This game is intended to inject a little more interest into a one off battle situation and is in all respects a one day campaign for three people. I got the idea while reading a recent issue of Blue & Gray, and the game is based on a real campaign that lasted from November 28th, 1864 until December 9th, 1864. It requires an umpire with imagination, as well as the usual Union and Confederate commanders. If you wish to get the best from this scenario do not read any further' unless you are the umpire and are going to organize it for a few of your friends. Otherwise, I suggest you draw straws to see who does the ground work. HISTORICAL BACKROUND On November 15th, 1864, Union General William T. Sherman set out from Atlanta, Georgia on his infamous "March to the Sea". His objective was the city of Savannah, and his ultimate aim was to cut the Confederacy in two. By the end of November, Sherman was closing in on Savannah and wanted to net all the Rebel forces engaged in its defense. He therefore ordered Major Gent. John G. Foster, commander of the Department of the South, to cut the vitally important Charleston and Savannah railroad. Foster's department incorporated all the islands and forts captured by both the Union army and navy along the Confederacy's coastline from South Carolina to Florida. It would also seem to have been used as a rest and refit posting for regiments shot up during the campaigns in Virginia. Beside the numerous garrisons, Foster also had at his disposal the 5000 man Coastal Division under Brigadier Gent. John P. Hatch. This unit was subsequently reinforced by 500 men of a naval brigade and was assigned to the destruction of the railroad. Ordered to cut the tine on or about December 1st, the Union task force was loaded aboard transports and, protected by six gunboats, made its way to Boyd's Neck, South Carolina, approximately 18 miles from the railroad. The expedition was dogged by bad luck, being quickly spotted by Rebel pickets while fog delayed disembarkation, and th4 locals recruited as guides managed to lose their way. All of this allowed a force of Georgia Militia to arrive and fortify a ridge directly in the path of the Union advance. A battle then took place at the quaintly named Honey Hill where the outnumbered militia beat bad repeated assaults by the Federals. Two more attempts were made at different points of the line, but by December 9th, ConfederatE resistence had hardened. Hatch, thereafter gave up and settled down to bombard the railroad at long range with his artillery - hardl~ what Sherman had planned in his mind. One of the most curious facets of this operation was that the railway was nearly left completely undefended due to the Confederacy's preoccupation, even at the eleventh hour, with State's rights. Under the terms of their enlistment, state militia were no required to fight outside their own state borders, and to this end the militia commander, Major General Gustavus W. Smith, informed his superior at Savannah; "You know that the militia of this state cannot be legally ordered beyond its limits without a special act of the legislature. But if you can satisfy me that it is absolutely necessary that my command shall go into South Carolina, I will endeavor to carry out your orders. If you do not satisfy me, and persist in your orders, I will be under the disagreeable necessity of withdrawing the state forces from your control". Luckily, Smith was persuaded, but as soon as the smoke cleared over Honey Hill, the Militia entrained immediately for the trip back to Georgia. Earlier in the campaign South Carolina militia had refused to cross the state line in order to relieve Georgia Militia at Augusta so that they could join in the defense of Savannah. UNION ORDER OF BATTLE Coastal Division: Brig. Genl. John P. Hatch 1st Brigade: Brig. Genl. Edward F. Potter 56th New York 127th New York 144th New York 157th New York 25th Ohio 2nd Brigade: Col. Alfred S. Hartwell 54th Mass. (Elite) 55th Mass. (Green) 32nd U.S. Colored Troops (Green) 35th U.S. Colored Troops (Green) 102nd U.S. Colored Troops (Green) Naval Brigade: Commander George H. Preble Sailor Infantry Battalion (Green) Marine Battalion (Green) Artillery Battalion (Green) - 8 man handled 12 pdr. howitzers Cavalry: Capt. George Hurlbut 4th Mass. Battalion Artillery: 2 Batteries 3rd N.Y. Light Artillery 1 Battery 3rd R.I. Artillery NOTES: I have no indication