Wargames by Mail: Battle of Johnson Creek Scenario

Wargames by Mail:

Battle of Johnson Creek Scenario

by Doug Wilson

The following scenario is presented for your amusement: it emulates no historical confrontation. We invite you to prepare your own battle plan based on the mission and resources described below. With the permission of the editor, we'll describe how we actually played the game in a future issue of The Zouave.

BACKGROUND

In the middle years of the war, C.SA. General James Hoke was detailed to command a brigade in the Army of Northern Virginia. His mission was to provide a clear path northward along the Stephenson Turnpike running through Johnson's Valley, Virginia, in advance of General Lee's main body of troops. On the evening of February 21, 1863, scouts sent by General Hoke returned to inform him that a brigade-sized force of blue-bellies under the command of B.G.S. Kaminsky (U.S.A.), was proceeding south into the very same valley. As General Hoke's responsibility was to clear the enemy for General Lee, a confrontation seemed imminent. Since the enemy forces were nearly the same distance from the valley, neither would gain a tactical position advantage. The valley itself ran north-south. Johnson's Creek ran part way up the middIe of the valley before veering eastward. Two stone bridges crossed the creek. However, the Stephenson Parkway, running along the western edge of the valley, did not cross the creek. A few farms were scattered about the valley. A country inn was located on the turnpike at the northern end of the valley. As General Hoke began preparing his battle plans, he cursed his foolishness for having divided his command earlier in the day.

CONFEDERATE FORCES

Infantry

Cavalry

Artillery

UNION FORCES

Infantry

Cavalry

1st Vermont Cavalry

Artillery

GAME SET UP

The Battle of Johnson's Creek was fought on a four foot by eight foot wargame table, laid out as shown in the accompanying map. Since we started playing wargames years ago, our figures are HO scale (now called 20/22 mm) and are individually based. A major advantage of this scale is, of course, low cost. Our armies are populated with the plastic figures produced by Airfix, Revell, erc., supplemented with metal models. Individual basing allows us to position figures more exfactly, conforming them to terrain features, moving them into open order, and such. Separate figures also eliminate the need for casualty caps/markers to indicate "dead" soldiers on multiple figure stands. And, when playing by mail, the great advantage of multi-figure stands, which is the speed with which a person can reposition his figures, is not a factor.

Because we wanted a degree of randomness and uncertainty in our game, each player was instructed to secretly divide his forces into three groups: A, B, and C. The groups did not have to be equal, but each group had to include at least one unit. Then a dice was rolled for each group. Once these preparations were completed, the scenario designer revealed starting locations on map for groups A (locations: upper left and upper row third quare from right), B (locations lower left and upper right), and C (lower row third quare from left and lower right), as well as determining starting times based on the dice rolls.

So, how do you approach the battle? Would you be bold or even reckless? Would you be conservative, carefully inching your way into the valley? How would you make the best use of terrain? And what ploys could be used to keep your opponent confused? See ya' next time in The Zouave!

A Case Study

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