About This site

This 10mm recreation of Day 2 at Gettysburg was played at Jasons house in Bristol, UK, and in an experiment was posted to the web as it happened.

The "as it happens" format meant that the newest items were always posted at the top of the page, so now (after the battle has ended) the battle is shown in reverse order on this site.

This means you need to scroll down to the bottom of the page and then work up if you want to follow the course of the battle.

The pictures are all thumbnails of 800x600 or 600x400 resolution originals. If you click on any of them you will therefore see a bigger, more detailed picture.

If you have a Google/Blogger ID you can post comments - which will appear on the site. Feel free to add clarifications etc.

We used standard Fire & Fury and 10mm figures from a number of manufacturers, mostly Pendraken or Minifigs. With 4 players per side, many of whom were new to the rules, we still managed to play to a de-facto conclusion in maybe 12 hours of game time.

If you want to mail me with questions, please go to the main www.madaxeman.com site and mail me from there.

The End

At 5:00pm in the afternoon, the battered Confederates realise their best chance has now gone for the day, and decide to pulll back their many, many spent brigades and regroup.

The Union breathe a sigh of relief, and start the long process of restocking.

In the Confederate camp, Lee is able to tell Longstreet that the right flank attack has failed, and maybe tomorrow the weakened Union center is the place to attack.

Lees logic is impeccable. With Picketts division relatively unscathed, they can lead the attack.

And surely they cant roll 1's again tomorrow....

The end

Rebels 5pm

Pickett throws 2 brigades into combat, and Pettigrews brigade also piles forward. This is the big chance to turn the battle!!

but two "1's" in the vital combats and the rebel yell turns into a rather strangled yelp as the Union line creaks, but does not break.

It feels like the end is nigh. And with Pender again failing make headway along the crest of Cemetery Ridge ....

...the rebels start searching the suburbs of Gettysburg for a chubby female vocalist....

Union 5:00pm

Telling fire from the Union, and the Rebels start to run out of ammunition in key areas of the field - but they can't pull troops out of the line now !

The Union sweep down Cemetery Hill and sweep the tired rebels from the field

Breaking through the first line with ease, the blue tide smashes into the first of Picketts troops under Kemper.... The Veterans are Committed!!

The fresh, well led rebels are caught by surprise (committed a day to soon), and also get swept away!!

Rebels 430pm

Ewells attack falters, and is checked, and Johnson again makes no heawday.

The Union re-take the defensive positions on the far side of Cemetery Hill

The Confederacy's morale starts to crack as they see wave after wave of fresh troops in blue moving up to the front lines

Rebels 430pm

2 views from the Union lines.

The rebels fail repeatedly to start their sweep along Cemetery Ridge from Cemetery Hill, as Perrin stalls and dithers over whether to attack or not!

but Johnsons & Ewells troops again push forward, still stuck in intense battle.

Union 430pm

The meatgrinder continues on Cemetery Hill - no real advantage to either side as yet

AP Hills attack up the middle of Cemetery Ridge faces a counterattack from Caldwells Division - but Wrights Confederate brigade hangs onto their toehold at the top of the ridge!!!

The thin blue line is facing a breach !!

Where else can Meade commit reserves??

The Rebels look toward the Union lines

Probably Perrin looks along the Ridge from Cemetery Hill. One good charge into the flank of the Union.....

Posey gazes towards his destiny on Cemetery Ridge

Union Turn 430pm

The Union throws more troops into the swirling melee on Cemetery Hill - a unit of Zouaves (OK, maybe not bythis time in the war, but if you paint them, you may as well use them) charges into the flank of the overextended Rebel attack still coming forward from Ewells command

Hello Manchester!!

rebels 4pm

both sides are piling troops onto Cemetery Hill.

Looks like a meatgrinder is being formed... (probably for hamburgers)

Rebels 4pm

The Rebel attack from Cemetery Hill along the ridge of Cemetery Ridge falters, as the leade brigade pauses for breath.

The Rebels take the opportunity to build a strong position on Cemetery Hill, moving up their artillery for close range fire support.

Andersons Division see a weak spot developing on his original target of Cemetery Ridge, and he throws one of his brigades up the hill...

Withering Fire!!

The Union open up on Cemetery Hill and devastate the Rebels front line..

Suddenly the reserves under Pickett look a long way away - and a little light in numbers...

