Orders Due This Week

Orders for Turn 1 are due this week, with the deadline being October 7th. Three Union Corps have submitted orders already.

Front Line Deployment Maps Posted

The Deployment Zone maps for the "front line towns" have been posted on the reference maps page.

Initial Contact, Skirmishing, and Deployment Zones:Part II

Deployment Zones are designated areas on a map where each side is allowed to deploy prior to contact. Otherwise, there is a tendency to want to use the edge of the map as if it were the edge of the world protecting one's flank, while trapping the enemy as soon he enters a map. (This is not realistic. If the edge of the map were not there, the enemy would be able to flank the flankers.))

Deployment Zones allow an advancing force a safe place to deploy as they enter a map. In the previous simulations, a force would enter a map on one turn and stop. Each side would be told that an enemy force "of unknown size and composition" was present on the map. The North Branch Campaign is different in that the advancing force will advance through its deployment zone and attempt to make contact with the defending force in the defender's deployment zone, or between the zones. Zones are located at each entry / exit location from another map for advancing (or withdrawing) forces, with a red "defending zone" in the middle of the map.

SITESVILLE DEPLOYMENT ZONE MAP

Once contact is made by  the advancing force, an engagement has begun and units are free move and deploy out of their zones during the next turn and until the engagement is finished with one side withdrawing from the map.

Deployment Zones are also used for partial withdrawals during an engagement. A partial withdrawal is if part of an army's force remains on a map, while another division or divisions departs to another location. In this case, the departing division(s) must first move to the deployment zone closest to its exit point before being able to leave the map. For example, if an army had three divisions at Sitesville, and one was being sent to Black Horse Tavern, it would have to move into the green shaded Deployment Zone around Amick and Gaskin before being allowed to move from the Sitesville map to the Black Horse Tavern Map.

In the previous simulation (South Branch Campaign), deployment zones were out of range of each other. In the North Branch campaign, some of the deployment zones will be very close to each other. If players deploy at the edge of their zones, they could have an engagement right at the start of a turn.

Revised Deployment Maps

I will be issuing some revised deployment maps. The defending zone has been enlarged in some cases. I will have the "front line towns" deployment maps posted on the reference maps section by the end of this weekend. This will include:

• Cosner's Gap
• Franklin
• Marion
• Sitesville
• Mt. Zion Church
• Sagarville
• Newtown
• Madison
• Keyser Ford
• Garrettsville

(Keyser Ford and Garrettsville are included because there is no Federal presence in Madison at the beginning of the campaign.)

Initial Contact, Skirmishing and Deployment Zones: Part I

When one army's force enters an occupied town or location for the first time, there will be some kind of contact as it enters the map. The location and extent of this initial contact is influenced by the orders given to the advancing units and deployment zone. The orders dictate the extent of initial contact and the deployment zones limit the potential locations of the contact.

The advancing army will have a lead division and a lead brigade for that division. The lead brigade will have at least one regiment out in front as skirmishers. The defending army will have at least one regiment per division on a skirmish line, with skirmishers being across the main roads leading from other towns.  When at force enters a map, its skirmishers will advance down the road until they make contact with enemy skirmishers. Depending on the orders given, this could result in:

1. The advancing division stopping out of musket range, bringing up a battery and shelling the enemy skirmish line (Division Movement Stance Orders: Cautious)

2. The advancing division's skirmishers move forward and engage the enemy skirmishers and the rest of the division waits to the rear (Division Movement Stance Orders: Probe)

3. The advancing division's skirmishers engage and the rest of the division pushes forward, supported by any other arriving divisions, in an attempt to drive back the skirmishers and strike any enemy main line present (Division Movement Stance Orders: Aggressive).

Cautious players may want to avoid any engagement when entering a map, other than shelling the enemy. This allows the player to deploy and better plan the next steps, but.... it will not gather much intelligence and loses much of the initiative on the field. If the enemy is not visible, the skirmishers will not advance into the defending deployment zone in the map.

