Fredericksburg Solo – The Game

Whenever I start a solo game I always think that it won’t be very much fun but every time I’m surprised at just how gripping it can be and this game certainly turned out to be a good one right down to the last turn.

10.00 am and the advance against Marye's Heights commences with French's Division pushing forward towards the stone wall while Howard moves up on his right. The Union casualties are heavy but so are those of the defending Confederates as the supporting rifled artillery batteries firing from across the Rappahannock take their toll.

Further to the left Franklin gets the Divisions of Meade and Gibbon moving forward. Meade takes advantage of the cover provided by the woods to his front to move on a gap in the Confederate position (in the real battle the Confederates left this approach unguarded as they considered the woods impenetrable).

By now French's lead Brigade (Kimball) has fallen back having been reduce to just 1SP by the fierce enemy fire. Palmer's Brigade has moved to the front following a successful passage of lines. The men are taking a pasting however the Rebs behind the wall are taking fire too and are also down to just 1SP.

As the time approaches noon, General Robert E Lee looks on at the unfolding drama below from his position on the ridge behind McLaws Division.

Meade's Division is now driving deep into the Confederate position. Meanwhile Gibbon's attack has stalled under the weight of fire from the enemy although the boys in blue are giving as good as they get. Encouraged by the reports he is receiving from Franklin, Burnside makes the decision to disengage Hancock at Fredericksburg so that Howe may be activated to support Gibbon. Incredibly the Union make the necessary die roll's to disengage Hancock but they still need to issue orders to Howe.

Then an incredible stroke of luck - a volley from Palmer takes out Wright's Confederate Brigade on Marye's Heights (the Union rolled 4 hits and the Rebs failed to save a single one!). There is now a chance that French's Brigade may get a foothold on the ridge. Suddenly Burnside's change of orders is looking like a mistake as Hancock is no longer available to lend support.

Meade and Gibbon are now pressing hard on the left coming close enough to the Confederates for D H Hill to be released from reserve. Both sides have been losing Brigades but so far neither side has reached its DEM level.

French's men were not allowed to use ASSAULT orders however with the stone wall vacated I decided on a die roll to see whether or not the Union troops could occupy the empty position - and they did! The Confederate Brigade opposite Palmer was down to 1SP and with the Rebs currently on a DEM of 4 there was a very real chance of victory if this Brigade could be eliminated by a determined volley.

On the left Meade was having a run of luck despite the fact that D H Hill was manoeuvring on his flank. However a command failure at Corps level meant that Howe had still not received the order to advance and support either himself or Gibbon.

Back on the right, Palmer fired another volley but this time - MISSED! The Confederates were able to carry out a passage of lines to shore up their position on Marye's Heights. The chance of a Union victory had been tantalisingly close but the moment had now passed.

On the left the fighting was fluid and brutal - here Brigades on both sides are routing at the same moment as Meade hangs on against the odds.

Finally the Union troops were forced back from Marye's Heights. With French and Howard's Division's both decimated and no reserves being brought forward the fighting here was over - it was 2.30 pm, not 5 hours since the battle had started.

On the left, somehow, Meade had led a single Brigade to the Military Road to gain 1VP but he was being rapidly flanked by D H Hill.

At the end of turn 10 both sides had reached their DEM level but the Union had 7 broken Brigades whilst the Confederates had only 4. Even allowing for the extra VP for the unit on the Military Road it was a clear Rebel victory.

Although it only lasted 10 turns the game had plenty of twists and turns with a Union victory in grasp on turn 7 that slipped away to a 7:5 victory for the Confederates. Although defeated, the Army of the Potomac did well having briefly gained Marye's Heights and giving the Rebs a tough run for their money on the left. The command restrictions imposed on the Union forces added an extra dimension to play and I may use the idea of ‘active’ and ‘inactive’ divisions again in future solo games.