More on Losses on May 6th

Casualty returns for May 6th are out. The II Corps, Department of the Eastern Frontier (CSA) lost approximately twice the number of men that the XXVI Corps, Army of the Arkansas did. Total loss in killed, wounded and missing for the day was over 2,000 men, primarily in the 1st Divisions of each army at Rockport. 1st Division, XXVI Corps has made an art out of knowing when to fight and when to march away.

The heaviest losses for the day for the XXVI Corps fell on Col. Elmer Wood's 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, XXVI Corps. The regiment with the heaviest loss by number of casualties was the 186th Illinois (3/1/XXVI) with 185 casualties at Rockport.

The Confederate brigade with the heaviest loss on May 6th was Brig. Gen. William Parish's Alabama Brigade. The heaviest losses by regiment were taken by the 34th South Carolina of Brig. Gen. W. C. Matheny's Brigade (3/1/II) with 191 casualties.

Several regiments were routed on the 6th, but they will be returned to the order of battle for the continued campaigning on May 7th, which will be starting soon.

FIELD OFFICER CASUALTIES ON MAY 6:

CSA:

• 1st Brig., Cav. Div., II Corps: Brig. Gen. Albert Holcomb, Killed in Action at Midway. Replaced by Col. William A. Dibble, 26th Arkansas Cavalry

• 74th Alabama Infantry: Col. Perry O. Hinds, Wounded at Rockport.  Lieut. Col. Phillip Langan now commanding
• 76th Alabama Infantry: Col. Patrick Gilvery, Killed in Action at Rockport. Lieut. Col. Michael O'Connell now commanding
• 86th Georgia Infantry: Col. Benjamin Shames, Wounded at Rockport.  Lieut. Col. Daniel Kane now commanding
• 29th South Carolina Infantry: Col. William MacKenzie, Killed at Rockport. Lieut. Col. Richard G. Mauss, Wounded at Rockport. Major Lawrence Shay, Wounded at Rockport. Capt. Hugh Rodgers, Company A, now commanding regiment.

USA:

• 186th Illinois Volunteer Infantry: Col. Richard Curran, Wounded at Rockport, Lieut. Col. John Doyle, Wounded at Rockport, Major Robert M. Jeffries, now commanding.
• 176th Indiana Volunteer Infantry: Col. Samuel B. Wilson, Wounded at Rockport. Lieut. Col. Francis Beck now commanding.

Heaviest Casualties at Rockport on May 6th

Returns have not been fully completed yet, but the heaviest casualties as a % of starting strength at the Battle of Rockport were:

1. 29th South Carolina (Matheny's Brigade): 42%
2. 34th South Carolina (Matheny's Brigade): 35%
3. 74th Alabama (Parish's Brigade): 34%
4. 49th Iowa (Wood's Brigade): 33%
5. 76th Alabama (Parish's Brigade): 33%

The South Carolina regiments were on the left of Matheny's line and took fire from the left of Hollosetter's Brigade. Most of the South Carolinians, however, fell to canister from Capt. Hudson's 6th Iowa Battery. The Alabama Regiments were in the center of the line and took canister from both the 16th Michigan and 6th Iowa Batteries.

The 49th Iowa started the engagement on the skirmish line south of Coffman's Knoll, but lost most of its men after being re-attached to Wood's Brigade in the center of the line and defending the 16th Michigan Battery.

Every unit is both the Confederate 1st Division, II Corps and the Federal 1st Division XXVI Corps took casualties, with the exception of Irvin's South Carolina Battery.

New Command Simulation Coming

There is a new command simulation coming, organized by Ephrum on the MMG (Madminute Games) forum. It goes back to one of the early forms of playing command simulations with Take Command Second Manassas game. Ephrum is using a historical variant based on 2nd Manassas.

Here is a link to his introduction to the sim: Ephrum's Sim

Strategic Positions on Nights of May 2nd and May 3rd

Now that it is no longer very relevant, here are the positions of units and brigades on the nights of May 2nd and May 3rd,  Holcomb's Brigade (1/Cav/II) arrived at Point Cedar on May 3rd, after Marple's Brigade (1/Cav/XXVI) had left. 3/II was slow on the march to Raymonds. This resulted in Maj. Gen Hobbs (CMDR II Corps) replacing Maj. Gen. William Fairbanks, the division commander, with Brig. Gen. Edward Gowan (2/3/II). Fairbanks has reportedly been given other assignments overseeing fatigue duty.

