ACW Battle of Perryville

A Fire & Fury Scenario

By Rick Schofield


Recently, I became interested in two generals - Pat Cleburne and George Thomas. This is the first of several scenerios I have had fun with - learning about these men and playing out some small measure of the history they lived.

Perryville, KY - October 8, 1862 - Boy are we thirsty! This scenerio is written with Fire and Fury as a basis - at a 1/150 scale. This meeting enagement found a disjointed Union Army stumbling into a portion of a portion of the Confederate Army; while foraging. What started as a pre-dawn skirmish quickly develop ed into a pitched battle. Several sources indicate that the water supplies in the area were depleted due to drought like conditions. I would suggest that the various creeks be treated as sunken roads.

Historically, this battle kept Kentucky in the Union, to Lincoln's delight! It was however a battle of great carnage; particularly to the Confederates. Bragg's forces suffered 20% casulties while Buell's forces just 10%. In addition to the OB I have included a set of orders for the start of the game. These are intended to create a fog of war and at least start the players off towards a historical encounter. Feel free to change or ignore them.

Confederates

Army Commander - General B. Bragg
Polk's Corps *

Cheatham - Right Wing

Cheatham's Division Donelson

    Savage 8/6/4
    Stewart 8/6/4
    Maney 9/7/5
    Artillery 2 Stands
    Cavaly Brigade - Wharton 5/4/3

Hardee' s Corps - Left Wing

Anderson's Division

    Brown 10/8/5
    Adams 8/6/4
    Powell 7/5/4
    Jones 8/6/4
    Artillery 2 stands

Buckner's Division

    Liddell 8/6/4
    Cleburne E 8/6/4
    Johnson 8/6/4
    Wood 8/6/4
    Artillery 3 stands
    Cavalry Brigade - Wheeler E 3/2/-

* one could consider a variant where Polk's other Division shows up to fight - we tried it, having it show up on the right wing (dice roll for location and dice roll for time of entry after turn one). It balanced the scenerio into more of an even battle. Polk's other division was command by Withers. While I could not find an exact OB for the division, I believe it was slightly stronger than Cheatham's Division.

Confederate Army

    Corps Leader 2
    Division Leader 3
    Inf Cmd Stands 11
    Inf Stands 79
    Cav Cmd Stands 2
    Cavalry Stands 6
    Artillery Stands 7

Union

Army Command - General Don Carlos Buell

I Corps

Alexander McCook Arrives at 10:30 - 1 mile behind Sheridan (in column)

3rd Division - Rousseau
(roll a D6 - even he is on time, odds, he is late one turn - or use the rule in Fire and Fury)

    9th Harris E 15/11/8
    17th Lytle 16/13/9
    28th Starkweather 16/13/9
    Artillery 2 stands

10th Division - Jacson

    33rd Terrill 18/15/11
    34th Webster 18/15/11
    Artillery 1 stand

II Corps

Thomas Crittenden (limited participation after 6 pn. - 26 stands - if needed)

III Corps

Charles Gilbert - Center Corps

1st Division - Schoef starts in Reserve

    1st Walker 16/13/9
    2nd Fry 14/11/7
    3rd Steedman 12/9/6
    Artillery 1 stand

9th Division Mitchell Right Side

    13th Gooding 13/10/7
    31st Carlin 15/11/8
    32nd Caldwell 10/8/6
    Artillery 2 stands

11th Division - Sheridan - E - Left Side (must start in column)

    35th Laibolt 16/13/9
    36th McCook 12/9/6
    37th Grevsal 12/9/6
    Artillery 1 stand

Cavalry - Boyle 4/-/3

Union

    Corps Leader 2
    Division Leader 5
    Inf Cmd Stands 14
    Infantry Stands 179
    Cavalry Stands 4
    Artillery Stands 7

Order to Union Army Command from General Buell: General Thomas will assist General Crittenden and his corps on the Right Flank. General Gilbert will take the center position with his corps. General McCook will take the left flank with his corps. We (Gen. Gilbert's Corps) skirmished with the Rebel cavalry yesterday. Order of the Day is to press the enemy back towards Perryville and to locate and secure water for the army.

Genneral Gilbert:

Early this morning General Buell, Union commander ordered you to advance with Skirmishers and find water. Sheridan's division was sent forward and ran into confederate picket lines. After a somewhat lengthy pre-dawn confrontation, all is quiet. It is now 9 am. You have ordered Sheridan to form column and to advance straight forward through the woods. There he should encounter the 7th Ark. You have ordered Mitchel to follow Sheridan and you are holding Schoepf in temporary reserve. These orders may not change prior to the 10 o'clock turn. Sheridan must begin to make progress towards the enemy and Schoepl must stay in reserve in the rear.

10:00 am General Buell informs General Gilbert that all units should hold until the arrival and initial deployment of General McCook on your Left flank.

10:00 am General Buell orders you - General McCook to support the left flank of General Gilbert's Corps. You may try to enter the board within 6" of the Old Mackville Pike (The Open Ridge on the back left hand side of the Union side). You must stay in column formation until your first unit is fired upon by a confederate unit.

Rousseau leads followed by Jackson (Arrives one half hour behind Rousseau's division You have a 10% chance to arrive at 10, 20% at 10:30, 50% at 11, 75% at 11:30 and 100% at noon.

Note - Do not give your position away until you are within line of sight of the confederates - see me to plot your path.

General Bragg: (At 9:00 am you are free to change your orders it will take 1 hour to get a courier through with new orders. You have your force extended to make contact with General Bucll's Army. Yesterday your cavalry skirmished with a Union Corps. Early this morning the 7th Ark of Buckner's Division fought off skirmishers from the Union corps. The Confederacy must hold Perryville if we are to be successful in getting the State of Kentucky under our cause. We have approximately an equal number of troops. At 9:00 am I want the following orders carried out.

General Hardee: Continue to have your cavalry scout and find the enemy. Have General Lowell attack up the pike and act as a delaying force while we move to envelop the left wing of the Union 3rd Corps. Move the remainder of Anderson's Division to the edge of the woods and make contact with the enemy. Send Buckner's division to the left of Anderson and make contact with the left edge of the union corps.

General Polk: While only 1 of your divisions is ready to battle at 9:00. You should proceed towards the open ridge on the left flank of the union corps. Proceed with due haste to the left of General Hardee's Corps and attack the Union flank.

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© Copyright 1997 Hal Thinglum

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