GTC #2 Replay
May 4th
Poor Union rolls result in the traffic jam you see at Germanna Ford. Warren’s corps is sent on to Ely’s ford. The Union cavalry fails to move to the southwest corner of the Wilderness which allows Longstreet (off picture) to move 21 miles via strategic movement. Ewell moved into the Wilderness sharply (i.e., got some good movement rolls). As a result Hancock pushes his two lead divisions to F4 to reinforce Sheridan and guard the east side of Germanna ford (Hancock’s entire II corps ends the turn disorganized). AP Hill’s division is in the vicinity of Verdierville (off picture to the SW). The Union pontoons are placed at Germanna Ford and Ely’s Ford.
A rough start for the Bluecoats. Not preventing Longstreet from using strategic marching was a mistake that allows the Confederates to concentrate their forces sooner. As for the depot placements, these were the historical crossing used by the Union army and I usually select them because they provide two separate retreat paths out of the Wilderness in case something goes terribly wrong. Pontoons are important because rain makes the Rapidan river impassable so a unit forced to retreat across the river would be eliminated instead.
May 5th
The Confederates win the first three initiatives and AP Hill’s III Corps rolls two 6s for movement. Wilcox’s division moves adjacent to the pontoon at Ely’s ford which destroys it, while the rest of Hill’s corps pushes into Wilderness tavern. The turn ended early on a double-1 initiative roll so the Federals are not able to complete their river crossings.
Union luck goes from bad to worse to start turn 2. Not only do the Rebs beat them to the Ely’s ford pontoon and Wilderness Tavern, the turn ends before the entire Union army is across the river. The upside is that most of the Union divisions recover to full order and rest. The Union position is getting precarious as they are bottled up against the river. There is not a direct road to the south that doesn’t go through a Confederate division and if a flanking move to the Confederate right is attempted it will have to cross the river at least once if not more.
May 6th
Forces on both sides continue to file into place and dig in as the battle of Wilderness Tavern begins. Warren’s V Corps doubles back to cross near Germanna ford at a new pontoon that was built on May 5. They move to the center and right flank of the Federal line. Warren starts the battle by unsuccessfully assaulting Rodes’ entrenched division. Hancock launches another failed assault against Heth’s division (one hex south of Force 7) with II and V corps units in Force 7. Meanwhile Lee is busy fortifying his defenses on the Confederate right content that Ewell’s troops (in breastworks) can fend off Federal attacks. The Union is making low odds attacks in hopes that one of them succeeded or at least prevented the Confederates from digging in further. Hancock’s second assault does succeed against Ewell (with Early and Johnson’s divisions). It is a -1 attack that benefited from a 1-6 die difference routing the two Rebel divisions. Mott’s division advances into the hex (Ewell’s routed troops can be seen near the bottom of the picture). A follow-up assault against Heth’s division is attempted but Hancock fails the assault roll (his Gettysburg wound must have acted up). Force 1 in the above picture contains Longstreet’s I Corps (digging in).
The low-odds attacks cost the Union in losses but by making multiple low-odds attacks, one of them is likely to succeed on an extreme die result. The Union has a chance to breakout of the box that Lee has them in but they are unable to effectively follow-up on their successful attack. The failure to exploit a successful attack was typical in the ACW era and is generally modeled well in GCACW.
May 7th
The battle continues. A Confederate counter-attack early in the morning pushes Mott back (+3 result). Federal assaults against Rodes and Heth fail yet again. Due to the creek, Lee is reluctant to risk an attack by Longstreet and is content to continue digging-in. Burnside’s troops finally arrive, crossing at Morton’s ford and threatening Rodes’ flank. They rout Steuart’s infantry brigade but are unable to attack Rodes because they ran out of daylight (i.e., fatigues). That evening, Rodes counter-attacks Force 5 (containing Gibbon, Wadsworth and Mott) so as to prevent Gibbon and Wadsworth from recovering disorder and exhaustion. The attack results in a +2, pushing Force 5 back to Germanna Ford. Sheridan and Gregg’s division pull out of Force 10, move through Culpeper County and re-cross the Rapidan at Morton’s ford. Sheridan’s entire corps assembles west of the battle in the Wilderness. Ewell’s routed divisions recover and began moving back towards the action.
The creek (Wilderness Run) is a two-edged sword for Lee. While it protects Longstreet's corps from assault, it also hinders the Confederate ability to go on the offensive and drive the Federals back to the Rapidan. Now with Burnside’s corps arriving on the scene, the Confederate position is in danger of being flanked.
May 7th Strategic Cycle
The strategic event is Mosby’s raiders. The Union has 16 manpower in Culpeper County and is able to replenish 10 ammo boxes (Mosby dr=6). Since the Union has 16 artillery boxes to replenish, six divisions are left with one box checked. The Union depot in Brandy Station is downgraded from Complete to Build (potentially putting the AoP out of supply).
At the start of the campaign, the Union draws supply from the Brandy Station depot, which projects supply into Orange and Spotsylvania Counties (both of which are south of the Rapidan). When Mosby raiders is the strategic event (about 17% of the time), the Union subtracts the roll of two dice from their total manpower in Culpeper county. The result is the number of artillery boxes that can be replenished (erased) and if it is negative, the Brandy Station depot is destroyed, leaving all Federal troops south of the Rapidan out of supply. Even if the result is positive, the Brandy Station depot is reduced from complete to build. I tend to play supply rather conservatively, so my plan is to always garrison Culpeper with at least 12 Manpower until another depot not dependent on tracing supply through Culpeper County is built.
The Confederates receive reinforcements in both off-map theaters. In the Bermuda Hundred, the two brigades go to Port Walthall Station. Butler advances into PWS with 48 manpower and BJohnson’s brigade reinforces from Drewry’s Bluff.
The three brigades that start the game near Richmond (on-map) had transferred to Drewry’s Bluff box during turn 4 so they are not eligible to move during this strategic cycle. The resulting attack is a +3 (48:9 = 5:1 = +4 -1tactical = +3). In order to prevent units from Petersburg from reinforcing PWS, the Federals need to attack it as well (6:4 = +0 -1tactical = -1). This risk is worth it since taking PWS threatens both DB and Petersburg (and Petersburg might fall as well). This time Butler is repulsed when he loses the die roll 6-1! Butler’s major defeat coupled with Hinks defeat in Petersburg nets the Union a loss of 7 manpower to 0 for the Confederates in the Bermuda Hundred theater.
The best defense of PWS that the Confederates can muster during the first strategic cycle is a +3 attack: 9 manpower and a 3 tactical vs. Butler’s 48 manpower and 2 tactical. An alternative strategy is to send some of the reinforcements to Petersburg and/or Burkeville. By reinforcing Petersburg and giving up PWS, you ensure that Petersburg won't fall. However if you gamble and win as the Rebs did here, Butler can be sealed off for a long time.
Little action in the Valley as Sigel is passive and Imboden retreats from New Market to Staunton. The Union depot in Brandy Station is upgraded to complete status ensuring that all Federal troops are in supply.