Copyright © 2020, Paul Scrivens-Smith

Copyright © 2020, Paul Scrivens-Smith


Sunday, 5 January 2020

Longstreet Campaign - The Battle of Haery Woods - 15th September 1861

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Drew and I have embarked on a campaign using the rules from Longstreet. I'll play the Confederate Commander - Colonel Gerald P. Whippam while Drew will take on the role of Elias Rogers newly appointed Colonel of the Union Army.

We each picked one personality trait and were randomly assigned a second.

Confederate forces

Gerald P. Whippam is a 29 year old Floridian and is already a Veteran of the Indian Wars and is accompanied by his personal Scout who's reliably provided the best ground to make a stand in earlier engagements.
8th Georgia VolunteersCAVEagerRecruits8
19th TexasINFEagerRecruits10
4th South CarolinaINFEagerRecruits10
2nd FloridaINFEagerRecruits10
Battery A 7th Texas Light ArtilleryART--3Three 6lb smoothbores

Union forces

Elias Rogers is a graduate of West Point and had made a career as an Artillery Officer in the United States army. He is a Leading Abolitionist and is steadfast in the cause.
26th New YorkCAVEagerRecruits8
20th MaineINFEagerRecruits10
39th OhioINFEagerRecruits10
44th MarylandINFEagerRecruits10
Battery B 6th US ArtilleryART--3Three 6lb smoothbores

Both forces were assembled and marched to war, sure that all this bad business would be over by harvest time.

The initial engagement of the campaign took place at Haery Woods, Rolling up the scenario we would play the Meeting Engagement, the Confederate scout was not available (rolled a double 1!) so the Union troops elected to be the defender.

The ground was picked, the Union had elected to form a tight perimeter and would prepare themselves for the Confederate onslaught. Initial moves were spent jockeying for position, the Union formed a solid wall of troops anchored on their left by dense woodland and on their right by a cornfield with their artillery lining a solid stone fence. The 26th New York would be held in reserve.

The Confederates arrayed themselves against the Union, on their left the 4th SC supported by the 8th GA Volunteers poised to assault the 44th Maryland Zouaves in the cornfield, while the 19th TX and 2nd FL moved against the woods on the right.

Colonel Rogers personally directed the counter battery fire of the US artillery to great devastation among the Confederate gunners.

On the right the Texans and Floridians drove back the Ohio and Maine boys but the Maryland  Zouaves held firm trading effective volleys with the South Carolina boys and repulsing their initial charges.

But, the Union were eventually doomed, with their left flank caved the Marylanders were exposed and the South Carolina boys and Georgia horsemen supported by remaining gunners doomed them and they were thrown back in great disorder. With heavy losses on both sides the Union withdraw Confederates held the field.

It was a fair Confederate victory, they lost 13 stands to the Unions 21. Having mounted a couple of good sized bayonet charges Whippam earned 8 Epic Points for the game while Rogers gained two.

 Some more shots of the action.


  1. Excellent Paul, good looking ACW game


  2. Super stuff, who says blue and grey doesn't look pretty.

  3. Looks great, splendid figures and impressive mass effect...

  4. A great looking battle with plenty of dash from the Zouaves. Full marks for spectacle and for an exciting game.
    Longstreet is especially fun when all the units are Eager Recruits, and a bit more challenging as people start to become less eager. Cheers,

    1. Thanks Michael. I think we are getting to that stage, we both have at least one cautious unit in our forces now.

  5. Great game, nice to see your zouaves in battle. Makes me want to do a Maurice game with my SYW minis.

    1. Thanks Jim. Drew is burning through Zouave bases at an alarming rate, he may not have any soon.