Battle of Corinth - "Standoff at the Tennessee"

Great Battles of the American Civil War, Volume 6. (October 5-6, 1862)

The Battle of Corinth is somewhat like a one map game of Bloody April. Where Pea Ridge and Cedar Mountain are meeting engagements with lots of movement and maneuver,  Corinth is a toe-to-toe slugfest in the woods. Like Wilson's Creek, the smaller force attacks a sleeping giant, and hopes surprise will carry the day. This time it is the Rebels on the attack.

Here are a few pictures of how one game developed.

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Click on any picture to see the larger view.

The Objective

This is a closer view of the town of Corinth, and the objective for the Rebels - the all-important railroad crossroads.

The Union troops are in possession of the defenses with equal or superior numbers. But in an attempt to take pressure off in the north as Grant prepares to take Shiloh, Van Dorn is to attack and take the town from Rosecrans.

All he has is the element of surprise. Will it be enough?

The Southwest corner

The Confederate should certainly use the free setup, and hold back some troops to keep the Union player guessing where he is entering. This is an excellent place to come into the game once the battle is in full cry.

Mid Day, October 3, 1862

The Confederates have pushed hard, and made some progress in this game, though they are using the historical entry. While the points are certainly in their favor, they are really close to running out of troops, thanks to Lovell's snit with Van Dorn.

Another View

Another shot from closer to the field. Lovell has sustained less than 1000 casualties, but that's enough for him. His entire army is now under 'go slow' orders!

Overview from the Confederate Right

So many missed opportunities. It took the Confederates at least an hour (three turns) to recover from the two brigade routs and the late afternoon heat contributed to a pause in fighting as well.

End of the First Day

Even with the go-slow orders, Rust and Colbert's troops had opened a sizable hole in the Union center. But as the exploitation was about to occur, Union artillery recovered and turned the game around.

Fighting for the Battery

Colbert's brigade was shredded attempting to take the 6th Wisconsin battery. Gates would finally finish that job more than an hour later.

A look at the end of the day

In the center, as Rust attempted to follow up the hole his troops had paid so dearly to open, disaster struck. The 1 Missouri, section b, routed one of Rust's brigades. It was enough. Rust's entire attack ground to a halt, and then the entire brigade, save one, broke and ran. It would stop action for more than an hour as Rust struggled to put his forces back together. Eventually Van Dorn himself would have to take a hand. While the Rebels still had a chance on the second day, Lovell's go-slow attitude put an end to this plan. The Confederates, so close to victory, called it a day.

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