A home grown, fictional ACW scenario for Volley and Bayonet: in a race for a vital road/rail junction and rail line, two divisions of a Union Corp have crossed the only bridge across the main river when Confederate saboteurs in a daring night raid manage to blow the bridge. This leaves the corps split, half on either side of the river. Resources are pooled and a temporary raft based alternative goes in to operation, supported by a Union navy river gunboat. However as crossing operations get underway the first of the Confederate forces racing for the same road/rail junction begin to appear. The scene is set.
This game was fought earlier using my 15mm armies. The gunboat is by Sarissa. The buildings are all scratch built.
 |
| The gunboat, and the vital road rain junction top centre of the photo |
 |
| Union artillery in hasty defensive works |
 |
| Union forces crossing via the rafting operation |
 |
| Confederate forces have seized the secondary objective where the road and rail routed cross a secondary stream |
The initial confederate advance had seen a three regiment cavalry division advance towards the main junction. Union cavalry and infantry had pursued. The Confederate cavalry were deliberate in moving to draw the Union forces away from the route of advance. The confederate commander was intent on taking the Union forces in the rear
 |
| More Confederate forces advance. The Confederate cavalry can be see top right, with a Union infantry division in pursuit. The Confederate infantry division is seen lower left advancing up the road. The initial confederate ploy had worked |
 |
| Union cavalry |
 |
| The Union forces withdraw to face the advancing Confederates on the confederate left |
 |
| The Confederate cavalry turns about to face off the Union pursuers |
 |
| The Confederate attack on the left, facing the reorganising Union defence |
 |
| The Confederate cavalry dismounts and advances |
 |
| On the Confederate right, the forces face off across the smaller river at the road/rail crossing of the river |
 |
| Battlefield overview from behind the Confederate lines |
 |
| The situation on the right |
 |
| On the Confederate left, the Union cavalry has dismounted and moves across the two contour hill to threaten the Confederate flank - upper left of the photo |
 |
| The Union forces have successfully reformed a cohesive defensive line - upper photo |
 |
| Opposing forces still facing off on the Confederate right |
This was a really interesting game... the terrain meant that Confederate forces were repeatedly prevented from exploiting gaps in the Union defences, and so to break through to the main river/road/rail junction. The fragmented nature of the arrival of Confederate forces on the battlefield also meant that they struggled to marshal sufficient strength at any point to exploit the Union's initially fragmented defences. The Union ferrying operation allowed them to ferry two stands/brigades per turn. Even with this slow rate of reinforcement, they were still able to outpace the Confederates' build up in the face of the terrain that lay across their route of advance. What a fabulous exercise in using time, space, terrain, and forces, to solve the defensive problem. The net result was a draw.
