(Being a sometimes ahistorical yet occasionally entertaining wargaming memoir of diverse periods)
(Editor's Note: For a fuller enjoyment of Charles' article, please refer to MWAN #90, Page 131 for his fascinating article on 54mm wargaming entitled "Forward to the Past! Or The Second Golden Age of Toy Soldiers')
DECEMBER, 1997: As the winter holidays approach, there are always a few moments of individual isolation here and there during the Yuletide chores, the holiday busyness, the rounds of parties, the shriekings of commercialism, in which we are aware of time passing. Take it from someone whose birthday is December 24! I sometimes wonder if God looks down on our lives in bemusement, even as we look down at the antics of our tiny troops, whose action we can plan and direct, but never control. Can a life well lived give the Celestial Power the same entertainment that a bravely fought battle despite all odds gives us? If so, than I can only wish (Him/Her) many more years of.. Good Gaming!
INTRODUCTION
I have two degrees in History--which I mention only so you know I do have a grounding in reality. Personally, I enjoy role playing, time travel, science fiction, and fantasy (games) , but if you prefer to stay within historical bounds, there are still plenty of, ahem ... shall we say "unconventional" scenarios to be played. In military history, Truth is often stranger than Fiction.
As I playtest various sets of my own rules for 54mm figures--if you think only skirmishes are possible in this scale, see my previous article In Issue #90-4 keep notes on each game, and hope some day to publish a Scenario Book for various periods. Until then, I'd like to briefly introduce some of the wild, weird and wonderful games that have proved to be fun. They make a good relief from playing well known incidents from major battles. So if you're tired of charging that wall at Fredricksburg again and again, read on!
Of all the skills it takes to be a wargamer--budgeting, bargaining, collecting, researching, painting, organizing, and even rules writing--my favorite activity next to actually playing, and I would even argue, the highest expression of our art (yes, that's right, I said ART)--is Scenario Design. Now balancing a weird scenario correctly makes for a wonderful scenario, and is even harder to do than a more straightforward one. I have become famous locally for my, er, unconventional scenarios. No play tester of mine has ever fallen asleep at the table!
Unusual scenarios fall into the following categories:
Historical: (Believe it or not)! These actually happened. My history books are filled with marginal notes. When I come upon a situation that makes me stand up in disbelief, the note is usually "SCENARIO!?!" They include strange circumstances, special units, almost unbelievable activities, experimental weapons, or something which calls for more than common tactical ability to win. For example, if British leadership had been more imaginative during the Singapore campaign, where they actually outnumbered the Japanese ...
Semi-Historical: (It almost happened, or almost everyone agrees, could have happened under slightly different circumstances). For example, if Custer had brought along the two Gatling guns he left behind because they would slow him up ...
Historical Variant: (If a certain event had happened differently, than this scenario would have resulted) . Few even well known battles play the same way they went in history, unless you artificially restrict a player's options to the exact historical outcome--and why anyone would want to play under these restrictions is beyond me anyhow (B-0-R-1-N-G) . This leads the designer to change things a bit when repeating the event in a scenario (Next time, let's try it like this ... ).
Good historical knowledge of the period or commercially available scenarios make it possible to make such changes without abandoning realistic doctrine and tactics. For example, what if the American Marine officer, landing in a coastal city in China at the end of World War II, and faced with a determined Communist Chinese occupation force ) which had already disarmed the Japanese), had decided to call in the large American invasion force riding offshore behind him....
Hypothetical: (What if.. ). If political history had played out differently, the occurrence, timing, alliances, or other circumstances of a war would have been totally different. This type of scenario envisions a true major fork in the historical time stream but is still theoretically possible. What if France, Britain, and Spain, instead of landing together in Veracruz, Mexico, had intervened directly together in the American Civil War ...
If I've surprised you already with the four short bizarre but true examples from history above, or if you are already familiar with others, you can begin to see the possibilities in creating truly warped games. If you're already familiar with these examples, than you're just the kind of historically minded nut I want to read on. While you'll have to supply some of the specific details yourself, I hope the general ideas may spark you to try these and other strange subjects for your scenarios. Now, lets open my own "Top Secret" Battle Logs on some of the most far out games I've played from the 19th and 20th centuries, over the last seven years or so. (Note: the views expressed by fictional characters quoted below are not necessarily those of the author)!
PART 1: DEEP IN THE SHARD OF TEXAS
A. PACE (Pre-American Civil war Era) BATTLE LOG:
#1 GOLIAD AT THE ALAMO (March 6,1836)
Come and take it! Admire the garrison's bravery, of course, but the historical Alamo was one of the most one sided battles ever fought by Americans anytime, anywhere. You can't make me game it, even if its the most popular American subject of all time, and lots of figures and buildings are available!!! Without reinforcements, there is no meaningful victory condition for the Texicans, other than Mexican casualties, perhaps. I won't do it. No, no, no ...
However, if the reluctant Colonel Fannin had been induced to march his Goliad garrison of 800 men to combine with the Alamo force of 200 at that famous location, they certainly could have held off 2,000 Mexicans. And assuming that these covering forces had acted so intelligently, perhaps Sam Houston and other Texans would have been able to march forward faster, gathering more scattered volunteers as he advanced--reversing the direction of the "Great Runaway Scrape," of Texans desperately vacating most of the colony just in front of the Mexican Army's many advancing columns--and trying to relieve such an augmented defense! How we would cheer at their appearance in a movie made about this, instead of the cinematic return of that poor lone messenger, who found the battle over, and every fighting man dead--even John Wayne--I mean, Davy.
GAME OUTCOME: With the colorful Mexican cavalry regiments from Cuirassiers to Presidials covering the cattle pen perimeter outside the East Wall, generals Cos (North Wall), Castrillon (West Wall inc. Zapadores) , and Santa Anna (South Wall, with the combined Grenadier companies and Colonel Morales) attacked simultaneously a formidable perimeter. Travis was in command of the North Wall, Crockett by the mission barricade (Southeast), Bowie in his HQ by the main entrance (South Wall), and Fannin at the West Wall.
During the assembly of the initial diorama, which included Marx playset equipment,'Lincoln Logs, Western buildings, an Airfix Desert Outpost, foam mealie bags, and even cotton bales for the rooftops, visitors were surprised at the actual size of the compound. Once the defenders were placed a few of them created great confusion among the uninitiated! Captain Juan Seguin's company of Mexican-American Alamo defenders at the Southwest conftised a number of visiting dignitaries who got a lesson in multiculturalism when they noticed the sombrero topped defenders in the diorama before the battle started. Unfortunately this company routed at the first cannon fire due to an unlucky die roll, the only defenders to do so until the very end of the battle--which lead to many racist remarks and catcalls among the other defenders who stood fast!
As the circle of besieging Mexicans was placed, the outcome began to seem grim indeed for the Texicans. Fancy multicolored Napoleonic style regiments appeared, supported by artillery crews and Western/Sombrero styled militia units. A guitar player serenaded them as they pulled the guns toward the wall. Back in camp the reserves formed up by tents under the Mexican flag. A strangely familiar sergente tasted the soup and vowed to protect the kitchen cart with his life.
