Many a Civil War buff has pondered these questions: "What if Stonewall Jackson had recovered from his wound at Chancellorsville? Would Lee still have switched to a three corps alignment? Would the CSA still possess those intangibles of aggressiveness and invincibility? How would a two corps approach have fared for the gray and butternut at Gettysburg?"

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These are all questions without answers. The neat thing about the hobby of conflict simulation is that one can attempt to explore answers to hypothetical questions in a realistic vehicle. The vehicle that we chose to drive was our favorite gaming system, the series. We play a soupedup version, so to speak, as we use some house rules to enhance play.

Deac chose to play the Union. He added French's Division at a cost of three victory points (plus he knows that I like to attack early on the second day with the CSA).

I played the Rebs using the "Jackson Lives!" special rules (Scenario 11). We both wanted to see how responsive the CSA is using a two-corps structure. This option comes at a cost of five victory points. In addition, I chose to add Ransom's Division to 1 Corps at a cost of two victory points and Buckner' Division at a cost of th ree victory points.

Ed. note: See game rules 4.3d and 4.3h

This also enabled me to get Law's Brigade and Pickett's Division at midnight on 2 July instead of later in the day.

Deac and I game CWB against each other about 20 hours a month. We have gamed Thunder at the Crossroads many times and are familiar with each other's strategies, tactics, thinking, and nuances.

Union Strategy

Deac roughly broke his strategy for the game into days. On the first day, he planned to defend as far forward as possible from Gettysburg and conduct a fighting withdrawal when pushed. He hoped to roll 12 Corps into the battle at an early time to bolster his right. (We always play with the random reinforcement die rolls.)

His goal at the end of the first day was to control the hills and limit my axis of advance for an early morning attack on the second. As the second day ended, he anticipated going over to the attack with 5 and 6 Corps to nail down a big victory.

Confederate Strategy

I planned to carry the impetus of attack to Deac, although not in a reckless and headlong manner as I have seen many CSA players do in Thunder. Jackson's 2 Corps would carry the attack on the first day. I had three goals: inflict as many casualties as possible on the cavalry, 1 Corps and 11 Corp. capture Gettysburg; and either capture the hills or open up opportunities for an extended march by the three divisions of 1 Corps that I expected to have on map by 2:00AM.

If all worked as planned, I would have possession of Cemetery Hill, Culp's Hill, and Little Round Top by 1:00 pm. on the second day. Then, we would batten down the hatches and hope Deac would wreck his corps on our defensive positions to garner that elusive victory on Northern soil that Marse Robert so desperately sought.

The First Day

Combat starts with Ewell's Provisional Division (EPD) engaging the Union cavalry at a two-hex range; part of my early day strategy is to maintain pressure on Gamble in the hopes of wrecking them for victory point purposes and maneuvering onto a flank to prepare for the arrival of A. P. Hill. Hill is tardy (he does not arrive until 11:30!) and the Union 1 Corps is now deployed on the ridge line with 11 Corps moving up to support on its left.

Things are not going as planned for the South. Ewell and Hill concentrate on 11 Corps in the hopes that Stonewall will arrive on the left later in the day. Fierce fighting takes place around McPherson's Wood and Ridge as the two sides trade volleys at 200 yards. By 1:00, Deac has 11 Corps Up and is deployed on Reynolds' left. At this time, the Stonewall mystique comes into play.

Over the next two turns, I would roll consecutive tens to bring on Rodes, Early, and Stonewall himself to form a perfectly echeloned flank attack on 1 Corps.

In two turns, Reynolds' men begin to stream off Oak Hill and back toward Gettysburg; it is only the heroic stand of the Iron Brigade and Cutler's men that prevents a Union rout. Just as I think that the day will be mine, Deac rolls on 12 Corps and directs them to take blocking positions in front of Gettysburg. By now Johnson is up and Longstreet is assembling 1 Corps to continue the drive on the Union left.

One of the problems we discovered with a two-corps alignment was limited corps frontage. Hill and Ewell had to sidle continually to their left to get in command radius, recover stragglers, shift units in and out of combat, and generally stay in the fight. I had not planned to commit Anderson on the first day; I wanted to use him as part of a 1 Corps hammer blow on day two.

However, at 5:30PM he went into line on the far right to flank 11 Corps. By 6:00PM, Union resistance had broken as they streamed back towards Cemetery Hill. Not wanting to charge a gun line with weakened units, Stonewall called it quits for the day.

It was a brutal first day. CSA casualties were at the 13,000 mark while the Bluebellies pushed 12,000. Dick Ewell took a minie-ball in the head, both Union cavalry brigades were wrecked, and the South held Gettysburg. However, Deac still held the big victory point areasÄthe hills.

The Second Day

The burden of attack was still on me as a council of war occurred at Lee's headquarters. Pickett and Johnson were up, but no word from Hood. The council decided to try a bold flanking extended march to trap the Union army on the hills. Longstreet would take the available portions of 1 Corps and follow the tree and creek line onto Cemetery Ridge.

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From there, they would attack up the ridge to clear it. If Hood showed up, he would receive a divisional goal to secure Little Round Top and cut off an avenue of escape. Johnson would receive a divisional goal to conduct an extended march around the Union right, secure the bridge, and attack into the Union rear. Later, Jackson would support the attack in the center.

Deac's strategy called for a dawn attack with 3 and 12 Corps into Gettysburg and a probe by Hancock's men into Longstreet's staging area. These also occurred using extended movement.

Perhaps we unrealistically use extended movement in our gamesÄwe often boldly go at night off roads where most 19th century armies refused to go. At times we operate as if we have LANDSAT circling overhead. Ideas on this aspect of CWB are welcome but do not ask us not to use extended movement. It is one of the few gaming vehicles that simulates fog of war and limited intelligence.

