Gettysburg: Turns 19 - 24

 The Round Tops

Turn 19. The Confederate brigade of Kershaw supported by Barksdale's Brigade, charges the brigades of Tilton and Burbank (middle left of photo). Burbank has recoiled prior to impact but the small brigade of Tilton (just 12 surviving figures) receives the charge. In the ensuing melee Tilton is destroyed but has prevented Kershaw from inflicting more damage for the time being at least.

Elsewhere, fire is exchanged with troops on Little Round Top. 

Newton's Division continues to snake their way to the front.

Continued -

Turn 20 sees nothing other than an exchange of rifle fire with neither side gaining the upper hand.

Turn 21. The fall of Little Round Top! The brigades of Mahone and Wofford finally push the Union from Little Round Top. Ward's Brigade recoils with the Confederates remaining in contact as they fall back. Birney is also killed in the melee.

Better news for the Union in the gap between Little Round Top and Cemetery Ridge arrives with the failed charge by the increasingly worn Kershaw's Brigade who falter under the fire of Newton's green troops.

Jubilant supporting Confederate brigades move onto Little Round Top. To the right can be glimpsed the now isolated Graham's Union Brigade who had been moving to cover Ward's flank.

On the left is the faltering brigade of Kershaw after their failed charge.

Turn 22. At the base of Little Round Top, Ward's Brigade very nearly manages to hold the pursuing Confederates only narrowly losing the melee. Nevertheless they will recoil with more heavy loss leaving Little Round Top in the hand of the Confederates. 

Many of the Confederate brigades have seen near constant action resulting in their worn state becoming increasingly problematic. Kershaw's faltering brigade were charged by Shaler's fresh brigade and heavily defeated. Having suffered over 75% casualties the survivors dispersed. The green Union troops will pursue the dispersing rebels in the next turn. The photo shows the aftermath, Kershaw having departed.

Turn 23. The Confederates pursue the recoiling Union brigade of Ward to the east of Little Round Top maintaining contact. Another round of melee defeated the Union troops with heavy loss with the survivors fleeing the field.

Bottom left shows the last Union brigade of Birney's Division, that of Graham, now totally isolated. They suffer from a failed Divisional morale check and will retreat broken in the next turn leaving the Confederates in control of the Round Tops. 

The Confederates swarm over Little Round Top leaving the exhausted brigades of Semme and Barksdale on the left, performing a blocking force. They are too worn to mount a more aggressive stance.

The view including the northern slope of the Big Round Top on the right.

An overview of the Round Tops at the end of turn 23. The Union army has resigned itself to forming a new defensive line to the east of Cemetery Ridge.

Turn 24. An isolated reserve artillery battery is proving to be a potential saviour of the Union position east of Little Round Top. Having seen off one attack it is charged by Wilcox's Brigade. A double '6' is rolled when canister is fired decimating the Confederate Brigade. The survivors flee the field and the photo shows the aftermath with Wright's Brigade having moved up to deal with the pesky Union battery.

Aside from the artillery battery, the Confederates consolidate their hold on the Round Tops and prepare for the next phase, their assault on the Union centre on Cemetery Ridge.

The Union are very mindful of the threat to their centre and reposition their brigades to defend against any Confederate assault.

Cemetery Hill and Ridge

Although the Confederates have seen off a charge by Greene's Brigade on the western side of Cemetery Hill, their position looks increasingly untenable now that Union troops have established themselves on the summit. Confederate attention is increasingly switching towards Cemetery Ridge.

Turn 20. On the far right of the photo, Brockenbrough's green Confederate brigade has hurriedly formed into line facing the threat from the summit, but did not have time to fire their volley before the Union troops shredded their regiment. The rebels failed their morale test and will retreat from Cemetery Hill in the next turn.

Having lost their gains on Cemetery Hill, the main Confederate hope now lies with Pender's Division and several brigades from Heth's Division launching their assault on the ridge. Pickett's Division is also making their way across the open ground to add their numbers to the main assault.

Turn 21. Kane's Union Brigade recoils in the face of Davis' charge who now gain a foothold on Cemetery Ridge. They glance over their shoulders to see if Pender's Division is replicating their success and thus preventing their isolation. Where's Pender?...

