Sharpeville Campaign - Cutler's Farm

A massive volley ripples down the Rebel line
(artistic license really - the enemy are still over 500 yds away on this scale!)

The Battle of Cutler's Farm is well under way - both sides started with a big chunk of their forces deployed and only half a mile apart, so the action became intense very quickly. From bottom left to top right you can see Starke's entire division - the brigades of Winder, Jones, Taliaferro and Field forming a solid line that links to A.P.Hill's flank in the distance. The two divisions are advancing against Ricketts and Doubleday (McDowell's III Corps attached to Pope from the AOP) on either side of the Cutler farmhouse.

The situation at the end of the first session
(click to enlarge)

The plan (such as it is!) will be to pressure Ian along the entire front and keep him off balance, hopefully forcing him to commit his substantial reserves to the wrong place. I have detached Ewell from Jackson and sent him to support Hood in a sweeping flank manoeuvre round the Barnes Farm on our left towards the main Sharpeville road. I have already seen a sweating courier lashing his horse to carry this news back to Union HQ!

Walker's artillery is just arriving at the centre of the Confederate line ( there will be no repeat of the artillery fiasco in the last game!), but the centre remains our weak point and I think Ian may have registered this. The good news is that the inital rounds of combat have slightly favoured the Rebs. But we have no reserves - it will be touch and go.

View a full battle report here:  http://wargameswithmybrother.blogspot.co.uk/