Antietam-11 hours

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william1993
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Antietam-11 hours

Post by william1993 »

Summer is boring. So, because of that, I decided to do the title scenario.

I'll put up an AAR later, with battle maps and pictures, but for right now I got to eat. SO. Here are some pictures to stoke the imagination.

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And all this is at 11 A M
God darn. Holy testicles. All them people.
william1993
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Re: Antietam-11 hours

Post by william1993 »

Here it is.



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The battle begins at 5:50 AM. Ripley’s and Trimble’s brigades fall onto the flank of Seymour’s Pennsylvania Reserves in the East Woods and push them back. Douglass’ Georgia brigade fields the brunt of the attacks of Duryee’s and Christian’s brigades. In the West Woods, the combined enemy brigades of Phelps, Gibbon, and Patrick push back JR Jones’ Division, pushes them back past the Cornfield deep into the woods proper.
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Then John B. Hood’s division hits the slowing enemy assault from the front and Jubal Early’s brigade hits the assault from the right rear and the enemy brigades fall back in rout. By this time, the Cornfield has fallen to Federal forces (casualties- Trimble -25%, Douglass 50%, Ripley 75%) and the Confederate Forces fall back first to the fenceline bordering Samuel Mumma’s farm, where they and Colquitt’s brigade repulse an attack by Albert Magilton of the PA Reserves, then to a fenceline bordering the West Woods, where Hood, JR Jones, and Early have made their line.
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Mansfield and Sumner’s Corps’ come onto the field. Sedgwick’s Division, with Howard’s and Dana’s brigade in the attack, come through the East Woods and right onto the field and march headfirst into artillery and the remnants of Hood’s division and other members of the Cornfield fighting. The big regiments are savaged. Williams’ division, Mansfield’s Corps, attack through the East Woods proper, and the fight is back and forth for a while, with individual guns bolstering the infantry line and soon Williams is forced to fall back due to the fire superiority and defensive position of the Confederates. Action now shifts to the middle of the battlefield
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At this time, Richard Anderson’s Division comes up. In the sunken lane, Rodes’ brigade is holding the far right Confederate flank at the bend in the laneand McRae’s brigade is holding the left flank tying in with Hood’s division. Anderson’s brigades fill in the gaps and Drayton’s brigade of D.R. Jones’ division is on the far right, on the Middle Bridge road, waiting to fall on an enemy flank if they go after Rodes’ brigade. Artillery is mounted on the slope behind the sunken lane, as many as 9-12 batteries, along with some shattered regiments from the morning fighting. The first attack is made by French’s Division, of Sumner’s Corps. This division is relatively new, with only one brigade of experienced troops. It is a big division, though, over 5500 men, with two big brigades and one relatively small-sized one. The fire from the lane, coupled with the artillery blasts, send them reeling back with hundreds of casualties.
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The next attack is made by Richardson’s Division. This division has about 4200 men, but they are experienced soldiers. They attack. The attack lasts for about an hour. Enemy regiments charge, retreat, reform, charge again. Some Confederate regiments are routed and replaced with others. Some guns are routed and the same occurs. Double, triple canister is fired at 75 yards range. It almost wasn’t enough. A regiment of Caldwell’s brigade actually made it into the sunken lane and captured an artillery piece, and then Wade Hampton’s cavalry brigade came after doing earlier duties and pushed them out and went after the rest of Caldwell’s brigade and soon Richardson’s division had fallen back.
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Nothing much happened in the Middle Bridge area. The Middle Bridge road led right to the town of Sharpsburg, and bisecting it was a long fenceline. The brigades of George T. and George B. Anderson as well as Jenkins’ brigade from DR Jones division and Pickett, Kemper, and Kershaw from McLaws’ division hold this line. Down the road, across the creek, and up on the ridgeline are 4 Union batteries of heavy 20-pounder Parrott rifles, and further on back, Porter’s Corps with US Regulars. The only action of note that happened is with Wade Hampton and Fitzhugh Lee’s cavalry brigades. Porter had left those batteries unsupported and so they went to capture them. At the very bottom of the ridge after crossing the Middle Bridge was a blind spot where the Union troops could not see any soldiers posted there. The two brigades got over the bridge, under fire, and dismounted to rest. Once fully rested, they remounted and poured right up the hill right under the mouths of the Union guns, scattering them, and capturing some others, as well as the 1st Battalion, 12th US Infantry. Then, taking their captured guns, the cavalry fell back to their side of the river and stayed there.
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At the Lower bridge area, however, it was a different story. The Lower bridge led right across the Antietam Creek and on one side was the Union 9th Corps and on the other side was John Walker’s Division, Lafayette McLaws’ division, and parts of D.R. Jones’ division. The brigades of Evans, Mahone, Toombs, and Semmes sat directly in the sunken lane facing the bridge over which the Union soldiers would have to come. Ransom’s brigade sat on the hilly area overlooking the Lower Bridge area where they could fire down on advancing Union troops. This brigade had already seen some action, after moving from its earlier position at the far right of the Confederate army, they had formed line and advanced down the hillside and shot it out with Ewing’s brigade of Scammon’s Division, routing them with only 120 or so casualties, and 3 times as many on the Union side. Then they rested and marched to their left to mount the hills overlooking the bridge.
But the main defense of the bridge was its artillery. 8 batteries, lined hub-to-hub, with caissons full of canister. The Union brigades of Fairchild, Harland, and Ferrero attacked 3 times, and 3 times they were driven back.
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Most of my brigades have been engaged, some hard fighting (Hays, Douglass, Armistead, Law) some moderate fighting (Posey, McRae) and some no fighting (Barksdale, all of the Middle bridge forces, Van Manning's Brigade, AP Hill's Division) I think what I will do, when Hill arrives, is take John Walker's men and place them on Middle Bridge Road and use the men there to strengthen the defensive lines in the sunken lane and woods, and have AP Hill take Walker's spot
God darn. Holy testicles. All them people.
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Little Powell
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Re: Antietam-11 hours

Post by Little Powell »

Wow, this is great stuff William. I always love reading AAR's like this, as I'm sure others do as well. Thanks for posting.
SamSmith
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Re: Antietam-11 hours

Post by SamSmith »

Yeah, great stuff. Bold move with the cavalry!
Chamberlain
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Re: Antietam-11 hours

Post by Chamberlain »

Excellent AAR william1993 !!

Keep them coming !

;)

Chamberlain
-Col. Joshua Chamberlain, 20th Maine

We cannot retreat. We cannot withdraw. We are going to have to be stubborn today
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