Song of Drums and Kepis AAR - Foraging Mission Scenario

Monday March 13 out come the Song of... Rules but this time using the ACW Supplement featured in 61 to 65 so time for some Song of Drums and Kepis! We picked the Foraging Mission Scenario, having read Flames Beyond Gettysburg (S L Mingus Sr) we placed our game in June 1863 as Ewells Corps pushed north to the Susquehanna River. Our force selections reflected this; the Northerners were mainly Conscripts and Militia (read lots of poor quality troops) whilst the Southerners were a few seasoned Veterans (uhoh!), would numbers or quality prevail!

Rebels 'Foraging'...

The Forces

USA

1 x NCO with Rifle and Revolver

1 x Veteran Marksman with Rifle

10 x Conscripts with Rifles

3 x Militiamen with Rifles

CSA

1 x Officer with Revolver and Sword

5 x Veterans with rifles

4x Veterans with Muskets

The Game

From a Northern Newspaper

...the gallant but desperate decision of Master Sergeant O’Higgins to throw himself into the front line turned the tide. Knowing that his command was not going to get out of their tents before the butternut wave of Secessionists swept through the camp he threw himself forward loosing off both his rifle and revolver. Singlehandedly he drove the Southerners back over the encampments fence. it was then he was struck to the ground by a lucky blow from a Rebel. Momentarily dazed he looked up to see one of his trusty men, Private Masters leap the fence and fell the the Confederate soldier who was about the skewer O’Higgins. after this Masters raced forward in a maddened rage bayoneting the Rebel's Leader. Mortified at the loss of their Officer the Confederates fled into the woods where only a sort while earlier they had emerged whooping in excitement!

Some Pictures

The Rebels entered the tabletop, quietly formed up at the tree line and prepared to launch themselves on the slumbering Yankees whose few sentries were oblivious of the danger...

Charge Boys! Get amongst them! Roared the Rebel Lieutenant...

Quickly the Rebels overcome the sentries and they found themselves inside the Union perimeter...

The last sentry crashes to the ground....

The drowsy Union troops manage to take out one of the attackers! At this point a few Conscripts fled seeing Private Parts suffer terribly from a head wound.

Ooops forgot to take pictures covering the rallying of the Yankees, Master Sergeant O'Higgins being knocked down and the Union resurgence... DOH!

Private Masters comes face to face with the Confederate Officer...

...and fells him in a brief tussle! A resounding Yankee 'Huzzah' is heard across the battlefield!

After Game Stuff

Well we had a lot of time for coffee and biscuits after this little game in hindsight I should have set the figures up again and we should have replayed the scenario. In this game both sides exposed their Leaders officers recklessly and pushed men forwarded unsupported a recipe for disaster! Either side could have won at one point the Rebs missed the opportunity to finish off the Yankee leader as he lay prone, given a similar chance the Southerners leapt at it taking out the Confederate Leader resulting in a victory!

Next fortnight we are playing Song of Drums and Kepis again!