On February 9th the Battle of Stones River or Murfreesboro was fought
at the South Bay Game Club. This was fought using From Manassas to
Appomatox. The Confederates started the battle by attacking the Union
right flank reforming their forces in the center and advancing
Breckinridge's division on their right.
Historically both sides had planned to attack the opposing left flank, but the Confederates were able to launch their attack first and drove the Union army back. The Union army eventually reformed and held its ground. On the following day Bragg renewed the attack, but was not able to make any progress. Bragg later withdrew leaving the Union in control of the battlefield.
The re-fight was a see-saw affair with both sides having bad luck when taking morale checks. The Confederate left made some initial advances, but its morale failed causing it to lose several turns reforming for another assault. In the center Polk's corps reformed and spent most of the battle throwing back Union attacks.
The Union forces had decided to be agressive. They launched an attack against Cheatham's division in the center with two of their divisions, but were thrown back The Union left wing then proceeded to cross Stones River in order to attack Breckinridges division.
After some heavy fighting Cheathams division retreated across Stones River and took up position near Murfreesboro after being rallied by Bragg.. Wither's division was able to redress the situation when it attacked out of the woods and hit the Union center in the flank. Their attack caught Rosecrans in the melee resulting in his death. Whither's division then found itself in a difficult situation with forces facing it from the front and a Union division advancing on it from the rear. Fortunately for the Rebs the morale of the division advancing on it from the rear cracked and it fell back. The Rebs were able to reform near the bridges so they would not be flanked.
On the south end of the battle the Confederates facing Union troops had fallen back in disarray, but the Union troops refused to advance from their positions. Had they done so they might have destroyed the two divisions of Hardee's corps. By the end of the battle both the Union right wing and Hardee's corps on the south end had part of their forces exhausted and were not making much headway against each other. The Confederate cavalry on the south end had made a couple of valiant charges against the Union infantry and though they had driven them back were not able to capitalize on their success as the Union infantry quickly reformed.
By the noon turn both sides received some cavalry re-enforcements
Meanwhile the Union left wing had begun to catch up with the Breckinridge's division which had fallen back quite a ways due to failing morale. Bragg managed to halt their retreat just north of his headquarters. The Union left wing finally caught up with Breckinridge and after some hard fighting almost destroyed his division. The resulting route by Breckinridge also swept away Cheatham's division and left Whthers trapped on the west side of Stones River.
At this point the Confederates conceded the game. We started about 10:30 and finished 14 turns by 3:30. Losses were fairly heavy on both sides with at least two Union divisions exhausted and several others approaching that point. The Confederates did take three stands of Union infantry prisoner, but the results of the battle would result in their rescue.
Infantry figures are a mixture of Heroics and Ros, Baccus and Rapier. All cavalry and artillery are from Heroics and Ros. Buildings are from PaperTerrain. Trees are from an ebay dealer.
John Rigby was Rosecrans, Peter Michels was Thomas Crittenden, Bill McHugh was George Thomas, Alan Sissenwen was Alexander McCook, Gregg was Braxton Bragg, Manny Granillo was Polk. and Robert Packard was Hardee.
View of the turnpike from Murfreesboro
Initial starting positions
View from the Union side
early stages of the battle
Initial Union attacks in the center have been thrown back.
Cheatham's division under heavy attack.
South end of the battlefield. Confederates are re-grouping for another advance against the Union lines
View from the north end of the battlefield near the end. Union left wing advances on Breckinridge. Murfreesboro was actually on the edge of the table but had been moved in to avoid damaging it by players leaning over the table
Union left wing destroys Breckinridge's division.
South flank of the battlefield. Union lines are still holding after being pushed by by Rebs.
The order of battle is listed below. Each stand represents 500 infantry, 300 cavalry, or 12 guns. Ground scale is one inch = 100 yards. The complete scenario file can be found at the FMTA yahoo group
Union
Army of the Cumberland
– General William Rosecrans
Pioneer Brigade
four stands of infantry – average, rifle musket
Cavalry – General David Stanley (independent command)
4 stands of cavalry – average, muzzle
loading carbine
3 stands of cavalry – breach loading
carbine
6# rifles
Right Wing – General Alexander McCook
1st Division – Brigadier General
Jefferson Davis
9 stands of infantry – average, rifle
muskets
6# smoothbore cannon
10# Parrot
2nd Division – General Richard Johnson
12 stands of infantry – average, rifle
muskets
6# rifle
3rd Division – General Phillip Sheridan
10 stands of infantry – average, rifle
muskets
12# Napoleon
Center – General
George Thomas
1st Division – General Lovell Rousseu
12 stands of infantry – average, rifle
muskets
10# Parrot
2nd Division – General James Negley
11 stands of infantry – average, rifle
muskets
12# Howitzer
Corps Troops
Part of 3rd Division
5 stands of infantry – average, rifle
muskets
6# smoothbore
Left Wing – General
Thomas Crittenden
1st Division – General Thomas Wood
10 stands of infantry – average, rifle
muskets
6# smoothbore
2nd Division – General John Palmer
9 stands of infantry – average, rifle
muskets
12# howitzer
6# rifle
3rd Division – General Horatio Van
Cleve
8 stands of infantry – average, rifle
muskets
10# Parrot
Confederate
Army of Tennessee
– General Braxton Bragg
Cavalry – Brigadier General Joseph Wheeler (Independent
command)
6 stands of cavalry – average, muzzle loading
carbine
12# howitzer
Wharton’s Cavalry – Brigadier General Wharton (Independent
command)
5 stands of cavalry – average, shotgun
Polk’s Corps – Lt.
General Leonidas Polk
Cheatham’s Division – Major General Benjamin
Cheatham
13 stands of infantry – average, rifle
musket
12# howitzer
Wither’s Division – Major General Jones Wither
15 stands of infantry – average, rifle
musket
6# smoothbore
12# Napoleon
Hardee’s Corps – Lt. General William
Hardee
Breckinridge’s Division – Major
General John Breckinridge
15 stands of infantry –
average, rifle musket
6# smoothbore
12# howitzer
Cleburne’s
Division – Major General Patrick Cleburne
12 stands of infantry –
average, rifle musket
6# smoothbore
McCown’s Division – Major General J.
P. McCown
9 stands of infantry –
average, rifle musket
12# Napoleon
3” rifle
