hey guys ive been gone for a while and recently saw the movie Gettysburg and read the novel The Killer Angels and was bored so put this little scenario together.
In this scenario the POD is when Hooker decides to send a corps to seek out Lee's Army and brings on a general engagement between a substantial chunk of both armies but still leads to Gettysburg. This focuses on the beginning of the campaign, i'll post the rest some other time. Feedback is welcome and discussion also to this scenario. I know there must be a whole bunch of other alternate Gettysburg scenarios but here you go
June 3rd 1863
The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, Robert E. Lee commanding 75,000 strong begins moving north to begin the Second Invasion of The North. A letter has been prepared by the the Confederate President Jefferson Davis whihc is to placed on Abraham Lincoln's desk the day after Lee's army destroys the Union Army of The Potomac. 6 days later on June 9th 1863 The Union Army of The Potomac 94,000 strong led by Joseph Hooker begins moving north trailing Lee's Army. Confederate Cavalry under J.E.B. Stuart move along the Rappahannock River screening Confederate movements. Maj General Joseph Hooker sends Pleasonton's Cavalry as well as Slocums Corps to Brandy Station with orders to perform a reconassiance in force to determine Lee's actions. On June 10th Pleasonton's Cavalry arrives at Brandy Station to find J.E.B. Stuarts Cavalry also arriving, both contingents begin fighting. Pleasonton send's a message to Slocum informing him of the heavy confederate presence and is noted as saying "ive found the gold pot at the end of the rainbow." Thinking they have found Lee Slocum asks Hooker to bring forth an Engagement. Hooker doubts that Lee's whole army is at Brandy Station, Hooker orders Slocum to take Brandy Station and see where the enemy is and how many are there.
Battle at Brandy Station June 11th 1863
As soon as Slocum recieves the order he begins planning an attack on Brandy Station. Stuart fearing an immediate attack deploys his units to stall the union advance. Some of his unmounted Cavalry take position behind a stone wall next to Welford's Ford. The men behind the stone wall belong to W.H.F. Lee and are some of Stuart's most experienced men, to the south of that position is Jones men who have blocked the road with log works and Abatus that were made in a rush and on the other side of the road is Hampton's Legion positioned at an angle to form a kill zone to entrap as many yankee's as possible.
To protect his rear and right flank Stuart places Robertson on the road to Kelly's Ford to give off a warning if the Federals attempt to flank. On the Morning of June 11th with everybody in position Pleasonton launches his assault. Kilpatrick's Cavalry regiments cross at Beverly's ford and charge to the stonewall were Lee's men are positioned. Heavy fighting ensues between the units until the rebels give in and are forced to fall back, to the south Buford crosses Kelly's Ford and robertson is forced to pull back towards St. James church. Seeing he is being flanked on all sides Stuart gives the order to fall back to pre-fortified positions on Fleetwood Hill. Stuart desperate and fearing total destruction sends a runner to lee's current HQ at culpeper courthouse asking for at least a Corps to assist. Lee relucant to bring on a full scale battle sends Longstreet to the fight. By midday Longstreet is on the field and is beginning to deploy his divisions, the Union Cavalry attempt to take Fleetwood Hill but confederate Artillery discourage the attack. Upon hearing news of Bufords Crossing to the south Robertsons' and Hampton's regiments are ordered to turn and face the old carolina road were Buford is coming up. Within minutes union cavalry charge out of the woods across the road and fierce melee combat takes place. Confederate Guns firing from Fleetwood hill can not distinguish friend or foes so as a result both union and confederate cavalrymen die in the ensuing barrage to deter the federal attack. By 12 midday the Federals are repulsed, Stuart's men are tired but Longstreet has arrived on the field and deployed most of his corps, McLaws' Division reinforces Fleetwood Hill with Pickett's Division positioned along Flat run creek and Hood's Division in reserve. After several hours of artillery exchanges Slocum prepares his assault, his First Division under Alpheus S. Williams is tasked with taking Fleetwood Hill. The Second Division under John Geary is ordered to flank south and take Mt. Dumpling in the prcoess threatening the Confederate rear and right. At 3 in the afternoon the attack gets under way with Williams Division charging Fleetwood hill after a 2 hour artillery barrage of the confederate position. The 1st Brigade under Col. McDougall charges the position. At 60 yards he orders his brigade to stop and fire, the brave federals halt and fire and charge with bayonets. They suceed in capturing a couple of confederate guns but upon reaching the crest of the hill they find the entirety of McLaws Division. The confederates counter charge and drive the federals back down the hill. Williams sends his 3rd Brigade under Brigadier General Thomas Ruger to charge, once again the Federals charge up the hill, at 60 yards they stop and fire and charge. The 3rd Brigade smashes into Kershaws Brigade ensuing in more intense hadn to