I put on a demo game of VW based upon the excellent scenario by Steve Phenow in MLW. This was tweaked a bit for VW but proved to be a very good (and fast paced) battle to try out the new rules. The map is below.

Battle Description -

The Confederates had a regular SAGA player as CinC (Allan Kaplan) and two brigade commanders. They would arrive on turn one along road A. These units would be able to move off the road as they wished in order to facilitate movement. Their objective? Destroy the Union army or force it to retreat (by breaking it with a 1/3 loss of units).

The Union army had a difficult task. There were three Union brigade commanders as well as a CinC…all new players to the SAGA rules system. The weakest Union brigade arrived on turn 1 at road D, but the other two would not arrive until their brigade commanders had successfully rolled for them to come on the table (by rolling a d6, with a '6' needed to arrive. Plus one would be added to the rolls each turn until they did arrive, but neither could attempt roll for arrival until turn 2). The single brigade would be hard-pressed to hold on until reinforcements arrived, but how and where the Confederates pushed their advantage would tell the tale…and when and how quickly the Union reinforcements arrived would be a determinant of victory. The Union army had the same victory conditions as the Rebels.

CSA - All enter on Road A turn One.

CinC Crittenden 2 x Cavalry Regiments

USA - Enter as rolled for.

CinC Thomas 1 x Cavalry Regiment in northern woods, dismounted at start.

So… The Enemies Advance

The Union troops quickly filled the farmyard and took up defensive positions behind the stone walls, unlimbering their two sections to artillery on the hill across the road from the farm and preparing to defend themselves. One regiment also advanced into the peach orchard, not a good idea!

The Rebels wasted little time, filing rapidly down the road, sending cavalry ahead (dismounting and bringing fire to bear on the Union troops in the orchard) and around the farm. The Confederate artillery unlimbered on the big hill by the road to the south and began to pound the Union battery with devastating effect (killing 3/4 of the gunners!). Losses quickly destroyed one section and seriously depleted the other. The Union regiment in the orchard was mauled and forced to retreat back to the farm.

Meanwhile, the Union brigades coming in from the West had both successfully made it onto the battlefield, but there was little coordination in their efforts. The Rebels attacked the Union dismounted cavalry across the stream to the west of the hill, forcing them to mount up and retreat (one stand of the unit remained mounted as horseholders which allowed the unit to mount up and retire). Then disaster struck.

The Union regiments behind cover at the farm had decimated the Rebel dismounted horsemen and shot another regiment to pieces, but now the Confederate artillery began to blast the Union positions. With a Rebel yell, the Confederates charged the Union positions but were pushed back. Where were those reinforcements?

Marching and counter-marching, a lack of adequate artillery position and a real sense of lethargy caused the Union reinforcements to be of very little help as the Rebels simply slowed them with skirmishers while diligently and effectively destroying Manson's brigade.

Finally, with losses of 70%, the brigade broke and routed. The Rebels had won, successfully pursuing the fleeing Union troops and capturing a section of artillery. The Union CinC decided that the field was lost and the remaining two brigades slowly fell back to fight another day.

Postscript:

The effective Confederate commander had a good plan and his brigade commanders stuck to it. Although the Confederate attacks were initially repulsed because they went in piecemeal, once the Rebels had their men in position, they were able to overwhelm the badly outnumbered Union troops of Manson's brigade. The brigade did a magnificent job considering the odds.

A lack of any cohesiveness or adequate command control doomed the Union. The reinforcements needed to quickly and effectively push their way to the farm in support but instead spent the battle marching around and doing nothing to help their beleaguered comrades. The Union commander in chief spent the whole game micro-managing the one lone cavalry regiment instead of coordinating his army…typical of early ACW engagements with amateur generals.

The game was finished in 2 1/2 hours from the start…excellent for a demo game with five new players!