Adelante! Fuego! As the last few unassigned ragtag Alamo defenders found supporting positions to man, the attack went in on three sides at once! At the North Wall, Colonel Travis was one of the first casualties, but other defenders rallied on the higher rooftops of the Northwest to repel the first wave of Mexicans climbing ladders.
The attacking Mexicans made good use of their artillery, assaulted with their best units, and placed less motivated militia in the irrigation ditches behind them, where they could add to the volume of fire being placed on the defending walls. This allowed them to add to Texan casualties without risking any morale rolls, for the defenders had closer, more high morale targets to worry about.
In the Chapel courtyard (that small area which the uninformed layman thinks was the whole mission compound), Davy Crockett's Tennesseans and a cannon repelled Santa Annals blue coated grenadiers. Then the Mexican artillery went to work with somewhat unexpected accuracy, blasting the defenders back. A new white uniformed line of grenadiers approached. Davy fell as he ordered the few surviving frontiersmen to fall back inside the Chapel. There they sniped until dug out by the enemy, who raised their flag above the famous building. Because "extra', defenders were available to hold the wall around the central compound, the grenadiers remained on their side of that wall. Meanwhile two Mexican guns were pushed through gaps in the original barricade, now littered with the dead and dying from both sides ...
Santa Anna himself used composite Grenadier battalions in the Napoleonic style-- historically, as far as we know. As the disabled Bowie was evacuated from the low barracks, Mexican grenadiers poured over its roof near the main (South) gate, bayonetting the last defenders, and down to ground level, only to be stopped from the courtyard by point blank cannon fire. The Texan mounted company had hoped at first to make raiding trouble for the Mexicans, but were hedged in by the much larger Mexican mounted arm. Therefore they gave up on the idea and dismounted by the corral. There they joined the defenders in picking off Mexicans who snuck close to the walls by hiding behind the beef cattle in the corral.
In the North, General Cos concentrated his artillery to make a breach and pour through. In the West, after an initial repulse, the Zapadores (Sappers) exploded charges which allowed them to infiltrate into the ground floor of one building section. Eventually forcing the Texans to their fall back line in the Long Barracks (which this time the enhanced defenders were able to man), the colorful Napoleonic-uniformed Mexicans overrun every wall (except that behind the corral/cattle pens) by artillery, escalade, and demolition charges. Some Texicans routed off through gaps in the Mexican lines; a few others surrendered. The last resisting Texans finally fell, in the second story of the Long Barracks. But the Mexicans had to commit every last soldier in the army, except for Sergente Garcia (a descendant?) and his camp guard! Although the Mexicans won, they took 3:1 casualties. The army was in need of rest! And this with Houston's relieving column now only one day away! Which led directly to the battle of ....
#2 SAN ANTONIO DE BEHAR (March 7,1836)
General Houston and Colonel Burleson arrived the next day with 4 guns, a regiment of Texans, one of US Volunteers, and one of Cavalry, outside of San Antonio, thirsting for vengeance (all with Crack Morale). Its not hard to "Remember the Alamo,, when it only happened yesterday! The Mexicans, exhausted, sent out a field force which put two guns in a redoubt facing East towards Houston, backed up by a battalion of militia; the rest were asleep in their tents (a la San Jacinto). This field force were composed of a cavalry regiment, a regular regiment, a battalion of guards, four four battalions of militia, and the guns. The rest of the Mexicans were cleaning up the Alamo, in hospital, etc. As usual, Santa Anna did not have all of his forces concentrated for battle - part of the army was off in various columns all over Tejas! Luckily, a bulky sergente was available to supervise the placement of the field kitchen ...
GAME OUTCOME: Ignoring the redoubt completely, the Texicans attacked f rom the North (Texans) and South (US Volunteers) instead. While the Mexicans staggered from their tents to form up, Texican cavalry rode straight at Santa Annals tent, which was protected by the Guard (of course).
The Mexicans had to roll to release a random number of figures from each tent, except for a few sentries at the redoubt by the guns, who at start were facing East, away from the attack. The Mexicans emerged quickly from their tents, and formed two lines, facing North and South. Santa Anna, narrowly escaping capture, encouraged his Guard from the rear (his capture was a primary Texan victory condition) . For a few turns the thin opposing lines fired at each other. Meanwhile the Mexican militia on the Eastern redoubt turned its two guns around, finally getting into the battle. The last unengaged Mexican militia unit from the West came up to reinforce Santa Annals position around the command tent.
Inside, a certain commissary sergeant hid, I mean "rallied in reserve," shouting: "What Is the point of fighting just when I have breakfast ready?"
Unfortunately, some of the Texans in both lines failed several crucial morale rolls, and the Mexicans managed to target their artillery crews with musket fire. Both forces were small and brittle, and the contest was probably going to be a matter of who broke first! Colonel Burleson charged off the field, trying to rally his US volunteers. In their light blue uniforms (oddly resembling the Union Veteran Reserve of the later American Civil War surely a bizarre coincidence) . By the time Burleson returned with a few troops, the others had run, and he found himself cut off from Houston's battle in the North.
General Houston himself was actually captured, making a stand with a single company of buckskin clad troops. Although the Mexicans took greater casualties, one Texan gun was captures and one destroyed. Santa Anna's victory was now complete, as Houston was brought in front of him, and the remnants of the American army fled in all directions. Perhaps this showed that Houston's decision in the real world not to make a forward defense too early was justified! At least it was so in this parallel universe.
Texas, restless under Mexican rule, would wait until the Mexican-American war for its liberation! (Sorry, Lone Stars. Texas will win greater glory in later scenarios).
PART II: THE GREAT SHARD MUTINY
93 TREACHERY AT CHINHUT (Indian Mutiny--June 30,1857)
The commentary on this semi-historical battle is made in the form of the following remarkable after action report by genuine fictional participants (only Sir Henry Lawrence was a real person, although many others are based on real figures) . It actually took place, just before the famous siege of Lucknow. The British in real life did not get to the site of any rebel leader's home, as their force was quickly pushed back. Because of this however, many in the column survived. In this version the Indians used a more subtle strategy. The excitement was for the British to totally change circumstances from a triumphal "police action" to a desperate fighting withdraw, after the desertion of some of the column's own troops! I say--it just wasn't cricket, old bean.
TREACHERY AT CHINHUT
OUDE PROVINCE, BRITISH INDIA, JUNE 1857: Brigadier General Sir Henry Lawrence, British Resident at Lucknow, received intelligence that a local Princess, the Begurn of oude, was seducing British allied native troops into rebellious behavior. Being established at her house near Chinhut, the next town out from Lucknow City with her own private army, she was waiting for The Mouline, an Indian General, to arrive with even more troops. Sir Henry resolved to lead a flying column and break up this potential concentration of forces. Local sources estimated the rebellious force at 3-4 regiments total. Leaving behind him only a minimum garrison to begin fortifying part of the city for defense, he set off. He had with him three regiments of infantry, two of cavalry, and three artillery guns. His column approached Chinhut Hill, site of the Begum's house, only to find it fortified with breastworks and an artillery gun. An account of the major points of the battle is given from several of the brave men who took part in the engagement.