hand combat in which eyewitnesses report both brigadier generals egange each other in sword fighting. At one point the line seems to break but General Barksdale sends the 13th Mississippi to help plug the hole and the Federals are once again forced to pull back. Slocum angered at his failure to take Fleetwood Hill orders Geary to charge the confederate right and turn their flank. Geary orders his 1st and 2nd Brigades to charge the confederates across Flat Run while the 3rd Brigade heads south and around the confederate flank. Pickett having sensed that Slocum would attempt to flank him orders Hood's Division to move south and prepare for a counter charge. The 1st and 2nd Brigades of Geary's division make no progress and can't even cross Flat Run but are close enough to the confederate position to engage in a rifle firefight which causes heavy casualties to both sides. Geary's 3rd Brigade succeeds in flanking the end of Pickett's line and make a run for the confederate rear but minutes into their dash they run into Hood's entire Division. The confederates rush the Union Brigade aside capturing over half of it, Geary unable to see what is going on is unaware that his remaining two brigades are in imminent danger of being overrun from all directions. Hoods Division on a battle high run around the 2 union brigades and run directly into the one remaining Federal Brigade, Lockwood's Brigade and an Artillery Brigade under the command of Edward Muhlenburg. Geary himself is caught in the middle of the fight seeing the mass of confederate soldiers attacking the sole brigade, Geary orders his other 2 brigades to pull back to attempt to stop Hoods Division but the Runner is killed. Geary and his staff along with Lockwood's Brigade and Muhlenburg's artillery brigade are seperated from the rest of the division and forced into a triangle position were mountains run and flat run merge. Surrounded on all sides the Federals fight all afternoon until dusk when the fighting settles.
Soon before midnight Geary attempts a breakout but he is killed in the attempt and Lockwood's brigade is all but destroyed and Muhlenburg's brigade surrenders the next morning. Slocum is unaware that Geary is dead and that his division is almost destroyed. On June 12th the remaining brigades of Geary's division are caught by surprise n their enacmpment by Hoods Division and Pickett's division after 20 minutes of fighting the remaining Federals surrender. Slocum informs Pleasonton of the lack of communication between him and Geary. Pleasonton orders Buford to establish contact with Geary's division but all buford can find are the destroyed remains of the divisions encampment and a whole bunch of dead. Slocum comes to the realization that his corps is on the verge of destruction, he pulls back his remaining division across the Rappahannock and heads towards Manassas Junction with Pleasonton covering his withdrawal. In two days of combat Lee's plan is almost discovered but the Confederates prevail. On the 13th of June Longstreet's Corps resumes its march north several days behind the rest of Lee's Army and J.E.B. Stuart heads out screening the Confederate Army from the Federals.
Once Again on June 15th Stuarts Cavalry clashes with Pleasonton's forces repulsing the Federal forces and keeping them well away from Lee's Army. Hooker believing Lee's Army to be coming up the roads to Manassas Junction attempting to destroy the rest of Slocums Corps he concentrates around Manassas Junction. He ignores messages from his cavalry commanders informing him that a substantial Confederate force was seen moving across the Blue Ridge mountains by Snickers Gap.
On June 16th Confederate forces cross the Potomac River and head north through maryland past sharpsburg and reach hagerstown by nightfall. That same day Stuarts Cavalry crosses the potomac and passes well into the union rear on a dash to washington, on June 20th he reaches the outer defenses of the capital and skirmishes the outer forts to see the reaction. Lincoln recalls Hooker and the army back to Washington, hooker fearing an all out Confederate assault on the capital forces a march back to washington. He arrives on June 23rd only to find that the rebel forces have left.
June 27th Lee's Army enters Pennsylvania unopposed and Lee orders the concentration of forces around the town of Gettysburg. On June 30th The Second Confederate Corps under LT. General Richard S. Ewell arrives at gettysburg, after surveying the terrain his engineers inform him that fortifying Cemetery Hill and Culps hill is the best choice and setting up positions on the little round tops.
on July 1st and 2nd the majority of the confederate army has arrived with Ewell's Corps having taken position on Culp's hill and Cemtery Hill with a a couple of brigade's stationed on Benner's Hill in case the federals attempt to flank when and if they arrive. On July 2nd Hooker realizes that the confederates are deep into northern territory and orders his army to march nothrt to seek them out. On july 3rd Longstreet arrives on the field, A.P. Hill's Corps takes positions along Cemetery Ridge, Longstreet on the round tops with J.E.B. Stuart protecting the Right Flank and the rear by positioning himself on the emmitsburg Road near rose woods and the peach orchard. Lee sets his HQ in a house in gettysburg and the confederates sit and wait for the union to arrive.
