Ox Hill

A Fire&Fury Scenario

by Greg Novak

ORDERS OF BATTLE

As mentioned, this scenario is designed to be played with Fire & Fury. The Orders of Battle normally gives three numbers for the number of stands that the brigade should have if fresh, worn or spent. The two numbers in the list below shows that the unit starts as "worn". All units unless otherwise mentioned are rated as veteran.

CONFEDERATE FORCES

Jacksons Wing: Army of Northern Virginia
Major General Thomas Jackson (E)

The Light Division
Major General A. P. Hill (E)

Jacksons Division
Brigadier General Starke

Ewells Division
Brigadier General Lawton

CONFEDERATE SET UP

1. At the start of the game, Hills Light Division is on the board in the following formation. Three brigades are in march column one after another in the fields on the north side of the road. The remaining three brigades are in march column one after another in the fields on the south side of the road. The divisional artillery is placed on the road between the two columns. The rear stand of the last brigade in each column is placed next to the western board edge, and the remaining brigades are placed in front of it. A. P. Hill can be placed on the road at any point adjacent to the column. No other Confederate unit is allowed to start the game on the board.

2. The remaining two Confederate Divisions enter the board in the same formation as the Light Division, with Jacksons Division entering first, followed by Ewells Division. Jackson may enter the board with either division.

3. No artillery or small arms resupply is available for the Confederate forces.

4. For the record, the Confederate command structure was so depleted at Ox Hill that Trimbles Brigade was commanded by Captain W. F. Brown of the 12th Georgia, who fell in action at the head of his command.

UNION FORCES

Attached Units: Army of Virginia
1st Division, IXth Army Corps
Major General Isaac Steven (E)

1st Division, III Army Corps
Major General Philip Kearney (E)

2nd Division, IXth Army Corps
Major General Jesse Reno

UNION SET UP

1. On the 1500 turn, the 1st Division, IXth Corps enters the board on the south edge anywhere west of Ox Hill Road. (Units may not enter the board on the road.) Units may enter the board in any formation.

2. On the 1530 turn, the 1st Division, IIIrd Corps enters the board on the south edge anywhere west of Ox Hill Road. (Units may not enter the board on the road.) Units may enter the board in any formation.

3. On the 1600 turn, the 2nd Division, IXth Corps enters the board on the south edge anywhere west of Ox Hill Road. (Units may not enter the board on the road.) Units may enter the board in any formation.

4. Major General Jesse Reno was the senior Union officer on the field, but did not serve as an overall commander. The highest command level present for the Union is that of divisional commander.

TERRAIN

The map is based on the Fire and Fury scale of 1 inch equals 45 yards. The woods may not be fired over by the artillery of either side. All the streams are fordable, while the wooded area counts as rough terrain.

PLAYING THE GAME

The game starts on the 1500 turn, and lasts till the end of the 1800 turn. Both sides were aware of the approximate location of the other, so that surprise is not a possibility for either. Due to the weather and other factors, the following special rules are in effect.

Due to the recent rain and forced marches carried out over the last week, all non road Confederate artillery movement pays an additional double cost, so that a normal cross country movement of 8 inches is reduced to 4 inches before any other costs are paid.

Starting on the 1600 turn, the Union player rolls a D6. On a roll of a 6, a heavy thunderstorm breaks out on that turn. The die roll is made on each of the following turns, with a plus one modifier to the die roll for each turn until the storm breaks. Thus on the 1700 turn, if the storm has not yet broken, it will arrive on a die roll of a 4-6.

The storm lasts for 1 D6/2, (rounding up) turns, during which time visibility is reduced to 4". All fire combat, whether small arms or artillery, conducted during the storm is half effect. All basic movement rates on either side after the storm breaks are halved. (Confederate artillery rates are halved for movement at this point, both on and off road.)

WINNING THE GAME

Each side may gain victory points for the following reasons:

1 VP for each enemy brigade which ends the game worn. Each enemy exceptional brigade commander or divisional commander killed, wounded, or captured.

1 VP for each enemy gun wrecked or captured

2 VP for each enemy brigade which ends the game spent

2 VP for each enemy exceptional divisional commander killed, wounded, or captured.

4 VP for each enemy brigade which is captured or driven from the field.

4 VP for the Union if Jackson is killed, wounded, or captured

10 VP For holding the crossroads on top of Ox Hill at the end of the game.

Victory points are totaled at the end of the 1800 turn. decisive victory occurs if one side has twice as many VPs as the other side. A marginal victory occurs if one side has 50% more VPs then the other. If neither side has a 50% advantage, then the game is a draw.

Note: the Union forces start the game with 14 VPs at the start of the game due to the worn nature of the Confederate forces.

HISTORICAL OUTCOME

The battle was Pope's last attempt to stand and retain command of the Army of Virginia. The Union troops were brought into action without any real command control, and reinforcements were never brought up to support them. however, the Union attack forced Jackson to deploy to meet their advance and halted his attempt to march to Germantown. From the crossroads on Ox Hill, Jackson and Lee would march north as they started their invasion of Maryland.

The battle should be considered a draw as while the Union forces stopped the Confederate advance, it was at the cost two of the most promising Union divisional commanders. Isa Stevens, commander of the 1st Division, IXth Corps, was a West Point graduate, veteran of the Mexican War, prewar serveyor of railroad routes across the northern plains and governor of the Territory of Washington. He was considered a promising officer on his way to Corps command when he died at Ox Hill.

Phil Kearney, the other divisional commander killed in action, was one of the most colorful American soldiers of the day. A millionaire who was interested in the military as a hobby, he was a prewar Dragoon officer. He had attended the French Cavalry School at Samur, and served as a French officer North Africa in the early 1840s. He returned home to fight the Mexican War, gaining glory and losing an arm. He returned to France in the 1850s, and served as an aide in the French Imperial Guard during the Franco-Austrian War of 1859, winning the Legion of Honor for his services. Beloved by his men, he is credited with the invention of the first of the corps badges as each man in his division was ordered to wear a red diamond cloth badge on top of his kepi. Had he survived the battle Ox Hill, he would have soon been promoted to a position as corps commander.

Back to the History of the Battle of Ox Hill

ED Note: This article first appeared in The Vedette, the Journal of the Central, Illinois Table Top Warriors. (1705 Stratford, Champaign, IL, 61821) and is reprinted with their kind permission.

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