The Battle of Sunshine Church: The Battle

[kipt]

The Battle Of Sunshine Church
July 31, 1864

On June 1st my friend Didier and I played the above battle (I finally got to play rather than umpire).  Didier was Union and I was Confederate.

The scenario is Union General Stoneman, Cavalry Division commander, is returning from a very fatiguing raid into Georgia.  As he approaches Sunshine Church going north, he sights Rebel breastworks ahead.  He deploys his leading two brigades, both dismounted, Col. Adam's in the middle and awkwardly Col. Capron's two regiments on either side of Adams's.  His third brigade under col. Biddle is moving on the road, dismounted.  He has one section of the 24th Indiana battery ready to fire while deployed on the road.  He has a total of 6 regiments and the section of 3" rifles (one stand).

Manning the breastworks are 3 brigades of Brigadier General Iverson's cavalry division, with 2 sections of guns from different batteries: Higgins battery with a section of 3" rifles and White's with a section of 12# howitzers.  Deployed on the right flank are the two dismounted regiments of Col Crews brigade.  In the middle is the one regiment, dismounted, the combined 1st, 2nd, and 9th Kentucky of Col. Butler's brigade, adjacent to the 2 sections of artillery on and next to the road leading north.  On the Confederate left is the dismounted brigade of Col. Allen, also 2 regiments.  Rebel totals are 5 regiments and 2 sections of artillery.

And here the game starts with the Union moving first.

Advancing on the left flank is the 8th Wisconsin of Col. Capron's brigade.  They cross the muddy stream and receive fire from the combined 1st and 2nd Georgia of Col Crews brigade.

Col. Adams brigade moves forward on the 8th Wisconsin's right, as the 8th Wisconsin attacks the breastworks.





In the center right Stoneman orders the artillery section to limber and advance to where it can take the Rebels under fire.  Also Col. Biddle's brigade advances in field column behind the battery.  The battery is fired on by the rebel guns behind the breastworks.



Rebel artillery is dead on target (in the game my die rolls were outstanding – in this case, first fire in the game I rolled a 10).  The Union section had one of its two guns disabled and needed to fall back to reorganize.  The following 6th Indiana lost a stand and Col. Biddle narrowly escaped being hit.  But his horse was not so lucky.  It takes a turn for the Col. To find a mount another horse.

The 14th Illinois, part of Col. Capron's brigade, but on the far right, has been ordered by Stoneman to move left and join the rest of the brigade.  They pass behind the 6th Indiana which has had to fall back from the rebel artillery fire.  The 14th is the unit in field column on the left of the picture.



The 8th Wisconsin on the left flank is repulsed and retreats behind the stream to reorganize.  The Confederate 3rd, 4th Georgia Combined slides right toward the 1st, 2nd Georgia Combined that just repulsed the 8th Wisconsin.  The 3rd. 4th Georgia fires on the Union 1st Kentucky.



The Rebel far left regiment, the 1st, 2nd, 51st Alabama Combined, slides to the right while the 1st, 2nd Kentucky of Butler's brigade slid left to the guns.




The Union brigades continually assaulted the rebel breastworks but were constantly repulsed, taking losses time after time.  The 3rd, 4th Geogia fired so much they went low on ammunition.  The Union regiments were growing more fatigued as the combat went on and on.  Col. Biddle's brigade also attacked, as can be seen in the above picture.  Biddle had just remounted and had another close call, as a bullet went through his coat.



During one of the Union attacks, the 11th Kentucky was so shot up, tired and demoralized, they surrendered to the 3rd, 4th Georgia.  Col. Adams, the brigade commander, was mortally wounded during this exchange.
With the third repulse of the Union attacks at the road, the 1st, 2nd Kentucky advances beyond the breastworks toward the 6th Indiana while refusing its right flank.

After an hour of combat, Union losses were 15 stands and one gun disabled, or 600 casualties (scale is 40 men to a stand).  Confederate casualties were only 2 stands, a result of the protection of the breastworks and not so good die rolling by the Union.



The 8th Wisconsin again rallies and attacks the 1st, 2nd Georgia on the Rebel right flank and are once again thrown back.  The 1st Kentucky of the deceased Adam's brigade attacks and also surrenders to the 3rd, 4th Georgia.



The Union attacks again at the road, the 6th Indiana on the left and the 5th Indiana on the right with support from the remaining gun of the 24th Indiana battery.  To no avail, the attacks are repulsed, with the 6th Indiana surrendering and Col. Biddle once again dodging a shot from the guns or carbines.



With no chance of breaking through, 3 regiments surrendering and a casualty count of 28 stands now, including surrenders, the Union gives up.  Col Biddle wipes his brow from his narrow escapes and sighs in relief that there will be no more fire directed at him.

Rebel casualties were only 4 stands total, with the 3rd, 4th Georgia low on ammunition as well as Higgin's section of 3" rifles.

The game was a hard-fought battle, with the breastworks and good die rolling holding back the Union attacks, but could have gone the other way if the good die rolls had been Union.

I will have a refight of this on July 13th with 4 different players.  I am not going to tell them the results of this fight until their game is complete.

In the actual battle, Stoneman could not break through and queried his brigade commanders to surrender.  Two did not wish to and he gave them permission to try and get to the Union lines while he and one brigade did surrender.  Of the two brigades that tried to get through, one made it but the other was mostly taken prisoner.

[Steve J]

An excellent game there and nice to contrast it with the actual battle !

[paulr]

    

[Martin1914]

Great looking game!

[Techno 3]

Seconded ! 

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Another good un

[pierre the shy]

Thanks for your excellent report Kipt 

ACW is not a period that I play much, or claim to know much about, but it would appear that Sherman's march through Georgia was not always one way traffic and the Confederates did have some success in blunting the attacks? 

[kipt]

This battle happened during his march on Atlanta. He was constantly moving forward but did have some checks.  The cavalry raid was an offshoot before Atlanta.

The March to the Sea happened a couple of months later.  No checks prior to reaching the Atlantic.

[Roy]

Thanks for the report 

Really liked it.