Introduction

This is the second installment in a three part series depicting a playtest for one of the Alt-History scenarios from Death Valley. The action here starts with the 1100 turn; see my previous article (found here) for the 0800-1000 turns.

As was true of Part 1, this AAR generally avoids game terminology for the sake of the narrative, yet describes only game events. Sometimes the description goes beyond a literal reading of the rules, but I’d argue that such cases represent reasonable interpretations of game events. For example, this version of GBACW does not deal with prisoners, yet I make reference to them, as it is reasonable to assume that in many cases strength point losses represent captures rather than casualties. Any passages seemingly at odds with published GBACW rules reflect either scenario rules or changes to the series rules that will appear in the next edition of the rulebook.

The one exception to all this is the liberty I take with historical personalities, including invented dialogue. These fanciful interludes serve to indicate the rationale behind player decisions and offer the reader reflections on the action.

For the sake of continuity I follow events in a given sector throughout a turn before moving on to another sector. That seems preferable to following the activation chits wherever they might lead.

Lastly, I’ve attempted to upgrade my graphics. Although they cannot compete with some of the stuff I’ve seen from fellow wargamers, the enhancements represent the sum of my modest skills.

— Red arrows represent forward movement or advance after combat.

— Yellow arrows represent retreats or retrograde movements.

— Red boxes identify formations or units referred to in the text, when doing so seemed best for clarity’s sake.

1100

The June sun is approaching its zenith, but temperatures remain pleasant, and after weeks of incessant rain the air is clear and dry. To the north the Massanutten rises sharply, a silent witness to the often tortured deeds of men.

Perhaps few of the 20,000 soldiers fighting or converging near Cross Keys are rhapsodizing about the weather, but a good number may indeed be pondering the deeds of men. On the western end of the battlefield Ewell’s troops have suffered heavy losses. Their opponents in John C. Fremont’s division prepare to press their advantage.

Fremont orders John Koltes’ brigade of Louis Blenker’s division to support the Union right wing’s attack. Blenker’s other two brigades under Julius Stahel and Henry Bohlen are to seek out advantageous positions and prepare to defend. Blenker’s division is large but of uncertain quality, while Jackson’s troops, though fearfully used up during the campaign’s previous three weeks, are tested veterans.  Low-hanging dust above an extensive woodlot further south makes all too plain that enemy reinforcements are en route. Attacking under such circumstances could be suicidal.

As a steady stream of wounded Louisianans make for aid stations set up along Mill Creek, Jackson impatiently weighs his options. It’s clear that Richard Taylor’s Louisiana brigade needs help. VMI alumnus John Patton’s brigade is marching up the Keezletown Road. En route Patton passes Jackson, Ewell, and their entourage.  Saluting, Patton asks Jackson for orders. “Colonel Patton, advance your brigade up this road.  When you find the enemy, press him.” Well aware that the Stonewall Brigade under Charles Winder is marching up from Port Republic and will soon arrive, Jackson reconciles himself to postponing an attack on the right until Winder’s troops, the best in the army, can initiate it.

Near Cross Keys

Fremont’s brigadiers seize the moment.  Gustave Clusaret’s men combine with two of Robert Schenck’s regiments to level a hot fire on 7th Louisiana deployed east of the Webb farm about 200 yards away. The Pelican State men again find their smoothbore muskets disadvantaged at this range. They suffer painful losses but maintain order and unexpectedly disrupt the line of Clusaret’s 8th West Virginia. Schenck’s two regiments come up on Clusaret’s right and add their weight to the contest, but their firefight with elements of 9th Louisiana is inconclusive. The 75th Ohio disdainfully closes with the hapless 8th Louisiana to finish it off, and indeed scoops up half its survivors as prisoners, but not before southern buck’n’ball reduces it to a formless mass.

The other half of Schenck’s brigade is in motion on the division’s left and tangles with George Steuart’s brigade. Steuart’s smoothbore-armed 58th Virginia holds its fire, preferring to conserve ammunition until the Yankees close the range. Just to the right, however, is 44th Virginia, armed with Enfields. It does not let the Ohioans’ bullying go unanswered. When the smoke clears, the tattered blue line reveals how effective the counter-fire was.