A Probe stance will result in skirmishing along the main road between lines. The skirmishers may take prisoners (men reported missing by the enemy at the end of the turn). If prisoners are taken, the enemy division from which they came will be identified in the turn report. Skirmishers may also get close enough to view parts of the enemy main line.  Action is likely to be between deployment zones or at the edges of the deployment zones.

An Aggressive stance takes on full initiative for the fight and attempts to strike the enemy main line. This is a bold move that makes it more difficult for the enemy to react to an attack by moving the advancing force to the front quickly and trying to engage and tie down elements of the enemy line. Forces with an aggressive could penetrate into the defender's deployment zone in the first turn.

The only way that there would not be contact on the 1st Turn that an army enters a map is if they had a cautious stance and the defending enemy was deployed so deep in their defending zone that the advancing force could not see their skirmish line. (Of course, if the defending force was deployed deep in their defending zone and the advancing force had a probe or aggressive stance, they advancing army would enter well into the defending deployment zone in their first turn on the map.) Something to think about when it comes to deployment and marching orders....

See rules 4.1.2, 4.2.2, and 4.3.6

Error in Intell

There was an error in the intelligence. The two Union cavalry divisions that were reported in Madison are actually in Marion. Unfortunately, this happened after they had been positively identified....

Initial Intelligence: Opening Positions

As both armies have deployed into their opening positions, the presence of divisions in the "front line towns" has been noted. There are three Confederate infantry divisions at Cosner's Gap, and two south of the gap at Sitesville. A Union cavalry division is present at Franklin, with an infantry division at Marion.

In the central portion of the campaign theatre, the Federals have a cavalry division at Newtown facing and infantry division at Sagarville. Another Confederate infantry division is present at Mt. Zion Church and could easily move north into Marion or support actions at Sitesville or Sagarville.

There are four divisions present at Madison. The Confederates have deployed Gordon's and Hood's Divisions, both belonging to the Confederate V Corps. The Federals have deployed Banks' (2nd) and Sherman's (4th) Cavalry Divisions. The entire Union Cavalry Corps is accounted for as the campaign prepares to start. None of the Confederate cavalry divisions have been sighted.

The campaign will start on July 13th 1863. Positions shown as as of the evening of July 12th. There will be no movement during the night.

Stayed Tuned.... Intelligence Coming Soon

The opening positions of each army are almost all mapped out. Intelligence should be available here within the next 24 hours. Divisions in "front line towns" will be noted by the enemy.

Confederate Army Getting Into Position

The Confederate II Corps under Lieutenant General Longstreet has now deployed into its positions for the start of the campaign.

Union Army Fully Deployed

The Army of the South Branch has fully deployed into its initial positions for the start of the South Branch Campaign. Templates for Turn 1 orders will be out next week, with orders due by October 7.

Confederate Cavalry Corps Initial Deployment Received

Maj. Gen. J. E. B. Stuart has given his initial deployment orders in preparation for the coming campaign.

More Union Deployment

The Union V and XII Corps have also deployed into their opening positions....

First Opening Positions Submitted

The first opening positions are in. They were submitted by the Army of the South Branch's Cavalry Corps.

Opening Positions Deadline Looms

The deadline for submitting the opening location for each division in on September 23rd. Both armies are plotting their strategies for either capturing or preventing the capture of Arlington. Turn 1 orders will be due on October 7th and templates for the orders will be provided next week. The armies are large, but each side is already experiencing the challenge of deploying their divisions across the campaign theater to meet their objective.

Low Resolution Uniforms / Unit Mod Available

Although the last few simulations used high resolution uniforms in the TC2M game, I will be using mostly low resolution units in the North Branch Campaign because of the potential size of the engagements, I have been working on the orders of battle that I will use in the game and have posted some huge files on the mod page if there is anyone interested in running their order of battle with the same flags and uniforms. (Contact me if you have any questions or need help.)

Here are some screenshots from a test that give an idea of what some units might look like. They don't have the clarity of high resolutions units, but they should do the job...