Death of Holcomb - Sim Perspective

Brig. Gen. Albert Holcomb was killed at Midway on May 6th. Within the TC2M game engine, it was one of those random deaths that happens sometimes. He wasn't amidst a melee. He didn't march into the enemy. He wasn't far ahead of his men. We was just slightly in front of one of his regiments and I looked and found him dead.

Although Holcomb was dead and gone in the game engine, from a sim perspective, I did not automatically count him dead. The death of a commander in-game triggers a manual response in the sim. I roll a 12-sided die and the officers sim fate is sealed by this table from the first WAR IN ARKANSAS sim rules:

1 - killed
2 - killed
3 - killed
4 - killed
5 - killed
6 - severely wounded, returned to friendly lines
7 - severely wounded, returned to friendly lines
8 - severely wounded, returned to friendly lines
9 - severely wounded, captured, sent to hospital
10 - severely wounded, captured, sent to hospital
11 - lightly wounded, captured, sent to enemy HQ
12 - captured

In Brig. Gen. Holcomb's case, the roll of the die came up a 3, and he was reported as killed.

Night of May 6th

The picture is slowly getting more clear....

Cavalry Skirmish at Midway - Late Afternoon of May 6th

Headquarters have started receiving reports of a skirmish at Midway from about 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Col. Paul Herling's cavalry brigade engaged with Holcomb's Arkansas cavalry brigade, supported by the Twenty-Sixth Arkansas, which had been shadowing Herling from the previous day.
Brig. Gen. Holcomb was killed early in the action at the south end of Midway village.

Herling's men fought well, but were outnumbered, flanked and forced to fall back. They made a stand at the Greer orchard until flanked again, and then withdrew towards Arkadelphia before dark.

Arkadelphia? Again???

Both Corps Commanders at Rockport have received couriers. A Federal infantry division was on the march from Cache Marsa into Arkadelphia town, when a Confederate cavalry brigade came up behind it at around 12:30 p.m., coming from the same direction. The Confederate cavalry is deployed across the road east of Blakely. The Federal infantry has stopped near Barkman and is unlimbering its guns to start shelling. Little else is known at this time.

In THE WAR IN ARKANSAS II sim, Arkadelphia is represented by Chona's Farmville map. Maps provided for the sim may not be 100% accurate. At Rockport, for example,  Hollosetter's Brigade was to be deployed in woods that didn't exist where they appeared to be on the map. (Rockport is using Chancellorsville Day3).

Rockport, May 6th - 1:30 p.m.

Both armies suffered several routed regiments in the engagement near the Coffman Knoll from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Losses were considerable on both sides, although rough returns are only starting to be prepared. The center disengaged first, with firing lingering on each flank. By 1:30 p.m., Confederate artillery still holds the knoll, supported by Matheny's South Carolina Brigade. The rest of the Confederate 1st Division is taking shelter behind the crest of the hill in reserve.  The Federals have taken a position along the Centerville Road, with Hollosetter slight advanced on the Federal left near the Coffman House.  Although battered and disengaged, each side is still within close striking range of the enemy. They both appear to be waiting.

Rockport - May 6th 12:10 p.m.

Rockport - May 6th: 11:30 a.m.

The Confederate division arriving from Midway drove back an Iowa regiment that were out as skirmishers south of Coffman's Knoll. The Confederates climbed the knoll to look out towards Rockport Inn to the north and came under artillery fire. A Federal Division was deployed and waiting. They two lines are just out of rifle range.

Rockport - May 6th - 9:30 a.m.

The Confederate infantry out on the skirmish line north of Rockport reported the sudden movement of the enemy cavalry that had spent the night encamped around Hopkins. Rather than moving against the skirmish line or back towards Hot Springs, the cavalry moved off quickly to the west and down the Point Cedar Road.

At roughly the same time, a regiment of Iowa infantry on picket duty on Coffman's Knoll reported the arrival of a Confederate infantry division from Midway, led by an Alabama Brigade.

CONCEPT CHANGE

THE WAR IN ARKANSAS II has started very small, with a test as a one-on-one sim. My original idea was to start another one-on-one sim in another sector and then join them later. The Southwest Sector is quite large and can support a much larger amount of units. Rather than start another sector, if the sim is expanded it will be within the Southwest Sector with re-enforcements from additional Corps.

There may be another sim in the works on the MMG Forum . Any expansion of WIAII will be in coordination with other sim activities.