The Union reinforce Cemetery Hill

and the grand battery assembles on Little Round Top

The center of Cemetery Ridge

and welcome to one of our visitors from the appositely named Mount Victory, Ohio, United States!!

The scene looking toward Little Round Top

The 2nd day (for us - Union 4pm in game terms)

At 4pm, the situation is balanced.

Rebels are swarming all over Cemetery Hill, but Meade has committed his remaining reserves to check them, gambling that he already has enough strength on his left to hold back Longstreet who is demoralized after the battering doled out by Humphreys.

Without Picketts division, which is now marching through the town of Gettysburg the Rebs would face a desparate struggle to hold onto their gains on Cemetery Hill as the Union forces start to assemble in ever greater numbers. But with him, and his fresh veterans, they maybe have a chance if they can time their attacks correctly

On the Rebel right, Huphreys valiant resistance has crumbled, but the Union have an imposing battery on Little Round Top as the Rebs regroup in the valley below.

Cemetery Hill

and finally

Humphreys finally breaks and the Rebels collapse the forward deployed command like a pile of dominoes.

But rather later than planned...

Rebels 330

The rebels pour more men into the attack, as Penders troops, who have elected not to mount a frontal attack on Cemetery Ridge, are also committed to the left hook and join in as Rodes men sweep over Cemetery Hill. Penders forces are set to start to roll up the Union lines on Cemetery Ridge!!

Turn 330pm

Picketts reserves arrive and start to move up through Gettysburg in a long column of butternut-clad veteran men.

(Pickett of course only played a part in the battle on day 3, as his troops were held in reserve by Lee, but in this scenario they march to the sound of the guns...)

Rebels 330pm turn

Humphreys holds on ..

Rebels 330pm turn

In the last move before the two armies break for the (real) evening to go for a curry...
 
Humphreys again takes a beating...
 





 

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Union 330pm- turn

I and XII Corps marshall their men (and guns) to form a revised front - and the newly refomed Union defensive line on Cemetery Hill dishes out a barrage that blows away the overextended Rebel attack - suddenly the tide seems to have turned!

Union 330pm

Hello to our visitor from Glen Burnie, Maryland !!

your boys are taking one helluva beating Mr Northerner !!!

(apart from Humphreys of course...)

Yankee 330pm turn

Meade now has a dilemma. One wing is holding up as Humphreys looks to hang on, but he could still collapse at any moment - and his reserves have been committed to shore up this eventuality, but still look a little thin shoudl Humphreys troops come streaming back through his lines in rout.

However his right flank is now - surprisingly - in dire trouble.

Where does he commit his next batch reserves? Left or right?

Well, its now decision time - the reserves are here....

correction

The Rebs are taking Cemetery Hill not Culps Hill

Either poor map reading, or foresight - you choose!

Rebels 3pm

Ewells Division is also sweeping over Culps Hill - even if Johnson is bogged down!!

The entire right hand end of the Union line is in tatters...

Rebels 3pm

But over the field, Humphreys checks yet another Rebel Charge. Outrageous!

The Union may yet be rolled up like Longstreet planned - but from the other end of the line ...

Rebel 3pm turn

The Rebels attack up Cemetery - and a withering hail of union fire fells Ramseur

But his brigade sweeps the enemy away nonetheless and they continue their charge up and over the hill...where they break yet another brigade with some more outrageous dice !!

The Union are looking like they ma be cut off on Culps Hill - can Johnson and Ewell press home there too?

Rebels 3pm Turn

Humphreys gears up for another last stand.... The Rebels are throwing everything at him now

Union 3pm

Humphreys redresses his lines and holds on

n

On Culps Hill, the Union batters Doles with fire, and sends a lone brigade downhill to try and follow up Doles where they checked the Rebel advance. But advancing into a wall of Rebel musketry from the occupied positions at the foot of the hill, and enfiladed as they advance, it soon looks like a grave error...the rest of the Union fire is relatively ineffective, and none of the Union divisions on Cullps hill manage to rally to follow up as well.

The next Confederate turn could see some more "sweeping from the field..."

Except on their right where the heroic Humphrey's proves that his genius decision to occupy the wheatfield was right all along.

Union 3pm

Brilliant ! We've tracked some visitors from Washington watching this page.

Hello there you Federals!!

(click the "traffic stats" link on the right to see who else has visited)

Union 3pm

Here is the large scale view of the field with Cemetery Hill and Culps Hill in the foreground.

