Black Powder - Culp's Hill

This week at the Uni we used Black Powder rules to play out the third day of Gettysburg and the action around Lower Culp's Hill, or at least the third and final Confederate attack. However rather than repeat the futile and bloody slaughter of the first two attacks, our scenario as a 'what-if', presupposed that Johnson had exercised a little imagination. 

Rather than have the Stonewall Brigade once again attacking in parallel to the other brigades against the Union breastworks that had successfully repulsed the two earlier attacks, this time used the cover of the woodland to march them south to reinforce Steuart's and Daniel's Brigades.

Map and photo from the excellent Gettysburg Companion by Mark Adkin. Harry W Pfanz's Culps Hill and Cemetary Hill is also an invaluable reference for these actions.

It would be up to the Confederate team to decide whether they could immeadiately start the game in the woods behind Daniel's Bde, a short march from their initial, historical positions, or arrive in the second move behind Steuart's Brigade in Pardee Field, reinforcing an attack against the Union line in the open...



Its an interesting tactical conundrum - attacking across Pardee Field leaves the assaulting troops open to long range rifled musket fire, but the survivors get to fight blue-bellies in the open...



or attempt to close through the cover of the woods, which we gave a -1 command modifier for the more challenging C2, but end up having to assault troops behind breastworks? The Confederate generals deliberated...

The Confederate leadership: nearest the camera Bryan with Daniel's Bde, then Caesar with Steuart's Bde, and David, who arriving expecting to play DBA, was shanghaied into leading the Stonewall Brigade for the evening!

Above - Looking north across Pardee Field to the stone wall and trees. Nearer woods covered by the 10th Connecticut in skirmish order...

Looking South from the top of Lower Culp's Hill .541 with Pardee field over yonder...

Whichever decision the Gen'ruls took, some good ole boys were going to have to pay the price, but a little bit of banjo helped with morale...

The Gen'ruls announced that the Stonewall Brigade would not be starting the game on table, which implied they had marched all the way around to the back of Pardee Field - so the Rebels would be starting the game with just the two brigades, same as the Union. 'Cept their Brigades had 4 Regiments instead of our 3, and a stamina of 4 instead of our 3....

Then again they had an awful lot of ground to cover, most of which would be swept by Minie balls... In the opening Confederate move, Caesar boldly advanced Steuarts' Brigade forward and moved the skirmishing 10th Virginians forward on the flank to tie up our light troops...With command hampered by advancing through the woods, Daniel's brigade moved not a jot...

It was now I made my first mistake. Wanting to close the range on those Rebs that were advancing, in hope of hurting them before the other 2 Confederate Brigades got into the fight, I ordered my line forward into the field, thinking to get a few volley's off early then simply rejoining the line when things got warm - what could possibly go wrong?

Not having played Black Powder for a while, I'd forgotten that if my units became disordered, they would not be able to smartly retire as planned, but would be pinned out in the field facing hordes of angry Rebs on their lonesome...

And inevitably, so it proved! By now Bryan had managed to get Daniel's Brigade moving forward through the woods, so my esteemed Union colleague Alan, as yet unsure of what Bryan was up to, could not come to the aid of my beleaguered two Regiments....

The Stonewall Brigade had now arrived on table and indeed was well forward, so that my two regiments were losing the firefight - one breaking entirely...

Leaving the other, the 5th Ohio, to face a coordinated Confederate brigade attack...



entirely on its own...

Whereby it rose to the occasion magnificently and not only broke the chargers, but forced two of the three supporting regiments to flee the field also!



Their brave stand gave me the opportunity to attempt to shorten and reorder my line, whilst Alan, confident he could hold the breastworks with just 2 regiments, made the bold decision to support me, from the corner of the stone wall, with the 111th Pennsylvania, covering the gap to my stranded heroes with their fire.

Which was just as well, as the second Rebel assault was underway, this time from the Stonewall Brigade!

Once again this was a well coordinated attack in strength, against my now weakened Ohioans...

Meanwhile, back up on Lower Culp's Hill, Alan seemed to be holding his own, but having had to shorten his line to save my butt, was in danger of becoming outflanked...

Now back to the brave lads of the 5th Ohio - Somehow, despite their weakened condition, they held off the first assault, losing but passing the break test to remain in the fight...

However, isolated as they were, David mercilessly exploited their exposed flank, and inevitably even this regiment had to hurry their Colours to the rear... Leaving the entire Union position exposed on our right flank!

The Confederates lost no time in taking advantage!

And when things just couldn't get any worse, Bryan managed to lap the 32nd North Carolina around Alan's left flank - a double envelopment!

The Rebel team remained true Southern gentlemen however - there was no unseemly gloating...

They just got on with the business of moving in for the kill! The survivor's of my brigade - Candy's - were assaulted by overwhelming odds...

And duly wiped out...

But Alan's Brigade - Kane's - although themselves outflanked from north and south...

Now themselves rose to the occasion and fought like demons for not one, but two, rounds of desperate combat...

Before going down under welter of vengeful Rebels...

Despite losing this challenging scenario, I was very pleased with the way the scenario and game had played out. In particular the combats had provided a good deal of excitement and some real david and goliath moments, and had provided a satisfying outcome to our 'what-if' poser.

Photo courtesy of Kaptain Kobold, semi-professional photographer.

As to the question of whether its best to attack through woods against breastworks or in the open against troops in the open, well, since both succeeded, we shall just have to revisit the scenario!

My gallant Union comrade's account to Congress may be seen here.