HISTORY During June of 1863, General Robert E. Lee moved the Army of Northern Virginia north on a desperate invasion. Lee's Pennsylvania campaign was launched in order to relieve Virginia of the burden of war and to disrupt any Union operations planned for that summer. He was lookig for a decisive victory on Union soil. By June 30, 75,000 Confederates were across the Potomac poised to do battle in the cities of York, Carlisle, and Chambersburg General Joseph Fightin' Joe Hooker had shadowed Lee's movement with his 95,000-man army until June 27 when over a dispute with General in Chief Halleck, he resigned. On June 28 Major General George Gordon Meade was placed in command. Upon learning that Federal forces were concentrating to the east and south, Lee ordered his army to gather in the Cashtown-Gettysburg area to prepare for battle. On July 1, just after sunrise, the Confederates marching east with A. P. Hill's two divisions in the lead found General John Buford's Union cavalry waiting on a ridge west of the town of Gettysburg. For the next three days the fate of a "nation torn asunder" would be decided across the fields and ridges near this little Pennsylvania town. There's nothing extremely unusual about this field. What was most unusual to me was that the Confederates arrived from the north and west and the Union from the south and east. The Rebs moved down the Cashtown Pike. This road starts west on Herr Ridge, passes through two ridge lines, McPherson's and Seminary, then enters Gettysburg. The ridges are about 500 yards apart and are dominated by Oak Hill one and a half miles to the north. Both of these ridges were named for local farming families, and Seminary Ridge for the Lutheran Seminary. The Seminary, whose cupola was used as an observation point by both sides, was located in a grove of trees with a stonewall around it One hundred and fifty yards north of Cashtown Pike and parallel to it is the unfinished railroad line. This also runs through all three ridges by means of deep cuts. A small stream, Willoughby Run, meanders between Herr Ridge and McPherson's Ridge. On the south slope of Oak Hill along the Mummasburg Road stood the Forney farm and fields which extended west along the road for about a mile. Near the farm runs a stone wall about 550 yards long. Oak Hill itself was covered by a large woods but most of the terrain in the north is open and flat. The land south of the Cashtown Pike is cut by a mixture of picket and rail fencing inside and east of Herbst Woods. TERRAIN NOTES The scale I used is 1" on the wargame table to 40 yards of actual ground. Each square on the map is 12 x 12 inches on the table. The woods on Seminary Ridge and all orchards are light. All other woods are dense. Willoughby Run is fordable at all points. The Chambersburg Pike, Hagerstown Road and Mummasburg Road have fences along their whole lengths on both sides. Other fences should be around the orchards and throughout the open fields as you see fit. The Seminary was a fairly large building with a stone wall all around. Also note the stone wall perpendicular to the Mummasburg Road. THE SCENARIO The battle starts with Archer's and Davis' brigades of Heth's division moving east along Cashtown Pike. Davis' brigade (D5) to the north, Archer's to the south (E5, F5). The Confederate artillery at this time was firing from Herr Ridge (E5). Pegram's battalion had 5 batteries. I found that Pegram deployed all his guns but that only those with the range to