War For The Union via Vassal May 1863

With a new appreciation of the attrition rules, some changes are underway.

Sherman with his 30,000 troops with 3 fatigue checks for attrition.  The die roll is a 10, the only roll that would cause 5,000 casualties.  So it goes.  He receives 20,000 reinforcements and sits planning his revenge.

Union cavalry head into Mississippi, reaching Columbus and Goodman along the railway lines.

Huribut forces marches his 10,000 veterans to Madison.  Grant moves to isolate the unsupplied Confederate army of the Mississippi, taking a risk and splitting his force to do so. (The affect of being unsupplied, apart from causing the potential of losses due to attrition, is to reduce combat strength.)

Foote, now back up to strength with three squadrons of ironclads, sails further down the mighty Mississippi.

Lyon holds put, waiting for Sherman to cut off the enemy at Nashville.

Banks waits while a Naval Depot is created to maintain his supply.

Farragut sails up to Baton Rouge and has a go at the battery there.  The first round achieves nothing.  The next round and the battery scores a D2 on one of the attaching ships.  The Union break off and sail away.

While Lee is licking his wounds, Rosecrans slips over the Potomac and attacks Jackson.  It is 3:1 with a -2.  The die roll is a 2.  Both sides lose 5,000 mean and gain a fatigue.  However it puts Lee's army out of supply.

The US navy has another go at Ft Monroe.  The first wave suppresses the battery.  Subsequent waves destroy the battery.

The Confederates under go attrition.  This time the Army of the Mississippi suffer badly, losing 15,000 men who slunk off into the swamps and never came back.  Lee's troops avoid any losses (their dice roll was a 1, the other guy's was a 10).

The Confederates desperately shuffle troops around Mississippi to protect the supply centres.

J E Johnston sends out cavalry in an attempt to emulate Grant's tactic.  Other than that he can't decide what to do so does nothing.

Lee and his HQ move back to join Early and Stuart.  He has 50,000 mean and attacks Rosecrans 70,000. The odds are 2:3 with a +2.  The roll is a 5.  Both sides lose 5,000 men.  Lee is wounded.  McClellan is wounded and McDowell is killed.  Pemberton takes over command of the Army of Virginia.  Sumner and Burnside are replacements on the Union side.

It is proving very hard for the rebels to make any progress.

The Union are just plodding away and the Confederates are ignoring them, 

hoping that they will go away.

The West is becoming more a war of manoeuvre.