Battle of Cedar Mountain

Battle Scenario for Fire&Fury

by Charles D. Collins

Rally brave men, and press forward! Your general will lead you.
Jackson will lead you. Follow me!
--Thomas Jackson at the battle of Cedar Mountain

Historical Overview

The battle of Cedar Mountain was the first engagement in what would become the Second Bull Run Campaign. Pope's "Army of the Virginia" was moving south from the vicinity of Fredericksburg to support the main Union Army in the Peninsula. General Lee dis patched Jackson to strike Pope before the Union Army could con centrate and threaten Richmond.

Jackson had three division of infantry numbering about 24,000 men. Shortly after noon on 9 August, 1863, the Confederates bumped into the advanced guard of Pope's army at Cedar Mountain. General Banks commanded the advanced guard consisting of two infantry divisions of the Union II Corps (about 9000 men).

Jackson's lead division, commanded by General Ewell, secured Cedar Mountain, the Confederate center and the Confederate right. Winders division then secured the left flank. The Federals deployed their left division in the open and hid their right division in the woods. Unaware of the division hidden in the woods, Jackson only anticipated action on his right. Winder positioned two if his brigades, one of which was the Stonewall Brigade, to support the Rebel left. As a result, their flank was exposed to the Union division hidden in the woods.

The Confederates were slow to deploy and didn't get into position until about 3 PM. Both army commanders seriously miscalculated the strength of the opposing force. Jackson believed he faced a much larger portion of Pope;s army than was actually on the field. Banks believed he faced only the advanced guard of Jack son's corps. He also believed he would receive support in his attack from the balance of Pope's army, which was only a few miles away.

Banks attacked at 5 PM. Crawford's Union brigade overwhelmed and routed portions of Ronald's Garnett's and Taliafero's brigades. Geary's Union brigade also pushed the Confederate center back. At this point, the Confederate Army was on the verge of total col lapse. However, Banks had no reserves to exploit the success. Jackson desperately brought reserves forward and rallied troops to stabilize the crumbling Rebel line. A.P. Hill's division was committed brigade by brigade as fast as they could reach the battlefield. Thomas' brigade stabilized the Rebel right. Branch's brigade stopped Crawford's attack.

Eventually, overwhelming Con federate numbers began to force the Union Army back. Hill then committed two more brigades and threatened the Union left. All across the battlefield the Yankees were slowly and stubbornly falling back. At one point, Crawford's brigade was almost surrounded and trapped. The 1st Pennsylvania cavalry charged into the Rebels to buy time. All but 71 of the 164 Union cavalrymen were killed or wounded in the desperate charge. Finally, sometime between 6:30 PM and 7PM, the Union line collapsed and gave up the fight. Both sides had fought courageously, even if their commanders had mismanaged the battle. The Confederates had 1,276 killed and wounded. General Banks, the attacker, had 2,379 casualties (almost 30 percent of this corps).

ORDER OF BATTLE:

Union Army

Maj. Gen. Nathaniel Banks (1 Corps Ldr)

II Corps Army of Virginia

1st Division

1st Brigade

3rd Brigade

2nd Division

2nd Brigade

3rd Brigade

Cavalry Brigade

Corps Artillery:

Confederate Army

Gen. Thomas Jackson (1 Corps Ldr)*

Left Wing, Army of Northern Virginia

1st Division

1st (Stonewall) Brigade

2nd Brigade

3rd Brigade

Division Artillery:

3rd Division

1st Louisiana Brigade

4th Brigade

7th Brigade

Division Artillery:

Light Division

1st & 2nd Brigades

3rd Brigade

4th Brigade

5th Brigade

6th Brigade

Division Artillery:

STARTING POSITIONS: The scenario map indicates the historical dispositions of the armies as of 5 P.M. when Banks began his attack. Both sides must place their artillery in open ground to the south of the main road between points A and B. Early's Brigade operates as independent brigade from Ewell's Division.

Historically, Ewell had two batteries with him on Cedar Mountain (Bedford and Courtney Artillery). Most of A.P. Hill's artillery did not arrive at the battlefield in time for the fight. Purcell's and Middlesex Artillery should be attached Winder's Divi sional Artillery at the beginning of the game.

REINFORCEMENTS:

Additional units and leaders march onto the battlefield during the battle. Their times and locations are listed below. A brigade must enter in march column at the letter location specified on the map or it may spend the following turn deploying off the map and enter within six inches to either side of the designated location in any desired formation.

UNION REINFORCEMENTS: None

CONFEDERATE REINFORCEMENTS:

Time Location Unit

5:30 P.M. E Thomas

6:30 P.M. E A. P. Hill and Branch

7:00 P.M. E Archer and Pender

SPECIAL RULES:

Initially Jackson should not be rated as an "EXCEPTIONAL" leader. He was literally caught napping by Bank's impetuous attack. Jackson starts the game with no leadership modifier unless he is attached to a disordered brigade. Once he rallies a brigade he becomes an exceptional leader.
Optional rule for Confederate artillery. Fire and Fury in the 150 SCALE has 1 stand of artillery equal 6 guns. I personally like for my artillery stand to represent a battery. Most Confed erate batteries at Cedar Mountain were grouped into 4 gun batteries. This is easily represented in Fire and Fury with only slight modifications to the firing tables. Change the Confederate Fire Points to the following factors for 4 gun batteries.

4" 16" 24" 32"

10/7 4/2 3/1 2/1

Union (6 guns)/Confederate (4 guns)
Optional rule for poorly armed Confederate Infantry. Many of the Confederate infantry at Cedar Mountain were still armed with old smoothbore muskets (see order of battle). These units could be given a maximum range of 4".
Ewell's Division did not participate in the early stages of the battle. Jackson sent Ewell to secure the high ground and then in the confusion of the Union attack, forgot about them. Ewell's Brigades may defend themselves buy may not leave the mountain until 7:00 P.M.
The cornfield at Cedar Mountain was ready for harvesting. The corn was thick and nearly six feet tall. The cornfield has the same line of sight restrictions as woods, but provides no benefit as cover.

VICTORY CONDITIONS

Casualty points are accumulated as listed in the Casualty Points Chart in Fire and Fury. The Union player also receives 10 points if they are able to capture and hold the Newman House for at least one turn. The odds are against the Union Army in this battle. To win, the Union commander will need to aggressively attack and hurt the Confederate Army as must as possible in the first few turns and then stubbornly defend. Eventually the overwhelming Confederate numbers will force the Union Army off the field.

Decisive Victory: achieved a 3:2 ratio in victory points

Tactical Victory: accumulate more victory points than the oppos ing side

Draw: both sides accumulate the same number of victory points

Bibliography:

The War if the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, 70 vols. in 128 parts (Washington D.C. : Government Printing Office, 1880-1901), Series 1, Vol 12.
Robert K. Kirch, STONEWALL JACKSON AT CEDAR MOUNTAIN. University of N.C. Press, Chapel Hill and London, 1990.
Time Life Books, LEE TAKES COMMAND: FROM SEVEN DAYS TO SECOND BULL RUN.

The Map

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