stones river or murfreesboro

7/29/2019 Stones River or Murfreesboro

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Stones River or MurfreesboroDecember 31, 1862 to January 2, 1863

There are a number of online sources for the Battle of Stones River and a board game from GMT Games calledDead of Winter. There is also a previous edition of the board game. Some of those sources are as follows:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stones_River http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/stones-river.html

http://www.nps.gov/stri/index.htm http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/35477/dead-of-winter-second-edition

Victory conditions for this battle are to either drive the opposing army from the field or to reduce the opposing

sides units to exhaustion and to not have your own units exhausted. A unit is exhausted if it is reduced to half

strength or less. Artillery stands do not count for exhaustion. The Confederate army has seven units fiveinfantry divisions and two cavalry commands. Six of them must be reduced to exhaustion. The Union Army

has nine infantry divisions of which seven must be exhausted. If both sides are exhausted or neither side is

exhausted, and both armies are still on the battlefield the result is a draw.

The scenario scale is one inch = 100 yards, each infantry stand is 500 men, each artillery stand is 12 guns and

each cavalry stand is 300 men.

The battle starts at 6:00 A.M. and ends at 5:00 P.M. for a total of 22 half hour turns. All troops start on the table

as noted on the map except for Wheelers Confederate cavalry, the Union Cavalry, and the five stands of the 3rd

Division and the 6# smoothbore under command of the Union Center Corps. The Union artillery starts

limbered except for Sheridans Division. Except for Sheridans Division, all Union infantry starts disorganized.Wheelers cavalry arrives at 11:00 A. M. anywhere on the south edge of the table. The Union cavalry arrives at

noon on the Nashville Turnpike at the northwest corner. The five infantry stands and gun of the Center Corps

also arrive on the Nashville Turnpike at 4:00P.M.

On the first turn all Confederate units get to move first then all Union units get to move. After that the normal

card draw system is used with the following modification. Assign a card to each division, corps and armycommander. When the army commanders card is drawn all units of that army may move that have not done so

previously. When a corps commanders card is drawn all units of that corps get to move that have not done so

previously. Divisions move individually when their card is drawn. Units may only move once per turn. If acard that would allow a unit to move was previously drawn then that unit may not move again if another card

that would allow it to do so is drawn. Once an army commanders card is drawn and all units activated by thatcard have moved then all remaining units on the opposing side can move that have not done so previously.

Historical notes:

Both armies had planned to attack the opposing armys right flank, but the Confederates under the command ofGeneral Bragg attacked the Union Army of General Rosecrans first. Although the Confederates were initially

successful and drove the Union Army back, the Union forces were able to reform and halt the Confederates.

Two days later Bragg again attacked, but was not able to make any headway and elected to withdraw.

Part of the Union Cavalry was actually on the south flank of the Union army to begin with, but was quickly

driven away by the Confederate cavalry. It is part of the re-enforcements. Also the 5 stands of the 3rd Division

of the Center Corps were actually on table and the re-enforcements were actually parts of the other twodivisions of the Center Corps. The numbers are about the same. There was also one stand of Confederate

cavalry on their north flank, but is part of the re-enforcements for the scenario. Artillery batteries on both sides

were of mixed composition and have been re-arranged to provide whole stands of the same type. There were

parts of some divisions that had smoothbore muskets and other units that would be better than average or lessthan average quality. However at the scale of this scenario their effect would be minimal and all units have

been rated as average and the infantry has all been given rifle muskets.

The Battlefield

Stones River and the northern part of Overall Creek are only crossable at bridges or marked fords. The other

streams may be crossed at any point. The Union supply line is the Nashville Turnpike exiting off the northwest

corner of the table. The Confederate supply line is Murfreesboro.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stones_Riverhttp://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/stones-river.htmlhttp://www.nps.gov/stri/index.htmhttp://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/35477/dead-of-winter-second-editionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stones_Riverhttp://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/stones-river.htmlhttp://www.nps.gov/stri/index.htmhttp://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/35477/dead-of-winter-second-edition


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The map is marked in one foot squares and is from Dead of Winter by GMT games. It can be

found at http://boardgamegeek.com/image/573492/dead-of-winter-second-edition

Rivers are shown in dark blue. Streams are light blue. Union starting positions areblue and

Confederate are grey. All patterned green areas are woods. The railroad is shown in black.

Roads, Fords and Hills are shown inbrown. Other roads and elevations are treated as open

terrain. North is at the top of the map.
http://boardgamegeek.com/image/573492/dead-of-winter-second-editionhttp://boardgamegeek.com/image/573492/dead-of-winter-second-edition


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Union

Army of the Cumberland General William Rosecrans

Pioneer Brigade

four stands of infantry average, rifle musket

Cavalry General David Stanley (independent command)

7 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


6# rifle

3rd Division General Phillip Sheridan

10 stands of infantry average, rifle muskets12# Napoleon

Center General George Thomas

1st Division General Lovell Rousseu


10# Parrot

2nd Division General James Negley


12# Howitzer

Corps Troops

Part of 3rd Division5 stands of infantry average, rifle muskets

6# smoothbore

Left Wing General Thomas Crittenden

1st Division General Thomas Wood


6# smoothbore

2nd Division General John Palmer


12# howitzer6# rifle

3rd Division General Horatio Van Cleve


10# Parrot

Wing commanders may start near any division of their command.

Note: The Union player has the option of replacing the stand of 6# rifles with the Cavalry with

a half stand of 6# rifles and adding a half stand of 3 rifles to the 3rd Division of the Left Wing.

When using half stands, divide the number of firing factors by and round down.


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Confederate

Army of Tennessee General Braxton Bragg

Cavalry Brigadier General Joseph Wheeler (Independent command)

8 stands of cavalry average, muzzle loading carbine

12# howitzer

Whartons Cavalry Brigadier General Wharton (Independent command)

7 stands of cavalry average, shotgun

Polks Corps Lt. General Leonidas Polk

Cheathams Division Major General Benjamin Cheatham13 stands of infantry average, rifle musket

12# howitzer

Withers Division Major General Jones Wither

15 stands of infantry average, rifle musket

6# smoothbore

12# Napoleon

Hardees Corps Lt. General William Hardee

Breckinridges Division Major General John Breckinridge


6# smoothbore12# howitzer

Cleburnes Division Major General Patrick Cleburne


6# smoothbore

McCowns Division Major General J. P. McCown


12# Napoleon

3 rifle

Hardee starts between McCowns and Cleburnes divisions. Polk starts between Withers and

Cheathams divisions. Breckinridges division starts under the command of Bragg.

For those who wish to try a hypothetical situation, add Stevensons Division to the Confederate

order of battle. It will start behind Breckinridges Division. Adding Stevensons Division does

not change the victory conditions. Stevensons Division was originally part of Braggs forces,

but President Jefferson Davis ordered it detached and sent elsewhere.

Stevensons Division

15 stands of infantry average, rifle musket.6# smoothbore

12# Napoleon

12# Howitzer

stones river or murfreesboro

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