Yesterday the gaming group met at my house for a Napoleonics game. The scenario was loosely based on the battle of Champion Hill in Mississippi in 1863. We turned back the clock 50 years, giving the Austrians Pemberton's role, and casting Napoleon in the part of Ulysses S. Grant. The Russians were a little more aggressive than Joseph Johnston and actually made an appearance in the battle.
Mont de Champion in the center of the table, with Charles rushing up reinforcements to bolster his thin line.
A French corps had a good flank position on the Austrians.
This division of three French infantry brigades was to break open the Austrian position and take the hill. A Marshal's baton for that brave commander!
Jon commanded the German division on the French right. He had a delicate task to perform: tie down the Austrian right while defending against a Russian flank attack.
Kevin commanded the French cavalry reserve and acted as overall commander. All he needs in this picture is a drum on which to rest his feet!
The initial French flank attack did well, but the flanking division was quickly pinned by a small unit of Austrian chevauxlegere.
Don placed that small unit of horsemen in position to block the French advance, and they held for the rest of the game. French musketry would sometimes disorder them, but they never lost a stand.
That center French infantry division, however, overran the Austrian center. They captured five batteries, destroyed two Austrian brigades, wrecked another three, and took Champion Hill. A division of French cavalry helped exploit the break in the Austrian lines.
On the French right, Scott R. brought in an entire Russian infantry corps, and they came in somewhat behind the French line. Kevin sent the cuirassiers to help contain them.
Jon kept up the pressure all along the Austrian right. The Austrians took losses and gave ground, but did not break.
By the end of the game, the French controlled the vital crossroads. The Austrian and Russian armies would not be able to unit. Austrian reserves had arrived to keep the tired French from pressing any farther. The game ended in a minor French victory.
Don and Scott R. commanded the Allies, and they were good sports. They had a good defensive position and strong artillery, but their men had been stretched very thin. They conducted a masterly defense, keeping their lines intact until the very end.