counter Calef's guns (the rifled ones) opened fire. Pettigrew's and Brockenbrough's brigades, although on the field most of the day, are not ordered forward against the Federal forces on McPherson Ridge from the south side of Cashtown Pike (E5, F5) until 2 45 PM. Pender's division, although arriving on the field at 10:00 am, is deployed behind Heth's division west of Willoughby Run on Herr Ridge (D5, E5, F5, G5) and attacks at 3:30 pm. McIntosh's artillery reinforces Pegram on Herr Ridge at noon. Rodes' division arrives at 12:40 pm at Oak Hill (A 1, A2) along with Carter's artillery. Gamble's cavalry brigade starts along McPherson Ridge from Herbst Woods north to the railroad cut (L3, F3). Devin's brigade is north of Gamble along McPherson ridge, reaching to the Mummasburg Road (C2, D2). Also, one battery of artillery (Calef's) were deployed here. One section (2 guns) to the left of Gamble and two sections (4 guns) between Gamble and Devin north of the Cashtown Pike. Wadsworth's Federal Division arrived in the area of McPherson's Ridge abou 10:00 am, so depending on your movement rules, Cutler's brigade, followed by Hall's battery, and then Meredith's -Iron Brigade- arrive at H2 on the south edge in march column. General Reynolds also arrives with Cutler's brigade. At 11:30 am, Doubleday's 3rd Division, accompanied by Captain Cooper's Battery B, 1st PA Art arrives at (H3) on the Hagerstown Road with Colonel Stone's 2nd brigade at the head of the column. At noon, the last three batteries of I Corps arrive at (G 1) on or off the roads. These are Steven's Battery E, 5th Maine, Reynold's Battery L, 1st New York, and Stewart's Battery B, 4th US. Immediately behind is Brigadier General Robinson's 2nd Division with Paul's brigade in front. THE FORCES The strengths of the sides 1isted are taken mainly trom Scott Bowden's book: ARMIES AT GETTTSBURG. The morale ratings (with some adjustments) are also taken from Bowden. All numbers are given in men per regiment. The cavalry has not been reduced to reflect horse holders, usually 1 in 4. Infantry on both sides were mosty armed with the rifled musket, but some regiments still carried the smoothbore muskets. Cavalry was armed with breech loading carbines. UNION ORDER OF BATTLE Cavalry Division Brig. Gen John Buford 1st Bde Col William Gamble 8th Illinois 505 VET 12th Illinois 251 VET 3rd Indiana 337 VET 8th New York 623 REG 1st Pennsylvania 418 VET 3rd Pennsylvania 394 VET 2nd Bde Col Thomas Devin 6th New York 272 VET 9th New York 395 VET 17th Pennsylvania 499 REG 3rd West Virginia 63 VET Cavalry Corps Reserve Horse Artillery A, 2nd US Artillery (Calef): 6 x 3" Rifles 80 ELITE I CORPS Maj. Gen. John F. Reynolds First Division Brig. Gen. James Wadsworth 1st (IRON) Bde Brig. Gen. Solomon Meredith 19th Indiana 339 ELITE 24th Michigan 496 ELITE 2nd Wisconsin 302 ELITE 6th Wisconsin 342 ELITE 7th Wisconsin 370 ELITE 2nd Bde Brig. Gen. Lysander Cutler 76th New York 375 VET 84th New York 344 VET 95th New York 261 VET 147th New York 430 VET 56th Pennsylvania 265 VET Second Division Brig. Gen. J.C. Robinson 1st Bde Brig Gen G. R. Paul 16th Maine 311 ELITES 18th Massachusetts 307 REG 94th New York 445 REG 104th New York 309 REG 107th Pennsylvania 255 REG 2nd Bde Brig. Gen. H. Baxter 12th Massachusetts 282 VET 83rd New York 215 VET 97th New York 255 REG 11th Pennsylvania 292 VET 88th Pennsylvania 296 VET 90th Pennsylvania 241 VET Third Division Maj. Gen. Abner Doubleday 1st Bde Col. Chapman Biddle 80th New