The American Civil War A Rank & File Supplement Introduction 1 1- A Brief History of the War 3 2- The Civil War in 1861 4 3 - The Civil War in 1862 6 Contents 7 - The Opposing Armies 18 8 - Command Structure 23 9 - Weapons & Tactics 26 10 - Army Lists 32 4 - The Civil War in 1863 10 5 - The Civil War in 1864 13 6 - The Civil War in 1865 16 11 - Commander Quality 38 12 - Cross Keys 43 13 - Rank and File ACW rules 46
Introduction The American Civil War is one of those periods that remains constantly popular with wargamers. There are a variety of figure scales available and all bring a certain spectacle to the wargames table, from huge 6mm games all the way to 40mm skirmishes. This particular war celebrates it s 150 th anniversary from 2011 onwards and it is a safe bet that there will be an upsurge of interest in this already popular period. In writing this guide to the Civil War I have tried to provide a basic background of the war to newcomers. I do hope that it encourages people to seek more information on what is a fascinating period. I have included some suggestions at the end of this book on further reading and information availability. In order to keep the book to a manageable size there are certain aspects which I simply have not been able to cover. The naval aspect on both high seas and river has not been dealt with. It is an important part, but very few battles contain ship to shore fighting. I have also only included the major campaigns upon which the outcome of the War was ultimately decided. I hope General Banks will forgive me for not including his 1864 Red River Campaign! If there are any inaccuracies then they are my mistake alone. I have read about this War, played out numerous battles, visited most of the actual battlefields in a 40 year period and I have not grown tired of it yet. I hope it engages you in the same manner! Jeff Davies 1
1 - A HISTORY OF THE WAR war is terrible General W T Sherman Indeed it is and the American Civil War particularly so. It cost the lives of approximately 620,000 Americans, bankrupted the Southern States, saw wide scale damage to cities, towns and civilian property. I will keep the history brief as there are many good general histories of the war. However from a wargaming aspect it does add another dimension to the game if there is a knowledge of the issues and events involved. Causes of the War What prompted the firing on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbour in the early hours of April 12 th 1861? A common error is to assume that the war was fought to free the slaves, this simply is not the case. In 1861 a Union soldier would be fighting to preserve the Union and a Confederate would be fighting for his States rights. As with many wars the underlying causes were political. in a way of life that saw wealth generated through the production of cotton, tobacco and sugar cane. This was underpinned by a supply of cheap labour- slaves; the so called peculiar institution. The United States in the early to mid 19 th Century was still an expanding country. New territories were being settled and these were added to the existing States, this had the potential to alter the political balance and ultimately the type of nation that would emerge. The issue that was a determining factor in whether a State was likely to be pro Southern or not was slavery. The Southern aristocracy could see the future writ large - a loss of political power coupled with a growing call in Northern States (which was by no means universal incidentally) to end slavery would eventually lead to financial ruin. These fears were enhanced because of the activities of Abolitionist groups in the North who called for an end to slavery straight away. There were political compromises in the years leading up to the war but they only served to delay the inevitable. The Southern States were keenly aware that the political influence they had enjoyed was gradually eroding as the industrial revolution gathered pace in the mid 19 th Century. The chiefly agrarian South was firmly embedded The crunch point was the election of 1860. By now it was clear to the South that the only way they could maintain their wealth and lifestyle and not be dictated to was to leave the Union and form their own Country and Government. The Presidential candidate from the newly formed Republican Party, one Abraham Lincoln, made it clear that if he was elected it was his essential duty to preserve the Union at all costs. His election in November led to South Carolina s secession in December, quickly followed by Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas. In addition a provisional government was formed and a President, Jefferson Davies, was elected and a temporary seat of government established in Montgomery Alabama. As yet there was no actual outbreak of war although it was clear 2
that it was almost inevitable. The flash point was Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbour. When the Union forces refused to leave there was an attempt to starve them out but with the very real possibility of re-supply by sea the fort was bombarded. The war had begun. The States of Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina and Tennessee also seceded and joined their Southern neighbours. The Confederates opted to make Richmond Virginia their permanent capital which immediately ensured the focus of the war would be in the east. The Course of the War The war breaks down into two major theatres - Eastern and Western. This is perhaps a little simple because you can sub divide this further into the trans Mississippi area and also the coastal war, but for the sake of simplicity I will keep to the Western and Eastern designation. The Eastern theatre was seen as the most important because this encompassed both capitals, Washington and Richmond, which in distance terms were only about 100 miles apart. In truth Confederate disasters in the West contributed greatly to their eventual defeat. Confederate armies and population. In effect this also sums up the Confederate strategy- to wage war until the Union forces and Northern population grasped the fact that the Southern States were completely committed to their new Country and the Union was permanently dissolved. I should add that there was never any intention to conquer or occupy the Northern States by the Confederates, they were simply fighting for their existences and this makes for a formidable foe. I have listed the major battles by year and theatre in the following chapters. The trans Mississippi battles have been included as part of the Western theatre. The overall strategy of the Union forces was to blockade Confederate ports and split the Confederacy by gaining control of the Mississippi River. The so called Anaconda Policy devised by General Winfield Scott was designed to break the Southern economy and starve her armies of supplies, thus ensuring a quick military solution by winning one or two battles and convincing the seceding States there was no future outside of the Union. Sadly this strategy, though sound, took much longer to get translated into reality and did not allow for the tenacity demonstrated by both the 3
