Since there wasn't one yet, I designed a scenario for the Battle of Antietam (or Sharpsburg) for the Bloody Big Battles Ruleset, and we tried this out on Sunday.
This recreates the desperate fight at Sharpsburg, near Antietam Creek, after Lee was caught very much on the hop when a detailed copy of his movement orders was discovered and sent to McClellan, commander of the Union Army of the Potomac. Even with this information McClellan made something of a meal of it and missed an opportunity to crush Lee with more than twice the number of troops. The battle turned into America's bloodiest day. Details of the scenario can be found
here.
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| Scenario map of the battlefield for a 6'x4' table. Dark green is wooded, light green is cornfield |
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| Pretty much historical starting dispositions on my tabletop interpretation |
After dicing for who would command what, Crafthole took on the role of Lee, fighting for his army's survival with his back against the wall, and I assumed command of the Army of the Potomac for the Union, with Stuart maneuvering my right wing across the Antietam, in command of US I, II and XII Corps.
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Burnside's IX Corps, awaiting orders to proceed, faces Jackson's old Division at the 'Burnside' Bridge across the Antietam Creek
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| Further North, Pleasonton prepares to cross the 'middle' bridge with his Union cavalry |
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West of the Antietam 'Fighting' Joe Hooker's I Corps, Sumner's II Corps and Mansfield's XII Corps face most of Longstreet's Wing of the Army of Northern Virginia, north of Sharpsburg
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| Although Burnside is not yet prepared to move without written orders, that isn't going to stop him having a pop at the jeering Rebs across the creek, making it hot enough to force them to pull back out of rifle range. |
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Pleasonton has no such scruples about orders from above and gallops across the 'middle' bridge in column of fours before shaking out into a line and sending forward some skirmishers to harass the Confederate centre from the cover of a cornfield, his artillery in support.
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Things get hot for Pleasonton's cavalry as the Confederates attempt to send him back across the creek at bayonet point with a Rebel Yell. But he coolly gives them a volley and they are forced to return to an increasingly bloody sunken lane.
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North of Sharpsburg, never one to stand idle, Lee sends forward D.H. Hill and Walker to amuse the Yanks, with plenty of artillery support.
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| The Union attempt to send some artillery of their own around past the 'upper' bridge, in an attempt to enfilade Longstreet |
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But D.H Hill is sent forward to threaten the isolated batteries by Jackson, which is enough to make the guns skedaddle.
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Meanwhile a brave but foolhardy charge is initiated by a much depleted Yankee division in the centre, poor command control is well in evidence since no one joins them in the attack, and Walker sends them flying back with some devastating 'buck and ball'.
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| Jackson and Lee urge on the Rebel 'grand battery' at their centre left, which sweeps a scythe through the cornfields turning many a blue uniform to red. |
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As we reach around 1pm game time Burnside finally gets written permission to proceed, and finds the 'Burnside' bridge strangely quiet, allowing him to get a division across unmolested.
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Meanwhile, at the 'middle' bridge, Franklin's VI Corps finally arrive and lose no time in getting across Antietam Creek in support of Pleasonton's hard pressed cavalry.
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Things are hotting up in front of the Dunker Church as the boys in blue send in several more disjointed and costly charges against Lee's left-centre.
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| Fighting also becomes fierce around 'Bloody Lane' as Jackson tries to throw back the Yanks before they can establish a bridgehead across the Antietam at the 'middle' bridge |
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| But Pleasonton sees them off once again, allowing Slocum of Franklin's VI Corps to cross and deploy. |
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| Franklin feeds troops towards the smokey haze enveloping the 'Bloody Lane' |
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Some well aimed volleys finally find their mark and Pleasonton's raw troopers are spent, but they have done their job well as it won't be in time to stop VI Corps from getting across.
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VI Corps Artillery now add their weight to Pleasonton's making it more and more uncomfortable for the Confederates in the centre.
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| With VI Corps across the Yanks commence a methodical but relentless advance. |
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Back by the Dunker Church pressure of numbers is starting to tell and the Rebs have to give ground inch by painful inch, with heavy loss on both sides.
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Meanwhile on the other flank, Burnside now has his IX Corps across the Antietam, only to be met by JEB Stuart with a full blooded cavalry charge, who has galloped right across the field in fine style from holding Lee's left wing to now save his right.
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Half of Burnside's command is sent flying back across the Antietam...
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..., fortunately the other half of his command cover their embarrassment and hold firm with a wall of bayonets.
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| Back near the Dunker Church, DH Hill finds himself in desperate trouble, as his little diversion to chase off the Yank artillery earlier leaves him more than a little exposed. He conducts a fighting withdrawal with heavy loss. |
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Having spent much of the battle so far in confusion from order and counter-order, the veteran Iron Brigade of Hooker's I Corps, with US Sharpshooters skirmishing to the front, finally start to show their mettle by seriously threatening DH Hill's flank, however their commander halts the column to read an important written note from McClellen asking them to be careful not to get their nice uniforms too messy and the fleeting opportunity is missed.
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Things are starting to look desperate in the centre as Porter's V Corps is released to support VI Corps, no scruples here about 'the last reserve of the republic'.
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As the Rebs fall back to form a defence line in Sharpsburg, Slocum sees them on their way with a full throated volley.
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| The Iron Brigade also close in on Sharpsburg from further north |
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| A tide of blue slowly washes up to the gates of Sharpsburg... |
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| ...and a ragged wall of grey forms on the outskirts of Sharpsburg to defy it. |
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| Lee himself lines up JEB Stuart's cavalry and Jackson's old 'Stonewalls' to meet the Yanks. |
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At the other side of Sharpsburg AP Hill finally arrives after an exhausting march from Harper's Ferry and deploys as a reserve.
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| The deserted centre of Sharpsburg, outside Ford and Sons General Store |
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| Longstreet conducts a closely contested fighting withdrawal to Sharpsburg causing further bitter loss to the Union. |
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| Battered Union artillery regroup outside of the Dunker Church, now firmly in Yankee hands. |
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| Longstreet stubbornly gives ground as the Army of the Potomac close in |
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| 'Ole Blue Light' Jackson rides down the line in front of Sharpsburg encouraging his men with a psalm or two. |
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Having reached turn 10, it is clear that the Union are unlikely to capture any more objectives in the remaining two turns, so we call it a day.
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| The remains of the Army of Northern Virginia hold a tight defence around Sharpsburg |
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| Union V and VI Corps let off a final deafening volley to signal the end of the action. |
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| Confused fighting in the cornfields outside Sharpsburg as the two sides disengage |
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| JEB Stuart prepares for any further onslaught, covering Lee's right flank and his line of retreat to the Potomac. |
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| AP Hill's Light division stand ready to plug any gaps in the line. |
So a more or less historical outcome to the day with a bloody draw. Lee is down to half of his army and the Union have lost a third so, even allowing for some of these being stragglers etc, probably even bloodier than the historical battle. Overall I'm quite pleased with how the scenario progressed. In retrospect perhaps leaving out Porter's US V Corps (as happened historically) may have been fairer as up to the point where they arrived the battle was fairly evenly balanced and the Rebs had a chance of a win, afterwards the Confederates were playing for the draw as even facing a passive army they were still vastly outnumbered.
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| Situation at end of play, the Rebs have been pushed right back to the outskirts of Sharpsburg |
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