The Battle for the Crossroads.

We finally managed to gather the clan for a game (bar one player who came down with the plague yesterday). The most pleasing thing was that our host, who has been very ill for the last couple of months, was able to join us (and did so in full uniform for the occasion).

The scenario was an American Civil War game titled “Take the Crossroads”, although the crossroads themselves were of no particular importance other than the convergence of the roads in the area. The Confederates have moved to flank the Union Army and their force of three infantry divisions and a cavalry division converged on the crossroads before forming and striking the enemy flank off to the north.

First contact is west of the crossroads where a force of Union cavalry of divisional strength has been encountered by a Confederate infantry division advancing from the west. Further Confederate forces (a cavalry division and two infantry divisions) are approaching along the road from the south, the cavalry leading, but they are still some distance away from the crossroads. Three Union infantry divisions were racing to support their cavalry and were to be expected to approach along the roads to the north and northeast. 

Above is a very rough sketch map of the terrain that was largely open. The dashed lines represent wooden fences, although this is not the exact positioning of the fences. All of the buildings were small farmhouses, not big defensive positions, and at best they can hold one skirmish stand (1 firing die). There are some clumps of trees and areas of scrub that will be disordering to troops, will block line of sight, but will not provide cover. The hills are gentle.

I not am going to try to describe the sequence of events. Instead I will simply  provide a host of images, in no particular order.

In the end it was a draw, perhaps slightly in the Confederate favour, but it kept nine of us happily and out of mischief on a miserably wet Sunday. I am sure my friend Keith at Bydand Blog will have a a view of the game from his side of the table.