Murfreesboro 1862: The Northern Flank (Scenario for Fire & Fury 2nd Edition)

As discussed last time, I’ve been using the northeast corner of my Battle of Murfreesboro/Stones River terrain boards (i.e. the highlighted area of the map below) to play a small ‘what-if’ scenario based on the northern flank of the battle, which is based on Troy Turner’s original Murfreesboro scenario from the Fire & Fury 2nd Edition Great Western Battles scenario book.

This is an interesting little scenario that’s ideal as a small club-night game, perhaps as an introductory game for new players of Fire & Fury 2nd Edition rules.  Thus far I’ve played it four times, with three victories for the Confederates and one victory for the Union.  The Union have a slight numerical superiority, as well as a firepower and leadership advantage, though the Confederates have the qualitative edge, so it’s pretty balanced.

Clearly, not many other people have bespoke terrain boards for the battle and might not in any case want to play on a triangular battlefield!  I’ve therefore drawn a stand-alone map for the scenario (below).  The table is 5 feet square when using the standard Fire & Fury ground-scale for 15mm figures, or 4 feet square if you’re using my smaller scale for 10mm figures.

If you wanted to cut down the table size, you could chop off the right-hand quarter or third of the table, perhaps using the Sinking Creek to define that table-edge and bringing Jackson’s brigade on to table as reinforcements on Turn 2.

The Nashville-Chattanooga Railroad defines the right-hand edge of the table, but doesn’t need to be included on the table.  It’s actually out-of-bounds to both sides and no units may march between Wagner’s and Peagram’s starting positions, as there are other neighbouring units blocking that route.

Historical Outline

On 30th December 1862, the Union Army of the Cumberland under ‘Old Rosie’ (Major General William S. Rosecrans), marching south-westward from Nashville, moved into positions facing General Braxton Bragg’s Confederate Army of Tennessee, which for the past month had been encamped along the Stones River, just to the west of Murfreesboro.

Rosecrans had 41,000 men to Bragg’s 35,000 and was generally better equipped, though Rosecrans’ army was largely inexperienced and was plagued by Confederate cavalry-raids against its lines of communication.

Assessing that they had an advantage over the other, Rosecrans and Bragg both decided to launch a ‘left hook’ attack against their enemy’s right flank on the morning of the 31st December.  Rosecrans in particular had decided that Wayne’s Hill, on the Confederate right flank, would make an excellent position from which the powerful Union artillery arm could enfilade the Confederate army.  He therefore ordered Major General Thomas L. Crittenden’s Left Wing Corps to take two of his divisions (Thomas J. Wood’s 1st Division and Horatio P. Van Cleve’s 3rd Division) across the Stones River and eject the Confederate forces positioned there (Wayne’s Hill being occupied by elements of Major General John C. Breckenridge’s Division of Lieutenant General William J. Hardee’s 2nd Corps).

In reality, the Confederates got their attack in first and rapidly rolled up the Union right wing and centre, before finally running out of steam along the line of the Nashville-Chattanooga Railroad.  With the situation rapidly deteriorating, Rosecrans therefore cancelled Crittenden’s attack and it was these troops who were instrumental in halting the Confederate rampage.

This scenario therefore examines what might have happened, had Crittenden’s attack not been halted and if he had been given free reign to attack Breckenridge at Wayne’s Hill.  Of course, this would historically have been catastrophic for the rest of the army, but what the heck…

Scenario Outline

This scenario lasts 12 turns.  The Union side moves first.

Wayne’s Hill is classed as a Key Position.  The Confederate side will suffer a -1 Manoeuvre Modifier if the Union side manages to unlimber an undamaged and unsilenced battery anywhere on Wayne’s Hill.

Victory will go to the Union side if they have an undamaged and unsilenced battery unlimbered on Wayne’s Hill at the end of Turn 12.

Victory will go to the Confederate side if the Union victory conditions are not met.

The Heavy Losses threshold is 14 stands for both sides (25% for the Union and 30% for the Rebels).

On Turn 8, the Union side will automatically apply the penalty for Heavy Losses due to the deteriorating situation on the rest of the battlefield.  If they also reach their Heavy Losses threshold, this will then become Greater Losses.

