Union Divisional Commander’s Choice
At the Battle of Antietam the Army of the Potomac had the
drop on the Confederates and launched an attack that aimed to take the town of
Sharpsburg.
McClellan planned major attacks on each flank and a holding action
in the centre.
Thee Divisional Commander, once he is named, must decide
where his division will deploy – on one of the wings for the chance of maximum
glory or in the centre for a safer, less action packed experience.
The Left wing involves a river crossing by a single bridge,
the river is largely uncrossable and the opposition will have an additional
advantage of higher ground.
The Right wing is much more open but this is where most of
the Confederate forces are already deployed and it is relatively easy for them
to bring up additional reserves. Conversely your reserves are nearer at hand as
well.
In the Centre there is similar terrain to the left wing, one
formal bridge and some fordable spots, the going will be tough but good ground
for an extended firefight
 |
| Division Sectors |
The Union Command team elected to fight in the Central zone, thus avoiding the major historical thrusts by the northern army.
Brigade Deployment Choices
With ground has been chosen, your division will be deploying in the centre of the battlefield, on the Union Right / Confederate left, will be the main thrust of the battle, with the majority of troops and action, to the Union Left / Confederate Right is a holding action by the Confederates around Burnside Bridge to prevent Union forces form crossing.
In your sector the Confederates are attempting to hold the Middle Bridge and a series of crossing points, against then the Union forces are probing to exploit these crossings but more importantly to in hold the Rebels in position and inflict casualties.
 |
| Brigade Zones |
As brigade commanders each set of players worked with your divisional commands to deploy a brigade into each of the Left, Centre, Right & reserve zones to achieve your goals. Despite not being in the main conflict zone, your actions can impact the outcome of the battle as a whole.
INTRODUCTION
It turns out to be a foggy day as night retreats and
daylight begins to streak across the Maryland skies just before 6am on 17th
September 1862. Two armies are facing each other, to the North and East are
encamped the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by General George McClellen,
south of them lies the Army of Northern Virginia, under Robert E. Lee.
Both commanders are beloved by their men, for different
reasons. The southerners had been led by Lee to a series of victories in the
last few months, now following him into Maryland with the aim to take the fight
to the northern states. McClellen was admired by the northerners for his willingness
to invest in training, basis sanitation and services for his men and to not put
them into unnecessary danger and for no good reason.
As the fog begins to clear General Joe Hooker lead his Corps
across open cornfields in an attack on the Southern Left flank, he is opposed
by General James Longstreet’s Corps meanwhile General Burnside lead his Corps
against the Southern right flank where General Thomas Jackson has most of his
Corp deployed in defensive positions along Antietam Creek, where there are few
crossing places.
The Centre ground between these two major Union thrusts is a
smaller attack lead by Major General John
Holt-Oglethorpe’s division which is driving across Antietam Creek and on to on
Major General John Henry De Lamar Clayton’s southerners who are defending
positions in the area.
INITIAL DEPLOYMENTS
North East of Antietam Creek, General Holt-Oglethorpe
deployed his III Division of the Union Army of North Eastern Virginia, On the right
flank is deployed General De Krackre’s
Iowa Brigade in T-BONE3 formation, with attack orders.
In the Union Centre is deployed Holt-Oglethorpe’s Own former
Vermont Brigade, now commanded by his younger brother Col Michael John
Holt-Oglethorpe, these Green Mountain Boys are in a T-BONE2 formation, with the
Vermont Cavalry detached and positioned with General Holt-Oglethorpe at
Divisional HQ.
In Reserve are General Bank’s Massachusetts Brigade, in a
T-BONE2 formation with their cavalry regiment lined up in the 3rd
line for the T-Bone, This brigade is to support the Iowan’s attach to the left.
All three of these divisions have Field Hospitals set-up and
multiple logistical services at hand to ensure supplies of ammunition and evacuation
of casualties a per McClelland’s recommendations.
Finally, on the union extreme left is General Nathaniel
Starbuck’s State of New York Brigade, lined-up in a T-BNE2 formation with
supporting artillery. Starbucks has neglected building supply & hospital
facilities but has ensured each of his men has a fresh cup of coffee prior to
the battle.
