Battle of Raymond - BatRep

Scott M. hosted a Regimental Fire and Fury game on Saturday. Before the game, each potential participant received the following briefing:

Tomorrow we fight part of the Vicksburg campaign. I’ll be setting up the Battle of Raymond, the best chance Pemberton had to defeat Grant before Grant got between Vicksburg and Jackson. If the Confederates win, they will have a good chance to unite Pemberton’s and Johnston’s armies.

Three Union brigades will have to push one reinforced Confederate brigade back from the crucial road junction at Raymond. Confederate reinforcements are on the way, so the Union had better move quickly!

Since Kevin would not be arriving until later, Scott gave the Confederate command to me with Don and Scott R. taking command of the Federal forces.  The creek is lined with woods so fighting will be necessarily at close range.  Confederate forces set up hidden.    Each Confederate regiment is given one token and one dummy token for placement.  The objective for both sides to control the vital crossroads. 

Initial dispositions with Rebs deployed to 

protect possible Federal lines of advance.

As umpire, Scott introduced a deck of cards containing one Lull and one Impetuous Rebel Charge card plus cards for each formation.  Each time the Lull card was played, all enemy formations had to pull back out of musketry range of enemy.  Additionally, all Low Ammo and Disorder markers are removed.

Each time the Impetuous Rebel Charge was turned, any Rebel regiment within 12 inches of an enemy force must charge.  The Rebels are out of control in this game, for sure.  Not only will no plan survive contact with the enemy but no plan may survive close proximity!  I will call this packet of cards, the Calamity Deck.

Rebel cavalry (Blue Moon) protecting the southern flank.

Federals stream onto table from their entry points.
Federal cavalry probe near the bridge.
Reb cavalry dismount and protect the main bridge.

Long columns of Union blue converge on the bridge.

My God, Sir, we are quite outnumbered!

Cavalry skirmish across the creek.

Federals deploy in the salient formed by the creek bend.

Not considering the ramifications of the Impetuous Rebel Charge card in the Calamity Deck, the Confederate forces deployed forward to cover the main bridge into Raymond.  The lone Confederate gun section was placed on a knoll with LOS to the main bridge.  Throughout the early stages of the battle those two Rebel guns would disorder many a Federal formation.

With Federals massing, Rebels begin committing and

deploying reserves.

It did not take long for the Rebel Charge card to show its ugly head.  Against better judgment and careful positioning, the Rebs were compelled to strike out from behind the relative safety of the creek.  Who is leading those foolhardy warriors?  From the frying pan and into the fire!

41st TENN splashes across creek to attack Federal
cavalry skirmish screen in foreground while Rebs
attack across stream in background.

Impetuous attack!

Both impetuous Reb attacks repulsed!

Federals counterattack pushing 41 TENN back across
stream while Federals line the stream bank.

High water mark for the Federals.

With the success of repelling the first, ill-advised Confederate attacks, Federal troops deploy along the creek bank.  Heavily outnumbered, the Confederates may be hard pressed to hang onto their positions.  But wait!  Panic on the Federal right!  Federal troops panic and crash through their own lines as they skedaddle back from the creek.  Most formations are either disordered as the fleeing troops pass through or broken.  Fortunate break for the Rebs!  

Disaster strikes Union right!
Failed Maneuver Orders cause panic as most of one
brigade routs, broken.

Federals quickly regain their composure and launch counterattacks on the right.  Even with overwhelming numbers, the Federals are beaten back.

Union right regroups and attacks.

Federal counterattack repulsed!

Flush with success of repulsing the Federals on the Confederate left, Confederate troops spring into another Impetuous Rebel Charge.  Good grief!  These are bold Rebels!

Impetuous Rebs attack (again).

Heated fight for control of bridge on Reb right.

Daring Reb assaults on the Confederate left.

Attacks on both the right and left succeed and all three Union generals go down in the fight.  That is correct.  Three Union generals dead on the field and three gun sections either destroyed or captured.

Federal right pushed back with finger pointing
 while Rebel right breaks through!

Seeing the Confederates firmly in control and the wild Texans bearing down on the remnants of their formations, the Federal forces disengage.  The anticipated Confederate reinforcements never materialized.

With Confederates controlling approaches to Raymond
 and all Union generals dead on the field,
 Federal forces disengage.

Confederate major victory!

The game was fought to conclusion in about four hours including a break for lunch.  The Lull and Impetuous Rebel Charge cards added a lot of friction into the game and provided good drama.  Once bottle up in the bend of the creek, the Federals really had no space to full to bring their full might to bear.

Great fun and enjoyable afternoon spent with the guys battling across the table.  Raymond was an interesting battle and posed tactical problems and friction for all participants.  This one has good replay value although I am not sure how the Rebels could have fared much better.