Sickles' salient, Gettysburg day 2. Game at NBHW

On Friday the 15th July after approximately a three year gap the 15/18mm ACW figures were out again at New Buckenham for a return to Fire & Fury gaming. The scenario was based on day two of Gettysburg when Union General Sickles decided unilaterally to advance his division into the peach orchard, wheat field and Devils Den just to the north of Little Round Top breaking the cohesiveness of the Union defensive line, resulting in Longstreet launching an assault in this area.

As mentioned earlier the figures were 15/18mm and the rules Fire & Fury, specifically a house amended version of the original rules, with some features of Brigade Fire & Fury added in. After the aforementioned three year break we were very rusty with the rules, but by the end of the night they had started coming back to us.

I was given Sickles' command with a colleague hopefully bringing up Sykes' and Barnes' reserves soon?

Starting positions with Hood and McLaws' rebels advancing

Sykes awaiting his turn to "arrive" along with my new 3d printed fences.

Hood on my left flank advanced towards Devils Den before swinging two of his brigades with supporting artillery across the Plum Run stream towards the wheat field. McLaw's brigades charged out of the treeline to attack my troops lining the Emmitsburg road by the Peach Orchard.

This initial assault was thrown back with the confederate brigade commander, Barksdale, killed. This would turn out to be one of my few successes of the night as my cursed dice rolling from Waterloo continued to haunt me.

Zouaves turn to face Hoods approaching troops

My zouaves turned to face the threat from Hood but were thrown back by the determined charge of the confederate troops. Undaunted they gathered themselves to counter attack and launched a charge of their own, with the obvious result given my dice rolling ability.

Zouaves charge in to try and retake the wheat field.

The remaining zouaves fell back to the Wheatfield Road and commenced harassing musket fire.

Preparing to defend the Peach Orchard from McLaws

McLaws' southernmost brigades now pressed forward towards the Peach Orchard where my troops awaited, hoping for better dice rolls.

Watching Hood's troops across from Devils Den.

Over by Devils Den I pushed my brigade forward slightly but Hood's troops refrained from pushing forward too far and this area just saw some desultory artillery and long distance musketry fire for the rest of the encounter.

Syke's reserves begin to arrive...but too late.

To nobodies surprise McLaw's push on the Peach Orchard and then along the Wheatfield Road was swift with my troops defensive rolls failing miserably and Sykes' forces not able to get into position in time.

Mclaw's forces push all before them.

With time getting on the game was called here as a Confederate win, but the main objective of the evening namely getting reacquainted with the rules after a long hiatus was achieved.

Now where can I buy some new dice :)

As usual a few more pictures can be found in the clubs Facebook album

Tony.