Gettysburg Project 150 Megagame Day 3 - Pickett's Charge

Previous posts have described the first two days of our Megagame...We regrouped on the Sunday morning for the third and final day's gaming. The table was rearranged into a more conventional rectangle, albeit a large one 18' x 8'!

In all of our pregame discussions and planning, we had always known that there are difficulties in wargaming, as opposed to recreating, or a diorama, of Pickett's Charge. Its a difficult ask of the Confederate team to suspend their fore knowledge of what occurred!

Episcope view - a Hard target?

With hindsight, it is easy for us to say the charge was hopeless from the outset, and so wargamers blessed with the resources that we had have 2 options; either recreate the entire battlefield on Day 3 from dawn, and allow the Confederate team freeplay to attempt alternative options, such as flanking attacks, with the entire forces at their disposal, and the Union free to shuttle reserves within their interior lines of communication; or instead; set up just the forces and table to recreate Pickett's Charge as it ran, testing Lee's belief that the sheer courage and elan of his Rebels would see them through. An experiment to see if our 'Rebel Yell' rule and additional stamina would accurately recreate the morale quality of the Army of Northern Virginia at its best, and achieve the historical 'high tide of the Confederacy', or even surpass it!

Overnight, and in the morning as we reset the table, it was agreed that we would attempt the latter option of concentrating on Pickett's charge, if only for the sake of recreating this most iconic of actions!

Accordingly, the table was rearranged to reflect that sector, and only the troops and guns employed in that charge, or in support, of it were deployed on table, 9 Brigades for the Confederates, and 11 for the Union, centred around the 'Copse of Trees'. The Confederates had the option of either getting 2 or 3 rounds of pregame bombardment, and forgoing our 'Grand Battery' firing bonus house rules, or attempting to take the Copse of Trees in 10 moves without the bombardment phase, but enjoying the 'Grand Battery' firing bonuses and leaving their guns on the ridge where they were arrayed in their historical locations.

However, as the first few moves unfolded, a misunderstanding between the two teams, or perhaps even within the Confederate team, meant that we did not really achieve either of the options available for the infamous 'Pickett's Charge'; neither  the 'carbon copy' centered around the Copse of Trees Sector, nor the wider outflanking move to test other options available to Lee, with the whole battlefield, and with all units and reserves in play..... 



Looking toward the angle - Fingers Crossed!



For whatever reason, the two ends of the Confederate lines headed for the respective flanks of the fishhook, leaving the centre attack watered down to only 3 or 4 Brigades....which then endured most of the Union firepower! Matt was Union CinC for Day 3, and decided, at this stage, that rather than make a fuss we should just treat it as a enjoyable and challenging set of meeting engagements on the flanks, and see how things panned out in the centre. From what I could see these were hard fought engagements on both flanks, but the slimmed down 'Pickett's Charge Lite' was still exciting enough!

The 'Copse of Trees' top left. The downed Stars and Stripes mark the closest point of the Rebel Attack

So how did those few determined Brigades, those diehard Regiments in Butternut and Grey go with Pickett's Charge, struggling manfully on, across the slopes of death to the Union guns, alone and unsupported?

Crossfire! The Stars and Bars record part of the High Tide Mark...



Well, actually at three points they briefly managed to breach the Union Line atop Cemetery ridge, right at the apex of 'The Angle', before being leaving the Confederate high tide a mere 9 inches from the Copse of Trees, and only a foot from the Union table edge, including sending a Union Regiment, in hard cover, running. Full credit to Bryan and Rhys for gritting their teeth and coming so close! 

Oh Dixie! What might have been...

So, overall, did we fulfil the vision we had a year ago to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of Gettysburg in Grand Style? One of the problems with a project of this size is that it attracts a lot of interest, and despite our initial intent to only admit players who had 'qualified' by playing at least two of our practice games, could we really turn away late applicants? Of course not!
So did everyone read, understand, and accept our house rules? No, not really.....Did everyone appreciate and understand what we were trying to achieve with the scenarios? Not entirely...

Did we put on a grand spectacle worthy of the effort that had gone into it? Without a doubt!

Did everyone experience an enjoyable once-in-a lifetime total immersion 3 Day wargame that they will never forget? Damn straight they did!

Were old friends re-met and new ones made? Yes Mate!

