The Battle of Mummalbaugh Farm

[Monty]

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This is an AAR I wrote for my forum of residence.
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The Battle of Mummalbaugh Farm

I will be playing a sandbox mission. This is not the scripted scenarios of the main game that cover the various historical and quasi-historical engagements of the Gettysburg battle, a sandbox mission is totally unscripted and the objectives (if you choose to have them) are random. It's just you and the enemy AI who decide how the battle pans out.

Force Composition

I will be playing Major General Winfield Scott Hancock of the II Corps, Army of the Potomac (Union) that took to the field on the second day of the battle of Gettysburg. I will be commanding three divisions (commanded by Brigadier Generals John Caldwell, John F. Gibbon and Alexander Hays) and one artillery brigade (commander by Captain J. G. Hazard) amounting to just shy of 11,000 men. The enemy will be of a roughly equal size, but I won't know who exactly I'm facing until I meet them on the battlefield.

The Battlefield

I will be playing on the Picket-Pettigrew-Trimble map which covers the area of the battlefield that saw Pickett's Charge on the third day.

My Mission

My mission will be to attack and seize an area from the enemy.

Playing Style

I will be playing this battle using the "historical" difficulty setting. This means that the camera will be rooted to my General on the battlefield. I won't be able to see anything General Hancock can't see, so if I want to see something I have to move General Hancock to take a look. Furthermore, unless I'm situated right next to the unit in question, I will not be able to simply order any of my units to move where I want them to. To command my corps I will have to write an order by mixing and matching a number of stock phrases, hand it to a courier and have him gallop off to find the unit or officer the command is aimed at. Obviously, not only does this mean that it's difficult to effectively micromanage my formation, but also that there will be a delay before my orders can be implemented. This and also my map will only indicate where I am at that moment, nothing more.

Time Limit

The battle begins at 1600hrs and ends at 1900hrs.

The Battle

We start in the southern end of Gettysburg. Our target is the Mummalbaugh Farm south of Gettysburg on the Taneytown road (that eyeball indicates where I am).


Leaving my command behind I gallop up onto cemetery ridge to take a look around. A few minutes later I have the objective in sight. I can also see some Confederate infantry there, in line facing west to east.


Ok. My plan will be to station my artillery brigade and an infantry division in front of the Rebs. Hopefully my artillery barrage will be enough to tease them over and then the two divisions I have secreted on Cemetery Ridge will come crashing down into the Rebel flank. It's a very sketchy plan, but it's something for going on with. I order up my divisions. Gibbon and Hays will be stationed on Cemetery ridge with a couple of batteries detached from the artillery brigade and Caldwell will be tasked with guarding the rest of the artillery.






Runners gallop off with the orders. Soon, 10,000 men are on the move.


That's Hays's division there.


The artillery brigade moving into position.



It's time to shore up the defences here. I detach two brigades from Caldwell's division and place them on the flanks of the artillery battery. Zook's brigade will take up position in the cemetery on the right while the Irish Brigade guard the left.


The rest of Caldwell's division will form up to the left of the Irish Brigade in case the Rebs attack through the woods.



With the artillery brigade safe and secure, it's time to gallop over to the wing of my corps on Cemetery Ridge and formulate a plan of attack.

The Situation at 1650hrs

[Monty]

That's Gibbon's division on the right and Hays on the left. I am standing on Cemetery Ridge with the rebel position far off to the left.


After reviewing their placement I decide to keep Hays division in place, but to redeploy Gibbon's division to Hays's right.


I ride over to General Hays to deliver his orders personally. He is to advance his division to just behind the crest of cemetery ridge.



Arnold's and Brown's batteries are ordered forward onto the crest of the ridge to support the planned assault.



It's at this moment, 1700hrs, that I begin to hear musket fire from over the ridge. I gallop up to the crest to see what's going on. The Rebs had brought up guns to counter my artillery fire and were deploying them in a field to the left of their infantry and not too far from the cemetery being held by Brigadier General Zook. Zook, despite orders to stay put, had taken it upon himself to launch his regiments forward in a bid to seize the Rebel guns before they could deploy. In this pic you can see one of Zook's regiments astride the road before a surrendered Rebel artillery piece. General Zook is to the left of the picture (notice his triangular pennant) with the rest of his brigade obscured from my view by the houses.


I would really rather Zook had not been so bold. Hays's division is in place, but that is Gibbon's division on the road moving through Hays's division. They're not in a position to support Zook at this moment.


This is Hays's division, Zook is just over that crest in the distance.


As feared, Zook's brigade has quickly become entangled with Reb infantry that have deployed to protect their guns. My guns are in a rather precarious position themselves. They are separated from 2/3 of my command on Cemetery Ridge and most rely wholly on Caldwell's division for protection. I order General Zook to retreat, to reform and resume his defensive position on the right of my guns in the cemetery.