York 287 GREEN 121st Pennsylvania 306 REG 142nd Pennsylvania 363 REG 151st Pennsylvania 473 GREEN 2nd Bde Col. Ray Stone 143rd Pennsylvania 450 REG 149th Pennsylvania 465 REG 150th Pennsylvania 400 REG I Corps Reserve Artillery 2nd Battery, Maine Lt (Hall): 6 x 3" Rifles 120 VET 5th Battery, Maine Lt (Stevens): 6 x 12 lb Nap 128 VET Battery E and L, 1st NY Lt (Reynolds): 6 x 3" Rifles 133 VET Battery B, 1st PA Lt (Cooper): 4 x 3' Rifles 114 VET Battery B, 4th US (Stewart): 6 x 121b Nap 132 ELITE CONFEDERATE ORDER OF BATTLE III CORPS Lt. Gen. A. P. Hill Heth's Division Maj. Gen. Henry Heth 1st Bde Brig. Gen. James J. Pettigrew 11th N Carolina 500 REG 26th N Carolina 850 REG 47th N Carolina 500 REG 52nd N Carolina 500 REG 2nd Bde Col. J. M. Brockenbrough 40th Virginia 275 VET 55th Virginia 275 VET 4th Virginia 275 VET 22th Virginia Batt. 275 VET 3rd Bde Brig. Gen. James J. Archer 13th Alabama 210 ELITES 5th Alabama 210 ELITES 1st Tennessee 210 ELITES 7th Tennessee 210 ELITES 14th Tennessee 210 ELITES 4th Bde Brig. Gen. Joseph R. Davis 2nd Mississippi 500 REG 42nd Mississippi 500 REG 55th N Carolina 500 REG Pender's Lt. Division Maj. Gen. William D. Pender 1st Bde Col. A. Perrin 1st S Carolina 320 VET 1st S Carolina Rifles 320 VET 12th S Carolina 320 VET 13th S Carolina 320 VET 14th S Carolina 320 VET 2nd Bde Brig. Gen. James H. Lane 7th N Carolina 311 VET 18th N Carolina 311 VET 28th N Carolina 311 VET 33rd N Carolina 311 VET 37th N Carolina 311 VET 3rd Bde Brig. Gen. Alfred M. Scales 13th N Carolina 311 ELITES 16th N Carolina 311 ELITES 22th N Carolina 311 ELITES 34th N Carolina 311 ELITES 38th N Carolina 311 ELITES 4th Bde Brig. Gen. E. L. Thomas 14th Georgia 300 VET 35th Georgia 300 VET 45th Georgia 300 VET 49th Georgia 300 VET III Corps Reserve Artillery McIntosh's Battalion Maj. D. G. McIntosh Danville (VA) Art (Rice): 4 x 12lb Nap VET Richmond (VA) Art (Johnson): 4 x 3" Rifles VET 2nd Rockbridge (VA) Art (Wallace): 2 x 12lb Nap, 2 x 3" Rifles VET Hardaway's ALA Art (Hurt): 2x 12lb Whitworth, 2 x 3" Rifles ELITE Pegram's Art. Bttn Maj. W. J. Pegram PeeDee (SC) Art (Zimmerman): 4 x 3. Rifles VET Fredericlcsburg (VA) Art (Johnson): 2 x 12lb Nap, 2 x 3" Rifles VET Richmond (VA) Art (Crenshaw): 2 x 12lb Nap, 2 x 12lb Howitzers VET Richmond (VA) Art (Brander) : 2 x 12lb Nap, 2 x 10lb Parrott Rifle VET Richmond (VA) Art (McGraw) : 4 x 12lb Nap VET Average 100 men per battery II CORPS Lt. Gen. R. S. Ewell Rodes' Division Maj. Gen. R.E. Rodes 1st Bd. Brig. Gen. J. Daniel 32nd N Carolina 454 REG 43rd N Carolina 420 REG 45th N Carolina 605 REG 53nd N Carolina 420 REG 2nd NC Batt 240 REG 2nd Bde Brig. Gen. A. Iverson 5th N Carolina 503 VET 13th N Carolina 360 VET 20th N Carolina 395 VET 23nd N Carolina 366 VET 3rd Bde Col. E. O'Neal 3rd Alabama 330 VET 5th Alabama 336 VET 6th Alabama 350 VET 12th Alabama 271 VET 26th Alabama 336 VET 4th Bde Brig. Gen. S. D. Ramseur 2nd N Carolina 273 ELITE 4th N Carolina 273 ELITE 14th N Carolina 273 ELITE 30th N Carolina 273 ELITE Carter's Artillery Bttn Lt. Col. T.H. Carter Jeff Davis (ALA) Art (Reese): 4 x 3" Rifles VET Louisa Morris (VA) Art (Page ): 4 x 12lb Nap VET Richmond (VA) Art (Fry): 2 x 3" Rifles, 2 x 10lb Parrott Rifles VET King William (VA) Art (Carter) : 2 x 12lb Nap, 2 x 10lb Parrott Rifles VET Average 100 men per battery Larger Version of Map (very slow download: 232K) Back to MWAN #53 Table of Contents © Copyright 1991 Hal Thinglum This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com