Which reminds me - thanks to those members of the public who stopped by and showed an interest and complemented us. It was much appreciated!

Gettysburg Project 150 Megagame Day 2

Day 2 - Looking SW toward Culps Hill (Left) and Cemy Hill (Right) Seminary ridge in the background

 I finished my blog about Day 1 with the question of when to set the scenario for Day 2? At dawn historically, and force the Rebs to spend most of the day marching and counter marching? Or freeplay, again from Dawn?

Devils Den across to the Peach Orchard.

The issue here was that Matt, the genial proprietor of the Hall of Heroes friendly local games store, who suggested this project right from the start, and put his heart and soul, as well as many dollars, into the spectacular terrain, would have been heartbroken if we had not had some action around his superbly modelled Round Tops and Devil's Den!

Episcope view - moving forward at 4.00 after a long day's march...

The answer was obvious - we would start the game from 4:00pm on the 2nd July, the point at which Longstreet's Corps crossed the start line of the Emmitsburg road.

On this occasion the 20th Maine did not run out of ammo...

Now at this point my recollection of the Battle gets a little patchy, as I was relieved from Command and Philip took over for Day 2. I had long planned, with Matt, that my role on this day was to be Dan Sickles, so that I could ensure that III Corps was deployed well forward around the Wheatfield and Devils' Den!

What I can tell you is that the fighting in this sector was tough and exciting, the Rebels coming on like a wild tide of charging furies! My skirmishers did well though, exacting a toll as they traded space for casualties. However, numbers told, so that we had lost Devils Den by move 3! However, we managed to hold on to the Little Round top to the end!

However, at the further up the Fishhook, things did not go so well...

Jim as McLaws was pushing the centre hard, so that V Corps was diverted from our original intent of shoring up III Corps. Instead, a series of head to head scrambling fire fights and combats ensued around the Wheatfield. There was no longer any prospect of retaking Devil's Den, and indeed Hood was steadily threatening Big Round Top.

V Corps reinforce the Wheatfield.



Further North, things were even more precarious. James and Terry, as Early and Johnsone were steadily increasing the pressure on Robert and Dave attempting to hold onto Culps Hill:

Rob was a newcomer to our group, and inexperienced with Black Powder rules, so this was something of a baptism of fire for him, but he kept up a good front for several moves before things started to crumble:

One of Jubal Early's Brigades reaches the Union table edge...

To be honest, things weren't going to well for the boys in blue in the middle sector either, Lachlan, Phil, and Gus, our resident Gunner, who of course was Henry Hunt for the day:

Cemetery Hill from Seminary Ridge

Rhys, Caesar and Sergio with Anderson's mob took their time in deploying, and I should have known from long experience from games at the Uni with Caesar that a slow start means trouble later:

Caesar has his thinking cap on....

Whereas around the flanks both Troy and James had reaped the benefits of charging like furies, these two were going for a bit of subtlety....Forcing Lachlan and co to constantly redirect their artillery positions...

The fighting was now fierce all along the line, with the Rebels applying pressure at all points. However, I am proud to say that most of our Regiments passed their 'Rebel Yell' checks, with very few actually fleeing the field! For several long moves the Union command held things together...

Cemetery Hill at tipping point....

Eventually however, despite heavy casualties, the Rebels surging around and over Cemetery Hill, forced the Union Reserve artillery to skeddadle at move 9. Philip was reluctant to concede, and certainly we had reserves aplenty as the game ended, but overall the Confederate team played hard and clever this day.

In the heat and passion of the action, a change in our playing style emerged in this most demanding of wargames; instead of allowing each sector to move through the Turn cycle of Orders - Firing - Hand to Hand in their own time, early confusion with the turns led the respective Team Captains to insist that their players all move through the phases together, even if sometimes that meant waiting for busier sectors to complete; and overall this worked well. Even with a game of this size and complexity, surely the largest ever played in Australia in 28mm, we managed to complete the planned 10 moves, with play starting at 10:30 and concluding at 5:30.

Episcope view - 'Here they come, boys!'

Overall, a hard fought, challenging game, which probably stretched the capabilities of Black Powder in terms of sheer numbers of units, but all finished the game with a sense of achievement and of a day well spent commemorating an epic day in grand style. Our mid game celebrations were fuelled by a huge pot of Gumbo which had been simmering all day...

Plans were made for the morrow, and the fateful Pickett's Charge...