Battle of Salem Church AAR

On May 5 we re-fought the Battle of Salem Church which occurred on May 3, 1863.   So this was a 150th Anniversary remembrance.  

The players were Beverly (Russell), Brian C. (Wilcox), Byron (Brooks/Bartlett), Phil (Brown), and Tony (Semmes). 

The battle was a part of the Chancellorsville campaign.  Sedgwick's VI Corps was trying to force its way from Fredericksburg to take the Confederates in the rear and come to the aid of the beleagured main Union army around Chancellorsville.  General Wilcox's brigade of Alabamans (part of McLaw's Division) fought a running delaying action after Sedgwick's Corps had successfully taken Marye's Heights in the morning.   Wilcox turned stopped to face the advancing Union forces at Salem Church ridge where they expected to be reinforced by other elements of McLaw's division.

The scenario we used was written by John Hill (I believe) for Johnny Reb III.   I converted it for Regimental Fire & Fury and substantially reduced the width of the map.   So the game we played was on an 8'x6' battlefield (2,400 yards by 1,800 yards).   The figures are 15mm. 

The scenario starts with Brooks's Division of three brigades, Brown's, Bartlett's, and Russell's, attacking Wilcox's brigade who is waiting to be reinforced by Semmes' Georgia brigade.

Here is the map:

The battle field looking from Salem Church ridge toward the Union  lines.

Bartlett's Brigade

Brown's Brigade moves out.

Wilcox's regiments await the attack

Brown's Brigade faces off against dismounted cavalry.  This brave regiment of Virginians would hold off two  Union infantry regiments for several turns before finally succumbing to superior numbers.

The attack becomes general

The Confederates are hard=pressed

Russell's Brigade rushes to reinforce the Union attack up the  center.

The weight of numbers tells and charged by multiple Yankee regiments the Confederates are driven out of the  thicket and back towards the Salem Church ridge.

Wilcox's tired regiments reform on the other side 

In the meantime, Semme's Brigade has arrived on the field and formed up to defend the ridge.

The Union forces approach the ridge as dusk falls, too late to break through and move on toward Chancellorsville this  day.

Wilcox's brigade was roughly handled and its regiments were all worn or even spent and the Confederates had reached their "Heavy Casualties" threshold (in this scenario 1200 casualties).   But  Bartlett's and Brooks' brigades were also worn out.   Semme's brigade and Russell's brigades were untouched, but with night falling the Union had not  cleared Salem Church ridge and thus had not acheived their objective.  A marginal Rebel victory.