To the South West Major General Clayton had planned well, anticipating
a Union Attack on his left flank, to hold this vital ground were deployed Heck’s
Virginia Brigade, in a T-BONE3 formation, with their newly assigned artillery
battery in the battle line with it’s sister battery.
In the centre was deployed Pickton’s Brigade in line of
battle, covering any potential assault in that area. On the Confederate right
was deployed Genera Roscoe’s Mississippi Brigade in a T-BONE2 formation and
like all three of these brigades with Defend orders.
In Reserve was the Clayton Legion, under the command of Col.
Robert ‘Trump’ Clayton, General Clayton’s socially inept and somewhat right
wing brother, this brigade has support orders to plug any gaps in the line in
front of theme and they are in a DOUBLE LINE formation with Infantry in front
and cavalry regiments to the rear.
Confederate Supply & Logistics were a little behind this
of the Union, with only Clayton & Roscoe’s brigades having adequate provisions
in place, although Green’s brigade are blessed to have a small mobile chapel
with them near the front line.
06:00 – 08:00 AM
A bombardment of Union guns signalled the commencement of
hostilities in this area of the battlefield, on the Confederate Left, hits were
taken by the 24th & 25th Virginia, whilst in return
the 7th Iowa took one casualty.
In the centre where the ground was
more open, the 2nd Vermont took two hits and a complete failure in
gunnery meant that the Iowan Artillery failed t fire any effective rounds.
Luckily they were supported by long range rifled artillery from the reserve who
targeted their fire on enemy batteries and inflicted a hit on Pickton’s
artillery.
To the Confederate right Roscoe’s Mississippi Batteries were able fire
quite effectively and inflicted hots on the 1st & 2nd
SNY infantry regiments, whilst only losing one casualty in return.
08:00 – 10:00 AM
As the Northern attack developed, the two lines closed and
serious firefights developed along the length of the front.
On the Union right casualties inflicted were even, with seven
each to both the Union and Confederate brigades, however, the bulk of the northern
casualties fell on the 10th Iowa as they crossed the hidden ford and stumbled into
the lines of the 25th Virginia, a ferocious fight ensued.
In the Union centre where the terrain was very open, waiting
rebels (including the 1st Maryland – fighting on their home
territory for the first time) inflicted heavy casualties on the attacking Vermont
brigade as they scrambled across the creek, both the 1st & 2nd
regiments taking about 50% casualties and gaining little ground.
And on the Union Left where the New York brigade was
attacking, further heavy casualties were taken by the northerners from rebels lining
the creek in the wooded undergrowth.
10:00 – 12:00 AM
The Union attack continued on their right, bravely pressed
onwards by the Iowans, hand to hand fighting took place in the woods along the
creek line, with the 5th Iowa and the 20th Virginia in the heat of
the action, again casualties were roughly equal between the brigades but the
5th Iowa came out if it the worst.
In the centre and on the Union left, casualties effected
morale of both the 1st Vt & 2nd SNY regiments – who
both retired form the line, to be replaced by their supporting sister regiments.
The Mississippians continued to punish their northern foes.
Meanwhile continued Union artillery fire knocked out another
two Virginian gins in Pickton’s Battery.
12:00 – 14:00 PM
In what was to become known as the ‘Bloody Woods’, the
brave Iowans continue to press their attack and force the bulk of Heck’s Virginian
brigade to retire, only the new 26th Virginia stands but they are quickly
supported by the Alabama & Georgia Battalions from Clayton’s Legion , who
had been waiting in reserve. The Iowans called on their Massachusetts comrades
to help them and the North Easterners surged forward to help with shouts of ‘Free
the Slaves’ and ‘Freedom!’. No effective firing occurred on this
flank as the two sides re-organised themselves.
In the centre another Massachusetts regiment stepped forward
s to plug the gap left by fleeing Vermonters, a stiff firefight developed, but neither
side seemed to have the stomach to press further, Pickton’s Artillery, having
lost 3 of its 4 guns left the field.
