The war must go on!
Again no siege phase. After last month's maneuvers I expect Richmond will be starved out this supply phase.
The Union naval blockade reduced Confederate import supply to just New Orleans and Savannah for a total of 6 points. The Confederates carried forward 32. Major City supply is reduced to just Atlanta and New Orleans at 30 supply each. Town and minor city supply brings in 93 (from 31 still functioning locations). Total is 191. Personnel is 10.
The Union carried forward 67, have 220 from their cities and 171 from cities/towns returned to the fold: a massive 458. Personnel is 10.
The Union augmented a 3-3 division to a 10-3 and converted 3,000 garrison troops to a small division for later augmentation. 2,000 militia were converted to a 2,000 man brigade for a possible later merge in the field to replenish a division. It is going to be all about maintaining a flow of reinforcements from now on. The Union are left with 430 supply points.
The Confederates commission another ironclad and raise 9,000 garrison troops. That leaves 113 supply.
The Confederates receive a supply train that goes to Atlanta and 10,000 garrison troops that spread 4,000 to Atlanta and the rest evenly between Vicksburg, Raleigh and New Orleans. There are no partisans.
The Union receive a supply train that goes to Bowling Green along with a new 10,000 man division. A second 10,000 division goes to Philadelphia and a 1,000 man brigade goes to Washington. The ironclads are still undergoing fit out in St Louis.
Burnside constructs a fort opposite Vicksburg which will possibly put that place out of supply, certainly the Department of Kentucky and Tennessee that is based there. The Confederates relocate it to Jackson, MI.
Reynolds is given command of the newly created I Corps in Philadelphia and Sykes receives the VI Corps in Bowling Green.
In Atlanta, 2,000 militia decide it's time to go back to their farms. In Virginia, 1,000 militia decide to do the same thing. At least a fort was built in Natchez for half price.
The Union require 48 supply using 15 rail to support their armies. They have 312 left and 30 rail. They distribute 31 supply using 14 rail.
The Confederates require only 27 supply but use 13 rail. They have left 86 and 12 rail. The use their remaining rail to restock empty supply trains in the East. That Holmes surrenders Richmond to General Meade is greeted with disbelief by President Davies. To cries of "Fake News!" and "The South Will Never Surrender" the Confederate Congress hurriedly re-establish themselves in Raleigh where they discuss the possibility of turning the slaves into soldiers to fight for the freedom of the South against the Northern aggression. During the debate they receive news that President Lincoln has signed the Emancipation Act. Southern Senators are heard to mutter into their mint juleps, heavily laced with whiskey, "bu.. bu.. we thought of it first."
Richmond's fall gives the North 10 political points. The Emancipation Proclamation gives the South 5 political points. The war is no closer to resolution, although Union cartographers have been studying the mouth of the Mississippi and find that there are quite a few...
Week 101
The Union get the 3 chit.
The Confederates have Hindman and Price switch positions and get the replenished supply train to Hindman.
Walker sends A Hill the new supply train.
Troops are marshalled in New Orleans to be sent to Brashear after the Confederates read about "The Many Mouths of the Mississippi" in the New York Times.
Every other Confederate command holds their place. The Confederates will not lose the war, the Union have to win.
The Union order Banks to Mobile.
Reynolds with 9,000 men and a Railway Repair Unit sets sail for Mobile.
One of the brigades from Sherman's army is sent into east Tennessee to rally Federal patriots.
Granger gets his act together and gets on with clearing the area around Romney of any lingering rebel sympathisers. Franklin in Washington carefully arranges the pens and pencils on his desk.
McClellan sulks as he wasn't invited to the surrender of Richmond party. He fans the flames of fake news by suggesting Richmond hasn't really fallen, because if it had, he would have been there.
Sedgewick closes in on Bragg (the wrongly labelled Johnston). Howard doesn't follow and McClernand cautiously brings up supplies. McPherson wants to move on Smith, but the roads are against him for a march attack, but maybe later...
Thomas, Meade and Pope are all busy processing the surrender of Richmond.
Heintzelman is stuck in Norfolk. He doesn't have enough suitable men to undertake any offensive actions. Butler is furiously writing his acceptance speech on the sure certainty of his being elected the next President of the United States.
Halleck moves to the Flint River. Hooker is told to hold his position north of Columbus, GA.
