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Cedar Mountain - 9th August 1862
This scenario was developed by Keith McNelly. The original inspiration for this scenario came from Stackpole's "Cedar Mountain to Antietam". An alternate scenario has been published by Greg Novak in issue 3, of La Gloire. I have altered this scenario slightly as a result of Greg Novak's work. Historical Background In the summer of 1862 Halleck was appointed General in chief. With McClellan in the Penisular and in-active much hope was placed on a new appointment in the form of John Pope. Pope was given command of several separate Corps operating south of Washington and these Corps were amalgameted into the Army of the Potomac. Jackson assembled at Gordonsville and by the 1st of August had an army of 24000 men which was his largest individual command to date. Aware of Lee’s hopes that Popes army may be defeated before it was assembled Jackson advanced on Culpeper, where several roads merged and which Jackson believed to be Popes assembly point. On the 7th Of August Jackson set out and by the 9th he was advancing along a single road beside Cedar Mountain. At the end of the end of this road, where it crossed Cedar Run, Banks was already deployed in a blocking position. Not only was Bank's deployed however, he was also keen to inflict a defeat on Jackson, in responce to defeats caused by Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley. Historically Jackson was hampered by the length of his march column. As he deployed from road column and after a some skirmishing Jackson was attacked by Banks’ much smaller force. It was the Light Division under Hill which stabilised the position and eventually drove off the Union troops. Pope and Ricketts’ Division arrived too late in the day to assist, except to cover the retreat of Banks’ Corps and allow a new line to be formed. It is possible however that Banks could have requested support from Pope and Ricketts’ earlier. This scenario attempts to recreate the confusion of the advance along a single road and the potential for reinforcement from Ricketts. Orders of Battle Elements Union Army of the Potomac - Major General John Pope (AC) Union 2nd Army Corps - Maj. General Nathaniel P. Banks (CC) Corps Troops
1st Division, Williams (DC) Exhaustion 5
2nd Division, Auger (DC) Exhaustion 5
Elements of Union 3rd Army Corps Ricketts Division, Brig Ricketts (DC), Exhaustion 9
Confederate Left Wing Army of Northern Virginia, "Stonewall" Jackson (AC) Winder's Division, Winder (DC), Exhaustion 5
Ewell's Division, Ewell (DC), Exhaustion 7
Light Division, A.P.Hill (DC), Exhaustion 12
Lawton's Command - Guarding Supply train, Lawton (DC), Exhuastion 4
Order of Battle Notes:
Download the OOB in PDF format. Scenario Notes This game is ideally played with three players, Banks, Pope and Jackson. See victory conditions for personal victory conditions for Banks. All woods are open. and the stream is classed is treated as a normal stream. The game starts at the 1pm Confederate turn and finnishes at the end of the Union 8pm turn. The Confederate forces are deployed as shown. Banks’ II Corps is deployed on table and some or all units may be stationary. The turn following firing by more than one brigade of infantry or when any artillery fire occurs Pope and Ricketts’ division may arrive at point A. Their arrival is achieved on a 5 or 6. If not successful they are diced for the next turn and the score is reduced by one each turn until the arrive automatically. Lawton's command was left behind to guard Jackson's baggage it may begin to arrive the turn after Ricketts division is completely on table - presuming Hill's division is not blocking the road! Victory Conditions Confederate victory is achieved if Jackson is able to drive the Union army of the north end of the table or drive all union divisions into exhaustion or morale collapse. A Union victory is achieved if the Union forces are still south of the north fork of Cedar Run at night fall. In addition Major General Banks achieves a personal victory if he is able to drive two of Jackson's divisions into exhaustion before General Pope arrives on table with all of Rickett's division. All other results are considered a draw. |