Battle for Henry House Hill 2

After seeing the Confederate Army gain a victory in the first playing of the Henry House Hill battle (see Fight For Henry House Hill), I reset the table for the next iteration of the fight.  Up next was a contest between Peter (Grid based wargaming) leading the Federal Army under McDowell against me leading the Confederate Army under Beauregard and Johnston.  Peter's battle account can be found at Fight for Henry House Hill - an ACW remote game).  As a reminder, the battlefield and the initial army dispositions are illustrated in the photos below:

The battlefield

Army Dispositions

Viewed from behind Federal lines, McDowell has Porter positioned along Young's Branch between Lewis Farm and The Stone House.  Franklin covers the crossroads at The Stone House with Wilcox on his right.  Tyler leading Sherman and Keyes' Brigades is coming up on Porter's left.  Howard moves down the Sudley-Manassas Road to the battlefield.

Federal Dispositions

For the Confederates, Hampton is up near Robinson House with Jackson deployed upon Henry House Hill.  Cocke's Brigade is coming up on Jackson's right.  More Rebel reinforcements will arrive through the early afternoon.

Confederate Dispositions

Jackson waits.

Porter poised to attack!

Franklin at Stone House while Wilcox guards the right.

On to Battle!

Whether Peter read the earlier battle reports is unknown.  Those discussions suggested that the Federals needed to act more aggressively to pressure the Rebels early.  When the battle commences, pressure from McDowell is exactly what the Confederates face.  Having the initiative on the first impulse, McDowell pushes Franklin across the stream and toward Henry Hill.  Franklin's action is quickly followed by Porter wading the stream bent on attacking Robinson House.  Porter and Franklin's guns are sighted onto Hampton's Legion from Matthew's Hill.  Artillery rains down upon Hampton positioned east of Robinson House. 

In a sweeping advance, Porter begins to envelope Robinson House.  As the US Infantry battalion turns to face Robinson House, it catches both gun and musketry fire from Henry House above.  Casualties are high and the veteran Regulars are rocked.  

Still, Porter presses on.  Hampton, caught in the open, is scattered from a continuous pounding from the guns on Matthews' Hill and musketry from below.  With the Robinson House salient clear of enemy troops, Porter reaches the house, unopposed.  A foothold gained on Henry Hill in the opening stages of battle! 

Porter's jubilation is short-lived.  Cocke's Brigade crosses Young's Branch and moves into the woods below Robinson House.  As Cocke's battleline form ups, Jackson's 33 VA moves up to contest the heights.  Stuart's cavalry covers Cocke's right.  The two lines meet and a firefight erupts.

Porter advances across Young's Branch.

Porter's envelopment begins but the Regulars suffer.

Porter seizes Robinson House.

Jackson and Cocke come up to stop Porter's progress.

Opposing lines lock into a firefight!

Back on the Federal right, McDowell continues pushing Franklin and Wilcox toward Henry House.  Despite Jackson lining Henry Hill with elements of his brigade and the Rockbridge Artillery, Wilcox orders the 11 NY to attack up the slope.  With the 1 MN offering supporting fire, the New Yorkers advance up the hill toward Henry House.  In heavy fighting, the Rebels facing Wilcox crumble.  One Virginian regiment is destroyed and Rockbridge's guns overrun.  Seeing Wilcox's success the 5 MA from Franklin advances up the hill to occupy Henry House.   

There is no time for celebration.  With fields of fire now clear, the 5 VA and Washington's artillery pour devastating volleys into the New Yorkers.  Wilcox momentarily hangs onto his gains by the thinnest of threads.  The New Yorkers waver and then tumble back down the slopes when pressed by the 5 VA.

To compound Wilcox's difficulties, Rebel reinforcements reach the battlefield.  Elzey's Brigade begins to form up on Jackson's left astride the Sudley-Manassas Road.  Fortunately for the Federals, Howard's Brigade is seen crossing the stream and coming to the rescue.

Wilcox leads the charge to Henry House!

