Antietam : Sixth Corps at Dunker Church Part 1 : Introduction and Mechanics

I have decided to break this into several posts as it may never happen otherwise. The battle still rages down in the dungeon and I have taken far too many photos of the action. So here is the intro bit at least. Following the initial skirmish (Virtual Game) we played a couple of weeks ago and from being involved in the remote Rivoli game that Jonathan is running i hankered after something bigger. Returning to Brad Butkovich’s Antietam scenario book ‘Brave Hearts Trembled’ (Highly recommended by me) I found I had sufficient forces to run the ‘what if’ scenario he includes there Sixth Corps at Dunker Church. 

I won’t run through the complete background, get the book, but in summary the battle takes place in and around the Dunker Church at mid-day on September 17th 1862. The battle had started earlier in the morning slightly to the north around the famous cornfield. Slightly east of here late morning had been the battle for the sunken road. At this point in the battle elements of the Sixth Corps were brought up. Historically a ‘botched’ and confused attack went in under Colonel W Irwin to try to retake the West Woods. Historically the Federals pulled back and this area saw skirmishes and artillery duels rather than any significant combat. Brad’s scenario poses the question what if a more determined assault had been made with the objective of both sides to hold the high ground around the Dunker Church.

Here is the Dunker Church back in 2016, the Hagerstown Pike running off into the distance and the West Woods in much evidence.

Here is a shot I took looking directly North, it is actually the position for much of the fighting earlier in the day closer to the East woods which you can see in the distance.

Scenario Details and Orders of Battle

As always I have amended the scenario slightly to fit my rules and collection although they are very much based on Brad’s book. I have rounded troop numbers into bases. The union 3rd brigade starts on the battlefield spread out and poorly co-ordinated, but are soon joined by the 1st Brigade under Colonel Torbert and then General Brooks 2nd Brigade arriving from the East along the Sunken Road this will arrive in about 2 hours or 6/7 game turns. I had roughly set each game turn as 20 mins. The Confederate forces are a real mixed bag of brigades and units who are reforming and regrouping after the morning battles or being pushed back from the sunken road. 

This all then translated into the starting position below, looking here directly South down the Hagerstown Pike.

Game Mechanics

Now the fun bit 😀 I was playing this game with two remote generals (Well done Steve and Martin for stepping up) but I have made their lives pretty hard. They were provided with some rudimentary background to the position, their own but not the enemy OB’s and the sketch map below. No photos at the start on the map was a rough outline to their initial deployments but again only a poor written description of where the enemy would be reinforcements etc... they have been given fairly clear objectives which I won’t list here as the game is still playing and they might or might not be the same ?

Union deployment map

Confederate deployment

They have then been tasked with ordering their subordinate commanders in whatever way they feel fit, diagrams or simple written orders.....in fact they have both done a mix of each 😀 again I can’t share them at this stage. After each hour of battle they have received reports back from their brigades or individual regiments indicating the position ont he ground, enemy deployment etc.. with tantalising but important information. They have also been provided with gradually increasing personal views from their characters Generals Smith and Walker so hopefully the fog of war is gradually lifting, (I was worried at one stage ! as General Smith had forgotten to order his Artillery to deploy! ) I have also shared with them two point of view telescope views taken by General Walker and General Brooks.

From a mechanics perspective I have then used my house rules based on bolt action and followed wherever possible the orders set, they have the added challenge that they can’t order everything each turn, horses just can’t get across the battlefield that quickly. So far it has been a delight to play and I will be doing this again highly recommended to avoid any thoughts of coronavirus or pretty much anything else very very absorbing. Here then are some shots taken so far, I am judging that as the fog of war clears this won’t give too much away to Smith and Walker we are I sense about half way through and the die to some extent is cast !

View from Law’s Brigade in the High ground behind the Dunker church 

(I have also been playing with putting in sky on my photos thoughts welcome as to if this is worth it ?)

A wider shot of Confederates at the start Walkers Brigade in the distance by the Cornfield

The initial assault goes in by Irwin’s brigade 

1st Brigade arrives from the North East

....and then after about 2 hours battle Brooks arrives with his Vermont boys. Tired but up for a fight

So the battle rages and I am heading off for some fresh air but will be playing some more turns this afternoon. When it is complete I will try, not sure how, to merge the battle with the orders so you get a sense of the confusion created by this approach.

Matt