Campaign Map Simplified

The Confederates have asked for a simplified schematic of the campaign theater. Here it is:

Prepare for Losses

You can't win them all. Based on previous experience, expect this campaign to have losses comparable to the historic Gettysburg Campaign or Overland Campaign. Some divisions will attack positions and get repulsed with heavy losses. Some divisions will defend positions and be over-run. Regiments and batteries will be routed, guns lost, and Brigade and Division Commanders fall during the course of battle.  Some of your divisions will remain as shadows of their former selves by the end of the simulation.

I remember being a corps commander and losing most of my corps during my first sim. Strange as it may seem, it took me a while to recover from that and effectively get back into the action. Remember, it is just a game. Take the losses in stride, rally the men, and keep on fighting to the end.

Opening Positions Due on Sunday

As we near the start of the North Branch Campaign simulation, the opening positions for each army are due this Sunday. Every Division and Corps headquarters must be assigned to a town that is controlled by its army on the campaign map. No more than 3 divisions may be in one town.

Remember though, the presence divisions in "front line" towns will be known to the enemy. Divisions in Cosner's Gap, Franklin, Sitesville, Marion, Mt. Zion Church, Newtown and Sagarville will only be identified as "infantry divisions" or "cavalry divisions."  Divisions in Madison will be identified by their Division Commander's name.

Strategy starts here....  (Unless, of course, you had a strategy while already while forming your army...)

Impressive Orders of Battle

Congratulations to both sides for organizing some impressive orders of battle. The armies are indeed HUGE and the cadre of officers reads like a Who's Who of the American Civil War. There is also a wide variety of units from multiple historical armies and theaters of war.

The basic order of battle has been posted for each army. It includes the names of Army, Corps, Division, and Brigade Commanders. It shows the structure of the divisions you will face (e.g. How many brigades? How many batteries? Are their sharpshooters attached directly to the division headquarters? Etc.)

What the basic orders of battle do not tell you are the details. How many regiments in the different brigades? Which regiments? What qualities and strengths? How well are they armed? How many guns in various batteries?  All in good time... Find the enemy. Fight him. Get more intelligence.

North Branch Campaign Simulation - Union Order of Battle (Basic)

ARMY OF THE SOUTH BRANCH, MAJOR GENERAL ULYSSES S. GRANT

I Corps, Major General George Thomas

Unassigned: Brigadier General Thomas Wood

1st Division, Brigadier General Jefferson Davis

• 1st Brigade, Brigadier General Alexander Hays
• 2nd Brigade, Brigadier General John Gibbon
• 3rd Brigade, Brigadier General Wesley Merritt
• Division Artillery: 3 Batteries

2nd Division, Major General John Palmer

• 1st Brigade, Colonel Newell Gleason
• 2nd Brigade, Colonel Joshua Chamberlain
• 3rd Brigade, Colonel William Humphrey
• 4th Brigade, Brigadier General Adolf Von Steinwehr
• Division Artillery: 2 Batteries

3rd Division, Major General Quincy Adams Gilmore

• 1st Brigade, Brigadier General Frank Wheaton
• 2nd Brigade, Brigadier General Orlando Poe
• 3rd Brigade, Brigadier General John Turchin
• Division Artillery: 2 Batteries

4th Division, Major General John Sedgwick

• 1st Brigade, Brigadier General Horatio Van Cleve
• 2nd Brigade, Brigadier General George Stoneman
• 3rd Brigade, Brigadier General Hugh T. Reid
• 4th Brigade, Brigadier General Speed S. Fry
• Division Artillery: 2 Batteries

V Corps, Major General Winfield Scott Hancock

Unassigned: Brigadier General David A. Russell

1st Division, Major General Benjamin M. Prentiss

• 1st Brigade, Brigadier General Daniel Butterfield
• 2nd Brigade, Brigadier General John Brannan
• 3rd Brigade, Brigadier General Joseph Carr
• Division Sharpshooters
• Division Artillery: 3 Batteries

2nd Division, Major General Abner Doubleday

• 1st Brigade: Brigadier General Andrew Humphreys
• 2nd Brigade: Brigadier General Solomon Meredith
• 3rd Brigade: Brigadier General James S. Wadsworth
• Division Artillery: 3 Batteries

