The Battle of Rutherford's Farm, July 20th 1864

Phil pointed out to me that he and I had not played an ACW game for several months, so time to put that right. The Battle of Rutherford's Farm, fought on 20th July 1864, as a small action during Early's campaign in the Shennandoah Valley is the basis that the following game is rooted in. A quick Internet search has produced these two maps of the battle ~

The Battle of Rutherford's Farm {also known as both Carter's Farm and Stephenson's Depot} was a small engagement between Confederate forces under Maj. Gen. Stephen D. Ramseur and Union forces under Brig. Gen. William W. Averell on July 20, 1864, in Frederick County, Virginia as part of Confederate Lt. Gen. Jubal Early's Valley Campaign. Taking these as a reference and acknowledging the need to produce a compact tabletop battlefield I came up with the layout pictured below before the troops are placed in their initial positions ~

I set the game length at 10 Turns as despite the action not beginning until 4.00pm I reasoned long summer daylight hours might result in a late finish! Both sides believed they had the advantage over their opponent and so in our game both must attack and we will see what unfolds. If the Union have not broken the Rebs by the end of Turn 10 then they have lost, the Rebs retiring unbeaten. The Confederates enter along the turnpike nearest the camera, the Federals from the far right corner! Phil as Ramseur commanded the Rebs, yours truly as Averell the Union! As is my wont, without any further blathering, on to the annotated photomontage carrying you down into the unfolding drama ~

The Union win the dice off for Initiative and in the first move Averell leads his men cautiously forward. These figures are proxying for his West Virginia and Ohio regiments.

Phil as Ramseur is equally cautious it seems with only two North Carolina regiments advancing along the turnpike! 

Two Union regiments (from Ohio in the battle) are thrown out on the Union left to deny the turnpike to the Rebs and flank their advance. 

The three remaining regiments (from West Virginia in the battle) form into firing lines along the fence line.

As the Ohio boys make heavy going of deployment on the Union left Ramseur sees his North Carolina boys advancing with elan along the turnpike. Can they catch the Federals before they deploy into firing line?

The leading regiments closes with the boys in blue! If they can sweep away the troops on the Union left they can swing inward and roll up the whole line!

It will be a close run action as more Rebs are fastening forward to add weight to the attack.

In their centre though the remaining Rebs are making slow progress along the turnpike as it crosses the run.

The boys from Ohio have shaken out from column into firing line as the Reb advance has slowed. They pour a volley into the hesitant lead regiment!

As the Reb attack on the Union left falters they find themselves flanked by a third Union regiments which boldly advances sensing a real opportunity to destroy the enemy attack. Just in time the second Reb regiment shakes out into firing line behind the fencing along the turnpike.

The remaining West Virginia boys are cautiously holding position on the right hoping for support from their cavalry to smash the Reb left flank.

An overview of the developing situation around Rutherford's Farm shows casualties mounting for both sides as the most forward of the West Virginia regiments finds itself flanked by the Rebs in turn.

The remaining regiments are reluctant to advance on the Rebs, leaving their comrades to face fire on three faces! Surely that can't end well for their now isolated fellows?

Too late they find themselves in turn flanked by more Rebs as they advance on the Reb left. Cavalry arrives, but for the Rebs not for the Union!

In the nick of time the Union cavalry charges down the lane, allowing the exposed Union infantry to draw back.  If they can triumph in the ensuing melees the Reb left will be swept away and victory assured!

Disaster! The North Carolina boys beat off the Union cavalry charging them despite losses. The cavalry's morale collapses as a consequence and they flee in rout!

The second Reb cavalry unit wins its melee with the Union cavalry and force them to fall back in Disorder! This allows the Reb infantry to form firing line across the flank of the now Disordered Union infantry lines.

Momentum is swinging back towards Ramseur's Rebs as the Union advance halts in Disorder as casualties mount.

Things go better for Averell on his left with the Reb infantry attack along the turnpike halted decisively. Ominously though the arrival of Reb cavalry tasked with covering the attack may expose his men to enfilade fire.

Back on the Reb left the cavalry, having seen off their Union opponents, dismount to add their fire to the weight of lead pouring into the exposed Union right flank.

The Union line, having stood as long as it could under the mounting weight of  Reb fire, suddenly finds the centre unit giving way and falling back Disordered! Averell can only look on in dismay!

At last Ramseur sees his artillery deploy to fire along the line of the turnpike to further disrupt the Union left. The tide of fortune is swinging back in his favour.

Their fire disorders one Union regiment which falls back as its Morale wavers. Suddenly the remaining Ohio boys find themselves exposed to fire from the front and flank!

The famed Rebel Yell breaks out as the wavering Union infantry defending Rutherford's Farm find themselves charged by the buoyant Rebs. They are Shaken and give way under the force of the Reb assault!

The coup de grace to Averell's command is delivered by a devastating artillery barrage which breaks the Ohio regiment on the Union left. With his command in tatters he must draw back and save what he can of them. Ramseur has achieved Early's objective of holding up the Union advance allowing stores and the wounded to be evacuated southward.

A fine game we thought, nicely balanced throughout and well served by the usual Black Powder twists and turns. By the end of Turn 8 incase obvious that Averell had lost, so we called a halt just in time for the bacon, brie and cranberry Sue had prepared for lunch!