WBTS via Vassal - Weeks 21 to 24

On to cycle 11 of 1861.

The Union carried forward 8 supply to which they add 175 for the new cycle and 11 for occupied towns.  Total of 194 to go with 50 personnel points.

Their builds are to augment a 3-3 and 4-3 to two 10-3 divisions, convert 6 garrison to two 3-3 divisions, raise 15 militia and lay down the keel of an ironclad.  They are left with 74 supply.

The Confederate carried forward 121 supply to which they add 8 from seaports, 40 from major city supply and 79 from towns.  Total of 245 to go with 30 personnel points.  The Confederates are facing five cycles without supply from towns and so need to be a bit careful.

The Confederates augment four 3-3s to 10-3s, convert three 4-2s to 4-3s, build one supply wagon and one garrison point.  This leaves them 155 supply.

The Union deploy an 8 strength infantry division to St Louis along with a supply train, a 2 strength cavalry division and 5 garrison, a 6 strength infantry division to Alton and 6 garrison to Baltimore. There are 10 militia for later deployment.  A new Naval Transport arrives and the ironclad in St Louis finally finishes fitout.  In St Louis there is a brigade merge to bolster one of the cavalry divisions in Halleck's command.  Lyon also undertakes a brigade merge to rebuild one of his divisions.

The Confederates deploy a 10 strength division to Memphis and a 4 strength one to Little Rock. They have 9 militia to deploy later.  The ironclad in New Orleans is still under going fitout.  Longstreet beefs up one of his divisions by a brigade merge.

The Confederates get five Corps HQs.  Magruder and Hardee are promoted to Corps commanders. Corps HQs are placed in Memphis, Mobile and Washington for the encouragement of Polk, Van Dorn and Stuart respectively.

The Union relocate a Department from Indianapolis to Evansville.  Three new Union leaders arrive, Pope, Keyes and Heinzelmann.  Pope goes to St Louis.  Keyes goes to Baltimore and Heinzelmann replaces McDowell as Corps Commander in Washington.

The Union use 27 supply and 4 rail, the Confederates 23 supply and 7 rail.  The Union create a depot in Fort Pickens and broadcast supply to it - this will greatly aid their navy in The Gulf.  The Union also pump supplies into St Louis's depot and Halleck's Supply Train.  The Confederates broadcast resources to Jackson.

In Missouri a militia is raised for the Union.  I now realise to claim supply from the neutral towns, even though they are now owned, they need to be occupied.

Kentucky joins the Union.

Week 21

The Union get the 3 chit, which is not good news for the Confederacy who are currently very stretched.

The Union had planned to send Lyon to finish the conquest of Missouri, but with Jackson's appearance that has been cancelled.  It was then planning to send Halleck to complete the job, but with Kentucky joining the Union that plan has now been cancelled.  It will be left to Pope to complete subduing Missouri.

In the East Keyes is going to try and breath some life into the Peninsula where a lot of troops have been sitting idile in Fort Monroe.  McDowell is going to be given a rest and attend to repairing railway lines, although he has been given secret orders.

So, Keyes is ordered to Fort Monroe and McDowell joins the Railway Repair unit (he's had a peek at his secret orders so his spirits are high).  In the West Halleck gets cracking activating both Pope and Banks.  The 6-3 in Alton is railed to Bowling Green (which is conveniently 30 hexes away - an easy week's rail journey).  One militia is sent to occupy Hannibal.  Banks and the 8-3 and the Supply Train move to Alton, while Halleck and the cavalry lead the way to Kentucky.  Pope takes 4 militia and starts to march on Rolla.  The iron clad moves down the Mississippi to support Lyons who also now pulls in Kentucky militia from Columbus.

Heinzelmann cautiously advances.  His challenge is to coordinate with Keyes.  Buell returns to Washington.

The Union fleet in the Gulf resupplies from the depot at Fort Pickens.  Militia are raised in Washington, Baltimore and Cairo.

The Confederacy are beset with challenges.

Beauregard matches Burnside in the Shenandoah.

Longstreet at Fredericksburg is without a supply train.

There is a garrison in Richmond, but no army. 

Missouri is a side show.

Halleck's advance on Nashville has to be stopped.

There is time, but Lyons has to be watched.

Hardee is ordered to Nashville.  It is going to take a while.  He might be able to coordinate with Jackson, but no luck.  Price and Polk decline to move as well.

Stuart is ordered back to Richmond with the cavalry, sending one cavalry division to Yorktown as a blocking force on the Peninsula.  Beauregard and Longstreet stay put.

Week 22

Zero initiative for the Union.

Van Dorn is ordered to Mobile, Hardee is told to continue to Nashville.  Polk and Price do nothing, but Jackson does cooperate  with Hardee, not that it can achieve much.  Everyone else stays put, confident that the Union won't be doing anything.

McDowell repairs the Baltimore-Ohio rail line and then heads for Alton (entrained with the repair unit).  McClellan goes on a sweep capturing bridges and Manassas.  The remaining Union generals sit put.

Week 23

The Union bounce back with the 3 initiative chit.

Lyon's supply train is ordered up from New Madrid, making a dangerous ferry crossing via Columbus to join him.  He is further bolstered by a 4 strong militia unit being transported by river to join him.

McClellan is ordered to continue his sweep, clearing the north bank of the Rappahannock before returning to Washington.  Heinzelmann, in an unexpected move, sends reinforcements to Burnside. Keyes struggles to get command of the troops in Fort Monroe.

McDowell arrives in Alton to see it packed with Bank's troops who don't appear to be moving.  On the way he'd passed Halleck who was also stationary and in the distance, if he had really good eyesight, he would see Pope similarly stalled.

Burnside thinks really hard about attacking.

The Confederates concentrate in the West, ordering Polk to come back to Memphis, while telling him to send his supply train on ahead to Missouri.  Hardee will soon be in Nashville and even Price gets his druthers and cuts the rail line at Rolla and then falls back to await Pope.  He might be waiting a long time.

Van Dorn has many possibilities, but thinks it is best to stay put and train his troops.  The Confederate generals in the east think the same.

Week 24

And the Union get the 3 initiative chit again.

Banks is ordered to rail to Bowling Green.  Lyon is told to besiege the fort at Island No. 10 which he willing does.  McDowell, who is in excellent spirits, rails to start repair on the line to Ironton.  Polk and Halleck fail to move.

Sadly the third free initiative has to be used in the East and so the opportunity is taken to send the militia in Pittsburgh to Philadelphia.  The rest of the Union generals wait and see if Burnside will attack...

Nah.

Jackson sadly realises he is now just covering Nashville.  Hardee arrives there but realises he won't be much use without a supply train.  The frustration in the Confederacy is palpable.

Polk is heard to scream "Do you want me to liberate Missouri or not?"  He is allowed to move his supply train further north and militia are raised in Marion to support him.  Everyone else stays put.

The East

The West

Casualties

None.