More blueclads advance through the woods versus 58th Virginia. Both sides fire wildly, and the 58th finds its cartridge cases quickly emptying. When the 32nd Ohio appears on its left front and levels a volley, the Virginians start to break. The 32nd can smell the enemy’s anxiety and suddenly assaults. The 58th fails to stand, skedaddling through the woods. Elements of Taylor’s 6th Louisiana turn to face the Buckeyes, covering the retreat despite empty cartridge boxes.

Milroy’s Battery G, 1st West Virginia, fires on the other half of 6th Louisiana, breaking its cohesion. Milroy’s big infantry regiments have a splendid opportunity to roll the Rebel line back, but messengers sent to his colonels apparently stop to pick blackberries, for no attack materializes. Milroy himself rides over to the 2nd West Virginia, rallying it after the pounding it took from Taylor’s men.

Thus, the Federal attack sputters to a temporary halt, much to Taylor’s relief. He avails himself of the opportunity to pull his troops back to the shelter of the woods, except for 6th Louisiana’s right-hand battalion, still beset by confusion despite Taylor’s best efforts to rally it. Steuart also falls back a short distance to the tree line.

Help is on the way for the Confederate left, but Taylor cannot see it through the trees. Without breaking stride Patton’s regiments deploy from column of companies to line of battle as they approach Cross Keys. The entire brigade, 1100 strong, carries Enfield rifled muskets. In the lead, 48th Virginia wheels to the right before engaging Clusaret’s brigade at 200 yard range. 8th West Virginia is still in disorder, and most of its return fire passes harmlessly overhead, but 60th Ohio forces the 48th to break ranks and seek cover. 21st Virginia wheels to the left as it comes up. It then trades volleys with 73rd Ohio, which is still wobbly from its encounter with 8th Louisiana. The Buckeyes retreat in confusion, but not before rattling the 21st with a hot fire. 42nd Virginia takes its place in the center of Patton’s line, but is unable to budge the opposing 82nd Ohio. 1st Virginia Battalion brings up the rear.

We expect great things of George S. Patton’s great-uncle, but stiff Yankee resistance has in this instance limited him to safeguarding Jackson’s left flank. That, however, he does well, his brigade standing firm and besting the Yankees in a continuing firefight. To Patton’s left Taylor’s forward units fall back before renewed Yankee assaults. The sun reaches the meridian with the opposing sides nowhere in contact in this sector.

The Center of the Line

Arnold Elzey can see the Federals forming lines of battle south of the Armentrout farmstead. He cautiously sends his left wing forward to support Steuart’s dangling right. The 31st Virginia of Elzey’s brigade comes abreast of Steuart’s 1st Maryland, but a narrow rise just ahead blocks its view of the enemy.

In the meantime, Koltes goes forward as ordered, toward the very area Elzey is to defend. Koltes’ right wing cannot see 31st Virginia, but sees 1st Maryland just fine. The two sides level their rifled muskets, and the results will not be soon forgotten. 1st Maryland does good execution, but when the smoke from 750 Union muzzles clears, Koltes’ survivors look in vain for the enemy. Field officers raise binoculars to their eyes and collectively gasp.  1st Maryland is indeed there before them. It will stay there, for it has been wiped out. Through the wheat its fallen are visible, lying in neat ranks that only moments ago returned the Yankee fire.

44th Virginia soon avenges its sister regiment, driving 55th Ohio’s left wing back with the loss of about 100 men, but suffers a withering return fire from enemy units on both sides of the luckless Buckeyes.

Near the Port Republic Road

With the Yankees uncomfortably close, Tom Munford orders his troopers several hundred yards to the rear, pausing briefly to rally elements of 2nd Virginia after Bohlen’s infantry chased them back to a line abreast of Isaac Trimble’s brigade. The cavalry’s move cues Trimble to extend his line, so that his right rests on the road from Good’s Mill.

But Fremont and Blenker are content to halt Julius Stahel’s and Henry Bohlen’s brigades along a line running perpendicular to both the Port Republic Road and the road from the Nichter Farm to Good’s Mill. Blenker’s untried division stands a better chance defending rather than attacking Jackson’s veterans in heavily wooded terrain. Sending Koltes forward was a calculated risk, and although that attack has borne initial fruit, the billowing dust further south can only mean that more Confederates are approaching. While Fremont hopes for further offensive opportunities, he is also prepared to make a fighting withdrawal.