The Rebs seem to have initiated a general advance on my position.


It's time to order Hays and Gibbon forward to smash into the Rebs left flank as they try to attack towards my guns.


I gallop down from Cemetery Ridge. The Rebs are moving through the woodland to the left of my gun line and have engaged the Irish Brigade.


The Irish Brigade was raised in 1862 and fought in all of the major engagements in the eastern theatre. Most notably, the Irish Brigade suffered terrible casualties in similar circumstances assaulting well protected Confederate positions in the battles of Fredericksburg and Antietam. By this point, 1863, their numbers are much depleted. Their whole brigade is now the size of a regiment. Luckily, they wont be on their own because the rest of Caldwell's division are to their left.


Oh hang on.


Where is Caldwell's division?


WHERE IS CALDWELL'S DIVISION?


I ordered Caldwell to form up to the left of the Irish brigade. I know I did, I have the evidence:


Good God. A whole division is falling upon my guns and it has only the Irish Brigade and Zook's brigade for protection. I send a courier to find General Caldwell and bring his command back here.


I gallop up to the top of Cemetery Hill but I can't see him anywhere. The situation is hopeless. I had wanted the gun line with Caldwell's division to hold the Rebs in place while Hays's and Gibbon's division sweep down from Cemetery Ridge to take them in flank, but there's no chance of that now. I send the order to Captain Hazard to limber his guns and have them retreat. A little later I order Colonel Kelly commanding the Irish brigade to do likewise. I assume General Zook's command has broken, because the Rebs have already made their way into the cemetery on the right of my gun line.


Meanwhile, Hays's division and Gibbon's division are fighting well.


This is Hays's division, Gibbon's division is in the distance.


There's no doubt. Despite the gun line being overrun, the Irish Brigade and Zook's brigade routed off the map, the battle isn't going too bad. Gibbon and Hays have clearly surprised the enemy. I am, however, a little concerned by the danger of the Rebs sweeping into the cemetery and on to the ridge to threaten Hays's left.

At 1722hrs contact with Caldwell is re-established. That's his remaining two brigades emerging from Gettysburg, I've no idea what they were up to.


This is a view of Hays's division engaging the Rebs and around the cemetery.


Caldwell's division is now in a perfect position to fall upon the Rebs's flanks. I ride over to the 51st New York and hurry them forward to the fence of the cemetery.


That's it boys, pour it in!


The Rebs quickly realise their position is untenable and they put to flight.


We've tangled with and bested Pender's division of Hill's Corps, the Army of Northern Virginia. With an hour and ten minutes left of the battle, it's time to attack and seize the objective.


The Situation at 1750hrs

[Monty]

The objective looks unoccupied, but I can expect the Rebs to have one fresh division waiting somewhere for me. After taking the objective I reckon I will have to withstand a counter attack. The terrain is wooded on the left, but open fields on the right. I think I will be most vulnerable there. Gibbon's division is strongest, so he'll move up on the right. Hays's division and Caldwell's much depleted division will take the woods on the left. In a quarter of an hour my divisions are assembled once more to renew the attack. They move off at 1800hrs - I have one hour left.

This is the view from Gibbon's division on the right:


Hays leading his division off in the centre.


Hays runs into Rebs in the woods.


A Confederate courier is intercepted, this is his message:


Gibbon's division meets no resistance and form a defensive line at the objective anchored to the stonewall on the left.


At 1811hrs the enemy is spotted moving towards Gibbon's line. A few minutes later and Gibbon is just about holding on in the face of a concerted attack.



Gibbon is being pressed in the centre. The Rebs manage to reach the stonewall. I order up Gibbon's reserve brigade,


but until then I need to hold up the Rebs for a few minutes. I look to the nearest regiment not engaged, the 1st Minnesota, and I order them to charge the enemy at the stonewall.


They send the enemy regiment reeling. But then another Reb regiment charges the 1st Minnesota and puts our regiment to flight. 1st Minnesota routs through the reserve brigade moving into position.


I gallop off to check on the progress in the woods. I have no idea of what is happening beyond those trees. Caldwell tries to turn the flank of the enemy in the woods, but the Rebs hold on.


When I return to Gibbon's line, I find his division in full retreat. The Rebs have pushed as far back as our guns.


The situation is hopeless. We've lost. Hays and Caldwell hold on in the woods, but their position is untenable.

[Little Powell]

Well done sir! Great AAR!

[Monty]

Thank you. B)

[bedbug]

Outstanding!

[Cruiser]

Just excellent! I will give this sort of a scheme a try myself! Thanks for posting.

[CoB4thTEXAS]

Great read sir, and with pictures! Thanks! :cheer:

[Monty]

Thanks everyone!

[BOSTON]

Thoroughly enjoying post to follow (READ)!

BOSTON