Revised Campaign Map

The Southwest Sector Campaign Map has been revised slightly. (This does not affect the current sim or troop positions.) The secondary road netword has been expanded and a new locality (Willow) has been added. The campaign map can be found at the bottom of the blog.

Night of May 6th

May 5th closed without much incident. Two skimish lines oppose each other near Hopkins Farm, but they are keeping a cautious distance. Herling's Brigade is moving toward Point Cedar, being observed by a single Confederate cavalry regiment that is also keeping a safe distance and avoiding getting anywhere near close enough to provoke an engagement.

Other cavalry and infantry.... out there somewhere...

Skirmish Lines at Hopkin's Farm - Noon on May 5th

Around noon on May 5th, Confederate cavalry moving down the Hot Springs Road to Rockport encountered a skirmish line of Federal infantry deployed across the road and along a wood line between Arrow Creek and Hopkins Run.  The Confederates have not engaged, but deployed their own skirmishers where a trail crosses the Hot Springs Road near the Hopkins House.

Couriers

Given the position of the armies, some couriers attempts to deliver orders and reports have run into enemy lines. When this happens, a 12-sided dice is thrown to see if the courier finds his way around the lines, returns without delivering the report or orders, or is wounded, killed or captured. Couriers who fall into the hands of the enemy will also have the report or orders they were carrying captured.

So far, all couriers except one have made it around the enemy and delivered their orders.

Night of May 4th

Confederate Infantry is camped at the Midway Crossroads, their fires visible to Federal Cavalry who are camped to the west on Meeting Hill. Col. Herling's Brigade held a line at the Lee Farm from 10:00 a.m. to after 4:00 p.m., repelling all attacks by Brig. Gen. Randall's cavalry in heavy skirmishing. Herling only retired when infantry arrived up the Arkadelphia Road.

Cavalry Near Midway - May 4th 1864

Both Army Headquarters have received reports of their cavalry facing each other south of Midway, around the Lee and Grier Farms. Col. Paul Herling's brigade arrived first, falling back from Arkadelphia and followed closely Brig. Gen. Charles Randall's Brigade. Contact was reported around 10:00 a.m., and the two brigades may have engaged each other by the time couriers reached their respective army headquarters.

Night of May 3rd

Colonel Paul Herling's Federal cavalry brigade (22nd Illinois, 16th Missouri, 20th Ohio and 21st Ohio) made a spirited fighting withdrawal through Arkadelphia and made brief stands at the bridges over the Washita River and the Donaldson Farm. By late afternoon, they were in full retreat in the direction of Midway, pursued by Brig. Gen. Charles F. Randall's cavalry brigade.

Aside from the engagement at Arkadelphia, there was no other contact on May 3rd.

May 4th will start on Wednesday.

Morning Fight in Arkadephia Town - May 3rd

At 6:00 a.m. on the morning of May 3rd, Confederate cavalry west of Arkadelphia pushed forward their skirmishers and lightly engaged and enemy cavalry brigade as Confederate infantry deployed. The cavalry then fell back as the infantry advanced and engaged the enemy who were deployed at the crest of a hill west of town.

The Federal Cavalry (Herling's Brigade) made a fighting withdrawal, stopping frequently to slow the enemy advance ensuring that the enemy infantry maintained a line formation. The Federal horsemen fell back fighting through town, making a stand at the court house, but starting to tire and being slightly disordered by enemy shrapnel.

Black's Brigade assaulted the court house eastward along the Washington Road, while Bieber's Brigade swung south of the court house and attacked northward on the cavalry's flank. Herling's Brigade fell back to the bridges, with the 20th Ohio at the stone bridge to the east and the balance of the brigade at the wooden bridge across the Benton Road. Confederates prepare to assault the position at 10:00 a.m.

THE WAR IN ARKANSAS II sim has started with the Federal XXVI Corps moving out from Hot Springs and the Confederate II Corps doing the same from its winter camps at Washington. Both took to the march on May 1st without re-organizing their orders of battle. Contact was made on May 2nd.

Southwest Sector

Upper River Sector

Limited Relaunch Coming

A limited re-launch of THE WAR IN ARKANSAS is coming with THE WAR IN ARKANSAS II. The sim will start as a corps level simulation combining both strategic and tactical control in one of two sectors of THE WAR IN ARKANSAS II campaign map. The sim will start as a two-player sim, with other players and corps being added only if the sim is progressing well.