Earlier that morning Jackson had vaguely indicated his intent to the Stonewall Brigade’s commander, Charles Winder. Winder understands the army has to make a stand in the vicinity of Cross Keys so as to safely retreat south toward the depot towns along the Virginia Central Railroad. But that was all Jackson had said. Riding at the head of his troops, Winder pauses at Mill Creek Church. As he listens to desultory artillery fire off to the left, a courier comes galloping toward him. “I’m from Colonel Munford”, the rider breathlessly exclaims as he pulls up to Winder’s entourage and recognizes the stars on the Marylander’s collar. He continues with understandable exaggeration, “General, sir, there’s a least a brigade of Yankee infantry and another of cavalry facing us. General Trimble is on our left, but his hands are full, too. We need infantry support.” Winder deliberates only a moment before replying tersely. “Lieutenant, tell your colonel we will be along shortly”.

1100 Conclusion

With most of Blenker’s division assuming a defensive posture, John Fremont and his staff ride overland to his own division on the Union right. Slowed by the woods east of Cross Keys, his aides are unable to make contact with Gustave Clusaret. Equally inconvenient, two of Schenck’s regiments on the extreme right are still fighting on their own hook. But Milroy and Schenck update Fremont on events.

Meanwhile, Thomas Jackson heads in the opposite direction, confident that John Patton has stabilized the left. By now Winder should have arrived with the Stonewall Brigade, and Jackson sends a courier ahead to order him forward. The right wing has delayed attacking long enough. Thus, Winder has unwittingly paused exactly where his chief would have him.

1200

Dick Ewell, too, has headed toward the Rebel right. He knows what Jackson expects and issues the appropriate orders to Isaac Trimble and Arnold Elzey. Both brigades are to support Winder’s attack. With Patton, Taylor, and Steuart holding firm on the left and William Taliaferro’s brigade expected within the hour, there is no reason to wait.

Near Cross Keys

John Patton continues to engage the extreme right of Fremont’s line, which suddenly starts to buckle. The 73rd, 82nd, and 60th Ohio lose heavily and reel backwards under a leaden storm. Their return fire is galling, however. Patton finds himself riding from one part of the line to the other, pointing to the fleeing Yankees as he rallies his Virginians. Their success is infectious. 6th Louisiana rallies and the rest of Taylor’s brigade readies itself to pitch in. Steuart’s brigade follows suit as 44th Virginia rallies.

But Milroy strikes back, taking most of Taylor’s line under fire and severely hurting 6th and 7th Louisiana. In view of their worsening ammunition shortages, both southern regiments head for the shelter of the woods. Schenck’s troops on the division’s left continue to make 44th Virginia’s salient unhealthy. Meanwhile, Schenck himself visits his two regiments on the extreme right. He restores order in 82nd Ohio’s ranks, grants its colonel permission to fall back if necessary, and then takes up a central position between his brigade’s two wings. The dashing Clusaret outdoes his fellow brigadier — both his regiments reform their lines.

The Center of the Line

Elzey’s brigade attacks as instructed. It meets stiff resistance from Koltes’ brigade and suffers painful losses, but puts half of 68th New York to flight and inflicts heavy damage on 73rd Pennsylvania, which has now lost almost a third of its men. Koltes’ line faces rupture unless he takes immediate action.

Koltes manages to rally elements of his brigade and hit back at his Confederate tormenters, but Elzey responds with another push. In desperate, bloody fighting Elzey knocks a hole between Koltes’ right and Schenck’s left. The effort has cost nearly 40% of his brigade, and two of his regiments are low on ammo. But Koltes’ brigade is irredeemably shattered. Fully 60% of his men are either lying on the field, headed for POW cages, or scattering far to the Union rear. Those left with the colors seem finished as an effective force.

The Confederate Right Wing Attacks

The Stonewall Brigade goes forward, relieving Munford’s cavalry and engaging Henry Bohlen’s troops, who put up resistance stiff enough to satisfy both Fremont and Blenker. But Bohlen’s left flank starts to cave in under relentless pressure. The 75th Pennsylvania leaves 50 prisoners in the hands of 2nd Virginia as the survivors skedaddle nearly 300 yards.

On Winder’s right the Confederate cavalry redeploys eastward, gaining the forest road leading to the Vance homestead and threatening to envelop the end of Bohlen’s line.

