For our annual New Year game in 2001, we selected the the Battle of Gettysburg. As with the real battle we fought it over three days, assigning whichever players were available to whichever commands were available. For rules we used 'Volley and Bayonet'. Day one went pretty much according to history, although the Confederates extended their right flank further than they did in reality, in an attempt to take the Round Tops as quickly as possible. The day ended with the Union entrenched on the Culp's Hill/Cemetary Hill line, with reinforcements moving into position on their left to counter the Confederate moves in that direction. Day two saw the Confederates launch an attack on the Round Tops. Some hard fighting saw the Union hold the line, but at the cost of the whole of III Corps. A Confederate gun line did severe damage to the Union centre, but a counter-attack by XII Corps drove them off temporarily. The Confederates also assaulted the very end of Cemetary Ridge, and drove the defenders back. They could not maintain their position, however, and fell back. Day three began with the Union still in position, but a Union counter-attack at the end of the second day saw II Corps and the remains of III Corps in position on the Confederate right, perpendicular to and in front of the Round Tops. The day opened with a an attack by II Corps on the Confederate right, which was bloodily repulsed. The Confederates moved their entire reserve and Stuart's cavalry to their right in order to launch another assault on the Union left. Some vicious fighting saw their attack blunted by Pleasonton's cavalry and the remains of III Corps, and the attack never reached the hills. However, on the Union right an attack off Culp's Hill by VI Corps failed to dislodge the Confederates. Towards the end of the day, the whole Confederate line attacked the Union centre and right, pushing the Union off Culp's Hill and the northern end of the ridge. Night fell on two shattered armies, and the battle was judged to be a tactical Confederate victory; the Union were in a position to retire in good order, with the Confederates in no position to pursue.
Oh, and because of the way the weekend fell in relation to the New Year, we did fight the 2001 game in 2000!
All pictures by Tony Cane. No pictures were taken of Day one.