3rd Division, Major General Thomas Crittenden

• 1st Brigade, Brigadier General Henry Baxter
• 2nd Brigade, Brigadier General George Andrews
• 3rd Brigade, Brigadier General Simon G. Griffin
• Division Artillery: 2 Batteries

4th Division, Major General William Rosecrans

• 1st Brigade, Brigadier General Albion P. Howe
• 2nd Brigade, Brigadier General John King
• 3rd Brigade, Brigadier General Frank S. Nickerson
• 4th Brigade, Brigadier General Alfred A. Torbert
• Division Artillery: 3 Batteries

VI Corps, Major General John Reynolds
Unassigned: Brigadier General Israel Vogdes

1st Division, Major General George Sykes

• 1st Brigade, Brigadier General Samuel Zook
• 2nd Brigade, Brigadier General Henry Whiting
• 3rd Brigade, Brigadier General Alexander Shaler
• Division Sharpshooters
• Division Artillery: 2 Batteries

2nd Division, Major General John Pope

• 1st Brigade, Brigadier General George Bayard
• 2nd Brigade, Brigadier General Robert Milroy
• 3rd Brigade, Brigadier General Horatio Wright
• Division Sharpshooters
• Division Artillery: 3 Batteries

3rd Division, Major General Joseph Reynolds

• 1st Brigade, Brigadier General Roman B. Ayres
• 2nd Brigade, Brigadier General Elon J. Farnsworth
• 3rd Brigade, Brigadier General John W. Geary
• 4th Brigade, Brigadier General Robert B. Potter
• Division Artillery: 2 Batteries

4th Division, Major General Philip Sheridan

• 1st Brigade, Brigadier General Hugh Ewing
• 2nd Brigade, Brigadier General Edward Ferrero
• 3rd Brigade, Brigadier General Joseph Mower
• Division Artillery: 3 Batteries

XII Corps, Major General Oliver Otis Howard
Unassigned: Brigadier General Conrad Feger Jackson

1st Division, Major General Fitz John Porter

• 1st Brigade, Brigadier General Richard Johnson
• 2nd Brigade, Brigadier General Adelbert Ames
• 3rd Brigade, Brigadier General Lysander Cutler
• 4th Brigade, Brigadier General William Carlin
• Division Sharpshooters
• Division Artillery: 1 Battery

2nd Division, Brigadier General Adolphus Wesley Williams

• 1st Brigade, Brigadier General Gouverneur K. Warren
• 2nd Brigade, Brigadier General Alexander S. Webb
• 3rd Brigade, Brigadier General Benjamin Christ
• Division Sharpshooters
• Division Artillery: 1 Battery

3rd Division, Brigadier General Christopher Auger

• 1st Brigade, Brigadier General Eugene Asa Carr
• 2nd Brigade, Brigadier General Samuel W. Crawford
• 3rd Brigade, Brigadier General John Cleveland Robinson
• Division Artillery: 2 Batteries

4th Division, Brigadier General Alfred Pleasonton

• 1st Brigade, Brigadier General Cuvier Grover
• 2nd Brigade, Brigadier General William Harrow
• 3rd Brigade, Brigadier General Thomas A. Rowley
• Division Artillery: 2 Batteries

Cavalry Corps, Major General James Birdseye McPherson

Unassigned: Brigadier General James D. Morgan

1st Division, Major General Lovell H. Rousseau

• 1st Brigade, Brigadier General Thomas Neill
• 2nd Brigade, Brigadier General Henry H. Lockwood
• 3rd Brigade, Brigadier General George Armstrong Custer
• 4th Brigade, Brigadier General John D. Stevenson
• Division Artillery: 1 Battery

2nd Division, Major General Nathaniel Banks

• 1st Brigade, Brigadier General Isaac F. Quinby
• 2nd Brigade, Brigadier General George F. McGinnis
• 3rd Brigade, Brigadier General Judson Kilpatrick
• 4th Brigade, Brigadier General Alexander Schimmelfennig
• Division Artillery: 1 Battery

