TSA Annual ACW weekend 2012: Day 1

The guns are rolling forward, regiments march shoulder to shoulder and drums beat the rhytmn of the marching. The battle for Stone`s River is underway and day 1 saw the at first numerical superior confederates try to force a breakthrough against the `on the defense` Union before their corpses start filtering in and overwhelm the southern independance effort...

So without further ado, I`m presenting here all the pictures of Day 1, in between some things that happened during the day, but not necessarily with that specific picture. The table is TO big to be on the hot spots with the camera at every moment and I do have my own division to command after all.

The set up of the tables and the forces ready to be deployed on the table:








As the Confederate centre doesn`t seem to be make a decision where to make their stand, the Union can file onto the battlefield as good as unopposed, cluttering the flank in a true blue tidal wave.
Dummy blocks hide the deployment of the initial troops on the battlefield, which results in some troops cowering to advance on the Confederate side.

On the other far flank, the Confederates suffer their first general casualty as well as the smattering of a Brigade by some devastating volleys from the wing.







This caused the rebels to get blocked behind Stone`s River oppossing the Union thin flank, but there are various regiments nearby to fill in should a gap be created and the Confederates should try and pass the river by means of the fording places.







My own division, the 2nd of the 2 Corps, is traditonally the `make or break` division that comes on last to the table. Either Make a stopgap if the line would be shattered, or try and break through if we`re holding, and appeared behind the woods in front of the massed confederate cavalry which troops of us hold, and the stretched line fighting on the banks of Stone`s River. This leaves me with the choice to either reinforce the one side, double over the ridge to go for the militia horsemen or split my command and try to do both.







Well, the choice is actually already made, but a Johny Reb might be reading this so I ain`t telling teeheeheee







By the end of day 1, most troops are on the table (we played 11 turns) including some unrevealed still at both sides, and the Union has now the numerical and artillery superiority, and can be expected to start taking the offensive on day 2 as the line has held better then we even expected ourselves.







Casualty wise the Union has lost 2.5 regiments so far, the Confederates about 5 regiments, a battery AND a Brigade General. Most objectives are still in one hand or the other, but none are in the thickest of fighting yet, as is traditional in these kind of mega battles. Positions have been taken, lines been drawn and now all is getting prepared for the battle to break out in earnest at dawn on the first of january 1863...












The day ended with a diner in a local Chinese restaurant, and for me with an additional hour of work presenting you these pictures and short overview. Now Daylight Savings Time is gonna steal me an additional hour of sleep, but the south must not gather hope, tomorrow the hammer will fall and end the ambitions of Braxton Bragg once and for all. Or so we hope at least ;)