Sickles fails to receive orders. Sherman prepares to attack. Sykes is busy looking on the map to find out where he should go (to join Sherman!).
Ord is busy inspecting the garrison at Fort Island No 10 and doesn't appreciate he needs to get those troops to Cairo for processing.
Sumner, with considerable troops (25,000) in Memphis is another general who fails to understand the need for action.
Crouch (in the previous report erroneously referred to as Curtis), with his 12,000 men plus supply train, completes his voyage to Yazoo City. However he just doesn't quite make it this week.
Lyon loads his cavalry on to a river transport and sends them off to Buell while taking a fast steamboat to immediately join Buell's stalled army and try and see if he can shake things up a bit. Buell sends 5,000 men to Yazoo City to prepare for Crouch's arrival.
Burnside is stuck on the western bank of the Mississippi with 21,000 men, but transports will soon be available.
Lyon attacks the Confederate Army of the Mississippi on the 131-160 Column of CRT 4. It is going to be bloody, but it wasn't. The Union lose just 2,000 men to the Confederates' 3,000 as they hurriedly retreat. Both Jackson and Johnson narrowly avoid being wounded as their troops stampede for safety.
Sherman attacks A Hill on the 91-110 Column of CRT 4. Again a bloody encounter is expected, with both sides using supplies, but losses are Union 2,000 to the Confederates 3,000. Still, being in the mountains the Confederates are able to hold their position.
McPherson fails to attack. But McClernand does, hitting Hindman on the 111-130 Column of CTR 2. Both sides lose a 1,000 men but the Union fail to cross the Roanoke River at this point.
Sedgewick doesn't attack, but Thomas does. In a disaster Beauregard is caught without supplies. The attack goes in on the 161-200 Column of CRT 3. The encounter is bloody with the Rebels refusing to give ground. 7,000 Union troops are lost, but the bill for the Confederates comes in at a staggering 14,000. Breckinridge narrowly avoids becoming a casualty. After all that the Confederates decide it is best if they voluntarily retreat across the Nottoway River. Thomas doesn't advance (he wants to keep Pope's troops under his watchful command).
77,000 Southerners facing 132,000 Northern aggressors.
In the West it is 44,000 Confederates facing 83,000 Union.
Elsewhere the numbers are about equal, but quality tends to be with the Union as a good amount of the Confederates are garrison troops.
Week 102
The Union free initiative slips to just two. The Confederates believe that this lack of Union initiative will allow them to win the war and so they keep on fighting.
First Ewell in New Orleans is told to send troops to stop any Yankee occupation of Brashear. The Confederates are horrified to see 1,000 men take this as an opportunity to desert.
Hardee is ordered to slip out of Vicksburg. He takes half the garrison with him. The ironclad moves out to cover this move.
On the central front Buckner is ordered to protect Macon and Walker sends troops from the Atlanta garrison to occupy Newman (which Bruckner vacated).
The final Confederate free initiative is to pull Taylor back from covering Norfolk.
Bragg wisely decides to pull back. He has 25,000 men but no supplies. At least the Roanoke now offers some protection.
Beauregard is still in shock after his disastrous defeat, but D Hill has the presence of mind to send him some reinforcements and supplies.
The Confederates have a case of too much brass and not enough grunt around Vicksburg. Jackson, now he is over the Big Black River, seizes all of Polk's and Magruders men and brings them into his army. Johnston doesn't object. Jackson now has 29,000 men.
The Union high command order Sykes to send supplies and reinforcements to Sherman.
Banks is ordered to get the 3,000 men he has in Mobile to Brashears which Federal sympathisers advise is still unoccupied. His arrival is like a cat amongst pigeons, but will he just curl up and go to sleep?
Reynolds commences to round Florida on his voyage to Mobile.
Lyon licks his wounds after beating Jackson. Meanwhile cavalry and Crouch (who I now realise I should have been calling Couch) now arrives. Buell stirs into action, trying an outflanking manoeuvre. A flotilla masses to prepare to ferry Burnside over the Mississippi. Sumner is stuck in Memphis, but McDowell is going back to help him. Ord continues to conduct uniform inspections.
Sickles sends more troops to Sherman and then heads off to finish the conquest of Tennessee.
Hooker moves towards Atlanta. Halleck ponders what to do.
