The Battle of Salem Church - 3 May, 1863

Jonathan Freitag had me over last Saturday for a face-to-face contest in his dungeon war den. The table was set up for the Battle of Salem Church, fought on the 3rd of May in 1863. The battle was part of the larger Chancellorsville campaign. The rules were Fields of Honor with slight modifications. Here is the battle briefing that Jon sent me:

I took Maj. General John Sedgwick's VI Corps, Jon took Maj. General Lafayette McLaw's division.

I won the initiative and successively drew the first four activations before Jon could move.

 

Bartlett, Brown, Russell and Browne move up their brigades. The confederates activate Wilcox's batteries pour cannister into Russel's regiments.

Russell attacks the Union Artillery, while the 119th PA fires a volley into the 14th AL on the Salem Church heights

On the Union left, Bartlett unsuccessfully tries to drive in the Confederate left

After a bloody fight and the destruction of the Confederate support infantry, the whole Union line is thrown back.

the 2nd NJ takes the Salem Church, while the 23rd NJ and 2st NJ resume the attack on the Union artillery 

The 1st NJ is lost and Russel is again thrown back

Both sides are taking heavy losses on the Union Left. Two Confederate brigades are broken.

The 32nd NY has finally taken Parker's and Cobb's artillery batteries, but at a high cost. The 18th NY and 49th PA were bloodied and thrown back by Wolford's and Manley's Artillery with infantry support. Two Union Brigades are broken.

The 32nd NY throw themselves at the Manley/Wolford batteries again.

With a successful flank attack on the 2nd RI and 10 MA, Browne's brigade is broken. It's a win for the Confederates.

I know Jonathan will have a much more in depth report of the battle, at least from the Confederate perspective. I had so much fun playing this scenario. It turned out much like the historical results, with most of Sedgwick's VI Corps not even getting into the fight due to the extremely rough terrain on the Union right.