Engagement at Bretcher's Mill

 Our regular Tuesday games have been taking place each week in GHQ for a while now as Phil has much to deal with following a bereavement. We settled on an ACW game for our most recent meeting, a holding action by a small Confederate force around the fictional Bretcher's Mill.

The scene of the action from the Union position. All the Union force must enter through Pender's Gap along the turnpike road. While infantry can cross the snake rail fencing, loosing half a move, for cavalry or artillery it take a move to dismantle the fencing.

Leading the way for General P.J. Robinson is a small brigade of cavalry. Phil wanted to use them to seize the road junction and dominate the Rebel position while the infantry brigades marched down the turnpike.

The small Rebel force of two brigades is spread very thinly as reinforcements are not expected until Turn 3 at the earliest. A battery of Napoleons supported by a lone North Carolina regiment hold the Rebs right.

Two more North Carolina regiments line the rail fencing, while in the background Virginia regiments are hurrying to the Rebs left flank.

Poor command rolls, aka thick Virginia mud, hampers the Union advance in Turns 1-3, delaying Phil's infantry and giving ol' Jubal E Bykleigh a welcome breathing space while awaiting any reinforcement.

With the Union cavalry finally engaged the first of the Union infantry brigades, boys from New York, march urgently to the sound of the guns 

Meanwhile ol' Jubal sees the welcoming sight of reinforcements hurrying to shore up his left flank which is coming under increasing Union pressure.

General Robinson surveys the developing Union attack on the Rebs' left while the cavalry skirmish with the Rebs' centre.

Throwing caution to the wind a bold North Carolina regiment charges forward. "Follow me, boys! Follow me!"

Caught by surprise in their flank the exposed New York regiment are soundly beaten and retire 'Whipped'.

At last more Rebs reach the battlefield marching to the sound of the guns. Robinson deploys more artillery as it arrives to support his exposed left, the whole of his two infantry brigades being commited to turning the Rebs' left around Bretcher's Mill.

Under mounting pressure one Union cavalry regiment retires, leaving it's fellows bravely still holding the junction and thwarting the whole Reb advance.

On the Union left a further regiment retires 'Whipped' leading to the Brigade becoming 'Broken' and forcing it to retire.

The second smaller brigade can cover the withdrawal but is too exposed to threaten the reinforced Rebel left.

The Union's massed batteries are holding back the Rebs on the Union left while just in the picture the remaining Union cavalry regiment is bravely holding the junction still. 

The Georgia infantry, having exhausted themselves marching to reinforce the Rebs' right, show little inclination to close with the Union massed artillery.

Anxiously Ol' Jubal awaits news of the fighting away on his left.

"It's all up for our boys today, General!" 

The second Union Brigade is retiring while the fought out Rebs can only look on having snatched an unexpected victory. "Yehaa!"

A grand game suddenly ending in Turn 10 when Phil threw a very low Morale check seeing his second Brigade forced to retire under heavy fire. Until then it had looked very close with the Rebs failing numerous Command Rolls and pretty much leaving the right and centre immobile! Still, all Victories are welcome, so I mustn't complain! Next up a War of 1812-15 game next week here in GHQ.