On the Confederate right the battle was also in a delicate
position, th e2nd Mississippi retired and was replaced by the 3rd
Mississippi and the northerners lost their 1st SNY Infantry due to
weight of casualties.
Meanwhile in the bigger battle, Hooker was pressing harder
and harder and gaining ground further to the Confederate left and on the Rebel
Right, Burnside’s Corps was finally across the creek and threatening to press
onwards.
14:00 – 16:00 PM
On the Confederate left, the union attacks continue, with
the remnants of the Iowan brigade supplemented by men from Massachusetts, casualties
are inflicted on both sides but to seems the northerners are being much more cautious
in their attacks and the southerners are starting to conserve their dwindling
supplies of ammunition, losses are relatively light on both sides.
It is at this point that General De Kracker falls, he is hit
through the arm and shoulder by shrapnel and is carried from the field, to find
his personal physician.
It’s a similar story in the centre, where the northerners
are again supported by a Massachusetts regiment, the ongoing firefight resulting
in fewer casualties, as combatants make use of what cover is available and the
southerners scrape together ammunition and supplies to keep the fight going.
On the Union far left the fight is left to just the 3rd
SNY infantry, without support they continue to fire on their opponents and hold
their ground.
16:00 – 18:00 PM
On the Confederate right the 3rd Mississippi infantry see a
chance to outflank their enemy and they surge forwards supported by fire form
the 1st MI Infantry and artillery, the attack inflicts two
casualties on their opponents but leaves the Mississippians dangerously short
of ammunition.
Firefight in the centre continues to splutter onwards with
no outcome yet obvious, although the final Vermont brigade regiment is forced
to retire, as are the Tennessean. On the Rebel left the renewed attacks by
Iowans and Massachusetts men end in more casualties for the northerners, where
the 7th Iowa finally pull out of the line of attack, and exhaustion
of ammunition supplies hit the southerners.
In one of the stranger incidents in the battle, a number of Alabama
& Georgia infantry from Clayton’s Legion, who have moved up to support
their Virginian comrades in the ‘Bloody Woods’ get separated from their
command and find them-selves isolated behind enemy lines where they are quickly
captured.
To top it all, General Green is wounded with a shot through the
foot, it is a painful wound but unlikely to be life threatening, if he can get
to a field hospital in time.
18:00 – 20:00 AM
On the Confederate right the Mississippi Brigade push back
the last of the SNY Brigade and consolidate their ground, only to find that
they are now about to be engaged by Union Cavalry. The Mississippians are out
of ammunition.
In the centre the fighting has stagnated, there is a little
sniping and shooting but the Rebels are out of ammunition and the Federals have
no stomach to take the fight forwards any further.
On the Confederate left the 26th Virginia, leave
the field, as do their 7th Iowan counterparts, the infantry form
Clayton’s Legion exchange shots with the advancing Union foot but with a mind
on future battles, lack of ammunition and news that Hooker’s thrust to their
left was likely to leave the division isolated and cut-off, General Clayton
reluctantly orders a withdrawal.
The two side disengage as night falls, in years to come the
veterans of both sides will have come to know that they had just participated
in the bloodiest one day battle, ever, on American soil…
AFTERMATH
Both armies stayed in place around Sharpsburg for the whole
of the 18th September, both claiming victory but both sides too
mauled to take the initiative in striking a killing blow to the other.
At the
end of the day General Lee ordered the Army of Northern Virginia to fall back
in to Virginia, giving the Union a Strategic victory albeit at a heavy price.
On the back of this victory president Lincoln issued the ‘Proclamation of
Emancipation’, declaring all slaves
held in the rebelling southern states to be freed.
In the days after the battle, McClellen is to be relieved of command by Lincoln for not being aggressive enough and replaced by General Burnside as although the Union are claiming a Strategic victory, the Army of the Potomac were too battered / dis-organised to immediately follow-up and destroy the Army of Northern Virginia as they retired back to Virginia.
The fact that the Rebel army survived is a long term strategic victory for the south as well!