LIEUTENANT GEORGE WORTHY, EUROPEAN VOLUNTEER HORSE: On cantering down the wide tree lined road to the Begum's House, the Sikh Cavalry was detailed off to the left flank to watch a belt of thick forest that marched parallel to our advance, and could have easily hidden an entire enemy arrny. With the hill in sight we remaining horsemen left the head of the march column and formed lines of battle to the right of the hill. We advanced, thinking to wheel to the left and take the hill in flank as the infantry formed up to attack the breastwork from the front. Just as we came even with the hill, however, enemy cavalry appeared from behind its far side, and rode up to challenge us. There were a number of desperate charges and counter charges, with casualties lost and prisoners taken on both sides. We had tested the enemy, and found him brave, if fighting in a misguided cause.
We pitched into them again and again, as our infantry fought for the hilltop, and smoke from the battle there drifted down to US. We could see their wounded and terrified streaming to the rear, and finally we had nothing in front of us but tattered survivors. We made one last charge against them, but passing the hill, a large formation of infantry appeared from behind the promontory and fired upon us, causing our withdrawal. We had well and truly beaten our chosen enemy, and if not for this last enemy reserve, could have surrounded the hill itself.
SERGEANT JACOB BONE, BRITISH 32ND REGIMENT (CORNWALL): Well now, the general, good Sir Henry, sent up a message to the Begum, even though the cavalry was already going at it, to say that if she'd disarm her regiment and cease disloyal activities, we'd leave her in peace. otherwise we was ready to show them we meant business! The reply came quickly. She said: 'When you are ready to enter my house through the front door, than I will not run away, but be your prisoner. Yet if you cannot accomplish this feat, you would do better to leave India altogether.' We wasn't having any of that; though you had to admire her pluck! In line of battle we moved up into firing range, and their rifle fire wasn't dangerous at all. But their gun gave us canister, and we lost a few boys. So our fine British howitzer takes out their gun with the first shell, and we advanced up the hill. A round of our own shrapnel falling short caught some of the boys, but being of elite morale and great shots, we took the breastworks with few casualties, though piles of the bloody Tandies, fell in heaps. We shot them out of the house and sent in skirmishers, who fired at still more of the enemy who were at the back of the house.
Just then enemy cavalry appeared charging from the hillsides on both flanks! Hundreds of them came on, and if either attack had succeed it might have been all up with us! But we shot them down, brown robed peasant and bejewelled lord on his armored horse alike. Then we marched over them, around both sides of the house, the howitzer coming up to join us and play the devil's own music on the left side, clearing it for good.
We had taken almost all the hill, but The Begum was still fighting behind her house, with the last remnant of her own troops in a circle around her. Well, the word came that there was enemy movement far back in the rear of our road column, and we had to withdraw off the hill. But being so close, we continued the attack in her back yard, meaning to capture her. She was unfortunately killed in the last fighting. we looked down the rear of that hill and saw an entire host of enemy infantry and cavalry what hadn't even been in the battle yet--no wonder she wouldn't give up. But they were luckily holding off down below. Maybe they were holding back out of respect for the Begum; maybe for our deadly rifles. So our officers cleared the field of bodies and arranged the poor Begurn as neat on her bed as if she'd just gone to sleep, and we respectfully started to pull back. The enemy went in slowly, not wanting to tangle with us again, and saw her lying there. They realized that we had shown her proper honor, and tiptoed out. From then on they detoured around the house, it becoming now a shrine to her bravery, and no one entered it to disturb her for the rest of the battle.
CORPORAL WILLIAM CANDLE, FIRST BATTALION/FIRST MADRAS INFANTRY (EUROPEAN), THE HONORABLE EAST INDIA COMPANY: Now there's them as say The Company allowed its forces to become too small in India, which is why you had a Mutiny in the first place. That may be, but I can tell you that what they had was the best. Wherever our regiment appeared, we did our duty. So here we was marching to Chinhut with the regulars and the natives; all the different types of British troops that there were being represented; the Imperials, the Colonials, and The Company too! And when it was over, there were medals and regimental honors for all of us.
As the Cornishmen, that is the 32nd Regular British Regiment, went up the Chinhut Hill, we fell into line from the march column on the road, and moved left around the hill. It was dicey, being between the hill (still being defended by the enemy) and the forest. We moved on to where our Sikh cavalry had gone at it with the enemy and gotten the worst of it. The Indians had armor on themselves and their horses, and there were more of them than the Sikhs. Then the Sikhs pulled back through us, and the enemy riders got a rude surprise. For when they charged us we gave them fast and accurate rounds, and they collapsed in a line. We moved up to finish them off, and took cover behind their horses. We got some nice souvenirs off the bodies, I can tell you. Some of their nobility had gold and silver armor, and we were amazed at the beauty of the work, but of course it didn't stop bullets, now did it?
The Sikhs told us they had been facing uphill to enter the battle on the hilltop, and had been ambushed from behind, when the enemy had ridden out from behind the hill to surprise them. Well, we couldn't see what else might be waiting for us back there, so we were waiting for the Cornishmen to find out for us. Being only a thin line advanced, and with a company told off to the left as pickets to prevent any more enemy reinforcements from surprising us in our own rear, we settled down to watch where the enemy riders had come from. We could hear cheering, and see our howitzer moving forward on the side of the hill, by which we knew that the 32nd were winning their fight. Not a bad day's work, we was thinking at that time! Of course, we thought the battle was over then.
MAJOR FRED STANDER, ADJUTANT TO GENERAL SIR HENRY LAWRENCE: Just as we had put the fear of God and Great Britain into the Begum' s force, we received two extraordinary messages f rom the left f lank and rear. First, enemy cavalry was being sighted by our Sikh riders, moving in such a way as to cut us off from Lucknow if they proceeded from the forest to the road. A sticky wicket indeed if they proved to be an advance guard of an infantry force. Having the crack First Madras European Infantry (Honorable East India Company) already engaged to move up to support the assault on the hill, Sir Henry ordered the Carnegie Native Infantry, at the rear of the column, to form line behind the trees on the left side of the road. The second message was even more bizarre. The native crews of the Second and Third Oude Artillery Guns had treacherously cut the horses free of the caissons and guns, and gone off to join the enemy in rebellion! This left the guns with ammunition (a mistake on their part) but no crew to fire them.
Cutting to the heart of the matter in a short conference, we realized that it would be necessary to abandon the hill and, keeping all elements of our small force in touch with each other, prepare a defense and then possibly an attack back in the direction from which we had come. Orders were dispatched for our forces to first retreat from our most advanced positions on both flanks of the hill-back to the hilltop (which commanded the surrounding countryside) and then to withdraw to the road again. Companies of the First Madras would hold the hill as the Cornish 32nd marched to the aid of the Native Infantry.