To Winder’s left Trimble’s brigade joins in. 21st Georgia leads the way but takes severe losses as it closes with Stahel’s New Yorkers. On Trimble’s left the 15th Alabama is momentarily stunned when Bohlen’s artillery parked on the Port Republic Road sprays it with canister. Dick Ewell is in the vicinity however, and personally rallies the Alabamans.

With Bohlen reeling, Winder drives his men forward. They fully repay his confidence. Bohlen’s line is shattered and 300 of his men are down. Recovery is not impossible, but will require a respite from Winder’s hammering. Fortunately for the Yankees, Winder recognizes the limits to what he can ask of his men, especially with William Taliaferro’s brigade arriving to shoulder part of the burden.

Isaac Trimble’s men do their part, closing with the enemy and trusting to the withering effect of buck’n’ball, but Julius Stahel’s regiments are big and not going down easily. The 21st Georgia drives 8th New York back with severe losses, and 39th New York wavers. But the effect of 700 rifled muskets on the Georgians is disastrous. They are hurled back, their casualties now at 80%.

1200 Conclusion

Koltes’ crisis brings Louis Blenker within hailing distance of Fremont’s command post. There’s now no need for the Pathfinder to relocate, much to the relief of his staff. For once, Fremont can control almost his entire line.

Jackson’s staff, too, is grateful when their leader sidles only a little way to the east, seeking to maintain communication with both Charles Winder and William Taliaferro. Jackson does not care much for Taliaferro, but needs his 1200 Virginians. All reports indicate the Yankees along the Port Republic Road are wavering. One more push may bring victory.

1300

Blenker cancels Koltes’ attack order, but Fremont is encouraged by events on the Union right, and instructs Clusaret and Milroy to exploit any opportunity that presents itself. Schenck’s brigade, however, is too close to the breaking point to do any more attacking.

Ewell sends an aide-de-camp to Jackson with an appeal on behalf of Arnold Elzey, whose troops are also nearing ineffectiveness. Confident that Taliaferro’s brigade will sweep the Union center away, Jackson is surprisingly magnanimous. “Tell General Ewell he may excuse Elzey’s brigade from further attacks. Have his men rest, if possible.  I may need them again.” While Ewell assists Elzey in rallying what can be rallied, the rest of the Valley Army goes forward.

The Confederate Left Wing

Steuart can see that Taylor needs help and does not hesitate to provide it. He issues attack orders to his regiments, sweeps aside the remnants of a 55th Ohio battalion, and mounts a flank threat to what’s left of Schenck’s brigade. John Patton goes forward versus Fremont’s right flank, dealing out and being dealt hard blows. The 2nd West Virginia’s losses now reach 60%, and it falls back, blocking the field of fire for Battery G, 1st West Virginia.

Richard Taylor seethes with frustration. All day long his vaunted Louisianans have been held at bay. 8th Louisiana and the 1st Louisiana Battalion are for all practical purposes destroyed. With the brigades to his right and left engaging the enemy, Taylor gets carried away. He unsheathes his sword and bellows out orders to charge. The battle-worthy half of his brigade storms forward.

It is a most unfortunate order. His left wing, 450 men of the 9th Louisiana and elements of 6th Louisiana, indeed throw back 25th Ohio and 3rd West Virginia, but success leaves them in disarray. The outcome is sadly different on the right, where Taylor himself leads the rest of 6th Louisiana and a battalion from 7th Louisiana, 450 men in all, against the 32nd Ohio’s equal number. With the 32nd is John Fremont himself, and these Buckeyes seem to turn to steel in his presence. They easily repulse Taylor’s charge. As demoralized survivors slink to the rear, Taylor dimly realizes his folly.

It doesn’t end there. 9th Louisiana finds its front and flank exposed. Attempting to clear away the immediate enemy in its front, it manages only a feeble fire. The response is anything but feeble, and the 9th hurriedly retreats, minus 100 men. Taylor has gone forward and rallied the left battalion of 6th Louisiana; now he and its 150 ammo-depleted survivors confront almost four times their number.

George Steuart, witnessing these events to his left, launches his brigade forward to take the pressure off Taylor. Fremont is aware of 55th Ohio’s precarious condition. To avoid being outflanked, he orders Schenck’s left wing to fall back, which it successfully does.

