Inaugural FoF AAR - Union side

[cillmhor]

Early December 1861:

Well I've received a couple of maulings in the east, especially when the Army of the Potomac and the Army of Northern Virginia met in the Cumberland Gap. I recall a loss ratio of 12,000 to 1-2,000 in favour of the CSA. Not good news. Out west Peter surprised me by slipping a division and corps past my Army of the West into Missouri, a division now sits up in central Missouri threatening all kinds of unrest so I'll have to go back and see if I can't persuade them to go back south.

I noticed that my Army of the Potomac did not have my best general in command in terms of battle prowess, so I'm looking to put a better commander in command at least until the threat of Southern action in the east has receded slightly. But what I really want to do is put a good training general in command to help improve the quality of my troops. This is a longer term aim.

I now want to build some forts along the Ohio river and southern Kentucky to try and give my front some security and I will try and adopt the same strategy in the west. Then build my armies up without trying to fight the South on the attack, I want to take advantage of any and all defensive bonuses in these early battles. Something I have not done until now.

I have managed to dislodge a Corps from Cumberland while the AoNV was south in Fredricksburg, and caused 2500+ casualties. Some good news finally.

Two research categories allowed me to gain some special bonuses: Rifle manufacture which adds +1 guns producition to all arsenals (which means I can arm my troops more quickly), and cavalry dragoon tactics (which makes cavalry attacks more damaging).

I now need to train up a cavaly division and equip them to take advantage of this.

Naval build-up is on hold for the time being, so the blockade plan is also on hold. I am blockading some ports, but not with enough ships to make much of a difference it appears.

The Union is going to try and keep things quiet now, and fill in any gaps on the front lines. Which is what I should have done in the first place.