049 - Meeting in the Center
More About This Scenario
Lopsided! Right? Sorta.
This classic meeting engagement scenario is difficult to play and win despite the advantages you may think you have. This reinterpretation of the Antietam Campaign removes Hooker's First Corps from the equation. It also takes Lee out of his set defensive positions and places his army in the open fields west of South Mountain.
With a limited number of turns, this scenario isn't quite as good as it might be if it had more turns, but it is still a good one.
Given the imbalance on paper, why are the results in the Department of Records not equally imbalanced? Let's examine this more.
Analyzing the Numbers
The Union has almost 18,000 additional infantrymen in this battle than do the Confederates. Despite such a large advantage in numbers though, they have 54 fewer regiments on the field of battle. But while the Confederates may have more units, they are much smaller on average. Two-thirds of the Rebel regiments have fewer than 199 men in this battle. This means that in order to stop one Union regiment, usually two Rebel regiments will need to be sent forward.
The Rebels do have a very large advantage in overall quality with over a point differential over the Yanks. Is that qualitative advantage enough to make up for the quantitative advantage? Probably not. But the Rebels still have different advantages which can help them in this battle.
The Federals lack any respectable cavalry in this scenario while the Confederates, at least, have Stuart's small division on the field. While this isn't a great help, it is better than nothing.
The most notable advantage is in the artillery column. Here the Confederates outnumber the Federals by a score of 293 to 142! Don't get too excited though. As we will discuss later, this isn't quite what it seems. I'd trade in 2,000 of those artillerymen for an additional good-sized brigade.
Did you know?
Stephen D. Lee began the Civil War as an aide to Pierre Beauregard at Fort Sumter. He then commanded artillery units in the Army of Northern Virginia through the Battle of Antietam. After the battle, he would be sent west to support Joseph Johnston in Mississippi. He would serve in the cavalry and infantry branches and lead a corps in the final year of the war.
Depleted Leadership
It can be difficult to remember who commands what in this scenario as there are many divisions and brigades under alternate leaders. Heavy losses dating back to the Seven Days Campaign had greatly crippled the command staffs of both armies. At Antietam, for example, Jackson's Wing is missing two of four division commanders, while also having many brigades under replacement leaders.
Partially because of this, the Confederate ratings for Command and Leadership are a bit lower than you might expect. But there are still many quality leaders in this scenario. The foursome of Lee, Longstreet, Jackson, and Stuart usually ensure that you your units will receive at least one or two bonus morale points per turn.
For the Federals, the absence of the 1st Corps is rough. That unit contains many of their highest-rated commanders. They will suffer as a result.
Pass the Ammo
Both sides have a large amount of ammunition for a one-day battle. Both in artillery rounds and small arms ammunition, the two armies are very-well supplied. Fire away all day long and don't spare the gunpowder.
The Scenario Setup
The Meeting in the Center setup is more complicated than it appears at first. The Confederate army only slowly gathers in this scenario and it will take time to prepare your army for battle.
Longstreet's Corps will be at Hagerstown at the start and will need to form up and begin marching southward at the start. This will easily take half of the scenario's turns just to get the bulk of Longstreet's men to Boonsborough where the fighting will likely be going on.
And that's fine, because it will take about the same amount of time for Jackson's Corps to begin arriving in force from the southern edge of the map. Units arriving from the south will take about ten turns to reach the Shepherdstown Pike west of Boonsborough. Given that Jackson's men arrive over the first five hours of gameplay, it will take a very long time for his forces to concentrate. Further, the bulk of his artillery, your largest advantage, is at the tail end of the very long column. These weapons will arrive only in time for the final ten turns of any battle around Keedysville.
The Federals all arrive from the southeast and have a much shorter distance to travel to engage our forces. Once over the South Mountain chain they will have two Confederate corps approaching them from north and south.
Then things get interesting.
Below is the map showing the arrival strengths and locations of the reinforcements. It also shows the length and time it will take Jackson to arrive near Keedysville.
Below is a very detailed outline of the reinforcements and numbers of the two armies.
Numerous things can be learned by studying the charts above.
1) The Confederates have a clear advantage in numbers throughout the first part of the scenario.
2) Because of marching distances and their later arrivals, the Federals will only really be overwhelming in numbers for the final third of the scenario.
3) The large majority of Rebel artillery units arrive at the very tail end of the Confederate column. These units will be very powerful once they arrive and are unlimbered though.
Note:
If you want to disturb your opponent while playing this scenario, simply note the time and use this sheet for reference. Then subtract their casualties from the numbers above and tell them EXACTLY how many men they have on the field. Be sure to subtract 25 men for every cannon destroyed. This will surely puzzle them and may give you a bit of a psychological edge.
Personal Conclusion
Moderate Advantage
Setup Summary
Really, the Confederates are given a pretty good opportunity to win this one.
The real action will only start half-way through the scenario once Jackson's and Longstreet's men begin to arrive in the center. Whether you launch furious counterattacks, or let the enemy come charging at you, might depend on the Victory Points when the armies meet. If you are careful with DH Hill in delaying the Federals, then it will likely be a Draw by the time the bulk of the armies clash. The Federals need 900 points just to get to a Minor Victory so they are likely hoping just to achieve a Draw for the first half of the scenario. Whether or not they keep up the offensive will likely depend on the type of opponent you are playing against. If they are aggressive, and really want the victory, they will have to keep attacking. If they are cautious, they will likely pull up and hope you break your lines against their defenses on South Mountain.
Tactical Tips
1) DH Hill will be Busy.
The start of the scenario has DH Hill's Division heading for Turner's Gap to block the advance of the Ninth Corps. Luckily the Ninth Corps is low in quality and will have a hard time pushing DH Hill out until help arrives from the east. Keep DH Hill's artillery safe and don't take too many losses to where you no longer have at least a Draw status. The Federals need to earn points to win this, we just need to hold on.
2) Two Separate Battles
Because of the limited time, and the direction of advance of both Longstreet and Jackson, you can expect them to both fight their own separate battles against McClellan's army. If you force the Yankees to come to you then they will have to decide which of the two Confederate wings to turn against and attack. Whichever way they turn should leave an opening to attack them from the other side.
3) Mountain Warfare.
Jackson's Corps will be moving over very rugged terrain to approach the battlefield. It may occur that you need to leave the main roads and move across country or into the mountains for whatever reasons. Remember that moving through mountains with artillery and supply wagons is next to impossible. If you setup on a ridge without any trail or road nearby, you may be inviting disaster if the Yankees overwhelm you and begin to capture any guns and wagons you may have brought up with you. If you must use the mountains, use them wisely.
Final Thoughts
Concentrate your forces as quickly as you can and don't be beaten piecemeal by a wily Federal opponent.