Retribution!

Elzey arrives to support Jackson.

Howard comes up in support of Wilcox and Franklin.

5 MA takes Henry House.
11 NY repulsed.

The 5 MA does not hold Henry House for long.  Before the Federals can gain their footing, they are vigorously counterattacked.  Casualties are heavy and the Massachusetts men are tossed back off the heights.  With the 11 NY and 5 MA thrown back, Jackson's defensive line atop Henry Hill begins to reform.  While the fighting continues, the two Federal gun sections on Matthews' Hill continue to lend their support.  The relentless cannonades scatter another of Jackson's regiments.  The Confederate's shorter ranged smoothbore artillery cannot counter this advantage.  

Henry House retaken!

Jackson reforms the remnants of his brigade on Henry Hill.

Back on the Yankee left, Sherman brings his brigade on line and offers relief to Porter's exhausted command.  Porter, with heavy casualties, retires from the fighting with Sherman's men smartly stepping into their place in line.

To counter the seemingly unending stream of Confederate troops marching to the battlefield, Sherman deploys in the woods and along the stream to prevent any outflanking attempts.  Unlimbering his guns at close range, Sherman begins to pound Cocke's brigade along Young's Branch.  Even with the arrival of Bonham's Confederate Brigade, Rebel advances against the Federal left are stopped in the dense vegetation.  Despite being caught in an unequal firefight due to terrain constrictions, Cocke hangs on.  He may not be able to make any further progress but neither can the enemy!

Sherman brings his brigade up to the fight.

Porter's exhausted men fall back to rest.

Close range firefight in the woods along Young's Branch.

Locked in mortal combat in the woods.

The battle lines drawn.

Having seen a bloody stalemate developing on the Federal left, McDowell decides the best option is to press the decision against Henry House.  Sensing that Jackson's command is worn, he rallies his troops for one last push.

McDowell organizes his commands for two direct assaults against Henry House.  McDowell, himself, will lead one assault.  Hentzelman will lead the other.  First in against Henry House, the 5 ME charges.  In the brief firefight, the Rebels are ejected with heavy casualties.  Henry House is back in Federal hands!

In the second attack on the high ground, the superb 1 MN go in after the Michiganders disrupt the Rebels with a couple of well-timed volleys.  Up the slope the Minnesotans advance.  In another sharp and violent clash, the Rebels are sent reeling.  The 5 MA follows up and effectively cuts Henry Hill in two.  The Rebel army is split!

McDowell prepares an attack
against Jackson and Henry House.

Henry House falls to the Federals.

A second Federal assault carries the position.
The Rebel Army is split in two!

Seeing his army split and Tyler bringing up Keyes' fresh brigade to reinforce McDowell's success, the Confederate position on Henry Hill is unretrievably compromised.  Johnston orders his wing to fall back.  With Johnston disengaging, Beauregard and the Rebel right has no choice.  They, too, must disengage.  

With fresh Federal troops and defense untenable,
the Confederate Army retires.

Peter earns a hard-fought victory for his Federal Army!  Congratulations on a well-played game!

With the hour late and following five hours of intense play, we agreed that this marks a reasonable stopping point in the contest.  Having lost control of Henry Hill and the Confederate Army battered but not quite broken, the edge must go to the Federal Army, unconditionally.

Casualties were heavy to both armies.  One Confederate brigade was broken and two more were nearing that point.  For the Federal Army, no brigade was yet broken but three were on the verge.  Needing only to break three Rebel brigades before losing four of its own, the Union Army definitely held the upper hand.  Time to stop the bloodshed.

The contest with Peter was terrific with many ups and downs as the battle ebbed and flowed.  I missed some opportunities to strike back but those chances were fleeting and quickly countered by Peter.  Peter played a solid game and gave me more than I could handle by attacking in a two-pronged effort.

There is much to ponder in a retrospective of the game but it was great fun, even in loss...

Thank you, Peter, for an entertaining and challenging game.  Great stuff!