as to the complement of the artillery batteries. Therefore any of the typical gun types would suffice in six gun batteries. Unit strengths are as follows: Infantry = 400 men, cavalry = 300 men, sailors and marines = 200 men. All troops are Regular unless otherwise noted. CONFEDERATE ORDER OF BATTLE 1st Division Georgia Militia: Gustavus W. Smith State Line Brigade: Colonel Wilson 1st Regiment (150 men) 2nd Regiment (150 men) 1st Brigade Georgia Militia: Col. James Willis 3 Regiments (300, 200, and 200 men) Reserves: Major Ferdinand W. Cook Athens Local Defense Battn. (150 men) Augusta Local Defense Battn. (150 men) Unattached: 32nd Georgia (200 men) 47th Georgia (300 men) Cavalry: Col. Charles J. Colcock 3rd South Carolina (200 men) Artillery: Capt. Henry M. Stuart Lafayette S.C. Light Art. (4 Napoleons) 1 Battery Light Artillery (four 3" Rifled Guns) NOTES: Rebel strength was put at 1400 men. However, this did not include the 32nd or 47th Georgia, giving a more realistic total of about 2000 men. Combine the units in both the State Line Brigade and the Reserves to give the combined units each 300 men. All Confederate units will be Green except for the two Georgia infantry units, which will be Average.Colonel Colcock should be rated as above average. MOVEMENT Normal 1.5 over roads and .5 cross country Over 8 hours traveling = troops are tired Troops can only march for a max. of 12 hours Daybreak is at 0800 and will be light until 1600. SUPPLY Rebels: are in friendly country and are supplied for the whole game. Union: Troops carry rations for 3 days, after which they must return immediately to their landing point by the quickest known route. If any enemy sit astride this route they must be attacked rather than avoided. If out of supply, melee, firing and morale all suffer a -1 modifier. MAP/TERRAIN Scale is 5mm = 1 mile. Overall, the terrain is terrible. There are many swamps, creeks and rivers. Roads offer the best means of travel, but are mainly second rate and are confusing to anyone not familiar with the area. Once a battle does occur, it's worth remembering that the battleground should favor the Rebels, as they would be familiar with the countryside and, being heavily outnumbered, would pick their ground carefully. The Confederate player will be given a more detailed map, while the Union player will have a general outline map. BUILDING FORTIFICATIONS It takes a full day to build a regimental frontage of Medium Works. Light Works take 4 hours. Redoubts already on the map are for artillery positions only and are considered Medium Works. CAMPAIGN/UMPIRE NOTES These notes are for the guidance of the umpire in preparing an interesting build up to the final confrontation and may be passed on to players or discarded as he sees fit. a. Union player to be ordered to cut the railroad neck on or about December 1st. b. Union embark Dec, 28th, arrive Boyd's Neck on the 29th. Fog delays several vessels, therefore full force not ashore until early morning of the 30th (Naval Brig., Cav., and 1st Brig, land first). c. Rebs arrive Gopher Hill at 0800 on Nov. 30th. d. 2 Redoubts are already on map at Honey Hill e. Union forces should meet several locals who will lead them astray and delay their advance. f. Reb player to be ordered to drive enemy back to the gunboats. g. Rebel pickets line the Broad River and should spot the Feds landing. h. Gunboats and transport's speed should be around 5-8 knots. Once battle is joined I would recommend that the umpire take command of one of the Union brigades in order to join in the fight, or failing that, another method would be to put 3 chits in a hat, two Union and one Confederate, with each player having his pick after deployment, but before the battle begins. VICTORY CONDITIONS These are very simple. The Confederates must keep the railroad open and the Union must cut it. The longer the Union remains astride the rail lines the worse the damage and the more complete their victory. NOTES What does this have to do with the "Chattanooga Choo Choo" you ask? Well, nothing, but I thought it was a snappy title and really didn't want to waste it. Please note the Confederate (top) and Union (bottom) maps are below. Back to The Zouave Vol IV No. 2 Table of Contents Back to The Zouave List of Issues Back to Master Magazine List © Copyright 1990 The American Civil War Society This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com