Having sent out the new dispositions, the Brigadier immediately ordered the last British crew from the Royal Artillery howitzer back to man both of the other guns now lying abandoned on the road behind us. Sir Henry calmly said 'Right then--let's go, lads!, and bravely rode like mad for the most perilous part of the field. Dashing to keep up, we few members of the headquarters staff galloped behind him at top speed, next to the frantic gun crew, to take command of what was obviously going to be a desperate position. The Native Infantry was a small and relatively inexperienced regiment, now staring at who knows how many rebel sepoys and local levies.
CAPTAIN NED CARNEGIE, CARNEGIE NATIVE INFANTRY: Squadrons and squadrons of enemy cavalry appeared from the woods on our left flank. Luckily the Colonel my brother had us well into line when the first enemy horse came on. Some of them were entangled with our own Sikh cavalry, who although outnumbered charged them to give us time to form from the march. Then more enemy horse came up and straight at us they charged! They were crack men, closing hand to hand even after we fired a volley into them, and taking prisoners before they fled. Our rear companies, forming the end of our line, were shattered, except for a few men who routed back but soon steadied when reaching the next intact section of the line. Then up rode Sir Henry and the artillerymen, who blasted canister at the oncoming turbaned horde as we loaded and fired at first the enemy cavalry and then several regimental sized units of enemy infantry.
Now the quick decision had to be made: to stay and try to hold the line of retreat open or pull back and hold our own until help could arrive, by shortening our line. Luckily, Sir Henry was on the spot to give us direction. To stay was quite impossible, as new enemy forces were pouring across the road to cut us off, and would have engulfed us front and flank had we 'advanced to the rear' toward Lucknow. So our rear section bent back at a ninety degree angle across the road, and on the end of this 'Bloody Angle, with one cannon was Sir Henry and his personal flag, sharing our fate. For the truth was, the skeleton forces left in Lucknow were not strong enough to even consider rescuing us!
So tenacious was the enemy cavalry in the road that although almost eliminated, the few survivors charged the Number Two Gun, intent on killing the few crew serving it. But another blast of canister brought them all down before us, and the gun was saved-Hurrah! Meanwhile, enemy infantry advancing from the woods on the left came at us. Our rifle fire and the canister from Number Three Gun disintegrated them, and many fled to the rear, wounded or frightened by their deadly experience of the rain of fire we produced. At this time squadrons of our European Horse appeared on our right (looking towards the hill) . These had been either engaged with the Begum's force or escorting prisoners to the rear, and were now forming up as a flank to threaten those units of the enemy who were not engaged, but passing by in our original rear (East) to cut off our entire column. Thank God they were thus engaged, as we could not have held them all off at the same time.
But would there be anyone up in time to deal with them when they did turn again in our direction?
Amidst the shouting and cheering we could only bend to our own work, and trust to Sir Henry's plans and the support of our brother regiments to take care of the hanging flank and rear. It is fearsome indeed to see a problem and be able to do nothing, but we were quite busy on our own line, with two more regiment sized formations of the enemy now stepping out of the woods behind the first two, one of which we had held at bay while the other crossed the road between us and Lucknow, setting us up for the kill! Was there no end to the enemy's numbers? Looking down towards the hill as our men backed off it, we could see a line of new enemy troops marched our of the woods down past the rise and as far as the eye could see. We could now clearly see six regiments of enemy infantry all told in line, not counting the Begum's force or the enemy cavalry! We were badly outnumbered, having been originally told that we would be f acing only about our own strength of the enemy! So much for the incorrect information of treacherous local informants. Not to mention the dastardly behavior of the Oude gunners, who had deserted us when the firing began, taking the artillery horses of the 4 two guns with them. But in battle a man can only take care of his own mess, and trust in his comrades in other places on the field!
PRIVATE HUBERT MENZIES, SECOND BATTALION/FIRST MADRAS H.E.I.C.: In every battle, even for the Frenchies at Waterloo, there's men who march back and forth, forth and back, without fighting at all-that's the army for you, eh? Half of our battalion moved up around the right side of the hill to relieve the cavalry, and although a thick line of mutineer Indians came out from behind the hill, they advanced careful like, staying out of musket range. We were sent up the slope. Some of us relieved the Cornishmen behind the breastworks, but my line was told off back down again and behind the fellows watching on the right. But then weren't we faced about and marched back from where we had come from! Well; there you have it then, don't you? Back and forth, forth and back. As we marched through the open field on the right flank (now our left), not a soul could be seen but our own cavalry forming up in the distance far in front of us. Yet behind us and to our right, men from the First Battalion were lining the road, with the howitzer between them and the Native Infantry Regiment further on. As we walked on peacefully, a great wave of shouting broke out as more of the infernal blighters from the woods came at this new line. Gore blimey--if they got through our little force would be cut in half good and proper, and that would be the end of us! So I says to the Sergeant, I says, 'Bleedin bloody hell, Sarge, we should have stayed on the hill., 'Oh, we've got a strategist in our midst,, says he. 'Well, Mister Strategist, unless you're ready to advise the General on how to win this here battle, mind your own business and look to the front. There's plenty of fighting to be done up there, enough for even you.' But he was thinking the same as me, I'll bet.
'THE GREEN BANNER,' COMMANDER OF THE BEGUM'S CHINHUT LOCAL FORCES: It is important that our contribution to the battle not be forgotten. Our small force had lured the British to our hill (now known as The Begum's Hill), and kept it there so the much larger army of The Mouline could ambush them. For the first part of the fight we suffered the full fury of the enemy expedition. After our Great Lady died, we received a message from The Mouline, saying that we had done well, and should continue to harry the accursed white ferengi from our position so that they would have to keep a line formed against us. The British, falling back, left a line of perhaps 200 men behind our original breastworks. By now forces of The Mouline were jostling our men for the honor of going forward against the red coated devils, so I organized an attack by each force from both flanks, while our cavalry demonstrated in the center, in front of the house. So brave were the foreign invaders, that they opened fire and scattered all three forces at once! The truth is that these powerful demons retreated down off the hill by themselves.
On the far side of the hill, where our forces still fought alone, our reserve infantry charged the enemy, not even taking time to fire their own guns, in the glorious style of their Moghul forefathers for hundreds' of years in the past. Many were shot down before they too, were forced to flee. Our men now started to despair. All of this had happened because we were fighting them on a narrow front, where our superior numbers could not be brought to bear at once. But I alone understood that none of the European dogs who were fighting us could be in two places at one time, and that alone would defeat them. So I laughed a bitter laugh as we fell back yet again, and counted our dead.
RAJ KALI KAMAR, MILITARY ADVISOR TO THE MOULINE (formerly Corporal Kamar of the British Oude Rangers) : The timing and location of the appearance of our main force was carefully calculated by The Glorious One himself, to produce a false impression upon the arrogant British. Had we come on the field in direct support of The Begurn we may have saved her, but lost the battle, or at least allowed the British to escape back down the road to Lucknow--where we would have to besiege them in the city. Instead our cavalry went first, taking up positions to screen our infantry as it came on the f lank and rear of the enemy, between them and Lucknow. Had all six of our infantry regiments appeared at once, the English would have retreated too quickly for us to catch, with their cavalry screening their movement, By coming in only in part and behind them, we allowed their victory over the Begum, it is true, but ensured that we would I bag them all, I as the British would say.
