064: South Mountain (Historical)
More About This Scenario
The Historical South Mountain scenario has always been an intriguing one. The Rebels are badly outnumbered, outgunned, and outmaneuvered. While our units are smaller in size than the Federal units, they have a much higher quality rating. Does it make up for the great disparity in numbers? Probably not. But is interesting.
This is a fun scenario to play if you are looking to fight a desperate defensive battle against a mountain backdrop. The opportunity to refight one of the more critical strategic battles of the war is hard to pass up as well.
Analyzing the Numbers
The numbers and stats from this scenario do not look good at all from the Confederate point of view. We out badly outnumbered in every category. Even our artillery numbers are lower than what they appear to be (read the Tactical Tips for more information on this). The only advantages we have are our higher quality men and the rugged terrain we are defending.
With an advantage in quality of over a full grade, the Confederates are unlikely to rout or lose in a standup fight against equal numbers. But you won't really find any equal number situations in this scenario. The Rebels have just two regiments with more than 400 men while the Federals have twenty-nine such units. The Federals also have twenty more units than the Rebels with a strength between 200 - 399.
Did you know?
Brig. Gen. Samuel Garland's North Carolina brigade would suffer heavily in the fighting along South Mountain. Garland, a combative graduate of VMI who led from the front, would be killed in the fighting. The brigade would be led at Antietam by Col. Duncan McRae of the 5th North Carolina.
Small Advantages
You have to look for whatever advantages you can in a battle like this. Unfortunately, they are very few. We do have 61 high-quality regiments on the field versus just 11 for the Yankees. However, all our infantry combined number fewer than just the total number of Union C-Rated men.
With commander ratings, the Yankees are surprisingly well-led here. While our command rating is higher, their leadership rating is higher than our own. I have no real explanation for that but it seems that the Leadership ratings for the two sides are often closer than the Command ratings.
Did you know?
D. H. Hill was justifiably proud of his men for holding Turner's Gap. The action, he wrote in his report, was “one of the most remarkable and creditable of the war. The division had marched all the way from Richmond, and the straggling had been enormous in consequence of heavy marches, deficient commissariat, want of shoes, and inefficient officers. . . . [T]he division numbered less than 5,000 on the morning of September 14, and had five roads to guard, extending over a space of as many miles.”
Ammunition
Both sides have plenty of ammunition to fight with in this battle. There should be no reason to hold back at all during the fighting.
The Scenario Setup
The Confederates are setup in the three main gaps through South Mountain in order to delay the advance of McClellan's army. Reinforcements are coming but they will take time to arrive. The first few hours are critical. With very few men on the southern part of the map you must find a way to delay the Yankees long enough so that they can't get through Crampton's Gap with enough time to cause havoc on your rear areas and dislodge you from Turner's and Fox's Gap. The Yanks should be coming directly at you without any subterfuge or delay. And why shouldn't they? They have all the numbers on their side.
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 will only have a few hours until Federal numbers begin to rise rapidly.
2) By noon the Federals will be large enough to begin causing major problems for the Confederate player.
3) By late afternoon, the Federal dominance in numbers is extreme.
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 Union Advantage
With large advantages in manpower and artillery, the Yankees are going to hit you hard. Your saving grace are the modifiers that high ground gives the defenders. Both sides have some pros and cons here, but the Yankees still have the advantage. The Rebs are outnumbered and will struggle to cover the ground they need to in order to win the scenario. But the Yanks have to go up a mountain which will make their job tougher. But with 40 turns and plenty of units and men to maneuver to spread out the Rebels, the Yanks should win this one.
Despite what I write above - the Confederates still have a winning record here! How is that possible?
The high ground and Union ineptitude. A single elevation change gives you a 20% modifier against fire combat and melee combat. If you combine that with other modifiers like a fence or stone wall, or a double elevation change, your line will become much, much, harder to attack. Do not underestimate the advantages of terrain and modifiers in this scenario! Use them all. A stubborn (or stupid) Union opponent may end up defeating themselves.
Tactical Tips
1) Modifiers!
As mentioned above - use the modifiers! They might be your best ally and only hope to hold back the Yankees. Utilize every single hexside modifier or terrain modifier you can find. If you are rusty on these, check out the ACWGC Training Academy Advanced Training files for more information.
2) Concentrate Your Fire.
The Yankees of the Ninth Corps are low quality and will be easier to break if you pour all of your available fire into just one unit at a time. The more losses a unit takes the more likely it is to require a morale check. The Ninth Corps units are unlikely to pass these morale checks often so they will rout and disrupt those units around them. Disrupted units move slower and fire less effectively - more good news for the Rebels!
3) Confederate Artillery is Late to the Battle
A large part of the Confederate artillery (about half) does not begin to arrive until turn 29, and then from the south where they are largely unprotected and vulnerable. This is a major concern and problem for us Rebels. If the Yankees already control the area, you may want to just leave them off the map completely rather than risk their capture. Even if they can enter the map, how much good will they do in just the few turns they will be available? This artillery just arrives at the wrong place at the wrong time.
4) Thermopylae?
At times you may end up feeling like Leonidas with his 300 Spartans trying to hold a mountain pass against Xerxes massive army. You may have to go down fighting to the last man in order to buy time for your reinforcements to come up and save the battle. It's never fun to sacrifice units but you might not have much choice in this battle. Try to save your artillery though as their point losses are higher and you will need them later on.
Final Thoughts
This is a tough scenario but still a fun battle. I recommend giving it a go at least once. Only McClellan could have failed to win a major victory here.