The Battle of Port Republic

(note: Another report of this same game was posted by Eddy on Boardgamegeek. )

 Yesterday we played another ACW game, using our house rules.  Bart, Eddy and Koen showed up, so we had 4 players, which is the maximum limit I can host in my wargaming room.

The scenario I prepared was based on the Battle of Port Republic, an encounter that took place during the 1862 Shenandoah Valley campaign. When we say "based on ... ", we do mean "inspired by ... ". I'm not that fuzzy about recreating exact order of battles or recreate the terrain as exactly as possible, but I do look at the tactical challenges that were present in a given battle and try to translate them to the rules and table size we use.

More specifically, I started from the wargaming setup for the batle given in the excellent book "Wargaming in History: The Shenandoah Valley 1862".

The chapter on Port Republic gives a ready-to-use lay-out of the table. 

I added some terrain elements, such as an additional corn field that blocked visibility in the central open plain. But the main idea remained in place: the Confederates attacked the Union, with the aim of trying to secure the battlefield and more specifically the Coaling hill in the upper left corner, upon which the Union had placed a strong artillery battery overlooking the battlefield.

So, Eddy and I took the Union, and Koen and Bart would play with the attacking Confederates. We started by dealing out random commanders (we have a stack of cards for those), and players could attribute them to the different brigades.

Then we started the game proper. 

 

The initial strategizing. Eddy, Koen and Bart discussing the finer points of what strategy to follow.

A view from the Union side, looking towards the approaching Confederates.

Eddy is in awe of his artillery battery, sitting on the Coaling. Surely nothing can go wrong with such tremendous firing power.

The artillery battery took its first shots. Note we use imaginative names for our ACW units, inspired by whisky and bourbon brands (and with a little help from ChatGPT).

Koen is looking worried. Is the Confederate advance going as smoothly as planned?

A battle in the corn field in the centre of the battlefield is starting. Historically, the fields were open, but I decided it would be better for the game if the central plain was broken up by some visibility blocking elements.

Koen moving some his troops. Eddy is making sure no cheating is taking place.

Near the end of the game, the Coaling was stormed by the Confederate infantry, while a major cavalry battle was underway near the foot of the hill.

The Union is ready to admit defeat.

The end of the game.

 

Overall, it was a pretty good game and a good scenario. The Confederacy overran the Union position (as happened historically). But more importantly, we had plenty of fun and good laughs.

Here are a few more pictures taken the day after, but now with all the clutter such as dice and cards removed and the miniatures straightened out:

The end state of the game, looking from the Coaling over the battlefield.

The attack of the Confederacy on the Coaling, as seen from the attacking side.

The view from the Confederacy towards the Union lines in the open fields.

The battle in the corn field.

A view from the Union lines.

Another overview, with the Coaling in the far end.