Little Round Top (1863)

Last night I put on a 20mm ACW game at the club using old school Airfix figures and my Beards n’ Bayonets rules. The scenario was a classic: Little Round Top from the Battle of Gettysburg, evocatively portrayed in the 1993 film Gettysburg.

Kamall, Doug, Richard and Greg were Confederates, with 27 units in six brigades and eight artillery batteries. Alex and Philip were Federals, with 16 units initially (4 off table) in five brigades, and six batteries.

Doug begins the Confederate attack in the centre

Alex commanded the Union centre (one brigade), while Philip was in charge of three others on the right – facing Richard

Kamall moved his artillery forward in the centre, and began to advance on the Confederate right

The bulk of the Union army was on their right, with multiple artillery batteries facing Richard’s brigades

Richard nevertheless made a brave frontal assault in open ground…

Doug was soon making an advance against Ward’s veteran New York brigade in the centre

Law’s veteran Alabama brigade (Kamall) set off on the Confederate flanking move towards Round Top

Now Philip and Richard faced off on the Confederate left

Alex managed to roll in the Union reinforcements, which began a slow deployment at Little Round Top (Colonel Chamberlain’s 20th Maine among them)

Robertson’s Texas brigade (Doug) now slammed into Alex’s New York veterans on the hill in the centre

As Kamall crested Round Top, Greg took over Benning’s brigade behind them

However, after carnage on the Union right, Richard’s brigades had been decimated

Meanwhile, Doug’s Confederates were pushing Ward’s brigade out of the Union centre…

Alex’s reinforcements got into position at Little Round Top, as Kamall’s Alabama brigade surged forwards, supported by artillery

Although Doug’s men were now claiming the centre, Philip’s remaining troops swung round to begin their own flanking move against the Confederate left

Greg’s brigade moved up in the centre to support Kamall, linking with Doug’s units

Little Round Top was coming under sustained assault from Kamall’s brigade

The Alabamans poured close range volleys onto Chamberlain’s men, who replied in kind…

Kamall swung three other units against the far left of the Union position at Little Round Top

Unfortunately for the Confederates, Philip’s troops were forcing Doug’s command to form a new defensive line in the centre, erasing his earlier gains

In the end, Alex’s command, losing one unit, managed to just hold on to Little Round Top, in spite of Greg’s brigade almost occupying it

All in all a fun game. The Confederates captured Round Top, but Little Round Top – despite a scare – was still in Union hands, so this was a Union win. The Confederates had lost 13 units (mostly from Richard’s exposed command) to the Union’s 7, to exclude artillery losses. A historical result, one could say, and good evening’s play considering most players were new to the rules.