ACW Scenario from Featherstone's War Games 1963

ACW: Action in the Plattville Valley 1863

This scenario is based on the ACW scenario in Featherstone's 1963 book War Games (the book which started my obsession).  Rules: Hail Mr Lincoln.

Both sides start with their advance guard on the table with reinforcements coming on after turn 3 - on rear table edge at locations nominated in turn 1 - coming on passing a command test at -1.
Army Break Test for both is fail on losing 2 brigades.
If no army breaks by 10pm, the side holding the village wins. 
The village is closer to the Reb side, but the Union gets 1st turn & has more artillery & more rifles.

Union (Jim & SteveJ):
Command 8
Advance guard: 2 inf (rifle), 1 cav (carbine).
1st to 3rd brigades: Each 4 inf (rifle), 1 rifled art.

Rebs (Mark & Chris):
Command 8
Advance guard: 2 inf (rifle), 1 cav (shotguns/pistols).
1st inf brigade: 4 inf (rifle).
2nd & 3rd brigades: 4 inf (smoothbore).
1 smoothbore art can be attached to any of brigades 1-3.
Rebel yell: Can charge up to 3 moves on any pass of command test to charge enemy in sight ahead.

Terrain:
River: Crossable obstacle except for artillery.  Soft cover if either firers or target is adjacent.
Open woods: -1 to hit for muskets at range over 6".  Max range 18".  No effect on movement except Blunder on 11+.
Pine wood:  -1 to hit except art.  Max range 6". No charge bonus.  Defended obstacle for defender on edge.  Speed 3"/turn & none for art. Blunder on 11+.
Hills: Don't affect movement, but remove charge bonus uphill.
Fences: Soft cover obstacle.
Churchyard: Hard cover obstacle.
Buildings: Hard cover.  Farmhouses only hold a small unit (either a dismounted cav unit or 1/2 an inf unit).

Pic from behind the Union right flank.

Opening moves (pic behind Union left).  The Union advance guard advances along the road, the Reb's deploy near the village.

The union bring on all their reserves on the west end of the table.  The Rebs bring 1 brigade along the road & the other two on the west end.  The Reb advance guard cavalry occupy the RH farmhouse, the advance guard infantry  attack the union advance guard with half the centre brigade moving up in support. 

 On the other flank the both race for the church - which the Union occupy.

 The Union Advance guard has halted the Rebel attack & is pushing them back towards the village as the central Union brigade puts pressure on it from the north.

The view from behind the Rebel left.

The Union Advance guard has been partially forced to fall back, but the Rebel advance guard has been broken & the Union have taken the RH farmhouse. 

 On the other flank the Union have also gained the upper hand & are advancing past the church.

Suddenly the Rebel left & centre brigades break & they fail their Army Break test giving the Union a decisive victory.

 A pic from Featherstone's book from behind the Union left.

A pic from Featherstone's book from behind the Rebel left.

The original battle in Featherstone's book was also a Union victory, though the strategies used were quite different.   In ours, the Union plan to draw Rebels to the east with the Advance guard to give the  Union right superior numbers to take the village worked beyond expectations when the Advance guard not only drew troops off from the main game, but beat them as well.