NOTE: Let me start this post off by explaining what an After Action Report (AAR) is to those of you who aren’t in the know. An AAR is simply a retelling of what happened in a given battle (or in wargaming terms the last scenario you played). I hope to make AARs a regular feature of the blog using the various Civil War games I own. If other gamers are reading this, I welcome AAR submissions (preferably with screenshots) and will post as many of these as possible. I find that this type of post will do far more to show a person what a game is all about rather than me babbling on about it in some sort of summary.
After Action Report
The Battle of Bull Run: Take Command 1861
1st Manassas – Jackson’s Brigade
Played:15Dec2005 3:26 P.M.
Game Start: Noon, July 21, 1861
Difficulty Level: Normal
Introduction
Many Civil War buffs know of the role Thomas J. Jackson’s Brigade played at the First Battle of Bull Run. They know of his famous stand versus the numerous Yankee hordes which were threatening to engulf the Rebel Army that day. They know of Barnard Bee’s famous quote “There stands Jackson like a stone wall. Rally behind the Virginians!” IT is for this very reason that I’ve decided to do an after-action report (AAR) for the scenario in Mad Minute Games’ The Battle of Bull Run: Take Command 1861 (CWBR for short) that concentrates on Jackson’s famous stand. I’ll see if I have what it takes to hold of the menacing Yankee forces long enough for help to arrive. I hope to include numerous screenshots which will be keyed to the text.
After Action Report, Part 1
Noon
As the game starts note my initial positions at Noon on both the jump map and the main game screen below. On the jump map, the camera position (and the position of Jackson) is denoted by an eyeball located in the right center of the screen. In the main game screen picture, we see Jackson’s view of the approaching Yankees looking generally northwest. The Widow Henry House is in the foreground, and the famous Stone House at the junction of Warrenton Turnpike and the Manassas-Sudley Road is located down the hill. There are a lot of Yankees approaching, and my brigade and some artillery will be pretty much the only resistance as Bee’s Brigade crumbles to my front. As you can see, my orders from General Beauregard are to buy time until the rest of the Confederate Army can come to my support. Mine is a brigade of Virginians, soon to become famous as the “Stonewall” Brigade. I have at my disposal five regiments, the 2nd, 4th, 5th, 27th, and 33rd Virginia regiments. This being an early war fight, the 33rd Virginia is wearing blue today. Hopefully the men in my other regiments keep that in mind! I hope to initially wait in the woods (and keep control of the objective) as the Yankees make their approach. I’ll react depending on how they come at me. As an aside, this is one of the great things about CWBR. The AI will never give you the same game twice. A method that worked to perfection one time might blow up in your face the next. We’ll see how lucky I am this time.
 Jump Map at Noon |
 My Orders |
 Jackson’s View of Henry Hill |
Part 1 – Part 2 (Not Yet Active)
Noon-12:05
Almost immediately, General Bee calls for reinforcements several times as he is breaking. The second, more desperate message only adds to the controversy of what Bee meant when he said Jackson was standing like a stone wall! I choose instead to perfect my dispositions in the woods at the top of the hill. A Yankee regiment charges quickly on my left, and I send the rifled-musket carrying 33rd Virginia to deal with the threat. At First Bull Run, Jackson’s other four regiments carried smoothbore muskets, which had a range far less than that of a rifle. For this reason, using the 33rd Virginia’s rifles effectively will be an important piece of my strategy. The 33rd’s superior position in the woods drives off the 11th Massachusetts of Franklin’s Brigade, but if you look closely there are more Yankees in the distance heading south down the Manassas-Sudley Road toward my positions. I’ve started to move the 27th Virginia to aid the 33rd and also the artillery.
NOTE: These screenshots are being taken with the view of the trees removed. You wouldn’t be able to see anything otherwise.
 Bee’s Message |
 Fighting Begins! |
 Rout of the 11th Massachusetts |
12:05-12:10
After disposing of the 11th Massachusetts, two more of Franklin’s regiments, and the Colonel himself, have moved on my position. Rather than let the rifle-toting 33rd Virginia try to slug it out with the 5th Massachusetts Militia and the soon to be famous 1st Minnesota, I’ve decided to move three of my remaining four regiments into line on the 33rd’s right. In views taken from behind my right flank and from behind my left flank, you can see that I have the Federals outnumbered nicely. Also be sure to take a look at the jump map I’ve provided. More Federals on on their way, including Porter’s Brigade and a battery of artillery, so I’d best make quick work of Franklin’s boys. As the time approaches 12:10, my men are putting a dent in the two Yankee regiments, but I’m afraid they might not rout quickly enough to prepare for the next assault.
 View From Behind My Left |
 12:07 Jump Map |
 View From Behind My Right |
That concludes my the first part of my After Action Report on this scenario. Tune in next time as the action gets hotter, the swarms of dastardly Yankees gets thicker…and Jackson’s reputation is placed squarely on the line!
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