Orders of Battle

The following number of stands is required:

Infantry – 45 Union & 33 Confederate
Infantry Command – 7 Union & 5 Confederate
Cavalry – 4 Confederate
Cavalry Command – 1 Confederate
Dismounted Cavalry – 3 Confederate
Dismounted Cavalry Command – 1 Confederate
Horse-Holder – 1 Confederate
Artillery (gun with limber) – 6 Union & 2 Confederate
Corps Leader – 1 Union
Division Leader – 2 Union & 1 Confederate
Exceptional Brigade Leader – 1 Confederate

The following orders of battle use the same strengths and stats as Troy Turner’s original scenario, with the exception of Peagram’s cavalry brigade, which I extrapolated from a history of the cavalry operations surrounding the battle.  Note that the Union forces have the advantage of numbers and firepower, but the Confederate forces generally have better training and better morale (in most cases the Union brigades will become Worn and then Spent more quickly than their Confederate counterparts).

The unit labels can be found at the bottom of this article.  Just right-click on the labels and save as a picture.

Union Order of Battle

Left Wing Corps – Major General Thomas L. Crittenden (Corps Leader)

1st Division – Brigadier General Thomas J. Wood (Division Leader)
Hascall’s Brigade – Green 8/6/4 (Rifled Muskets)
Wagner’s Brigade – Green 8/6/4 (Rifled Muskets)
Harker’s Brigade – Green 9/7/5 (Rifled Muskets)
8th Indiana Battery – Experienced (Rifle & Smoothbore)
6th Ohio Battery – Experienced (Rifle & Smoothbore)

2nd Division – Brigadier General John M. Palmer (elements)
Battery H, 4th US Artillery – Veteran (Rifle & Napoleon) [off-table artillery support]

3rd Division – Brigadier General Horatio P. Van Cleve (Division Leader)
S. Beatty’s Brigade – Experienced 6/5/3 (Rifled Muskets)
Fyffe’s Brigade – Experienced 4/3/2 (Rifled Muskets)
Price’s Brigade – Green 9/8/7 (Mixed Muskets)
7th Indiana Battery – Experienced (Rifle & Smoothbore)
3rd Wisconsin Battery – Experienced (Rifle & Smoothbore)

Army Troops
Morton’s Pioneer Brigade – Green 8/5/3 (Rifled Muskets)
The Chicago Board of Trade Battery – Green (Light Rifles)

Confederate Order of Battle

II Corps – Lieutenant General William J. Hardee (Elements)

Breckenridge’s Division – Major General John C. Breckenridge (Division Leader)
Adams’ Brigade – Experienced 7/6/4 (Mixed Muskets)
Jackson’s Brigade – Experienced 4/2/1 (Mixed Muskets)
Palmer’s Brigade – Experienced 8/6/4 (Smoothbore Muskets)
Preston’s Brigade – Experienced 10/8/5 (Smoothbore Muskets)
Hanson’s Brigade (Exceptional Brigadier) – Veteran 9/6/4 (Rifled Muskets)
Cobb’s Battery – Veteran (Smoothbore)
Washington’s Battery – Crack (Rifle & Smoothbore)

Army Troops
Peagram’s Cavalry Brigade – Experienced 5/4/3 (Shotguns & Hunting Rifles)

Scenario Stuff

Deployment

Deploy both sides as per the map.  This is for the most part self-explanatory, though note that most of T. Wood’s Division (Harker’s & Hascall’s Brigades, plus divisional artillery) starts the scenario marching north in Field Column formation, intending to cross the Stones River at McFadden’s Ford.

The artillery batteries shown on the map as being unlimbered may be rotated in position before the start of the scenario.

Washington’s Confederate Battery may alternatively start the game unlimbered.

Optional Rules

Charging Confederate infantry do use the Rebel Yell optional rule.

Confederate artillery batteries do not apply the Faulty Fuses optional rule.

Off-Table Artillery Support

Battery H of the 4th US Artillery (Palmer’s Division) is firing from high ground to the west of the railroad and may fire at any target positioned on Wayne’s Hill with 3 Fire Points.

