The actual fighting covered an expansive area and involved large forces, and therefore big battle rules are needed to cope with the action. I would recommend the increasingly popular ‘Fire and Fury’ (1990) which are specifically aimed at refighting the big battles of the war and use the brigade as the smallest unit of tactical manoeuvre. Skirmishers and regimental level tactics are not catered for and ranges and movement are basic and easily internationalized which makes for a fast game. By using 15mm figures to the larger ground scale, i.e., 65 yards to the inch, it is possible to take in all the action on a 9ft × 6ft table. This takes in the action from the Cloud Church (used as a field hospital for the Union left) almost to Lee and Gordon’s Mill.
With 6/10mm figures it is possible to use the smaller ground scale for ‘Fire and Fury’ of 45 yards to the half-inch and take in the distance from Crawfish Springs to Cloud Church. On a 9ft table this gives a battle front of 9,720 yards and on the large scale of 65 yards to the half-inch gives a battle front of 14,040 yards. The latter option makes it possible to represent Granger’s Corps actually on table and allows for the use of cavalry guarding flanks and wagon trains.
The enjoyment and sense of ‘being there’ in any wargame does not so much depend on the professional appearance of the model soldiers in use but more on the presentation of the table-top scenery. Not only should the scenic effects be of reasonable quality, but they should be accurately placed on the table-top battlefield in order to create the correct conditions, for battlefield tactics were very much influenced by the terrain across which the armies fought.
Constructing the table-top battlefield for Chickamauga does not pose any great problems. The battlefield, apart from ‘Horseshoe Ridge’, was flat. The ridge is an important feature and must be represented. Because there is only this one area of high ground it may well be a good idea to model it specifically for the purpose of the refight using polystyrene set on a plywood base and covered with a filler–paper mash mixture, then painted. The hill should have gentle slopes to facilitate the positioning of model figures and a flat-topped area upon which the Snodgrass House can be positioned. Any log cabin building will suffice for this since the building is not in any way distinctive enough to warrant a special model, but contemporary sketches and photographs exist from which the building can be scratch built. The same is true of most other battlefield buildings, but Lee and Gordon’s Mill may be considered worthy of a scratch-built project as might McAffee’s Church. I am not sure if there are any illustrations of the church available, but there are several photographs showing different views of the white three-storey mill; the gable end facing away from the river bears the legend ‘LEE & GORDON’S’ and beneath this centrally ‘MILLS’ in traditional western-style lettering.
Before placing the trees on the table and after fixing the position of the high ground and buildings, the next stage is to mark out the roads. The important roads to mark in are the La Fayette, Ringold, Reed’s Bridge, Alexander’s Bridge, and Crawfish Springs roads. These routes were used by both sides in manoeuvring their divisions into place. Other tracks intersecting the woods need not be represented in such a grand tactical game as most brigades were deployed and made little use of marching columns in the actual battle area. Roads can be made up with strips of yellowish-brown card, but these are liable to shift around if not fastened down. For a much tidier appearance, I recommend masking tape which comes in an appropriate coulour but can be further enhanced with coloured pastels by those with an artistic bent. It is possible to purchase stretchy tape which can be used to mask off curved areas and this type is preferable though not essential as the roads followed a generally straight direction. Two-inch-wide blue masking tape, or mottled blue-and-white plasterer’s masking tape which is more ideal can also be used to depict the Chickamauga River, or river sections can be made up or bought commercially. The edges of the river can be disguised with cork (for rocks) and lichen (for bushes).
Once the roads are in position place in the field areas. It is probably necessary to make these field areas to fit the configuration of the actual battlefield fields and these will have defined corners of near 90 degrees. Interesting fields can be made from textured materials, but beware of some textures as figures may not stand well on them. Clearings will have an irregular outline. Roads and fields should be fenced off. In 15mm, fences are quite easy to come by and in the case of the worm fences that proliferated, easy to construct from match wood or similar. In 6mm and 10mm, suitable fences are more difficult to come by and manufacture. I made my worm fences from piano wire set on lollypop sticks and cemented with plastic padding which is stronger than super-glue. Log breastworks are also required for the Union forces on the second day, and can be made from lengths of thin dowel mounted on a wooden base. These temporary log breastworks were movable and perhaps a move of quarter normal distance could be allowed for a brigade to transport its breastworks. Once behind breastworks it was difficult to get troops out to attack and perhaps a manoeuvre penalty needs to be imposed.
