The Battle of Clark's River: a fictional battle fought in 2mm on a 5x4 table
Confederate forces are deployed across a wide front to the South, the Union army approaches from the North. Terrain is easy going with rolling hills and swathes of woodland. The town of Jonesville straddles Clark's River; there are outlying villages and fields.
Deployment:
Overview - from the North
Union deployment on either side of Clark's River
The view down-river
Confederate deployment
The view up-river
Opening:
The Confederates take the initiative - the left flank's infantry & cavalry move forwards somewhat uncertainly, the cavalry moving into battle line formation, as does the centre; the right flank stalls completely and fails to move.
The Union cavalry on the left flank advance rapidly beyond the village at the valley base; the centre force of infantry moves forward along the river bank and then stall; on the right flank the infantry performs a sweeping advance in column to the edges of Jonesville and deploy into battle line, supported by cavalry which pushes forward of the village, leaving more infantry occupying the fields.
View from the Confederate lines at the approaching Union army
View down the valley from the Confederate right flank
Mid-game:
The Confederate cavalry on the left advance ahead of the infantry and begin to skirt the hill to their left, hugging the treeline; the infantry fail to move further towards the set battle line of Union troops to their front.
On the right flank the infantry begins to move up the hill in an attempt to sneak onto the flank of the approaching Union cavalry as it moves to the bait of the Confederate cavalry in the valley; the infantry don't make as much progress as their Commander would like though...
In the centre the infantry move rapdily in column formation along the river bank and redeploy as they sight the stalled Union column, preparing to engage
View of the stalled left flank with Confederate cavalry skirting the hill
The trap on the valley floor is set...
Unsurprisingly, the Union cavalry take the bait and charge headlong at the Confederate cavalry in the fields - the combat is swift and results in losses on both sides; both disengage and regroup
The stalled centre column takes the opportunity to fire hastily onto the Confederates formed-up to their front but inflict little damage
On the right flank, the cavalry moves further forward to threaten the Confederate cavalry on the hill and to protect the flank of the battle line; the infantry to the rear moves from the village and begins to wheel towards Clark's River
Development:
On the right flank the Confederate cavalry take the initiative and charge the Union cavalry - despite their superior numbers, confident that their infantry will burst through the woods in time! An indecisive cavalry melee sees both sides disengage - just as the Confederate infantry move to the edge of the treeline and open fire into the flank of the Union cavalry - which can't withstand such a volley and retreats
Over on the left , the infantry move towards the Union line and open fire hastily to no effect...
...while the cavalry charges the Union cavalry and is repelled, suffering heavy losses
In the centre the advancing Confederate infantry and artillery open up on the Union column and, through devastating weight of fire, cause the column to break and rout! (although I've not got a picture of this...gah....)
On the Union left the remaining cavalry disengages from the overwhelming ambush and retreats over the hill - too late to save the routing column though. On the right the Union cavalry once again charge their Confederate counterparts, this time destroying them utterly, and consolidate to threaten the Confederate infantry's flank
In the centre, the Union infantry completes its wheel and, deploying into an extended line, fires with devastating effect onto the flank of the Confederate infantry, decimating it...
Endgame:
Ineffective firing once more from the Confederate infantry as they redeploy to a battle line in the centre...
The Union cavalry seize the advantage and charge the flank of the Confederate battle line inflicting heavy losses as do the infantry and artillery from the front
The infantry on the river bank continue to fire on the beleaguered Confederate infantry and wipe them out - they charge across the river and force the Confederate General to seek refuge in his cavalry unit on the hill...
...whereupon realising the devastating losses he's suffered, he calls the retreat and cedes the field to the Union
A great game, fought solo - plenty of ebbs & flows to this battle - it could have gone either way really, with both sides on break tests at the end. Good stuff - and excellent in 2mm too - really gives a sense of grand scale.
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