Inaugural Challenge FoF AAR

[Kingmaker]

HiHi

T14 (recap), onwards,

East & Centre

The situation in Kentucky must appear a somewhat awkward for feds, Lees 3rd Corps in West Kentucky at Bowling Green and Johnstons Army of Tennessee (AoT) in the East in Appalachia which has also gone Reb, and is now in a state of unrest. With the Kentucky cities of Lexington & Louisville both undefended and not a lot of fed forces to be seen, I am hoping this is causing them some concern, enough to start pulling troops from the Eastern theatre towards the west. So with fed eyes fixed on their Mid West and Kentucky, it is again time for some ‘move to confuse’, so ...

Fresh from its conquest of Appalachia Johnstons AoT moves by foot to Knoxville Tennessee and there entrains to join ANV in Fredericksburg travelling via Shenandoah (Lee is also pulling out of Kentucky towards Cairo).

The combined Confederate forces in Fredericksburg now amount to c98,000



This is however only a temporary thing as Johnston will be heading back West, but whilst the armies are together I do some reorganisation, 1st off noticing that Magruders Cav rating is Excellent I move ANVs 2 cav Bgds into his 8th Peninsular div to take advantage of his rating.

Holmess 1st corps (Longstreet was originally in command there but Holmes is the senior officer (and thankfully has better stats) so he commands the corps, detaches Jeff Davis artillery Bgd which I want to stay with ANV, and transfers to AoT where Prices larger 3rd corps moves its flag the other way to join ANV.

The greatly reduced AoT (c19,000)now moves to Shenandoah by rail, and then on to Abingdon; I am having to juggle rail movement points between East & West and so don’t push AoT further + with Johnston now back in a position to move towards the Ohio river via Kenawha, this will cause more uncertainty about my intentions within the Lincoln administration. Federal forces have also reoccupied Appalachia so an advance there must also be considered by them. One unfortunate thing from my point I noticed on the replay, was that Johnstons move went in ahead of fed movement into Shenandoah, while fairly heavily outnumbered a battle there could well have been a Reb victory due to the terrain bonus and our better troops/commanders, however that opportunity was missed.

The net gain for Beauregards ANV now puts them at c80,000 strong, with 2 cav & 1 arty Bgd + with the rearmament program feds kindly set up, they look in pretty good shape to withstand any fed assault through Fredericksburg, they will however, with Johnston about to move west again to Cumberland gap, have to keep an eye over their shoulder towards Lynchburg



We are now upto date movement wise(turn 17,) early April 1862, so as Alasdair has just this minuet returned the battle file I will just add that I have now received 2 more upgrades, Indian training which brings any new Indian Bgds in as Regulars and Indirect fire for my arty.



Right that’s me done, I can now go looksee at what’s gone wrong with “the best laid plans of ...” this mouse, “Squeak, squeak”.

All the Best
Peter