Now they had only two possible strategies. One, their general could escape with the few men still on the road perhaps, leaving behind the rest on the hill to die. But the English are not like that. They would stand to the death to prevent the loss of a single cannon or any other dishonorable action. That left them only the chance of forming a large square, all together, hoping to use their artillery to disperse us while moving slowly back to Lucknow. Since the far side behind them was in open country, we had posted no units there, where they could have been seen before our trap was sprung--so they had no worry in that direction. In fact, it soon became apparent, (even as their deadly canister artillery ammunition began to throw back attacks from the nearest infantry we used to assault them), that they were forniffig a three sided "u" shaped defense, with the base of the "u" toward our line from the forest, one side toward Lucknow, where they hoped to escape from our vengeance, and one toward the hill, where The Begum had sacrificed herself and so many of her men, to bring the enemy far enough into our midst that they could now not get away.
TROOPER ALABAR KHAN SINGH, CAVALRY REGIMENT OF THE MOULINE: We fought them all across the line, wherever they were on the road-their infantry, cavalry, whatever they had. We wanted to weaken them and give our own infantry time to come up, of course. Finally, when our company was down to only twenty men left alive, we charged a devil cannon itself, capturing the few men they had left to man it. only a dozen of us survived. We rode away from the middle of them all, with the captured artillerymen. That gun would never fire again at us!
PANDIT RAMLALL, INFANTRY OF THE MOULINE: We had marched and marched to the battlefield, then been ordered not to fight, even as we could hear our brothers fighting, against those who had been our leaders, the white devil British. Yes, once we had swom to follow the redcoats. And they had proved to be great warriors. But they were few, and we were many. Our home is not far from the Himalayas, and the British Raj is far away. Why should we be their slaves?
We crossed the road, and wheeled around to face them, between them and Lucknow. They were caught now, and they had no infantry ready to face us yet. Their European Cavalry charged us, but The Mouline was mounted behind us on his famous white camel, so how could we run?
They killed most of us, and captured some, but in the end they ran and not us, and they fell back as the whole center of their position retreated from the road. Their cavalry ran as their general fell wounded, and even the prisoners they held were barely behind their line. Their horsemen ran further, entangled in the one artillery horse team they had left, with their howitzer.
PRIVATE RAMAGAR SINGH, THE MOULINE'S SIKH INFANTRY: I don't talk about it. I will this time, only for your record. We were Sikhs facing other Sikhs; those who kept wearing their red coats and so had become our enemy. The cannons destroyed our first attacks. But then they ran out of canister, and started using solid shot. We got close enough to shoot down their artillerymen. Finally we could bear to stand before their rifles--for now they were men only, like us. And we fired back. And they ran. Our brothers, who would have fought beside us, if they were not still wearing the red coats of the ferengi masters, fell back behind the road, and it was ours.
LIEUTENANT GEORGE WORTHY, EUROPEAN VOLUNTEER HORSE (II)-: Our "u" formation, which we had hoped would gradually allow us to move off toward Lucknow, was being held with no reserve remaining out of the firing lines except some cavalry. We were moving towards our base, continually refusing the Hill (rear) flank. The Royal Artillery survivors went from gun to gun, firing off the last of the canister from the center of the position, which was the only type of ammunition that made a difference at such close quarters. Finally, with the last blast they cleared the center of the enemy coming from the road, by killing or wounding about 100 men; an entire formation of the enemy.
On the Lucknow front we were still advancing with flags flying, the 32nd supported by the Ist Madras. But the rebels had amassed huge numbers on that flank, perhaps anticipating our escape attempt, and for every line we pushed back, two fresh ones appeared, along with cavalry and even the enemy general! Sir Henry, who had revived to lead the assault, was hit once again, putting him effectively out of the battle. The order went out to break out those who could, without regard to other units, safety being so close we could taste it. The rear of the enemy lines directly opposing us on the Lucknow side was only a few hundred yards away, but through four or five lines of the enemy, some of which were retreating themselves from the fury of the engagement. It became clear that if, we tried to sustain the advance, we would have to draw on the last of our men and abandon the other lines, which would be the end of us. Our forward movement stopped.
By then our wide "u" was pushed back into a thin "v", with no further room for withdrawal out of enemy fire. Men failing back from one firing line for a break would find themselves passing out of the formation entirely and facing the enemy on the opposite side! As the infantry remnants fell back through us, our own cavalry unit formed the Lucknow side itself, and we began taking serious gunfire without the ability to reply! Our colonel ordered us with the last few Sikh cavalry to put the prisoners and the unconscious Sir Henry on our extra horses, and escape through the open flank, which the enemy had not bothered to cover. But only mounted men could make it!
The astounding performance of the Royal Artillerymen continued, as they advanced the last gun by hand from our center and, ignoring enemy gunfire, took the enemy coming at us from the Lucknow direction in flank from our center with solid shot, sending them reeling back one last time! In the center itself, small detachments of the Carnegie regiment were resisting desperately, hoping to give us time to escape, and the Hill flank, our last coherent line, a chance to reform into an all around defense. We offered to evacuate the two British regimental colors, but the Colonels now commanding said they would keep them on the field to give the men heart, and posted them on either end of the short double line which remained. The men on these lines, mostly now from the 1st Madras, had their backs to each other only twenty yards away, facing both towards Lucknow and The Hill. The last team of artillery horses was killed and formed into a crude breastwork facing Lucknow. One platoon of the 32nd remained in the center facing the tree lined road.
There seemed to be a lull in the battle as we rode off. The enemy had been driven back in all directions, for what would probably be the final time. I looked back at the 300 or so of our survivors. They were now facing over 1500 of the enemy; the Indians were still as strong as we had been at the beginning. I reflected on how the treachery of the native artillery guns had weakened us fatally, and how otherwise we might have done it and held them off. For certainly there was a time, when our guns were all in operation at once, when they were being defeated regularly over and over again, and it seemed as if they could not prevail for all their numbers. The new enemy formations, or those which had recovered and faced about to their front once more, peered out from behind the ornamental tree line, waiting for the signal for their final assault.
SERGEANT JAMES GREY, ROYAL ARTILLERY: There were only three of us gun crew left from the original howitzer gang, and all wounded at that, our officers were gone, and we staggered with exhaustion as we loaded our piece once more. We were the last blue jackets of the Royal Artillery on the field, as the others had all been shot down while serving their pieces in close contact with the enemy, including the one we had now, which was Number Two Gun. We were far out in front of our last infantry position with its two flags, to which we'd even given up our horses. We might have escaped by limbering the gun up to them, I suppose, but we never even considered it. It was just a matter of not leaving the trusty animals unguarded to the enemy, and there was no room for them in the final oval of defense.
