a wedge into the centre and the Union forces are getting split in two

Another Rebel yell as troops surge forwards

Steve's big regiment are wilting under pressure

and despite their early success, the Union regiment which attacked our fence line now finds itself surrounded on three sides

At this point, I unleashed the Virginians on our right and they punched their way through two enemy units 

The Union boys pull back faced with so many enemy

and the centre is cracking

The Union regiments are now falling back on the river line

and those pesky rebel cavalry have now attacked two enemy units in the flank at the same time

just as my right flank infantry push through the woods forcing back the Berdan's Sharpshooters

Graham has now pushed an attack column through the centre against the enemy guns

as his troops on the left drive back the Union from the left bridge

Our extreme left unit is still locked in combat with determined Union infantry

Their guns in the centre have been shot to bits by Graham's attackers

My cavalry are now chasing the dismounted Union cavalry troopers

as other Rebel cavalry join in the attack on the Berdan's

With our cavalry continuing to cause mayhem behind their lines

and their troops being pushed back all along the battlefield

Steve sounds the recall and orders a general retreat.

Two exhausted gamers after a hot day in Steve's conservatory.

And just a reminder : these are the rules that give us so much fun !

Great to see Steve's 15mm ACW troops in action again.  We did dice for reinforcements (which would have been troops from my collection but they never came on so they stayed in their trays throughout). Probably just as well as we had plenty on the table without them !