Battle for Blue Farm Creek : ACW

So this is me catching up, despite my lack of blogging I have still played quite a few games even if my cycling obsession has restricted my painting !

Anyway here is our latest ACW game. For a change and looking for something fairly quick to set up I rustled up a simple non-historical ACW scenario, somewhere in the Shenandoah Valley  two small forces have been sent to secure provision from a local farm. The forces are roughly equal with both sides allowed to bring on any cavalry as an advance guard. As a non-historical scenario the narrative is fairly light.

Confederate advance guard has charged onto the field with light horse artillery immediately unlimbering, the Creek from the title is just beyond the gun

Union Forces marching forward towards the Winchester Pike

A chance for my newly mustered (acquired) Louisiana Tigers to make an appearance, the dry bed of the Blue Farm Creek can now be seen beyond them

Rebel infantry advancing through the cornfield

.....and fleeing back again after only one volley 😢

Only a couple of turns into the battle and more rebels are being forced back from the farm itself.

On the far left of the battlefield it is mainly skirmishing, these rebels attempting to drive off some Sharpshooters

The 3 objectives for both sides lie roughly in a line level with the farm, so the Union Forces can’t hold back on the road and must advance 

A well placed Union canning guarding the junction between Winchester Pike and Creek Road

Rallied and back into the fight the rebels supported by more Louisiana troops seek to force the defenders out of the farm

Despite taking casualties (green rings) they force the Yankies back

Brigadier Crumpton waves on the Tigers “up and at’em boys”

Not so good on the right flank more Rebels have been pushed back

Union troops holding the road but this may not be enough

Dam from nowhere the 2nd Louisiana are charged in the flank and forced to retreat

Luckily we rally on the right again....

But as twilight looms the Union Zouaves push forward looking to capture one of the objectives 

There are still lots of Union troops holding the road, but they need to get to that barn by the Blue House

The Federal Zouaves and the Tigers clash in a fearsome hand to hand struggle in the ploughed field

Rebel cavalry dismounted are holding the barn and the creek

But these guys have been chased away from the farm.

The final shot as darkness falls, in the end all three objective were contested, although the rebels would like to have claimed a minor victory as it took the Union Brigadier Harrison to risk is own life to contest the barn as darkness fell.

A fun game to play and close right till the end 🙂