Bull Run Day 3

As night approached on day 2 the Confederates fell back towards Manassas & the Union consolidated their positions on the south side of Bull Run.

In the morning the Confederates were deployed defending Manassas Junction while the Union advanced to a new line just outside artillery range.  

The deployment was a slow process with green trooops, but once the infnatry was in a good line the Union artillery was advanced to within rifled artillery range to begin  a bombardment of the CSA centre.

A musket duel began on the Union right where the Union attempt to outflank the Rebs was countered by an infantry brigade advancing out of the woods & a cavalry regiment.

On the Union left the Rebs advanced a brigade, and 2 Union brigades have advanced to meet them. 
In the centre the superior numbers of Union rifled guns have forced most of the Reb artillery to withdraw.  

We were never going to finish this in one night, so we decided this seemed to be a good time to call a halt tonight.  The deployment phase is over & we can start into the serious fighting fresh next week. 

The battle was fought with 2 comanders for each side on the table, whuile the umpire, Union CIC & 2 other interested spectators were on Zoom from Canberra, Bruny Is & a distant suburb.  There is a fixed tablet camera on a high tripod giving an overview & a phone camera on a mini tripod for Zooming in close on request.