Antietam - Altar of Freedom

[Deedles]

We played out Antietam last weekend using AOF - our go to set for ACW . We used all of our 10mm Pendraken stuff and the new built up area board for Sharpsburg .











A pretty historical result overall - though perhaps a bit less bloody ..but the Union failed to catch Lee out and damage the army . Great game was had . AOF is a lot around command and prioritising. Really makes you think

[Steve J]

Very nice set up there .

[paulr]

Welcome Deedles 

      

[Roy]

I forgot to bring my camera, so didn't take any photos of the game. 

Suffice to say, at the start of the game there was a LOT of Union troops on the table at the northern end. It really looked good. Hooker's I Corps and Franklin's VI Corps, along with Pleasonton's (cavalry) Division; Meade's Pennsylvania Reserves and "Baldy" Smith's Divisions performed really well in the Union's main thrust of attack just south of Mercerville, with Sumner leading Sedgewick's Division of II Corps in a demonstration in the centre, west of Porterstown (as seen in Deedle's third photo, above). Probably not where these corps were historically, but myself and my fellow Union commander (this forum's Skywalker) made it work for us - though we didn't win (all blame should probably fall at my feet )

Credit should be given to Deedles - for organising and making sure the game was being played correctly (I'd never played the game before, 'Skywalker' only a few times, and Deedle's co-general for the Confederacy, 'Stig', hadn't played for a while, I believe) - and 'Stig', for providing the majority of the toys and all the terrain. Cheers Dave and 'Stig'

[d_Guy]

Thanks for posting, Deedles. Great looking game with some recognizable features of Antietam. The figures look great and I like the way they are organized in their move stands. Welcome to the forum!

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Oh very nice!

[Techno 3]

[Deedles]

Additional photo's from Deedle's collection, information provided by [forum member] Roy - one of the Union commanders on the day.



6AM north end of the battlefield, Mercerville and the Potomac River to the right-hand corner of the shot.
Pleasonton's (Union cavalry) Division is on the outskirts of Mercerville, Meade's Pennsylvania Reserves (Union I Corps) are just next to the tributary stream, then it's Franklin's Corps (Union VI Corps) on the road bisecting Hooker's (Union I) Corps. This was the set up for the Union main attack thrust south towards the cornfields.

Looking along the Antietam Creek, it's Porter's Corps (Union V Corps) at the bridge just north of Pry's farm and the ford. In the game, this corps made a successful demonstration over the Antietam Creek and proved the victors against a couple of brigades of Confederate infantry.

Of note, however, is the fact that the Union player's forgot all about the existence of the ford over the Antietam Creek, until far too late. A brigade of Sumner's Corps (Union II Corps) were mobilised around Noon (game turn time) and this was to be a feint, along with the demonstration by Porter's Corps that was already over the Antietam Creek.



6AM looking south to north of the battlefield. The troops closest to the camera are Burnside's Corps (Union IX Corps), and then, next to them in the woods, is Mansfield's Corps (Union XII Corps).

In the game, the Union commanders, again, went with a limited demonstration attack with these southern Union forces - but it came at a bloody price. Burnside's brigades were repulsed twice while attempting to cross the bridge, eventually Mansfield was ordered forward with William's Division (of Union XII Corps) to relieve Burnside's fatigued troops. The southern end of the battlefield would be in Confederate control throughout the game.



(possibly) 10AM game turn: [forum member Roy's denim-clad legs show the height difference between him and forum member Skywalker - the Union commanders for the game. Forum member Deedles - one of the Confederate commander's - is talking the photo] looking south to north.

Burnside's (Union IX Corps) makes its second attempt on the southern-most bridge across Antietam Creek, with William's brigade of (Union XII Corps) waiting to either push forward to claim land across the bridge or relieve a stalled attack. At the central bridge towards the west of Porterstown, Sumner leads Sedgewick's Division across the Antietam Creek, these being the second brigade of his (Union II Corps) - in the game Sumner was an immense presence, leading from the front and steadying his boys in the point-blank fighting. By Noon (game turn time) Sumner and Sedgewick's brigade were forced back over the bridge, but this was to be the Union commanders plan, anyway, as Sumner's (Union II Corps) was, again, only a demonstration attack, holding Confederate troops away from the main thrust of the attack by Hooker's and Franklin's Union corps from the north.

The North Riding Wargames Club meet on the last Sunday of each month, at Scruton North Yorkshire. Regular Saturday games are also planned, to be played at Pendraken's games room.

[paulr]