Yesterday at the club was another opportunity to Spread The Lard again. This time it was the turn of a different player called John and the rules were Sharp Practice. The setting was the early period in the American Civil War, when most troops were rated as Conscripts and Volunteers and some on the Confederate side were still equipped with smooth bore muskets. All the figures and buildings are mine, from Peter Pig. The snake fencing is also mine, from 4Ground and the mat and scenery belong to the club.
The scenario was two small forces who were both aiming to capture the small community known as Maggie's Farm. The table looked like this, with Maggie's actual farm on the left, the community chapel on the hill and a smaller farm further away behind a wooded hill;
The Rebels, commanded by John would enter from the middle of the right-hand side of the table and my Union troops would deploy from directly opposite.
The Rebel troops consisted of;
3 groups of 8 Georgia State Volunteer infantry (rifled muskets), led by Captain Roscoe P. Coltrane (status III), with a musician, a mule train and a status I sergeant.
2 groups of 10 Hazzard County militia (muskets), led by Maj J.D. Hogg (status II) and a status I sergeant
1 Group of 6 Davenport's Zouaves skirmishers (rifled muskets), led by Sgt Enos Strate (status I)
The Union forces were;
3 groups of 8 infantry from the 3rd Miskatonic Volunteers (rifled muskets), led by Captain Randolph Carter (status III), with a musician, a mule train and a status I sergeant.
2 groups of 8 infantry from the 3rd Miskatonic Volunteers (rifled muskets), led by Lt. Charles Dexter Ward (status II) and a status I sergeant
1 Group of 6 Innsmouth Sharpshooters skirmishers (rifled muskets), led by Sgt Upton Pickman (status I)
Capt. Coltrane's troops were soon in action, firing a Controlled Volley with First Fire at long range, with devastating effect on the two group formation led by Lt. Ward.
Major Hogg's militia were soon deployed up against the fencing, firing uncontrolled at Ward's Miskatonic infantry. You can see the Rebel skirmishers just behind them, with a point of shock from some inconclusive fire from the green-coated Innsmouth Zouaves.
The main body of Georgia Volunteers maintained position on the hill overlooking Maggie's Farm, waiting for the appearance of more Union troops, while also firing at the target in front of them.
Repeated volleys of musketry from both the Georgia Volunteers and the Hazzard County Militia wreaked further havoc on the Miskatonic Volunteers, who were now much reduced, with their firing further hampered by damp powder (signified by the red marker).
The delayed arrival of the rest of the Miskatonic Volunteers saw them advancing in open column towards the small community chapel on the hill. Capt. Carter was attempting to outflank the main body of Rebels on the hill.
On the Confederate left, the militia and Davenport's Zouaves had pretty much eliminated the generally ineffective Innsmouth Sharpshooters.
Capt. Coltrane managed to bring his command under control and began to manoeuvre his troops to defend their position against the advancing Union column in the distance.
Looking across the fields towards Maggie's Farm, the weakness of the Union position is apparent. Would Major Hogg (an honorary rank only, he is actually the local Mayor) advance his militia or let them continue to fire uncontrolled? Well, probably showing his lack of military experience, he chose to let them carry on firing. They would eventually force Lt. Ward to withdraw after suffering more losses.
Meanwhile, the Union column had deployed into formation along the fence line around the farm on the Rebel right flank. However, Davenport's Zouaves had moved from their earlier position acroos the field towards the main Union force by the chapel, firing into its flank, causing casualties and double shock. Even more unfortunately, accurate musketry from the Rebels on the hill was whittling the Miskatonic Volunteers down even more, forcing one group to break from the formation, all of this before the Union troops had even delivered their first volley.
Capt. Coltrane dispatched a group of troops under his sergeant to move around the far side of the farmhouse.
By this point, the Confederates clearly had the upper hand. Even though the Miskatonic Volunteers had managed to get off a Controlled Volley, mainly hitting the smaller group of Confederates and wounding the sergeant, Union morale was falling and the number of casualties meant that Maggie's Farm would remain a Confederate stronghold for the foreseeable future.
No comments:
Post a Comment