Elsewhere the fight goes on. Clusaret trades volleys with John Patton’s brigade, getting the better of his foe. Robert Milroy restores order in all his big infantry units and then sends them forward to assist Clusaret. Patton’s troops cannot stand the fire and start to fall back, their cumulative losses now exceeding one-third. Taylor and the isolated battalion from 6th Louisiana are low-hanging fruit, but for lack of a more formidable force, Milroy sends his dismounted cavalry against the 6th’s flank. Taylor quickly orders a retreat, every man for himself. They fall back without complication, but the proud Louisianan’s humiliation is now complete.

The Confederate Right Wing

Winder leads his powerhouse 5th Virginia in an outflanking move, to which Bohlen responds by falling back with the 58th New York.  But that allows the Virginians to outflank the left end of Stahel’s line. To Winder’s left, Isaac Trimble wastes no more of his men’s lives on frontal attacks, and begins shifting eastward to support Winder’s flank attack. To Trimble’s left Taliaferro’s fresh brigade deploys.

Blenker’s brigadiers know what they have to do. Henry Bohlen’s first job is to rally his scattered command, and he does a creditable job of it.  58th New York breaks contact with the lethal 5th Virginia, losing 50 brave men in the process. Julius  Stahel’s shaken units file to relative safety in the rear, while those previously unengaged take over the front line. But Winder’s drive continues, undoing Bohlen’s efforts to stabilize the line. Worse, the Confederate cavalry threatens to ride into the Union rear. Blenker must take a major step back, refusing his left to avoid encirclement.

The Center of the Line

Remarkably, Koltes’ remnant manages to form a line, Louis Blenker helping to rally 29th New York’s one viable battalion. Koltes does more than that.  Assisted by batteries attached to all three of Blenker’s brigades, he drives 25th Virginia from the field and severely punishes the 17th Georgia, all but wrecking Elzey’s brigade.

As Taliaferro’s brigade drives forward, however, the balance again starts to change. Rather than risk capture, Bohlen’s battery limbers up and pulls back 300 yards. The sudden move disrupts the battery. Seeing its confusion, Blenker himself intervenes to restore order — the gun line must not fail.

Dilger’s battery and its support, a battalion of 41st New York, stand their ground, whether foolishly or not. The three 12-pound howitzers blast canister at close range as Taliaferro’s men assault. 10th Virginia takes grievous losses, but the wooded terrain absorbs much of Dilger’s lead.  23rd Virginia, on the other hand, attacks across a bare field. When the smoke finally clears, the field is no longer bare and has yielded a most frightful harvest. 200 survivors of the regiment’s original 400 men fall back to regroup.

1300 Conclusion

Ewell sends word to Jackson of Elzey’s repulse, but Winder’s drive seems to have mesmerized the Confederate commander. “Tell Elzey to hold on!”, he urges Ewell’s courier. “General Taliaferro will put things right in the center.” Elzey will indeed have to hold on. With Taliaferro unavailable, Jackson needs Trimble’s support for Winder’s attack, and Trimble’s failed attack on Stahel spells delay.

Neither Ewell nor Jackson know what’s transpiring on the Confederate left, until messages arrive from the three brigades posted there. Steuart’s note is a model of adrenaline-charged hyperbole: “I’m hanging on to their [the Yankees] flank like a bulldog!” Taylor sends only a verbal report: his brigade has been repulsed with heavy losses and will attempt to hold the line. John Patton is scarcely more encouraging, noting severe losses and ammo shortages.

Jackson recalls his earlier conference with Ewell. If Fremont breaks through Patton and Taylor, he could cut the Valley Army off from its retreat route to the south. If that happens, lack of food and ammunition will mean the army’s dissolution. Stonewall shudders as the consequences of attacking on the right become clear. But the attack is making such rapid progress that to abandon it is unthinkable, and Jackson still has one trump card to play. Some of his 10 batteries of artillery are short on ammo, to be sure, but if anything can help hold open the Keezletown Road, the guns can, if they have support from the infantry.

Fremont has lost contact with Blenker again, but is confident his subordinate knows his duty — continue the step-by-step retreat and tie up the bulk of Jackson’s army while Fremont’s own division continues to drive forward. The Pathfinder truly did not expect the kind of success his  division has had. He resolves to reinforce the probe by Milroy and Clusaret on the far right.

To be continued…

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Articles in this Series: Part 1  Part 2  Part 3