The dead of both sides lay in heaps all around us; we even had to clear an area to work the gun. We fired, putting a ball all through their line from the flank, and saw them ran one more time, as our cavalry with Sir Henry's personal flag disappeared in the distance. The infantry raised one last hurrah to see them go, but just then the last platoon of the Carnegie took a crashing volley from the trees in front of the road, and fled past behind us, and we were all alone without support. If the sepoys came one more time, we'd be the first to fall!
The enemy army leader could be seen now in the front line opposing us on the Lucknow flank, and we figured to give him a last shot before we went down, when we saw him send us a white flag of truce! We were stunned with surprise at the idea, for we had already written ourselves off, you see. Well, they still had some men that hadn't fought yet, but even they had to walk over the dead to get near us, so I guess they could see they'd be in for it. The Pandies weren't jumping up and down and yelling like before, so I guess they were as tired of it as we were ourselves.
It became quiet, and they stood just beyond musket range on all three sides of us. We pushed the gun and limber back to the line, looking back over our shoulders to make sure the Indians weren't following, as they watched. Their white flag party had passed us now and entered our line.
Then the damndest thing of all: they started cheering. We whipped around with the last strength left in our bodies, for remember we had been engaged continuously from the beginning. But they still weren't coming on. It took a moment to look at each other in astonishment and realize that they were cheering us on! Too tired to push the gun over a dead horse, we set the trail against the poor beast. And so the loyal creature served us one more time, even in death.
The word came around. It turned out they'd rather let us surrender than lose another battalion or so taking us. We were willing at this point, as long as they'd treat us as prisoners. You can be ready to die, but then give a man a new chance for life, and he'll jump at it. We didn't feel like soldiers anymore, just lost souls, because we couldn't put up any real fight that mattered. And so began our long days of captivity as hostages for almost two years, until the end of The Mutiny, when they had so many of their own they needed to rescue.
But at least we weren't massacred like all the other Europeans taken at that time, especially those that hadn't put up a fight, even women and children. Considering that The Mutiny would end with many of the losing Indians being executed, hung or blown from the guns, the exchange of our lives for some of their own surely allowed some of them to be spared that wouldn't have been otherwise. We were the lucky ones, with all we went through by being in their hands.
Never after could our generation look upon the Indians as just passive inferiors, or trusted servants. The Romantic Rudyard Kipling of later times with his Gunga Din, had not faced him in battle! But there were some of them who remained loyal, witness the Carnegie Infantry. A platoon of them went into captivity with us, and were treated even worse, as countrymen who had sided with us 'white devils from across the sea.' For the most part, in our war, no quarter was asked or given on either side, and most British prisoners died slow and torturous deaths. So much for the Romanticism of War when East meets West, eh?
PART III: WAR BETWEEN THE SHARDS AND THE WASHING OF THE SHARDS
B. AMERICAN CIVIL WAR BATTLE LOG
#4 GLORIETTA PASS (NEW MEXICO TERRITORY, MARCH 26-28,1862):
A Confederate army moving up from El Paso, Texas, has taken Albuquerque and Santa Fe,
the territorial capital which includes the Arizona region. The last Federal position is Fort Union. If the South takes it, the road to Colorado territory and even California will be open! How will the war be affected if the Confederacy extends to the Pacific and takes over the California gold fields? Now, less than 20 miles east of Santa Fe on the Santa Fe Trail, Southerner and northemers collide.
The CSA wins if they take the Fort, regardless of any other conditions. The USA wins if they destroy the Confederate wagon train (the historical result) and hold the fort. The Union knows about "Longshot Pass" (aka the living room sofa) , connecting the Fort area to the CSA rear area wagon position, the CSA has to explore forward to discover it.
The CSA has two more regiments, easier victory conditions, and cavalry support via the Cherokee Mounted Rifles (alternate history). Order of Battle: First Texas, Second Texas, First Louisiana (alternate history), Louisiana Militia (alternate history) 2 cavalry squadrons (Texas and Louisiana) 2 artillery batteries.
The USA has the Fort and better knowledge of the terrain. Order of Battle: First US Regulars (Fort garrison) Kansas City Light Blue (Longshot Pass-alternative history) , Colorado Militia (off board reinforcements), New Mexico Mounted Hispanic Infantry (Colonel Kit Carson, Commanding-road/ridge blocking force) squadron Colorado cavalry, I gun battery.
This "Gettysburg of the West" was fought with double the troop strength of the real battle, so that we could have more than two players and to provide more tactical flexibility. The scenario design challenge here was to provide for both the historical outcome and others, since the historical result was a wildcard that no self respecting Confederate commander would allow to reoccur. In history, the Union sent its Colorado reinforcement outfit through an unguarded pass to wipe out the unguarded CSA supply train. In this and country, the Southern column could not live off the land. The Texans then faced a long starvation retreat back home, during which their organization disintegrated. Most died, and they never dared invade again.
Allowing the Confederates to discover the pass, thus opening up a second possible line of advance, was the first change. The second was to add more units to allow more subtle maneuvering along two lines of advance instead of one. The third was to give the Confederates a couple of artillery guns, so that taking the fort by storm became a more viable option for them.
GAME OUTCOME: With all units of Average or higher morale, this was a go for broke affair with high casualties but few routs. Local hatreds were present between the local SpanishAmericans and the Texans, who had tried a filibuster expedition against them before the war, between whites and Indians, between North and South.
Since the CSA wagon train had to be placed on the field even at start, the Southern commander placed a guard on it, as the main Confederate line contacted Carson's Union blocking force. The wagon guard fought off a Federal cavalry raid ("It was worth a shot," said General Jim Meersand, ironically a cousin of the Confederate Commander--yours truly, not yet on the field). "Now where did those blue horse troops come from?" wondered General Troy Greene, leader of the CSA advance guard. Now the Confederate pursuit force discovered the pass! Uh-oh. A strategic dilemma: screen it off or split the column? Even without the wise guidance of his superior, Troy decided to probe into the pass, finding it blocked with Union troops. As I came up with the rest of the CSA force, I diverted half of the men into the pass, splitting the CSA force into two smaller columns.
But with its first shot, the Union cannon defending the pass disabled my CSA gun! It looked bad for our advance into the pass, yet the fortunes of war changed once more. The Union infantry fell back; just the moment I'd been waiting for. My cavalry on the flank charged forward down the pass and captured the enemy cannon. The Union cavalry counterattacks, and, in a swirling mounted fight, almost recaptured it. My grey troopers spiked it and retreated.
Suddenly the Confederate Indians appear behind the Union lines, having infiltrated up the pass! At the same time, after abandoning their blocking position on the main trail, Kit Carson and his New Mexicans appear. In a wild covering action, they form a rear guard as the Union remnants retreat to the fort, now well garrisoned by the Regulars.
As Troy's Confederates on the trail move up to occupy all the ground outside the fort, the Cherokees break through, chasing Kit Carson alone all over the field. Three times he avoids capture, and makes the Fort just as Troy's units sweep up to the Fort itself. Whew!
