Milam County See's the Elephant

Sunday evening saw another engagement in our ACW narrative campaign. For me it tells the story of the men of Milam County after I stumbled across a history of the county and the men who served in the Civil War. A history of the county can be found here. http://jamesewilliams.tripod.com/index-2.html

The scenario was generated using Platoon Forward from the Too Fat Lardies. The Union Player won the last game and was selcted as the attacked and Scenario F was rolled for Platoon Attack.

Set our below is an extract from the diary of J.C. Rogers Commanding Officer of the G Company 5th Texas - "Milam County Guards"

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Dawn on the 16th we had our orders a galloper had come in overnight we are to hold the ridge line inflicting casualties on the approaching federals, a victory for the confederacy would be the loss of fewer men than those blue bellies who were approaching from the East.

I am a worried man, we are fewer in number, our weapons are not the most modern and over recent weeks the Union forces have started to find their mark, today could be costly for the wives of Milam County.

I decided to amass in the centre, I recall reading a paper at WestPoint before the war about Wellington at Waterloo and how he sheltered behind the ridge line saving his forces until the time was right.

To strike a blow at the French.

I positioned Captain Smith and his Skirmishers in the wooded high ground to my rear to spot the approaching union and inflict the occasional casualty keeping their heads down.

The Union came on, on a broad front; Smith soon spotted several federals on our left advancing through a corn field, his opening volley, killed a number of troops and wounded a giant of a sergeant urging his men on in the front rank.

On the left the Union Commander appeared to have stacked anumber of his troops but I was unable to identify their number or make up.

In the centre, elements of the Union forces approached the crest of the ridge line, I took a gamble that I outnumbered them and if I could crest the hill and defeat them I could swing right and destroy the Union piece meal before the forces on the left could engage.

Cresting the hill, the Union force to my front proved to be nothing more than the occasional skirmisher, if only I had put out pickets to spot the approching Union troops. I was now sandwiched between two Union forces.... the gamble had failed and I am now exposed to my left and right.

I had little choice I could not go back as the Union left was moving fast to out flank me and I could not stay where I was as the hill top was very exposed with scant cover. I ordered the company to wheel right and headed for the right hand union force holed up in the cornfield, they were taking shock and the occasional casualty from Smith and his skirmishers.

I urged Lt Buckholt and his E Coy 4th Texas Cavalry to engage the Union forces in the cornfield. I figured that they would inflict enough disruption on the union line that G Company could drive them off with minimal losses to the Guards.

To my front the blue coated Sergeant in the union line shrugged off another wound and continued to dress the ranks.

Buckholt’s charge went in leaping the picket fence and charging through the waist high corn, however this was not to be my Waterloo, The 1st Squadron failed to close as a crashing volley sent them running to the rear, a few men from the 2nd Squadron managed to engage with the union line but outnumbered 2:1 they too were forces back suffering a number of casualties.

On my left flank I called forward Lt Bean and his two sections to hold up the Union right who were filling the cornfield and cresting the hill. Bean's opening volley inflicted several casualties on the unmasked Union right including what looked to be a senior Officer.

However the weight of the Union army was beginning to tell and with little cover Lt Bean's casualties started to mount. Forcing him to retire behind the crest as more union troops joined the firing line.

With the Union left flank still holding its own in the cornfield I urged Lt Pool forward but his men failed to advance, my own troops were now receiving fire to their front and rear, I was lucky not to be wounded myself.

Union cavalry arrived on the flank of Lt Bean who took a number of volleys and he was forced to retire from the field.

Fearful of losing men in what was now a fruitless task I order the withdrawal of my company to the West. The New Yorkers had secured the high ground; we had inflicted a number of casualties on them but our own losses as the battle drew to a close and provided the Union with victory.

Valuable lessons had been learned today, I need to deploy a pickets to help spot the concentrations of enemy troops sooner and as my opponent stated I was 50 years tolate for Cavalry charges.

Cpt J. C. Rogers
G Company
5th Texas Infantry

Milam County had suffered their first casualties of the War.
6 Killed, 4 Wounded, 11 slightly wounded.
No officer casualties.
Marginal victory to the Union.