Much of the battlefield is wooded and therefore a good supply of trees are required. If the American Civil War or Revolutionary War are your main wargaming interests, it is most desirable to have a good stock of model trees in any case since woodlands were common to many battlefields. The trees are then placed all over the remainder of the table. Do not forget that model troops have to be moved through these woods so it is best to mount the trees individually or in clumps so that they can be moved around an area out of the way of the model figure bases The woods are considered as open with some denser patches, especially nearer the river. Visibility in woods is a maximum 150 scale yards.
If a big enough table is available, it is preferable to deploy all forces as the situation stood at dusk on the evening of the 18th. Each brigade should be represented by two markers – one the actual brigade and the other a dummy. Markers should be of a constant size, say 5in × 2in in blue for the Union and gray for the Confederates. Each marker should be marked underneath with the brigade commander’s name or ‘dummy’ and revealed whenever two markers approach within 18 inches (9 inches if using 6/10mm figures) or if in woods within 6 inches (3 inches if using 6/10mm figures) of one another. Revealed dummy markers are removed from play. Actual brigades are only set on table if they are seen by an actual enemy unit. Such dispositions can be obtained from ‘Battles & Leaders’ Vol.III, p.648. It might well be possible for Thomas to throw back Bragg’s movement across the Chickamauga or for D. H. Hill to roll up the Union right from Crawfish Springs. As noted above, 6/10mm figures are necessary to do this effectively, and a table-top scale size of 8 scale miles length is necessary. However there is no guarantee that the divisions will end up in their historical locations to begin the battle on the 19th. If such a set piece is required the actual battle front of the historical action can be focused in on it.
In order to come somewhere near to representing the tactical situation as it stood on the morning of 19 September 1863, the forces of the respective sides should be set up as near as possible in the positions they occupied at 7.30 a.m., when Thomas’ XIV Corps opened the battle against Walker’s Corps supported by Forrest, west of Jay’s Saw Mill between the Reed’s bridge and Alexander’s Bridge roads. The dispositions should be made randomly as there was a deal of intermixing of formations. Brannon of Thomas’s corps held the right with Baird also of Thomas’s on his right; then came Johnson’s division of McCook’s corps and then Palmer’s division of Crittenden’s corps extending the line to the south. From Palmer, Reynolds’ division of Thomas, extended the line to south-westwards with Van Cleve of Crittenden coming up on Palmer’s right across the La Fayette road. As the Union brigades marched northwards, the fighting drifted southwards and Brannon was brought in on Van Cleve’s right along with Beatty’s Brigade of Negley’s division/Thomas’s corps coming up to the rear of the Dyer House. Davis’s division of McCook, Wood’s division of Crittenden then Sheridan’s division of McCook prolonged the Union line southwards along the La Fayette State Road beyond the Viniard Farm. Wilder’s ‘Lightning’ Brigade (armed with Spencer rifles and mounted on white horses) of Reynolds’ division, were in reserve just south of the Widow Glenn’s orchard, having just retired from delaying the Rebel movement across Alexander’s Bridge and soon to be called on again to save the Union right flank. Negley’s division of Thomas’ corps was on Wilder’s left in front of the Dyer farm and behind Davis and Wood.
On the Rebel side of the La Fayette Road, Cheatham’s division was to the rear and coming up between Walker’s left and Stewart’s right, the latter with his division in column of brigades poised to assail Van Cleve in the Union Centre. Bushrod Johnson’s division was marching up on Stewart’s left with Law on his right ready to deliver a punch that would send the Yankees reeling back across the La Fayette Road. Marching northwards across Thedford’s Ford then Alexander’s Bridge was Cleburne who was coming up to deliver the final attack of the first day on the Union left.
On the south flank Lytle’s brigade of Sheridan’s division guards the bridge at Lee and Gordon’s Mill as Breckinridge prepares to continue his march northwards from a position nearly a mile eastwards. Farther south again Wheeler’s and Crook’s cavalry keep vigil on their flanks. Some four miles from Thomas’s position on the Ringold Bridge Road is Granger’s Union Reserve Corps, its rear covered by McCook’s cavalry.
The scene is set, the troops are deployed. Rosecrans is placed in his HQ at the Widow Glenn’s house where he stayed throughout the battle – not even venturing out to check his dispositions following Kellogg’s erroneous report of the gap in his lines – until it was overrun by Longstreet’s charge on the second day. Bragg apparently used an ambulance as a mobile headquarters. His whereabouts proved problematical for his subordinates during the battle, but possibly Alexander’s Bridge is a likely command post for the Confederate commander-in-chief.