In this scenario the POD is when Hooker decides to send a corps to seek out Lee's Army and brings on a general engagement between a substantial chunk of both armies but still leads to Gettysburg. This focuses on the beginning of the campaign, i'll post the rest some other time. Feedback is welcome and discussion also to this scenario. I know there must be a whole bunch of other alternate Gettysburg scenarios but here you go
June 3rd 1863
The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, Robert E. Lee commanding 75,000 strong begins moving north to begin the Second Invasion of The North. A letter has been prepared by the the Confederate President Jefferson Davis whihc is to placed on Abraham Lincoln's desk the day after Lee's army destroys the Union Army of The Potomac. 6 days later on June 9th 1863 The Union Army of The Potomac 94,000 strong led by Joseph Hooker begins moving north trailing Lee's Army. Confederate Cavalry under J.E.B. Stuart move along the Rappahannock River screening Confederate movements. Maj General Joseph Hooker sends Pleasonton's Cavalry as well as Slocums Corps to Brandy Station with orders to perform a reconassiance in force to determine Lee's actions. On June 10th Pleasonton's Cavalry arrives at Brandy Station to find J.E.B. Stuarts Cavalry also arriving, both contingents begin fighting. Pleasonton send's a message to Slocum informing him of the heavy confederate presence and is noted as saying "ive found the gold pot at the end of the rainbow." Thinking they have found Lee Slocum asks Hooker to bring forth an Engagement. Hooker doubts that Lee's whole army is at Brandy Station, Hooker orders Slocum to take Brandy Station and see where the enemy is and how many are there.
Battle at Brandy Station June 11th 1863
As soon as Slocum recieves the order he begins planning an attack on Brandy Station. Stuart fearing an immediate attack deploys his units to stall the union advance. Some of his unmounted Cavalry take position behind a stone wall next to Welford's Ford. The men behind the stone wall belong to W.H.F. Lee and are some of Stuart's most experienced men, to the south of that position is Jones men who have blocked the road with log works and Abatus that were made in a rush and on the other side of the road is Hampton's Legion positioned at an angle to form a kill zone to entrap as many yankee's as possible.
To protect his rear and right flank Stuart places Robertson on the road to Kelly's Ford to give off a warning if the Federals attempt to flank. On the Morning of June 11th with everybody in position Pleasonton launches his assault. Kilpatrick's Cavalry regiments cross at Beverly's ford and charge to the stonewall were Lee's men are positioned. Heavy fighting ensues between the units until the rebels give in and are forced to fall back, to the south Buford crosses Kelly's Ford and robertson is forced to pull back towards St. James church. Seeing he is being flanked on all sides Stuart gives the order to fall back to pre-fortified positions on Fleetwood Hill. Stuart desperate and fearing total destruction sends a runner to lee's current HQ at culpeper courthouse asking for at least a Corps to assist. Lee relucant to bring on a full scale battle sends Longstreet to the fight. By midday Longstreet is on the field and is beginning to deploy his divisions, the Union Cavalry attempt to take Fleetwood Hill but confederate Artillery discourage the attack. Upon hearing news of Bufords Crossing to the south Robertsons' and Hampton's regiments are ordered to turn and face the old carolina road were Buford is coming up. Within minutes union cavalry charge out of the woods across the road and fierce melee combat takes place. Confederate Guns firing from Fleetwood hill can not distinguish friend or foes so as a result both union and confederate cavalrymen die in the ensuing barrage to deter the federal attack. By 12 midday the Federals are repulsed, Stuart's men are tired but Longstreet has arrived on the field and deployed most of his corps, McLaws' Division reinforces Fleetwood Hill with Pickett's Division positioned along Flat run creek and Hood's Division in reserve. After several hours of artillery exchanges Slocum prepares his assault, his First Division under Alpheus S. Williams is tasked with taking Fleetwood Hill. The Second Division under John Geary is ordered to flank south and take Mt. Dumpling in the prcoess threatening the Confederate rear and right. At 3 in the afternoon the attack gets under way with Williams Division charging Fleetwood hill after a 2 hour artillery barrage of the confederate position. The 1st Brigade under Col. McDougall charges the position. At 60 yards he orders his brigade to stop and fire, the brave federals halt and fire and charge with bayonets. They suceed in capturing a couple of confederate guns but upon reaching the crest of the hill they find the entirety of McLaws Division. The confederates counter charge and drive the federals back down the hill. Williams sends his 3rd Brigade under Brigadier General Thomas Ruger to charge, once again the Federals charge up the hill, at 60 yards they stop and fire and charge. The 3rd Brigade smashes into Kershaws Brigade ensuing in more intense hadn to hand combat in which eyewitnesses report both brigadier generals egange each other