Confederate artillery deployed on Wayne’s Hill may conduct counter-battery against Battery H.  Cobb’s Battery will inflict 1 Fire Point, while Washington’s Battery will inflict 2 Fire Points.

Battery H may be silenced, damaged or destroyed by counter-battery fire and may run low on ammunition.  If silenced or low on ammunition, Battery H may be withdrawn to recover and will not be able to fire while withdrawing or being redeployed, though may of course be fired upon during those actions.  I suggest using a battery model and markers on the table-edge to illustrate the current status of Battery H.

Battery H is automatically assumed to be under the command of a general for the purposes of unlimbering after recovering from being silenced or running low on ammo.

Battery H will cease fire after Turn 8, due to the deteriorating situation to the south, forcing it to withdraw (remove from play).

Do not count Battery H when assessing Heavy Losses.

Morton’s Pioneer Brigade

Morton’s Pioneer Brigade was formed from the massed Pioneers from every infantry regiment in the Army of the Cumberland and did not therefore formally come under Crittenden’s command.  It may therefore be manoeuvred normally, but will not gain any Manoeuvre bonus from the presence of any general.

The Chicago Board of Trade Battery

This battery was the only ‘pure’ battery of rifled artillery in the battle, though was an army-level battery and did not normally come under Crittenden’s command.  However, for scenario purposes it classes as corps artillery and may be placed by any Union leader or brigadier.

Peagram’s Cavalry Brigade

Peagram’s cavalry had spent the previous days performing a rather ineffectual reconnaissance and on the morning of the battle was resting and in reserve, being camped roughly in the position shown on the scenario map.  Historically, this brigade played no part in the battle, though its proximity meant that it would surely have been engaged, had Union forces tried to roll up the Confederate right flank.

Therefore, at the start of each Confederate turn starting on Turn 2, roll a D10.  If the number is less than the current turn-number, Peagram’s brigade will be released (as usual, a rolled 0 counts as 10).  Peagram will be automatically released immediately after the first Union unit sets foot on Wayne’s Hill (however briefly).

As an army-level asset, Peagram’s brigade may not receive any Manoeuvre bonus from Breckenridge.

Peagram’s brigade may fight dismounted.

Terrain Stuff

Out-of-Bounds Areas – No Confederate units may cross the Stones River except Peagram’s Cavalry Brigade, which may only cross the ford near Adams’ Brigade’s starting position to reach the eastern side of the river.

Additionally, no units from either side may move along the railroad, through the ‘gap’ between the Stones River and the edge of the table, west of Wayne’s Hill.  This area is covered by other units and Confederate fieldworks

Woods – Although it’s the middle of winter, the woods are still full of underbrush, so the line of sight through woods is limited to 2 inches (4cm if you’re using my ground-scale for 10mm figures) and may be traversed as Broken Ground.  Woods provide a -1 Partial Cover shooting modifier and a +1 Favourable Ground defensive melee modifier.

Stones River & Fords – Stones River is impassable to all units except at the marked fords, where it may be passed by units in March Column formation, as Broken Ground.  Where a ford is defended, units may use Storming Column formation and the defender will receive a +1 Favourable Ground melee modifier.

Streams – Streams are passable to all troops as Broken Ground, though where the stream is within woodland it becomes Rough Ground.  A defender will receive a +1 Favourable Ground melee modifier for defending a stream.

Hills – The hills in this scenario are gently rolling and while they provide an elevated position for artillery (thus enabling Plunging Fire), they are traversed at the normal movement rate and do not provide a Favourable Ground melee modifier.

Fieldworks – Hanson’s fieldworks on Wayne’s Hill are only hasty scrapes (and perhaps not quite as impressive as I modelled them!) and provide a -1 Partial Cover modifier for firing and a +1 Favourable Ground modifier to any unit positioned behind them (note that these modifiers only work in one direction!).  An unit traversing the Fieldworks must do so at Broken Ground rate.

Roads – All marked roads are in good condition and units may use the Road movement rate when moving along them for the entire turn.

Friendly Table Edges – Confederate units will retreat toward the southern (bottom) edge of the map.  Union units will retreat toward the nearest ford to their rear and then to the western (left) edge of the map.

Unit Labels