XII Corps hold firm on their defenses, but Doles brigade is in their rear..

Union 3pm

2 views of the field:
Looking back from Culps hill along Cemetery Ridge

The Rebels advance on Little Round Top as the Union Artillery reserve begins to be deployed

The outcomes...

The rebels falter and are thrown back from the foot of Little Round Top
The rebels under Johnson falter and are thrown back from Culps Hill
The Rebels under McLaws push pack the resilient Humphreys, but fail to break him decisively

The Rebels under Doles sweep Smith of the Union from the field and rush onto Culps Hill!!!

Doles continues his attack and blows away the "German" brigades and continues to move up the Hill, rolling a fabulous 10 in the initial combat, and then a 10 in the breakthrough charge as well !!!

Rebs 230pm

Laws has bypassed the irritatingly stubborn Humphreys and swept away Ward in and around devils Den. he contnues his charge and aims for the top of the Cemetery Ridge bypassing Little Round Top

Rebs 230pm

Laws goes in again to the top of the Ceetery Ridge

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Rebs 230pm

Stuart throws in most of his Division led by Avery supported by Hayes

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Rebs 230

McLaws sends his men in again - surely Humphreys can't stand again....?

Rebel 230 turn

General Lee can't be too happy at the moment. His right flank under his favourite son, Longstreet is bogged down. And Johnson still appears to be lost in the woods.

But the Rebel Yell is ringing out across the battlefield as 4 separate charges go into Cemetery Hill from all directions

Dole, who has led his men through Gettysburg charges up to the first line of defences smashing into the "German" troops defending Cemetery Hill....







The "German" troops had a poor reputation in the Union army, and so why they were defending this key pivotal part of the battlefield is a bit of a mystery. But the Union generals today had no time to pull them out before Doles arrived

Union 230pm

Little Round Top is now thickly populated with bluecoats - and 5 guns - and the main battle line is looking increasingly robust as Meade marshals his reserves into place. Humphreys delaying action is changing the course of history...

Rebels 2pm

Wilcox's Brigade (from Andersons command, moving to its right) smashes into Humphreys right flank at the same time!

Laws takes a pasting as he charges in on the Rebels right flank and a huge volley from the Union (10 on the dice) strikes them down like they were scything corn....

All of Huphreys command is now engaged in hand to hand action...

Laws line charges in with a 3:1 advantage.... +5 on the factors - but still only "drives back" Ward, who falls back to Cemetery ridge as the Rebs carry the position !!!!!

Then Birneys troops in their advanced position, against all odds, drive back Kershaw!!!

Then, to rub it in further, Carr drives back his opponnents too!

Maybe Huphreys position is the right one....?

Rebels 2pm

Wilcox's Brigade (from Andersons command) smashes into Humphreys right flank at the same time!
 
Laws takes a pasting as he charges in on the Rebels right flank and a huge volley from the Union (10 on  the dice) strikes them down like they were scything corn....
 
All of Huphreys command is now engaged in hand to hand action...
 
Laws line charges in with a 3:1 advantage.... +5 on the factors - but still only "drives back" Ward, who falls back to Cemetery ridge as the Rebs carry the position !!!!!
 
Then Hahrahan drives back Kershaw!!!
 
Then, to rub it in further, Carr drives back his opponnents too!
 
Maybe Huphreys position is the right one....?
 
 
 
 
 
 




 

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Rebels at 14:00

The Rebels finally gird their loins and charge Birney in the rocky area in front of Round Top - this time with overwhelming odds in their favour. Can they sweep him away before the Union reserves get to Little Round Top?

Union 2pm

The Union troops under Sykes (V Corps, Fisher & Barnes) manage to occupy little Round Top as Humphreys troops take a pounding from Longstreets men. Sykes has moved his men up just in the nick of time...

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sorry, that was 2pm....

of course. Clocks didn't strike the half hour in the 1800s

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Union 14:00

The Rebel attack is moving out in front of Cemetery Ridge as 230pm strikes on the town clock...

Rebels 1330

The over confident Union generals open the Champagne early as Longstreet begins to turn their flank wi Robertson, Law and Benning under Hood.

(remember what I said about the ACW having a lot of drunk generals. Well, quite a few were posh as well, so we needed to simulate that too.)

The Rebels had to make do with Mexican Cava, as a Union blockade prevented them getting the good stuff from the kitchen - which was behind the Union lines.