Like many other battles, Chickamauga demonstrates how important were the commanders on the spot. The men who could inspire and lead their troops to victory were those who shared the dangers of the front line. Neither Bragg nor Rosecrans involved themselves in the battle and although Rosecrans had his headquarters very near the front his movements were lethargic. Perhaps the commanders need to be restricted in their ability to move, say a six must be thrown at any time either of the C-in-Cs wishes to move his personality figures. The same restrictions should also be applied to Lieutenant Generals D. H. Hill and Polk during the first six game turns of each day of battle. In the main however, Confederate commanders tended to lead their troops from the front in order to inspire confidence in the attack, but as a result tended to get injured regularly. The Confederate infantry, at least up to and including Chickamauga, were certainly more aggressive and willing to take the tactical offensive. The Union troops tended to rely on their artillery to break the elan of the Rebels and their main commanders, Rosecrans, Thomas, Crittenden and McCook, were cautious and should therefore inspire their troops only if they are fighting defensively. Granger and Steedman and Sheridan were rather more combative. Of the Union commanders, Thomas, Granger, Sheridan, Steedman, Van Derveer, Wilder and Willich would qualify as exceptional leaders. On the Confederate side Longstreet, Hood, Cleburne, Breckinridge, Stewart, Johnson, Kershaw and Forrest would all rate as exceptional higher formation leaders with the best brigade commanders being those of Cleburne’s, Breckinridge’s, Hindman’s, Liddle’s, Stewart’s and Johnson’s divisions.
The ability of the brigade commanders have a direct bearing on the quality of their troops. Some brigades may be additionally considered as crack troops such as Armstrong’s cavalry, Deshler’s, McNair’s infantry and those of Hood’s Corps from the Army of Northern Virginia on the Confederate side and Wilder’s brigade and possibly King’s regulars on the Union side. While most of the troops on both sides were veterans of Perryville and Stones River there were some greenhorn units in both armies, i.e., Preston’s division and many units of Hindman’s division on the Confederate side and the whole of Granger’s corps on the Union side.
Many big battles offer scope for sectioning off parts of the larger picture and exploring the tactical scene at a lower level. The regiment as the basic unit of manoeuvre has been long established in wargaming and many rules are designed for this level of game. Among ACW fans, ‘Johnny Reb’ (1988, Games Design Workshop) rules are perhaps the most widely used for combat up to corps level. In fact the scenario booklet that comes with the rules features two actions set in the Chattanooga Campaign period. The first of these concerns Wilder’s brigade at Hoovers Gap on 16 July and Breckinridge versus Negley at dawn on 19 September before the forces marched north from Crawfish Springs and Glas Mill. There is also a scenario booklet available entitled To the Sound of the Guns (1988, GDW), which features Thomas’s attack on Walker and Forrest. These scenarios point the way to the development of others.
During his advance from Chatanooga, Rose-crans boldly spread his army far and wide hoping to outflank Bragg and force his retreat as he had done at Chatanooga. Meanwhile Bragg was concentrating his at La Fayette and Thomas, in the belief that Bragg was in retreat, was heading straight towards it with his nearest support, Crittenden’s corps, fifteen miles away. Fortunately, as Thomas’s lead commander crossed McLermore’s Cove, Negley realized that something was wrong and fell back to a wood facing north expecting an attack from Hindman’s division. But Hindman would not attack. Baird came up to reinforce Negley. After two days, when Cleburne’s division advanced, Thomas had withdrawn his divisions from Stevens’ Gap. Had the Confederate commanders acted with alacrity a large part of Thomas’s command could have been destroyed in McLermore’s Cove. This has the makings of an excellent ‘what might have been’ scenario.
A small-scale scenario could involve Wilder’s delaying action against Walker’s attempt to cross Alexander’s Bridge, with Forrest arriving to see off the Federals. Another delaying action might concern Forrest’s efforts to prevent Granger from reinforcing Thomas, with McCook’s cavalry holding off the Rebels. Another scenario could be teased out of the main battle this time, the assault on Horseshoe Ridge. Will Granger come as promptly to Thomas’s assistance in the wargame and can the Confederates capture the hill by dusk? Such imponderables make for entertaining games. And entertainment is what wargaming should be about.
For many people board wargames are a convenient way into wargaming and the understanding of military history, and there are several versions of the battle available. The battle can also be played on computer with SSI’s ‘Rebel Charge at Chickamauga’. The version I have seen is for the Amstrad PC. The game recreates the battle in thirteen two-hour turns.