Action in Meeks Valley - Part One.

I decided to have a go at C.S. Grant's mini-campaign "Reconnaissance in Strength" in his Programmed Wargames Scenarios book, using my ACW figures. I decided to play along my 8 feet by 4 feet table, starting at one end, with each of his suggested tables being 4 feet by 2 feet, the valley rolling out as the Union forces moved forward, the Confederates being on the defence. The last table I decided to do as 4 feet by 4 feet, to allow a bit more room as it would involve most of the forces involved in the campaign. In the case of the two sides, I adapted his suggested units for Horse & Musket to match the ACW, with infantry regiments having 24 figures, cavalry regiments 12 figures, and artillery batteries one gun and crew. This gave the Union side 10 infantry regiments, 2 cavalry regiments and 2 batteries, forming two infantry and one cavalry brigade (basically a weak division) and the Confederates 6 infantry regiments, 2 cavalry regiments and 2 batteries, forming one infantry and one cavalry brigade. I also added to the terrain to make it more like ACW battlefields. The valley sides are books under the cloth, counting as difficult ground for all troops. I will post a revised map of the valley at the end of this series. I named the units randomly, which meant rolling a d20 for a number and then picking a state name! Apologies to any ACW purists!

Here are some photographs, roughly in the right sequence. The garage is artificial light, so the long range images are not quite as good as for natural light.

Table One and Two.

Confederate cavalry - 5th Texas - deployed to meet the Union advance.

The Union cavalry brigade - 5th Pennsylvania and 19th New York - leads the advance.

The 5th Pennsylvania deploys into line ready to move forward against the enemy.

The 19th New York moves off up the side road.

Keeping in control of his two regiments, Brigadier General Rusty gallops along the main road.

The Texans move out, having identified the hostile enemy and with orders

not to bring on an engagement.

The Union cavalry start to give chase.

The leading Union infantry brigade - 10th Illinois at the front - advances into the valley.

Brigadier General Dylan waves on his men.

The Texans hurry towards their supports back at Moppville

and the bridge over Miller's Run.

Baker's Battery ready to fire.

16th Louisiana deployed for action.

The race is on!

Miller's Run is passable only at the bridge at Moppville and a ford -

marked by the little tree on the bank.

More Union regiments hurrying along the road.

Table Two and Three, the latter before the Confederate supporting units are positioned.

The Texans reach the bridge first.

The Union cavalry deploy into the cornfield and come under fire.

Baker's Battery fires in support of the retreating Texans.

More Union cavalry push through the woods.

To the right of the cavalry, the 15th Pennsylvania are retreating already, back to the woods, having been lashed by musketry and artillery fire.

The leading Union infantry come under artillery fire.

The 10th Illinois deploy for action.

The 4th Virginia in support further back.

The 2nd Michigan coming under artillery fire as they move up.

The Union regiments go forward.

The 10th Illinois firing on 6th Alabama troops in the buildings at Moppville, with the 19th Ohio and 2nd Michigan following them up.

The engagement becomes general.

The Union cavalry get over Miller's Run at the ford, attempting to flank the Confederate defence.

The Union 2nd Brigade moves up.

The Union artillery joins in the action: A Battery, 4th US Artillery with a 10pdr Rifled piece.

The 10th Illinois crosses the bridge into Moppville.

Union troops in Moppville press forward.

The Confederate battery pulls back.

The Confederates begin to retire, their orders being to merely delay the enemy,

not fight it out along Miller's Run.

The Union troops press forward from Moppville.

To be continued...