Sharpeville Campaign : Initial Deployment

Campaign map overview with Confederate initial dispositions.
(click to enlarge)

The best strategy in this campaign - I think! - is to try and bring on a battle where Lee can achieve local superiority before enemy reinforcements can reach the scene. There are two towns that will yield VPs for the Confederates in the northwestern area of the map ( Sharpeville and Fremont), so Pope will initially move to defend these. This means I can guess his general deployment and target one of the flanks – I have chosen the eastern approach. Lee’s initial disposition is just south of the Rappahannock, and he has issued orders to make for Berry Creek with Robertson’s cavalry out in front to prevent any nasty surprises. Fitzhugh Lee’s troopers are posted out wide on his left to screen the movement from the enemy and gather intelligence.

If Pope can concentrate his entire force on any battlefield then the Rebs will be outnumbered, so Lee’s main tactical consideration is to avoid this.

We both have a limited number of Command Points each turn to spend on scouting and movement, and these could all initially be allocated to cavalry units rather than army movement, enabling them to cover a lot of ground and scout a lot of squares. I haven’t decided yet whether to do this on the first turn, though I suspect the enemy might – knowledge is power! However, once a cavalry unit encounters an opposing cavalry unit it’s scouting and movement abilities are substantially curtailed, making careful defensive screening a viable tactical option, and less drain on Command Points.




Lee, Longstreet, Jackson and Stuart prepare to march.