Let's go back a few moments to the Santa Fe trail. Troy's CSA troops have advanced down the trail in a long, bloody offensive. After finally taking a ridge line and a sunken road position from the stubborn New Mexicans, they encountered the Colorado militia, a wild bunch of cowboys from up north. Now, having pushing the stubborn Coloradans ahead of him, things are looking up. The Union gun has been disabled on the trail, and will not be available to defend the Fort. But in this changeable game, anything goes! The second CSA gun is now charged and captured by Union infantry, who, unable to fire it, drive it back into the Fort. As Troy's column comes up to join flanks with my Confederate force coming up from the pass, it becomes obvious that without a field piece, it will be impossible for the Southerners to assault the Fort with the forces left!
Although the CSA has captured every bit of ground except the Fort, and taken fewer casualties, the Union now claims the victory from inside Fort Union. Adobe fort walls never looked so good to the tired, embattled northerners, both the unengaged Regular infantry and the tired Colorado cowboys. As in history, the Confederate thrust to the Southwest fails. Weeks later, the Union California Column will arrive from the Pacific coast, slamming the door shut on the trail to The Golden State for good.
#5 THE GREAT GALVESTON RAID (January 1, 1863): In history, the Union landed a small raiding force on the wharf in Galveston, Texas, and the Confederates pinned them there. outside the harbor, the Union blockading fleet sent in a relief force. Counterattacking the transports with unarmed ships filled with Texas infantry, the Southerners captured the USS HARRIET LANE, a former "Revenue Service" (Coast Guard) cutter, in a boarding action against its crew.
In this historical variant scenario, the Union will land a serious invasion force to capture the city. The Union has the superior force, but their landing techniques are crude. They will attempt to land at two city wharves (each wharf limited to one ship disembarking troops at a time). The assault troops will be scheduled in waves, based on the ability of the three large ships to land the first wave, ferry back, reload, and land a second wave. The third small wave will then come ashore in its own small launches where needed, with a small gunboat in support.
Setup: CSA; Fourth Texas Regiment in barricaded Camp Hood, West of the city. Three groups of City Militia (snipers) forming in the city. One battalion of the First Texas in two march columns on the two main East-West Galveston streets (grid of nine buildings). One battalion of First Texas aboard CSS BAYOU CITY, a large unarmed transport steamer just off the southern wharf USA; in harbor--First Wave: USS NEPTUNE (Battalion First Loyal Kentucky) , USS HARRIET LANE (Battalion First Maine) , USS WELLES (Battalion First Nebraska). Second Wave: same ships ferrying troops from deep water transports out in the harbor (Second battalions same three regiments). Third Wave: Gunboat, (one Heavy Naval Gun), Small Transport #5 (two companies US Naval shore party), Small Transport #6 (two companies, US Marines).
GAME OUTCOME: The Confederates at start have an interesting choice to make. Do they set up a conservative defense line in depth in the city, sacrificing part of it, or play double or nothing-fighting at the waterline with inadequate numbers and irregulars until reinforced? Ballsy First Time Confederate Guest General "T" Portilla elects the latter course in his first wargaming experience! As my Federal transports approach, CSS BAYOU CITY sets out to grapple the USS HARRIET LANE, and the rest of First Texas heads for the wharves. Defending the wharves themselves are only the citizen militia, figures who may fire once and then will be removed. Wah-Hoo!
The first Union ship lands unopposed at North Wharf As another heads in to unload there, a Union company takes a livestock corral nearby, establishing a Union "beachhead" on the far side of the wharf But in the south, CSS BAYOU CITY has successfully grappled it's opponent, and Texan infantry pours over the rails of USS HARRIET LANE. This time however, instead of a thin naval defense party, an equal sized battalion (25 figures) of Union infantry lines up to defend the ship. Volley after volley blasts across the bloodstained deck, as neither side will yield. Corpses now lay three deep in the confined spaces, as both Union and Confederate sailors arm themselves and reinforce their soldiers. Finally a few Confederates, unable to overwhelm their enemies, fall back to their own ship, as others who are cut off surrender.
BAYOU CITY pulls away. Her sortie has already seriously delayed the Union timetable by blocking access to the South Wharf. Now her captain decides to make it permanent. Attempting to ram and destroy the south dock, BAYOU CITY runs aground next to it. Now any Union forces will have to slowly climb first onto the CSA ship from their own, then cross over and land from the rebels decks, which are less equipped for debarkation!
As the single surviving CSA naval figure descends to join the city's defense, HARRIET LANE maneuvers alongside, and Union troops from the ship fight board the valiant defender. The blue infantry fans out to form a picket line on the far side of the dock, as all three Union ships head back out to the harbor to pick up the Second Wave.
CSA troops and partisans now line the rooftops of the first row of buildings overlooking the waterfront loading area. Below them, Union pickets crouch behind boxes and barrels stacked between the two wharves. Fort Hood, west of the city, with its breastwork lines and heaped military supplies is abandoned, as the remaining Texas infantry marches into the city, to build a defensive line in the yet unchallenged south and form a battle line against the invaders in the north by the corral.
All along the line, the Confederates manage to keep the Union pinned down in a thin perimeter by the wharves. Excellent shooting plus good morale keeps their slight gray line formed. Union sorties are repelled. Where the Union surges over a small area, the Confederates form reserve lines behind the buildings to catch the sortie from the flanks as it proceeds down the street.
Then the Second Wave begins to land. The Union finally charges forward to take and keep the Southernmost building of the Confederate line. The defenders fall back to the two story building behind it, maintaining an overmatch position. The main Union rush down the southernmost street is beaten off from behind improvised barricades thrown up with material taken from Fort Hood. So crowded are the two wharves now with disembarking troops, that the ships are unable to fully unload, and remain, blocking the Third Wave from using the piers at all.
But the Third Wave is able to land directly on the shore in its smaller boats. As the last partisan snipers fire and flee, the US Marines in their low boat take heavy casualties, completely overlooked by the rooftop defenders in their higher positions. The small US Gunboat appears, forcing one group of defenders from their rooftop, But once the CSA defenders are hiding behind the buildings, the Union gunboat captain ceases fire. Despite the entreaties of his subordinates, he refuses to destroy the city property ("Destroyed buildings yield no Victory Points, he argues).
The few surviving Marines, desperate to leave the deathtrap of their boat, jump ashore only to be are cut down before they can reach any cover. The US Naval Shore party in the other boat lands safely, as the rooftop opposite them has been cleared by the gunboat. The sailors rush past the crouching Union infantry pickets to assault the first row of buildings. Confederates are firing from the doors and windows. But their attack is repulsed, and they huddle down next to their infantry comrades.
Meanwhile in the south, a successful Texan counterattack sends a line of Union troops back to the head of the South Wharf. But they can go nowhere, for it is totally filled with disembarking troops in March Column!