3rd Division, Major General David B. Birney

• 1st Brigade, Brigadier General Samuel Sturgis
• 2nd Brigade, Brigadier General John Caldwell
• 3rd Brigade, Brigadier General William P. Benton
• Division Artillery: 1 Battery

4th Division, Major General William Tecumseh Sherman

• 1st Brigade, Brigadier General Absalom Baird
• 2nd Brigade, Brigadier General David McMurtrie Gregg
• 3rd Brigade, Brigadier General John McArthur
• Division Artillery: 1 Battery

North Branch Campaign Simulation - Confederate Order of Battle (Basic)

ARMY OF THE MOUNTAINS, GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE

I Corps, Lieutenant General Theophilus Holmes

Price's Division, Major General Sterling Price

• McRae's Brigade, Brigadier General Dandridge McRae
• Fagan's Brigade, Brigadier General James F. Fagan
• Churchill's Brigade, Brigadier General Thomas J. Churchill
• Parsons' Brigade, Brigadier General Mosby M. Parsons
• Bowens' Brigade, Brigadier General John S. Bowens
• Division Artillery: 4 Batteries

Hindman's Division, Major General Thomas Hindman

• Cleburne's Brigade, Brigadier General Patrick Cleburne
• Anderson's Brigade, Brigadier General Patton Anderson
• Wathall's Brigade, Brigadier General Edward Wathall
• Division Artillery: 3 Batteries

Smith's Division, Major General Martin Luther Smith

• McNair's Brigade, Brigadier General Evander McNair
• Beall's Brigade, Brigadier General William N. R. Beall
• Maxey's Brigade, Brigadier General Samuel B. Maxey
• Division Sharpshooters
• Division Artillery: 4 Batteries

Taliaferro's Division, Brigadier General William Booth Taliaferro

• Stewart's Brigade, Brigadier General Alexander P. Stewart
• Jordan's Brigade, Brigadier General Thomas Jordan
• Division Artillery: 3 Batteries

II Corps, Major General James Longstreet

Forney's Division, Major General John Forney

• Baldwin's Brigade, Brigadier General William E. Baldwin
• Semme's Brigade, Brigadier General Paul Semmes
• Division Artillery: 4 Batteries

Barksdale's Division, Brigadier General William Barksdale

• Stovall's Brigade, Brigadier General Marcellus Stovall
• Walker's Brigade, Brigadier General Steven Walker
• Heim's Brigade, Brigadier General Benjamin Heim
• Whitfield's Brigade, Brigadier General John Whitfield
• Division Artillery: 4 Batteries

Colquitt's Division, Brigadier General Alfred Colquitt

• Shoup's Brigade, Brigadier General Francis Shoup
• Armstrong's Brigade, Brigadier General Frank Armstrong
• Pettigrew's Brigade, Brigadier General James Pettigrew
• Division Artillery: 4 Batteries

Garnett's Division, Brigadier General Richard Garnett

• Preston Smith's Brigade, Brigadier General Preston Smith
• Posey's Brigade, Brigadier General Carnot Posey
• Scales' Brigade, Brigadier General Alfred M. Scales
• Division Artillery: 4 Batteries

III Corps, Lieutenant General Ambrose Powell Hill

Pickett's Division, Major General George E. Pickett

• Deas' Brigade, Brigadier General Zacharius Deas
• Daniel's Brigade, Brigadier General Junius Daniel
• Kershaw's Brigade, Brigadier General Joseph B. Kershaw
• Division Artillery: 2 Batteries

Rodes' Division, Major General Robert E. Rodes

• Archer's Brigade, Brigadier General James Archer
• Bate's Brigade, Brigadier General William Bate
• Liddell's Brigade, Brigadier General St. John Richardson Liddell
• Division Artillery: 4 Batteries

Pender's Division, Major General William D. Pender

• J. K. Jackson's Brigade, Brigadier General John K. Jackson
• Johnson's Brigade, Brigadier General Bushrod Rust Johnson
• W. H. Jackson's Brigade, Brigadier General William H. Jackson
• Division Artillery: 3 Batteries

