Brawner’s Farm August 1862 : ACW

As the ACW project starts to come together I have just enough figures now to start looking at some historical battles and scenarios. So going forward mixed in with the ‘balanced’ pick up games I hope to play some with more historical context.....who knows where this will take me🤔 (I would be interested to know from anybody good sources of smaller scenarios?)

Anyway first up the Battle for Brawner’s Farm. Now I am not an expert on the ACW so don’t intend to give more than the briefest historical background.  The battle took place on the 28 August 1862 as the precursor to the much larger Second Battle of Manassas. Union Forces under Brigadier General King were marching along the Warrenton Turnpike to concentrate for the forthcoming battle. Unknown to them Stonewall Jackson was already in position and although late in the evening he ordered an attack by the Stonewall Brigade (Taliaferro’s Division) and elements of Ewell’s Division for my purposes Lawton’s Georgia Brigade.

Civil War Trust map of the battle as it took place.

Our set up, we gave the Rebels 6 turns to break the Union Line. Forces are broadly equal at the start but as units on the Rebel side are destroyed they can be brought back on the following turn to represent additional Georgia Regiments being brought up into the attack.

The StoneWall Brigade Virginia Regiments moving through the Brawner’s Orchard their challenge will be to deploy quickly enough

Lawton with his Georgia Brigade moving over ‘Stony Ridge’

The left flank of the Union line with the 19th Indiana under the eye of Brig.Gen Gibbon and 2nd Wisconsin in Brawner’s Wood

Union Artillery well placed on the right flank on high ground

The 6th Wisconsin advance on the right flank

All the union guns open fire but struggle to get the range

The first Regiments of Lawton’s Brigade are now up to the edge of the field the thin blue line of the union forces can be seen in the distance

The Stonewall Brigade have deployed but horror of horrors the 2nd Virginia have been badly mauled by the 19th Indiana and they run back in disorder (we have tweeked the rules just enough to get the sense of units faltering, running back but then being able to rally)

The Rebel Rockbridge artillery have limited targets but the 19th Indiana have foolishly been deployed in the open on high ground

A view down the Rebel line

Despite the dynamic leadership of Brig.Gen. Lawton some of the 38th Georgia Regiment is forced back, the Rebels are being held on the right flank

But on the left the 19th Indiana have finally had enough, they have taken a lot of punishment and are forced to withdraw, this leaves a big hole on the left flank and Gibbon rapidly orders the 76th New York to move across through the woods

Having rallied the Stonewall Brigades are now advancing ominously 

Additional Georgia Regiments are being fed in on the left ☹️

BGen. Gibbon is holding the woods but only just the New Yorker’s are rapidly deployed and pushed into the gap

More and more Rebels are being pushed forward and are breaking across the central field

In a desperate last ditch move the 56th Pennsylvania are ordered to wheel and fire on the flank of the advancing Rebels in the field, this has the desired shock effect and throws the leading unit back......

But then they are caught in the flank and are forced to flee, the 6th Wisconsin have seen less of the combat but are becoming isolated as the rest of the line crumbles

The union artillery wheels around to target the rebels in the field but are unable to hit anything (I literally rolled 1’s all evening !)

The Virgina Regiments are now flanked the remaining Federals in the Wood

...and the 76th New York are forced to pull back

This was the end of the sixth turn and with only two Union Regiments holding their position a clear Rebel victory. Hopefully darkness will slow the Rebel advance allowing the remaining union troops to withdraw and regroup.

An excellent battle, hard fought like its historical counterpart. We used my adapted bolt action rules again and I am happy they are developing well. I have managed I think to sort out the photo editing problem I had but it is very laborious to fix as I need to edit each photo separately 😫