B & O WINTER command simulation stalled between student exams, making a new map for Bath and preparation for a marriage. Hopefully, I will give some more details later, but here is a broad summary of how the simulation progressed.
Basically, Jackson concentrated his division in Winchester. Leaving Gilham's Brigade and some militia there, he moved northwest through Pughtown towards Bloomery Gap with Bath (and who knows what else as his objective). He had companies of Ashby's Cavalry guarding the gaps to the west of the Shenandoah and a few companies and Chew's Battery to the north near Hedgesville and Hainesville, observing the enemy at Dam No. 5. Jackson did not make any special precautions for guarding his trains, nor did he leave an force occupying Strasburg, which had been the starting point for two of the brigades that were joining Jackson from the Army of the Northwest.
Landers had his brigades spread out at the beginning of the campaign. Dunning was in Romney, Kimball in Bath, and Tyler in Hancock. Cavalry was spread around from Haines Mill and Frenchburg to Springfield. Among his first orders, Lander had men destroy the suspension bridge north of Hanging Rocks and then started moving a battalion of the 1st Virginia Cavalry to Hanckock. Lander took great care to guard his trains, assigning companies of the 1st Potomac Home Brigade cavalry and detached infantry battalions as guards.
Landers order one battalion of the 14th Indiana from Bath to Dam No. 5. The rest of Kimball's Brigade was ordered to march on Winchester from Bath. Tyler was to march on Martinsburg from Hancock and Dunning to move on Strasburg. Then, the rain and the snow came. Tyler and Kimball were stuck in the mud. Dunning was slowed, but the weather was better east of the Shenandoah and he made remarkable time towards his destination.
By chance, there was a mistaken order for Ashby's Cavalry. Major Funsten was operating around Hedgesville and Hainesville with companies B and G and Chew's Battery, observing Williams' Brigade (Bank's Division) at Dam No. 5. Company C, which was posted far to the southwest at Shull's Gap, was ordered to Hainesville (presumably by mistake), as Lieutenant Colonel Ashby moved other companies from the gaps west of Martinsburg toward Bloomery Gap. Company C met with Ashby and 4 companies near Unger's Store. The next morning, Company C headed northward to join Funsten and ran into Kimball's Column stuck in the mud. The enemy had been discovered!
The Battle of Rhodes Farm north of Ungers Store has appeared in the blog. Kimball had three infantry regiments and a battery present. The 39th Illinois and 84th Pennsylvania deployed on either side of a road near the farm, with a battery in the center across the road and the 7th Virginia in support. Jackson left Taliaferro's Brigade and two batteries in reserve and out of sight of the enemy and then advanced with a battalion of cavalry, Anderson's Brigade, Garnett's (Stonewall) Brigade, and two batteries.
Jackson's cavalry was repulsed and then then reformed to find a way to the enemy's rear. Anderson deployed and attacked Kimball as Garnett climbed a wooded ridge to move on Kimball's flank. Anderson's Brigade was taking heavy canister and attempted to charge the Federal guns, but was repulsed. The 84th Pennsylvania counter-charged, but was also repulsed. As Kimball steadied his line, he moved the 7th Virginia to the left flank to attempt to defending against the pending flank assault by Garnett. In the end, a Confederate battery was within canister range and inflicted heavy loss on the 39th Illinois, causing the Federals to retreat before the 7th Virginia and Garnett were engaged. At the end of the battle, Jackson received news: Strasburg had been taken by the enemy (Dunning). Jackson sent Taliaferro's Brigade back to Winchester with orders to move with Gilham and Carson's Militia against whatever force was in Strasburg. At the same time, Dunning was ordered north.
The next day, Kimball was falling back towards Bath, Tyler moving on Martinsburg, and Dunning tearing up track from the Manasas Gap Railroad around Strasburg. The five companies with Ashby attacked Kimball's cavalry train with some success, but Kimball slipped back into Bath with Jackson not far behind. That night, Lander ordered all available forces to Bath, while Tyler held at Martinsburg and Dunning was to move north. Lander himself was preparing to rush to Bath the next morning, hoping for help from Brigadier General Kelley's men of the Department of West Virginia, who were guarding the railroad. A battalion of the 2nd Maryland Potomac Home Brigade was in Bath and had joined Kimball.
And that's were it ended. We can only guess what would have happened at Bath with a smaller force under Jackson against what was potentially a strong position on Warm Spring Mountain, if Kimball had taken it. But... Kimball was unlikely to get re-enforced until the afternoon. Could he hold out? Dunning and the force at Winchester would have eventually clashed as well, perhaps on January 8th somewhere between Strasburg and Winchester. It is all speculation now.
A few notes: Both players played an excellent campaign. Cavalry, however, was under-utilized as a scouting force. There were units who did not move during the campaign who could have been looking for the enemy, or at least occupying a town. The objective of the simulation was to occupy territory. It was still early in the sim, but the players did not seem to be focused on occupation. Detaching a company to occupy a town would have generated points.
The players responded well to the weather - which must have been frustrating. When the rain and snow was too much, they halted their marches until the weather and roads improved. They also responded well to intelligence as it was available. It was a short campaign, but hopefully enjoyable to the players until the rigors of "real life" took over for all of us and momentum was lost. Thanks guys!
Work is already starting on BOW II - an improved version will probably start post-Bath and Hancock (around January 10th 1862).
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