Wheeler's Division, Major General Joseph Wheeler

• Hebert's Brigade, Brigadier General Louis Hebert
• Ripley's Brigade, Brigadier General Roswell Ripley
• Division Artillery: 2 Batteries

V Corps, Lieutenant General Richard Ewell

Gordon's Division, Brigadier General John Gordon

• Ashbell Smith's Brigade, Colonel Ashbel Smith
• Mill's Brigade, Colonel Roger Q. Mills
• Division Sharpshooters
• Division Artillery: 3 Batteries

Hood's Division, Major General John Bell Hood

• Laws' Brigade, Brigadier General Evander Law
• Wilcox's Brigade, Brigadier General Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox
• Division Sharpshooters
• Division Artillery: 4 Batteries

Cavalry Corps, Major General J. E. B. Stuart

Featherson's Division, Brigadier General Winfield Scott Featherson

• 1st Brigade, Colonel James Scott
• 2nd Brigade, Major Benjamin Elliott

Hampton's Division, Brigadier General Wade Hampton

• 1st Brigade, Colonel Archibald S. Dobbins
• 2nd Brigade, Major Dewitt Clinton Douglass

Forrest's Division, Brigadier General Nathan Bedford Forrest

• 1st Brigade, Colonel Amson W. Hobson
• 2nd Brigade, Colonel William Carter Wickham
• Division Artillery: 4 Batteries 

Orders of Battle Closed and Locked In

The orders of battle for each army are now official closed and locked in. They cannot be changed for the rest of the simulation. There will be a bonus brigade transferred to each army's smallest division. Each brigade was created with the same amount of resource points.

Stay tuned for initial intelligence (basic orders of battle), which will be available here within the next day or two.

Hutton's Mill Available

The Hutton's Mill map has been released...

North Branch Command Simulation - Senior Commanders

Barlow on the Fringes

Although previously reported that Brig. Gen. Francis Barlow was sighted at the headquarters tent of Major General Winfield S. Hancock,  sources say that Hancock has fully formed his corps without Barlow receiving any division or brigade command. He does, however, continue to be sighted in the vicinity.

VI Corps Formed!

Sources in Springfield report that the VI Corps, Army of the South Branch, is now fully assembled, supplied, and ready for the upcoming campaign.

Large Armies - Keep It Simple

The Union Army of the South Branch is still forming, but it is clear that the two armies will bring nearly (or over) 200,000 men into the campaign simulation. There will be 30 divisions or more, and potentially around 100 or more brigades and batteries.  In the campaign simulation format, it is unlikely that they will ever all be on the same map at the same time, but it is possible to have almost all of them involved in engagements on different maps during the same turn. This is a lot of men and a lot orders.

The simplest form of orders is the division level order. Tell the division where to go, its division formation when it gets there, and the stance it should take (hold, defend, probe, attack).  For example, a division might be told to advance to Ferguson's Corner on the Arlington Map, deploy in battle line, and hold. (There is a template for giving this kind of order and nothing else is needed.)

Players can give positions for individual brigades and batteries by submitting a map, or by giving specific coordinates on a map.  A map can be provided with the positions of each brigade and battery marked. Or, the player can use the TC2M game to identify specific location coordinates where they want the brigades and batteries to go and provide the coordinates. This is the most precise way to deploy a brigade or battery, but requires a lot more work on the part of the player than a division level order.

Given the scale of the campaign, there are a few things I will not do in this simulation:

1. Make tactical decisions: Sometimes players give orders such as battery orders to "deploy where there is the best field of fire."  I will not look for a location to deploy a unit. The player will have to either mark and label it on a map, provide the coordinates, or let AI choose under division level orders.

2. Interpret complicated orders: Sometimes narrative orders can be quite complicated. Keep it simple. I am going to base the scripting for turn scenarios  on the orders template and any marked and labeled maps attached.

3. Implement caveat or conditional orders: Sometimes we get orders like: "If the enemy does X, do Y, " or "Attack if the enemy force is smaller." This falls under "Not making tactical decisions."  You must commit to your orders for the turn, let them play out, and adjust during the next turn.