At daybreak, little did we know that one of the most interesting gaming sessions either one of us has ever had would await us over the next ten hours. Because I failed to screen Longstreet's march adequately, Hancock's probe pops his extended movement; instead of 36 big movement points crashing down on 1 Corps, I have only 18.

However, it is enough to position Pickett and Anderson on the Union far left and on Cemetery Ridge. Deac sees the trap and gets initiative with Hancock to fall back to the Union left, but he cannot call back Sickles and Slocum as they crash down Cemetery Hill into Rodes, Early, and A. P. Hill. The attack disintegrates in two turns as Stonewall made four different 66 morale rolls on Deac.

By 6:30, Deac knows the danger is real and imminent. Hood and McLaws are marching to join Longstreet while Pickett launches a furious attack into Reynolds. Johnson comes out of his extended march three hexes from the bridgeÄjust in time to see Devin's Brigade block passage. Deac is now trying to extract the Union army from a potential disaster; he does an ECR with 3, 11 and 12 Corps. However, he gets initiative with Hancock and Reynolds to hold open the escape route back toward Little Round Top. Jackson's attack orders kick in at 6:30 and 2 D Corps begins measured pressure on the Union center. If only Johnson can clear the bridge and Hood's order to secure the Round Tops can gain acceptance, I can put Deac in a very bad position.

However, they do not. Falaise Pocket II ends with Deac getting the Army of the Potomac out of danger and setting up a line along the Round Tops. By 11:00 AM, I had the hills and had damaged three Union corps to the point where we both knew they could not conduct offensive operations the rest of the battle (1, 11 and 12). I had severely damaged his cavalry arm but had let a great opportunity escape.

Both sides spent the rest of the day maneuvering. Deac aimed to establish a strong defensive line bolstered by the Reserve artillery and I tried to match Longstreet up against a damaged Union corps.

Casualties at the end of the second day were 16,100 for the CSA and 15,600 for the USA. For the CSA, Longstreet still had offensive capability while Jackson did not. For the USA, 1, 2, 11 and 12 Corps did not possess attack strength but, 3, 5, 6 and the new cavalry units did.

The Third Day

So far, we had invested about 45 hours in gaming Stonewall Lives! It had been very profitable and interesting to this point. Some of the observations that we made of the CSA two-corps structure were that Lee had less flexibility with two corps compared to three, but two corps hit harder on the attack partly due to limited frontage of the corps. Also, it was a more responsive command set up as there were fewer orders to write.

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The two corps also encouraged the writing of divisional goals, especially on the attack. This can be good and bad. The good is it increases flanking opportunities; the bad is that the attacks do not have much staying power.

My strategy for the third day is simple; put Stonewall and a reinforced 2 Corps with Buckner on the hills, screen my flanks with cavalry and detached units, and place Longstreet into reserve behind Cemetery Hill to act as a counterattack force if Deac pushes the issue. I am content for my draw or minor victory.

Deac opts for a bolder strategy. He conducts an extended march onto my right (made possible because EPD was seven turns tardy in reacting to a screening order) with 6 Corps, 3 Corps and Pleasonton's command. I am not sure if his plan is to go for the victory point entry areas or turn for Gettysburg. At the same time, he brings measured pressure to bear on my center and left with his guns and other corps.

Wilcox and detached guns stop 3 Corps' attack across the bridge. However, 6 Corps and the screening cavalry find success southwest of Gettysburg. Ewell is the only division in their way. 6 Corps succeeds in driving Ewell towards McPherson's Ridge. At the same time, another of Deac's extended movements appearsÄ1 Corps reinforced with French appears near Benner's Hill! (jumbling that 1 Corps is a diversion and A. P. Hill, though badly damaged from the first day's fight, can deal with the threat, Lee orders Longstreet to counterattack against 6 Corps to clear the entry point areas. Brutal fighting ensues as Pickett, Hood, and McLaws throw their divisions into the breach. Deac is able to change Sickle's orders (no mean feat) so that 3 Corps is now following 6 Corps into the breach. Lee detaches Ransom to add to the carnage.

Then the fickle finger of fate intervenes. Sickles blows a Corps Attack Stoppage roll. To keep the attack rolling, Deac gambles on initiativeÄsnake eyes!! Sickles decides that he likes it better at Little Round Top! Couple this with JEB Stuart's immediate acceptance for a long flanking ride left of 6 Corps, and Korsun Pocket II was in progress.

Deac sends 5 Corps into the mess to save Pleasonton and Sykes. The fighting goes on in see-saw fashion until 10:30 when Deac calls off the dogs of war. Both armies are too spent for further offensive action; we call it a game after 60 hours of wild, enjoyable gaming!

So, Who Won?

According to the victory point table, it was a draw. Casualties were 23,400 for the CSA and 22,400 for the USA. Longstreet was wrecked as was Union 3 Corps, 6 Corps and four cavalry brigades. The Confederates stayed on the field and possibly gained a moral victory on Northern soil but the cost of the variants cost me any shot at victory. Both sides suffered huge losses, which the North could obviously replace more easily. I am sure the leadership of both sides would have some explaining to do about lost opportunities.

Afterthoughts

Thunder is a great game. Yet, next time I play the CSA, I will insist on getting Lee and company on their upsides with no victory point penalty. It is a tough row to hoe without them on their good sides, yet it makes it tough to win when giving up five victory points. We have never played using the D.H. Hill optionÄhow about the rest of you? Granted, 60 hours was a lot of time to spend, but what else did we have to do in January, February, March and April in Ohio?