2 - the civil war in 1861 The bombardment of Fort Sumter was the spark that ignited the simmering tensions into a full scale war, but this did not mean the immediate onset of huge battles and grand tactical army manoeuvres. The reason was simple enough - there were no large bodies of troops either in the North or South to wage any kind of effective warfare. The North did have the basic nucleus of the old regular army which encompassed infantry artillery and cavalry, but it was small, stretched thin because of it s commitments on the western frontier, and also many Southern born officers had left to join the Confederate army. What did exist on both sides (in large quantities) was patriotic fervour, enthusiasm to fight and an utterly ridiculous bravado. Summed up by such statements as one Southerner can whip five Yankees and we will whip the Southern traitors in a single battle. One of Abe Lincoln s first acts after Fort Sumter was to call upon the Union States to supply 75,000 volunteers for a three month period (clearly Lincoln thought this to be a quick affair). In the South the situation was similar. Jefferson Davis did not stipulate the number of volunteers nor the period that they would be required for. He didn t need to as there simply was a deluge of conscripts pouring into Southern cities eager to fight. Both North and South found themselves with similar problems. The first was organising the volunteers into an effective military organisation and the second was arming them. Both sides did have veterans from the Mexican War and these were invaluable in establishing drill and tactics programmes for the raw recruits. However there were some real problems caused mainly by the State by State recruiting system. Often regiments would be raised within communities and townships and at their head would be an influential/popular citizen with very limited or no military experience. Some Southern regiments elected their officers and it was certainly a case of the best man not always winning. This amateur approach added delays to the organising process but common sense prevailed as the war progressed and the right people were usually placed in command. 4 Despite the rhetoric, the politicians (and more importantly the generals) on both sides knew that armies would have to be built up and trained effectively in order to achieve the respective war aims. However both sides would still be burdened to a lesser degree with generals appointed through political influence and not all of them were competent.
1861 saw the clash of the amateur armies. When the first big battle took place at Bull Run the troops had been under training for about two months. They may have felt like soldiers but the experience of real battle showed otherwise to both sides. 1861 Eastern Theatre The first major conflict takes place at Bull Run on the 21 st July. The battle is also known as First Manassas by the Confederates. It is a major victory for the Confederates but they are so disorganised and exhausted they fail to take any real advantage from it. However the Union learned important lessons from the defeat and the rest of the year in the East is spent training the army in preparation for a renewed advance in 1862 1861 Western Theatre 10 th August In Missouri the battle of Wilson s Creek takes place. A win for the Confederates but the Union forces retire in good order and the Confederates are unable to translate their victory into any long term gain. 7 th November. Battle of Belmont Missouri. General Grant s first battle. Although forced to withdraw he demonstrates good leadership qualities whilst under pressure. Ulysses S. Grant 1822-1885 Grant completed his studies at West Point achieving average marks. He joined the infantry and served in Mexico, displaying gallantry there. He attempted to make a career in the Army but the tedium, poor pay and loneliness of peacetime army life led him to seek solace in drink which affected his military conduct and he resigned in 1854 to avoid court martial. He spent the next few years trying to support his family through numerous business undertakings but these ended in failure and he was looking at financial ruin until the outbreak of war changed his fortunes. Initially in command of a volunteer regiment with some political support he was soon appointed to brigadier general.. His first battle at Belmont was not a resounding success but he did demonstrate the ability to think clearly in a crisis. The capture of Forts Henry and Donelson made his reputation, although he did fumble slightly at Donelson. The victory at Shiloh added to his stock which was riding high because he seemed to be the only Union General at the time capable of achieving victories. He was ably supported by the President for just that reason and the capture of Vicksburg guaranteed his appointment to commander in chief of all the Union forces. He spent the rest of the war in Virginia with the Army of the Potomac in it s final campaign against Lee. He also devised the combined strategy of Sherman s advance through Georgia to link up with him in Virginia. Following the end of hostilities Grant remained head of the Army. He ran for President and was elected in 1868. He served two terms but despite his good intentions there was taint of corruption due to the actions of some cynical politicians. He opted not to run for a third term (in those days Presidents were not limited to two terms), but instead did a world tour. He was in financial trouble again in 1884, having been swindled out of his savings. To ensure that his family were supported he wrote his memoirs which were completed shortly before his death from throat cancer. This last venture was highly successful, the book was a best seller and ensured his family was well provided for. Grant will always be recognised as the one general on the Union side who did the most to guarantee a complete and convincing victory. 5