Shiloh: Walking A Tightrope

On Monday, elements of Postie's Rejects gathered to refight the Battle of Shiloh.  In the first battle, Richard and Lee took command of the Federal Army while Ray and Steve commanded the Confederate Army.  In that first engagement, the Rebels steamrollered Sherman by crushing the Federal Right and then turning in to roll up the line.  Despite some success by Hildebrand and Raith on the Federal Left, Sherman figured he had no chance.  To test that theory, the fellas asked for a rematch and swap sides.  In this trial, Richard and Lee lead the Confederate Army while Ray and Steve take up the reins in leading Sherman and his division into battle.  Who will see victory today?  Please read on!

For a brief background on the battle, see my post My God! We are attacked!    When the fighting opens, the general battle situation is illustrated in the map of the gaming table below.  The battle opens at 7:45am when the first wave of Confederate attacks breaks against Sherman at Shiloh Church.

Situation at 7:45am.

Before battle is joined, the Federal Army is enjoying a quiet Sunday morning in camp.  Patrols are sending back reports of enemy activity in front of Shiloh Church but these early reports are dismissed.  The 53rd Ohio continues sending reports that the enemy is advancing in large numbers to its front.  Sherman dismisses these reports until he can no longer do so as enemy artillery disrupts morning breakfast and prayers.  The Confederates are attacking!

Isolated, 53 OH holds Rhea field.

As the battle opens, the Confederates push forward on the left.  Cleburne leads his brigade into Shiloh Creek while Pond brings his brigade up on Cleburne's left.  McDowell counters Cleburne's advance by moving forward to contest the crossing.  Separated from Cleburne's command opposite Shiloh Church, two regiments work their way forward on the right toward the 53 OH and Rhea Field.  Rather than attacking north in support of Cleburne, Anderson orders his brigade to cross Shiloh Branch to the east in support Cleburne's detached regiments.  Immediately, Anderson comes under artillery fire as he negotiates the heavy terrain of the creek.  Federal artillery fire from the high ground plows into the dense columns.  Casualties are heavy.  Both Russell and Johnson's Brigades are positioned to the rear in reserve while BG Clarke positions two reserve batteries on the rise south of Shiloh Creek.

Rebel attack begins!

Anderson comes under artillery fire.

McDowell moves up to challenge Cleburne
as Rebel artillery takes position on the high ground.

Two Rebel brigades in reserve.

Having countered Cleburne's initial move into the creek by moving his brigade forward, McDowell with support from one of Taylor's batteries holds his ground.  Fighting intensifies as more Confederates come up.  McDowell's rifle-armed men outrange Cleburne's smoothbore muskets and Rebels are picked off from a distance.  Cleburne vigorously attacks out of the creek's dense underbrush.  His attack is repulsed with heavy casualties.  Cleburne’s Brigade is broken in the fighting. McDowell fares not much better but at least he still holds the ground.  Over on the Federal Left, the 53rd is driven back from Rhea Field as two regiments push into the now abandoned Federal camp.  The Rebels bypass the Ohioans’ camp and move on.

Cleburne attacks...

and is repulsed!
Many dead line the banks of Shiloh Creek.

53rd pushed back into Shiloh Creek.

Seeing Cleburne repulsed to his right, Pond brings up his brigade in support.  As Pond negotiates the difficult ground of the creek, McDowell pushes forward his third regiment to hamper the crossing.  Storming out of the creek's rough embankments, Pond pushes two of McDowell's regiments back from the stream.  Fighting is heavy as one Federal regiment is destroyed.  Pond continues forward until he is under sight of the Federal guns.  McDowell's regiment, now positioned out on the right, quickly joins the retrograde action in order to form a speed bump against turning the Federal Right. 

Pond attacks!

McDowell is driven back
as Pond brings up more troops.

McDowell tentatively holds the end of line. 

While fighting is increasing on the Federal Right, Confederates are seeing lighter resistance as they move up to Shiloh creek to the east of the Corinth Road.  Cleburne's two detached regiments and Anderson's Brigade come under fire from Federal guns on the high ground to the north.  Back on the Federal Right, however, McDowell's defense is becoming desperate.  With McDowell falling back, Buckland is tasked with holding the high ground.  Sherman's Right Flank is in jeopardy.

Confederates move up on the right at Rhea Farm.

Pond goes "All In"...

and McDowell recoils.

Federal Right is tenuous...

while Pond presses on!

With Cleburne's assault stalled in the center, Clarke orders forward two of his reserve batteries and Russell's Brigade.  The guns roll over the bridge and deploy on Cleburne's Right.  Buckland is given a taste of canister.  Buckland holds as Sherman sends for Raith to plug the hole in his line at Shiloh Church and drive off those damn guns.  He obeys and the guns are overrun.  Fighting is desperate all along the Federal line as pressure mounts upon McDowell and Buckland.  The odds are too great against McDowell.  Despite a desperate and costly defense, McDowell's Brigade breaks and heads for the rear.  McDowell is dead on the field.  The Federal Right is turned!

Bring up the guns!

Heavy fighting in the center.

McDowell and Buckland under relentless pressure!

Odds not looking good...

and McDowell finally breaks!

Raith takes the Rebel guns at the bridge.

With McDowell destroyed and the Federal Right turned, Pond sets his sight on Buckland.  Advancing up the hill, one of Taylor's batteries is overrun and one of Buckland's regiments scattered.  Fighting his way down the length of the ridge toward Shiloh Church, Pond overpowers the remnants of Buckland's Brigade.  In a last defense of his position, Buckland falls.  His brigade is broken.  Only Hildebrand from Sherman's Division remains viable.  Raith comes up to stem the Rebel tide on the left and center but the situation is dire.  Impossible really.  In one last shove, Pond pushes into Hildebrand.  A Federal battery is overrun and one of Hildebrand's regiments scatters.  When the smoke clears, Hildebrand is discovered laying among the dead.  With all three of Sherman's brigades broken, this battle is lost. 

Pond presses on!

Buckland is destroyed...

as is Hildebrand.

Well!  Another rip-roaring fight at Shiloh Church!

With the Confederates managing to successfully break Sherman and win this battle, the Federals only broke on the last guaranteed turn of the game.  The fighting was hard and desperate throughout and losses high on both sides of the ledger.  Seeing three Federal brigadiers dead on the field attests to the ferocious fighting.  At times, Ray seemed like a one-armed paper hanger trying to plaster over cracks appearing in his line.  Hard fighting and a great battle to watch unfold and develop.  Drama on every roll of the dice.

While I tip my cap to all of the players for a very entertaining game and close contest, congratulations go to Richard and Lee for earning their hard-fought victory.

Well done guys and thank you!

To read Richard's account of the battle from the Confederate perspective, please visit, Shiloh Revisited.