Maryland Campaign #10
16th Of September
16th September
JEB reporting:
8NY Cav Destroyed. Sykes and Morrell’s Divisions (V Corps at JEFFERSON 3618. 3 Divs of II Corps now SOUTH of BUCKEYSTOWN 4220. Lee Bde at 5415, attacking Mt Airy tomorrow.
J.E.B. Stuart): II Corps is moving on Frederick from the SOUTH. V Corps is skirting along the Catoctin Mountains, aiming to cut off the National Road and our retreat.
(J.E.B. Stuart): All my units in good order and rested. ~60 casualties from today’s engagements - in return for a Union regiment destroyed.
Side bar - a big recovery for JEB. Really did well to escape teh noose and inflict some losses. That evens the score VP wise as far as losses per side goes I think. He is doing a solid one here.
Lee to ALL - First of all - Team what a great job!! Everyone took to the plan, adapted on the fly, and achieved very good results in an almost impossible position.
Lee to all : Do we have a loss inflicted / taken assessment from Longstreet and Jackson, be good to know how the boys are doing? I see that Jacksons basically swapped losses 1500 per side overall. Please provide as well FAT levels if you know them.
Lee to (Longstreet) - Work remains to be done and it all comes down to your orders issued - to Mc Laws and Anderson.
Looks like PA Militia is either heading for Martinsburg or our depot?
If we can snag Martinsburg and the 2 other VP nearby I think that would be considered Mission Accomplished. Excellent and Im on pins and needles for that.
I would say as a net assessment of Frederick, it’s time for an orderly withdrawal.
We have Union V corp threatening to cut us off.
LEE ORDERS: Lets have an orderly withdrawal to Turners Gap. I think standing and fighting there will be costly and deplete the army? - Unless the location of Army HQ ‘leadership’ swings the day?
Thoughts?
Lee- DR JONES AND WALKER should make their way to Jug Bridge [or where ever you have them headed] and rest up then meet us in Turns Gap or Sharpsburg. - Can Mc Laws hold us a bridge near there?
JEB - keep screening! Great job, and if you can snag that 1 VP with F Lee all the better.
As a wargamer who plays to the VC’s and Time Limit, I’d say we did close to better than historical and surprised the Yankees. #winning As a Historical Wargamer, we may have left a few lads to fend for themselves, which we may be able to alleviate. But our army is currently intact and making transition back across the Potomac.
I did not see opportunities arise for a set piece winnable battle where we had a positional or numerical advantage that would not be upset by timely arrival of yet another Corps of Blue Bellies. #winning.
Lee - Maybe AP Hill can take a few cheapshots at those sub units? But happy for him to cover the retreat.
(J.E.B. Stuart): Unless we can properly retreat through the Northern Catoctin mountains (North of the national road), we should probably begin the retreat now. V Corps will cut the National Road in a day or two.
Lee- JEB , Longstreet and Jackson will sort their movement out, and you screen the National Road. With a goal of consolidating at Turners Gap. As long as we avoic a multi corps engagement and/or being picked on one by 1 im good.
Lee will stay with the rear most units aiding the fall back and supporting Jackson Longstreet.
Lee to Jackson - Yo Steve! You did a great job with basically one hand tied behind your back!
Jackson to ALL: AP Hill is in poor condition to attack. Two Federal divisions, and possibly another, are in/around Cramptons and Brownsville Gaps, and already repulsed him with loss once. It’s possible the Federals may cut our routes over South Mountain as AP Hill appears to be the only force between these troops and Turners Gap. My total losses are about 2000 for AP Hill and 1500 each for Jones and Lawton.
Lee to Jackson : not too bad. But high enough to warrant you avoiding combat. Seek to get to Turners Gap in an orderly manner with strongest fittest last. JEB will screen where he can you two can co-ordinate. I’ll come along with Last Division out.
(Lee’s Staff) to ALL : Overall the Union seems to have been completely reactive to our activities, which puts them at a disadvantage. They sent an entire Corps up north to protect that county seat. Thought they would have pushed West as fast as possible, taking Frederick early on.
Message from Funk’s Bde. This is in response to my note regarding any end around or lone wolf cav attempting a rush on our depot or forces coming from the North for a strike.
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From: Funk’s Bde Date: 15 SEP
To: Army HQ
Your message from 14th SEP acknowledged. Regiment stationed at BERRYVILLE will leave for WINCHESTER on the 16th SEP to bolster the defences there. No sign of EN forces.
