Petersburg Campaign via Bloody Big Battles

We played Chris’s draft scenario of the Petersburg campaign, 8 months in a fairly short game. It was quite a dust-up, with both sides quite worried about enemy threats. We spent an hour before the game discussing the special scenario rules. They are unusual, for this most unusual subject. Bill played Grant, ably seconded by his son Mathew (a grown man. Bill and I are old guys.).

On the first strategic phase they cut the Weldon RR immediately and kept it by the second turn, earning 2 objectives. They also stormed one fort southeast of Petersburg, trying unsuccessfully for another on the third turn before declaring an end to the phase. I think they would have done better to declare an end to the phase right after the 2^nd turn, although that is moot. I should keep an online record of Union activations, objectives taken and turns played. My paper one got messed around some. I also forgot to count Hancock’s first retreat as one more US activation, little though that would matter.

After the first phase I pushed my rifle pits aggressively forward, placing Bushrod Johnson and Hoke’s divisions out on my right to threaten the Union left. As it turned out, that was an error. One look at my right convinced the Yankees to try their luck directly against Petersburg. On the second strategic phase, after taking several perimeter forts, they stormed the town on turn 6. I made the mistake of including a spent unit on the final defense. That -2 insured the town fell. One of those divisions off on my right would really have helped. My attempt at a counterattack foundered when a series of crappy movement rolls saw disrupted units rally in place and those in good order refuse to move. Mahone’s division was the sole exception. It made a long march from my right, and made a long-shot solo counterattack on Petersburg. Burnside’s IX Corps repelled the attack. The ignominy, defeated by Ambrose Burnside!

I got the combat result the less numerous player never wants to see: a tie with both sides losing a base and then having another immediate assault.

The game lasted 2 hours and 33 minutes, 6 turns, about 25 minutes per turn, including photo time.

The Union used up 22 activations of the possible 30. I think the ability of the US to make coordinated assaults due to good movement rolls was more important than good combat rolls, though they had some of those too.

With firing so reduced in this scenario, we weren’t sure how to handle going low on ammo. We decided that any infantry unit that ended it's movement not in an assault recovered. 

We had questions about the Union LOC, the result of crossed wires. That's why it is called testing. Cleared that up with Chris post-game and it should open the game up considerably. 

The game was a blast. I hope to run it again in a few weeks, hopefully with emeritus Fencible Dennis and Fencible Andrew.