McClellan decides to join McClernand, who, along with McPherson and Howard are so spoilt for options that they appear to be unable to do anything. Add to that Sedgewick, Pope and Meade. Only Thomas gets off in pursuit of Beauregard's defeated army taking two division away from Pope in the process. Heintzelman gets in the action advancing up to the Nottoway River and securing most of the crossing points with his rattag force.
Sedgewick does an attacker wriggle and moves up to the Roanoke.
McClernand attacks Hindman on the 131-160 Column of CRT 2. Both sides lose 2,000 men, but the Confederates hold firm. (Aside: I might not have done the allocation of losses correctly. The result was 10% loss on the attacker which is 2,000 before halving total attack strengthen for attacking across river. It would be 1,000 if done after halving. At this stage I have gone with the greater number in order to shorten the war.)
Neither McPherson, Thomas or Sherman attack. At this rate the war will go on forever.
Buell's outflanking manoeuvre.
The thinning grey line.
Week 103
The Union again get the 2 chit. The Confederates declare this as an outstanding victory.
The Confederates tell Johnson to get his army sorted. He sends Polk and Magruder with their empty corps to New Orleans. He then goes and joins Hardee. Forrest is moved to block Buell.
Beauregard pulls his army back to behind the Roanoke. The Confederates believe it will take the Yankees a while to realise they have gone. Bragg is ordered to send 9,000 to reinforce Hindman.
The rest of the Confederates have a rest.
Sykes sends the remaining troops he has collected to Sherman who now has 36,000 men.
Thomas is ordered off in pursuit of Beauregard. He plans to strike the weak force under Taylor who is covering Beauregard's right. There is no display of any initiative whatsoever by any of the Union generals in Virginia. Maybe they are getting ready to attack?
The generals in around Atlanta do nothing, it is hoped that Sherman will at least attack this week.
Banks amazes everyone by crossing the Grand River. This puts him within striking distant of the Mississippi, if only he can keep his fingers off the cotton.
Couch gets across the Big Black River. But he's the only one to do anything out West except for Sumner who goes off with 25,000 men to inspect the railways.
Couch attacks, but Forrest retreats before combat.
Both Hooker and Halleck force their way across the Flint River, but this comes with a risk of them being isolated.
Sherman attacks! Both sides use supply and the combat is on the 161-200 Column of CRT 4. The surprisingly timid result sees the Union lose 2,000 men to the Confederates' 3,000. The Confederates stay put in the mountains.
Neither McPherson or Sedgewick attack, but Thomas does. It is on the 251-400 Column of CRT 3. Both sides lose a 1,000 men, but nothing changes.
The crossing of the Flint.
Banks' advance.
Week 104
In another victory for the Confederates the Union just get 3 free initiatives.
Beauregard reinforces Taylor.
A Hill is reinforced from Atlanta.
The collection of generals in New Orleans try to get a force together to face Banks.
The Union general Reynolds arrives in Mobile and sets about ordering supplies from Fort Pickings.
Hooker is ordered back across the Flint.
Sumner is ordered south, repairing the railway as he goes.
The final order is to Howard to join up with Sedgewick and try and force a crossing of the Roanoke.
All the Generals in the West do nothing except for Ord who has now finished reviewing the garrison of Fort Island No 10 and marches them to Union City.
Halleck liberates a large stretch of Georgia for little military purpose.
Sickles enters Knoxville.
McPherson makes a hurried attack on Smith and both sides lose 1,000 men.
McClellan decides to go down into Tennessee to claim credit for its capture (which now seems imminent).
Meade and Pope are still hanging around Richmond on what has been a four week hiatus.
McPherson now makes a deliberate attack on Smith. It is on the 251-400 Column of CRT 3. Both sides lose 1,000 men.
Thomas attacks Taylor on the 131-160 Column of CRT 3. Another loss of 1,000 men per side.
Sherman attacks on the 131-160 Column of CRT 4. The Union lose 5,000 men to the Confederates 4,000, but one of those Confederates was General A Hill.
The Confederates seem to be successfully holding the line of the Roanoke thanks to Union tardiness.
The rush to conquer eastern Tennessee.
Halleck goes on a tour of Georgia while Sherman does the fighting.
Mississippi where the Confederates are also doing well in the face of further Union tardiness.
Casualties
10,000 Southern patriots were imprisoned following the fall of Richmond.
Apart from that the Confederates lost 35,000 men in what is a long drawn out war of attrition.
The Union lost 25,000 men in what was a very lackluster period for them.