The Confederates are spent, with no reserve left; the Union has hundreds of men unable to engage. In an amazing victory, the Confederates continue picking off Union soldiers until they run, clamoring to reboard ships they cannot reach. Some actually throw themselves into the water, or make for the small assault boats filled with dead. Now the close packed ranks on the wharves threaten to degenerate into uncontrollable mobs. Ashore, the Union pickets begin to look over their shoulder, wondering how they can escape from their pocket in case of retreat. Only an orderly evacuation begun immediately will save them--these tired men who have been on the hostile shore for hours, exchanging fire with the almost invisible enemy!
As the last Union troops debarking crash into blocked routed troops, all forward movement fizzles out, and the Union ship captains, with some companies never disembarked at all, actually begins reembarking the troops. What a mess! The South has risen high in Texas!
While last bands of ragged Southerners in line cheer, the Union Commander offshore realizes the day is lost, and his career finished. He signals from his flagship to recover the rest of the landing force. Then he retires to his cabin, and takes pistol in hand...
#6 FORT FACUPPEE, FLORIDA (Hypothetical, 1863) aka "Hell in the Pacific In The Civil War": What if the Confederates established a small secret trading base with foreign countries in one of the smaller Florida keys? And how would it be if this trade was passively supported by the British, who even landed a small garrison of its own there, "leasing" a factory down the coast from the CSA fort? What if the CSA log fort in the palm trees was manned by four heavy guns ("David," "Saul," the super-heavy "Goliath", and facing landward, "Bathsheebal!)? What might happen if the landward side was manned by the First Florida Regiment, and the seaward by Confederate Marines, the big guns operated by artillerymen and the First Confederate Regulars (trained as artillery and infantry--a historical unit also)? Now what if the landward causeway to the fort had at the far end a supply post garrisoned by Home Guard, and a Florida cavalry squadron, which overlooked a railroad line connecting to the British base down the coast?
And what if the British had even promised to support the Confederates against invasion with their own infantry regiment if the Southerners could keep the line open? Furthermore, what if down that line at the British base was a second southern Regular cavalry squadron, a Confederate Gatling gun, and the British 24th Regiment of Foot? Not to mention the ironclad ram HMS TORY, momentarily to be sold to the south as CSS CALHOUN?
Ah, but what if this activity did not go undetected for long? What if the Union invasion plan included coordination between an Overland Column aiming at the supply post/railroad station (First and Second New York Regiments, US Engineers with wagons, canoes, signal rockets, and explosives, 2 field batteries, and a New York cavalry squadron), and a Landing Force (Massachusetts and the Massachusetts enlistment quota California Regiment--another historical unit, and a US Navy Shore Party Battalion, all in five transports (USS Sandra, Eloise, Karla Gayle, Lynn King, and Emmy Lou); supported by USS COLUMBIA (Large Fleet Vessel--I Super-Heavy gun), USS STEPHEN DECATUR (Two Naval Heavy guns), USS JOHN PAUL JONES (same) USS NORFOLK (one gun), and USS PENSACOLA (same)? Well, one possible outcome might be ...
GAME OUTCOME: The Union overland Column captured the supply post from the low morale level Home Guard, although they fell back and continued to snipe at the invaders from thick swamp foliage. The more experienced Southern cavalry dismounted to defend the Railroad Station. Then came a train whistle--British reinforcements were on the way! But could the rebels hold the line? They pushed back Northern attacks twice. On the last turn before the British train would arrive, the Union forces, heavily outnumbering the Southerners, took the station. The British pulled into a Northern controlled station, and declined to detrain their infantry. Instead, two liaison officers alone came down from the cars to observe the battle! This was a major setback for the Confederates.
US Engineers now fired signal rockets, to let the fleet offshore know that the Overland Column was completing the investment of the landward side of the fort. Suddenly the second Southern cavalry squadron dashed forward, covering the rush of the Galling Gun to the causeway. Although the mounted men were mostly shot down, the gun made it across the causeway to the fort, just before the Union besiegers took up their surrounding positions. There it was dug in behind the wall, discouraging attack from across the causeway.
But on the coast, the Union fleet support of one Super Heavy gun and six Heavies proved quite superior to the southern fort mounted guns (one Super Heavy and two Heavies) . After a brief artillery duel, although the Confederate Regulars reinforced the artillery crews, the southern guns were all dismounted or destroyed. Scarlet kepied artillerymen lay with their light blue kepied Regular brothers in heaps around the crumbling gun redoubts. Then the Union fleet turned its attention to the log wall seaward defenses, pounding them and the lines of Confederate Marines defending them into rubble and death.
At this point the Union landing launches approached the beach. The first battalion hit the shore unopposed, and took up covering positions behind the wrecked defenses, as the Confederates tried to form a hasty reserve defense line behind the shattered gun bastions. The other Union forces of the Overland Column preferred not to attack the Fort wall on their side as originally planned (while the seaward assault was taking place). One Heavy and one Gatling now covered the causeway, and a canoe home assault over the water seemed suicidal as the First Florida Regiment had the walls covered. However, the Confederate retreat was cut off, and the British had been painlessly repelled.
Suddenly the ironclad ram CSS CALHOUN, flying the Stars and Bars, steamed up toward the remaining loaded troop transports! The US Admiral had misread his orientation, and had his gunboats blocking the wrong end of the coast. Caught flatfooted with guns covering the wrong direction, the Union gunboats now came desperately about Too late! The small Confederate craft, moving swiftly, rammed one of the transports, sending an entire battalion of blue clad Massachusetts infantry into the water with a grinding crash!
Cursing the Admiral, the Union gunners opened fire as the desperate, unarmed lone raider pulled off, ignoring the dead and dying floating around it, and lined up towards another helpless transport. Onshore the Confederates cheered at the bravery of the ram's crew. But as its speed was low during its recovery maneuver, it now made a momentarily easy target. The accurate heavy fleet fire landing on target instantly blew the lone raider to cinders.
There was a shocked moment of silence as the outcome of the naval fight swung back so quickly and decisively. Union troops ashore and still afloat gave thanks that they had not been on the boat rammed--it could have just as easily been them, floating in a cloud of bodies around the wrecked transport. On the other hand, the Confederates realized that no more reinforcements were coming, and their last hope outside themselves was gone.
With grim determination, the Union forces turned their attention back to the Fort. Completely ruptured to seaward and surrounded to landward, it was time to for the defenders to consider a breakout or surrender! On the other hand, what would be the best attack technique for the Union at this point? Since a good seven players were involved in this complex scenario, both Union and Confederate councils were convened at opposite ends of the room, to discuss their options.
The CSA officers, surrounded and unsupported, watched their soldiers cowering in the ruins of the former island paradise, and considered a breakout to landward. But since the Union troops from that side had not assaulted and taken any serious casualties, they were too strong to attack. The southern officers council voted 30 to surrender, in a typically reasonable American democratic decision. If only the conflict between the states had been originally resolved in such a fashion, and the war averted! Could things have gone differently in this battle? If the CSA had one or two more fort guns, if the British had come in to keep the landward side open, if the Home Guard had fought better--who knows? For years, the veteran players would debate and dispute. But for those there on the scene, the outcome was clear enough at the time.
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© Copyright 1998 Hal Thinglum
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