4. Detach individual regiments or guns from the brigades or batteries: You will not be able to detach or give orders to individual regiments or guns, with the exception of sharpshooters who are attached to a division as an independent unit, rather than brigaded with other units.

One Month Until First Orders

First orders for the North Branch Campaign simulation are due by October 7th, which is one month away. The Confederate Army of the Mountains is fully formed and preparing to deploy its corps and divisions. The Union Army of the South Branch is still forming. Once the Union army has been fully formed, initial intelligence reports will be provided.

I am preparing orders templates for the Confederate Corps Commanders this weekend, as well as the template for the initial deployment of the Union army for the start of the campaign.  Preparations continue, but the campaigning is drawing close.

Major Generals Accept Commands / Cavalry Corps Fully Formed

Sources confirm that Maj. Gen. David B. Birney, Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman, and Maj. Gen. Nathaniel Banks have all been offered and accepted commands in the Army of the South Branch.

On a separate note, the cavalry corps of the Army of the South Branch is now fully formed and ready for campaigning.

Beau Ideal or Circus Clowns

A number of zouave regiments have been seen in the newly forming Army of the South Branch. There is debate among the officers and men as to whether they are the very beau ideal of a soldier, or just circus clowns in gaudy uniforms.

McNeal Map Available

The McNeal Map is now available. This completes all maps in the areas under Confederate control at the beginning of the simulation. McNeal is a wooded area with small farms located to the north of Tomlin's Ford. (Not to be confused with McNeil's Cross Road, which is located far to the southwest of McNeal.)

Tomlin's Ford Map Released

The Tomlin's Ford map has been released. Tomlin's Ford is both a ford and a village that bears the same name that is just to the south of the ford. As a preview for the unreleased McNeal map, if the Federals take McNeal, they will be able to advance on Tomlin's Ford using the Warren Road, Island Ford Road, or both.  If the Federals reach and take Tomlin's Ford, the next stop is Arlington.

Sitesville Rules....

All of the maps that are in territory controlled by the Confederates at the beginning of the simulation have a tactical objective identified. One option that the Union has for forcing the Confederates off of a map is to capture that objective. They don't have to take the objective, but it is the only way to ensure that the map is cleared and no Confederates are left behind to cut off supply lines. All of the maps have a single objective, with the exceptions of Sitesville. Sitesville has 3 objectives and special rules. 

Because it is the junction of 6 roads, Sitesville is extremely likely to be the scene of some fighting during the campaign, as it was in the previous simulation. Roads lead west to Marion, north to Cosner's Gap, northeast to Foxtown, east to Valley Manor, south to Black Horse Tavern, and southwest to Mt. Zion Church. The Army of the South Branch could bypass the challenging terrain at Cosner's Gap by moving through Sitesville to Foxtown and its bridge over the North Branch River. They could also move from Sitesville north to Cosner's Gap to the rear of the Cosner's Gap objective and trap any Confederates there. Control of Sitesville also gives the Confederates access to multiple maps to re-enforce their defenses and to threaten Union supply lines. 

To drive the Confederates from Sitesville, the Union Army of the South Branch must meet all of the following criteria:

1. They control at least one objective at the end of a turn (It will be lit up "blue."), and,

2. The Confederate Army of the Mountains controls no objectives at the end of the turn (none lit up red). 

This is where the option of giving brigade level orders may be useful. A brigade is sufficient to "light up" an objective and one could be detached to hold an objective.  For example, let's imagine that the Union detaches a brigade with orders to stay in Sitesville town (controlling the objective there), while the rest of the Union force advances on Confederates holding the objective at Sitesville Church.  If the Union objective stays lit and the Sitesville Church objective becomes contested (not held by either side), the Army of the South Branch will have one objective lit and the Confederates none, forcing the Confederates off the map.  By keeping one or two objectives under control (e.g. Sitesville Church and McGee Hill), the Confederates make it much more difficult for the Federals force them off the map.