Salem Church: A Battle of Attrition

Game #3 in the series of the Salem Church refights was on 26 September in a F2F game with my local opponent, Vol (A Miniatures Hobby Room).  After reading through the Battle Briefing, Vol gladly accepted the challenge of commanding Sedgwick and his XI Corps.

To refresh memories of the battlefield and initial army dispositions before diving into the battle account, study the following two maps to refamiliarize yourself with the battlefield.  

Salem Church battlefield

Army dispositions

From my earlier battle against Matt (see Salem Church Game #2), let's see if my Confederates can bounce back from my inglorious defeat at Matt's hands.

On to battle!

Holding the initiative, Sedgwick orders a general advance across his front toward the forest-lined Rebel dispositions.  McLaws orders his guns forward into the trees both north and south of Salem Church.  With Brooks' divisional artillery leading the way with a preparatory bombardment, Wilcox sees one of his regiments take a pounding in support of his guns to the north of Salem Church.

With hand on table in contemplation, Vol studies his prospects on seeing a successful frontal assault against these formidable Rebel dispositions.

Attacking across open ground with defenders ensconced in the trees may be a difficult task.  Sedgwick says that his boys are up for the challenge!  Forward the Yankees come.

The hand of God points the way forward for Bartlett as he attacks into the woods.  Will Bartlett see the level of success that Matt saw in Game #2?

Bartlett's attacks must wait as Sedwick launches a coordinated assault into the Confederate positions north of the Orange Plank Road (OPR).  Russell and Brown from Brooks' Division attack into the waiting mouths of Rebels guns!

The Rebel guns, supported by infantry, hold!  Brooks' attack is repulsed with heavy casualties.

From behind the Confederate lines, confidence grows as the first attacks are driven off with heavy loss.  Hoorah!

Victory is never quite so easy.  Brooks orders his brigades forward again.  Second effort pays off.  The defenders of Salem Church are ejected but at high cost.  The Federals attacking the guns are scattered.

Encouraged by taking the church and undaunted by the failure against the guns in the trees, the Federals strike again.

This time, success!  The guns positioned north of the church are overrun as one of the supporting Alabama regiments is destroyed.  The Rebel Center begins to waver under Federal pressure.

Seeing his center in jeopardy, McLaws orders Kershaw forward into action against the defenders of Williams' Farm.  In the background, Sedgwick orders Newton's Division forward and into action.  There is heavy fighting in the woods along Golin Run and over control of the Perry Farm.  Losses mount on both sides.  Semmes' Brigade is wrecked in defense of the farmhouse.  Mahone is ordered forward to plug the gap.  Perhaps an attack here will divert Sedgwick's attention from his unrelenting frontal assault up the OPR? 

Nope!  Kershaw's attack is bloodily repulsed with the 3 SC Battalion lost in the fruitless effort.

With Newton bogging down toward a stalemate near Perry Farm, Sedgwick brings Newton's guns into action as they unlimber on the OPR.  Kershaw will have a very tough job making headway against the Federal Left now.

Still, Kershaw comes on with Wofford in support on his right.  Fighting is intense against Bartlett in the dense woods.  Losses climb quickly.  Outnumbered, Bartlett finds himself in a tight spot with Rebels infiltrating his lines through the smoke and dense woods.  Bartlett's Brigade is wrecked in this fighting, but Kershaw has no time to celebrate.  Kershaw's Brigade is, likewise, broken in no small part to the pounding his brigade is taking from the Federal guns to his flank and front.

Maintaining a tenuous hold on the church and the woods immediately to the north, the Federals are holding crucial ground.  The problem for the Yankees is that their reserves are depleted and casualties continue to climb.  Semmes' Brigade, already wrecked, offers some resistance but Wilcox needs to bring up his reserves quickly at the church.  Semmes could use some help from Mahone too.

Mahone sees the danger that Semmes faces and acts.  Charging out of the woods, Mahone leads an attack against Browne's Brigade of Newton's Division.

Semmes joins in the attack but musters limited support to Mahone.  These extra men are just enough to drive the Federals back.  Browne's Brigade breaks!

With Browne (from Newton's Division) broken, each army has two brigades broken.  The next army to see a third brigade wrecked will be compelled to retire from the field.  With Brown (from Brooks' Division) still facing Rebel guns and the 10 GA, Brown is facing an unenviable situation.  With his brigade already wavering, he needs to withdraw from combat quickly to prevent the destruction of his brigade and ultimately Sedgwick's Corps.  His realization is too late!  Rebel artillery and musketry open up against Brown.  The regiment he is leading is cut down where they stand.  Brown's Brigade breaks and Sedgwick must withdraw from the field.  Luckily for Sedgwick, the route north across the Rappahannock is still open.  He can make good his escape.  The Rebels hold the field and the vital Orange Plank Road.  Victory is theirs!

Butcher's Bill

The Rebels are victorious in a really tight, hard-fought battle.  As the Butcher's Bill illustrates, losses were high in both armies.  Had Brown not broken on Turn 5, I suspect that Wilcox's Rebel Brigade would have broken on Turn 6.  This result was close.  Very close.  This was no cakewalk like we saw in my game against Matt.

Thanks, Vol, for a very exciting game.  The game took about five hours including a lunch break at a nearby Indian restaurant which Vol kindly picked up the tab.

Good stuff and great fun.