The North Riding Wargames Club - 31/03/2024

Altar of Freedom ACW, 10mm.

What follows is a brief report of the game's morning turns, written up for the benefit of the Pendraken Miniature's Forum - as the miniatures used were all Pendraken Miniatures 10mm ACW.

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- Additional photo's from Deedle's collection, information provided by [forum member] Roy - one of the Union commanders on the day.

6AM north end of the battlefield, Mercerville and the Potomac River to the right-hand corner of the shot. 

Pleasonton's (Union cavalry) Division is on the outskirts of Mercerville, Meade's Pennsylvania Reserves (Union I Corps) are just next to the tributary stream, then it's Franklin's Corps (Union VI Corps) on the road bisecting Hooker's (Union I) Corps. This was the set up for the Union main attack thrust south towards the cornfields.

Looking along the Antietam Creek, it's Porter's Corps (Union V Corps) at the bridge just north of Pry's farm and the ford. In the game, this corps made a successful demonstration over the Antietam Creek and proved the victors against a couple of brigades of Confederate infantry. 

Of note, however, is the fact that the Union player's forgot all about the existence of the ford over the Antietam Creek, until far too late. A brigade of Sumner's Corps (Union II Corps) were mobilised around Noon (game turn time) and this was to be a feint, along with the demonstration by Porter's Corps that was already over the Antietam Creek. 

6AM looking south to north of the battlefield. The troops closest to the camera are Burnside's Corps (Union IX Corps), and then, next to them in the woods, is Mansfield's Corps (Union XII Corps). 

In the game, the Union commanders, again, went with a limited demonstration attack with these southern Union forces - but it came at a bloody price. Burnside's brigades were repulsed twice while attempting to cross the bridge, eventually Mansfield was ordered forward with William's Division (of Union XII Corps) to relieve Burnside's fatigued troops. The southern end of the battlefield would be in Confederate control throughout the game. 

(possibly) 10AM game turn: [forum member Roy's denim-clad legs show the height difference between him and forum member Skywalker - the Union commanders for the game. Forum member Deedles - one of the Confederate commander's - is talking the photo] looking south to north.

Burnside's (Union IX Corps) makes its second attempt on the southern-most bridge across Antietam Creek, with William's brigade of (Union XII Corps) waiting to either push forward to claim land across the bridge or relieve a stalled attack. At the central bridge towards the west of Porterstown, Sumner leads Sedgewick's Division across the Antietam Creek, these being the second brigade of his (Union II Corps) - in the game Sumner was an immense presense, leading from the front and steadying his boys in the point-blank fighting. By Noon (game turn time) Sumner and Sedgewick's brigade were forced back over the bridge, but this was to be the Union commanders plan, anyway, as Sumner's (Union II Corps) was, again, only a demonstration attack, holding Confederate troops away from the main thrust of the attack by Hooker's and Franklin's Union corps from the north.

The North Riding Wargames Club meet on the last Sunday of each month, at Scruton North Yorkshire. Regular Saturday games are also planned, to be played at Pendraken' games room.