in sword fighting. At one point the line seems to break but General Barksdale sends the 13th Mississippi to help plug the hole and the Federals are once again forced to pull back. Slocum angered at his failure to take Fleetwood Hill orders Geary to charge the confederate right and turn their flank. Geary orders his 1st and 2nd Brigades to charge the confederates across Flat Run while the 3rd Brigade heads south and around the confederate flank. Pickett having sensed that Slocum would attempt to flank him orders Hood's Division to move south and prepare for a counter charge. The 1st and 2nd Brigades of Geary's division make no progress and can't even cross Flat Run but are close enough to the confederate position to engage in a rifle firefight which causes heavy casualties to both sides. Geary's 3rd Brigade succeeds in flanking the end of Pickett's line and make a run for the confederate rear but minutes into their dash they run into Hood's entire Division. The confederates rush the Union Brigade aside capturing over half of it, Geary unable to see what is going on is unaware that his remaining two brigades are in imminent danger of being overrun from all directions. Hoods Division on a battle high run around the 2 union brigades and run directly into the one remaining Federal Brigade, Lockwood's Brigade and an Artillery Brigade under the command of Edward Muhlenburg. Geary himself is caught in the middle of the fight seeing the mass of confederate soldiers attacking the sole brigade, Geary orders his other 2 brigades to pull back to attempt to stop Hoods Division but the Runner is killed. Geary and his staff along with Lockwood's Brigade and Muhlenburg's artillery brigade are seperated from the rest of the division and forced into a triangle position were mountains run and flat run merge. Surrounded on all sides the Federals fight all afternoon until dusk when the fighting settles.
Soon before midnight Geary attempts a breakout but he is killed in the attempt and Lockwood's brigade is all but destroyed and Muhlenburg's brigade surrenders the next morning. Slocum is unaware that Geary is dead and that his division is almost destroyed. On June 12th the remaining brigades of Geary's division are caught by surprise n their enacmpment by Hoods Division and Pickett's division after 20 minutes of fighting the remaining Federals surrender. Slocum informs Pleasonton of the lack of communication between him and Geary. Pleasonton orders Buford to establish contact with Geary's division but all buford can find are the destroyed remains of the divisions encampment and a whole bunch of dead. Slocum comes to the realization that his corps is on the verge of destruction, he pulls back his remaining division across the Rappahannock and heads towards Manassas Junction with Pleasonton covering his withdrawal. In two days of combat Lee's plan is almost discovered but the Confederates prevail. On the 13th of June Longstreet's Corps resumes its march north several days behind the rest of Lee's Army and J.E.B. Stuart heads out screening the Confederate Army from the Federals.
Once Again on June 15th Stuarts Cavalry clashes with Pleasonton's forces repulsing the Federal forces and keeping them well away from Lee's Army. Hooker believing Lee's Army to be coming up the roads to Manassas Junction attempting to destroy the rest of Slocums Corps he concentrates around Manassas Junction. He ignores messages from his cavalry commanders informing him that a substantial Confederate force was seen moving across the Blue Ridge mountains by Snickers Gap.
On June 16th Confederate forces cross the Potomac River and head north through maryland past sharpsburg and reach hagerstown by nightfall. That same day Stuarts Cavalry crosses the potomac and passes well into the union rear on a dash to washington, on June 20th he reaches the outer defenses of the capital and skirmishes the outer forts to see the reaction. Lincoln recalls Hooker and the army back to Washington, hooker fearing an all out Confederate assault on the capital forces a march back to washington. He arrives on June 23rd only to find that the rebel forces have left.
June 27th Lee's Army enters Pennsylvania unopposed and Lee orders the concentration of forces around the town of Gettysburg. On June 30th The Second Confederate Corps under LT. General Richard S. Ewell arrives at gettysburg, after surveying the terrain his engineers inform him that fortifying Cemetery Hill and Culps hill is the best choice and setting up positions on the little round tops.
on July 1st and 2nd the majority of the confederate army has arrived with Ewell's Corps having taken position on Culp's hill and Cemtery Hill with a a couple of brigade's stationed on Benner's Hill in case the federals attempt to flank when and if they arrive. On July 2nd Hooker realizes that the confederates are deep into northern territory and orders his army to march nothrt to seek them out. On july 3rd Longstreet arrives on the field, A.P. Hill's Corps takes positions along Cemetery Ridge, Longstreet on the round tops with J.E.B. Stuart protecting the Right Flank and the rear by positioning himself on the emmitsburg Road near rose woods and the peach orchard. Lee sets his HQ in a house in gettysburg and the confederates sit and wait for the union to arrive.