Not where he should be! Scales' Brigade on the right retreats having suffered very high casualties by predominantly artillery firing canister into their ranks. Thomas' Brigade in the centre of the photo has no such excuse. Suffering only light casualties with two brigades in support, they lose their nerve and falter on the spot.

Off camera shot to the right, counter battery fire utterly destroys a Union battery deploying on the ridge (double '6' rolled) and the ensuing explosion kills Humphrey.

Turn 22. Confederate batteries have relocated to Seminary Ridge and begin bombardment of Cemetery Ridge softening up the defenders prior to Pickett's assault.

Pickett's Division have now begun to engage with Union troops on Cemetery Ridge at long range as the artillery bombardment begins to take its toll.

The Union have pretty much re-captured the whole of Cemetery Hill with nearby Confederates too weak to challenge them.

Willard's Brigade attempts to clear the Confederates from the northern end of Cemetery Ridge by charging Davis' Brigade. The Confederates counter-charge and the ensuing melee ends in a draw. Both sides will continue fighting in the next turn.

Ewell collects the remnants of his Corps in Gettysburg resigning himself to just holding the line.

Turn 23. The Union determination to clear Cemetery Ridge and Hill of Rebels is apparent here. 3 Union brigades are now engaging Davis' Brigade and also the supporting brigade of Archer.

In a tightly fought melee, the Union force defeat the Confederates forcing them to recoil in the next turn with 15 figures lost compared to just 5 for the Union.  

The view of the depleted Davis' Brigade at the end or turn 23.

Howe's Division continues to move out threatening the Confederate flank.

A gap opens on Cemetery Ridge where Hall's Brigade had once stood. Coming under continual fire almost from the start had taken its toll and they broke fleeing the field.

Pickett's Division steadily advance maintaining fire on the ridge.

Turn 24. Davis' Brigade spills out of the copse on Cemetery Ridge with Kane's and Willard's Union troops maintaining contact. 

The result of the melee is very serious for the Confederates and possibly signals the end of any attempt to take Cemetery Hill or the northern end of Cemetery Ridge. Davis is heavily defeated sustaining such heavy casualties that it takes them past the dispersal point (50%) which they fail to pass. They disperse from the field damaging morale in the rest of Heth's Division.

The division breaks leading to Brockenbrough's green Brigade fleeing the field.

Pender's Division attack on Cemetery Ridge is yet again proving to be hesitant. The fresh brigade of Lane moves through the battered Thomas' Brigade risking the fact that it is now unformed and charges the ridge. They come under fire from artillery and a particularly strong volley from Coster (double '6') halting them in their tracks.

All this is too much for Thomas's Brigade. This failure along with the destruction of Davis' Brigade to their left leads to a collapse in morale and they will retreat in the next move.

Pickett's Division moves steadily forward engaging the Union troops on Cemetery Ridge with rifle fire. Most of the Confederate artillery bombardment has now ceased for fear of hitting their own troops.

A view along Cemetery Ridge.

A Union view of Pickett's Division.

Culps Hill

Turn 19 sees largely static and inconsequential action around Culps Hill. It is now turn 20 and the two brigades from Williams' Division in the woods to the left, have largely stalled in their assault on Johnson. Two Union brigades on Culps Hill are ordered forward to flank Johnson but on one gets the message!

Turn 21. The high level of attrition suffering from both sides in the woods to the east of Culps Hill takes its toll. Steuart's Confederate Brigade disperses from the field having lost more than 50% of their number. Lockwood on the Union side suffers exactly the same fate.

Turn 22. Meade seeks to exploit the weakness of Confederate forces in and around Gettysburg by ordering Howe's Division, and in the foreground, McDougall's Brigade to mount an assault. If all goes to plan there was a chance here of turning the flank of Confederate forces assaulting Cemetery Ridge. 

The Confederate Walker's Brigade very nearly got flanked by Baxter's Brigade. The sudden appearance of Union troops charging towards its flank generated a failure of morale causing them to retreat.

Turn 23. Walker's battered brigade retreat in the face of a charge by Baxter's Brigade. They are caught however by the pursuing Union troops which signals their final defeat. Johnson's Division now ceases to exist.

Turn 24. Union forces move out from Culps Hill with the intention of clearing the few remaining Confederates in Gettysburg before turning on their centre.

A brief summary to conclude this segment of 6 turns.

The chances of a Confederate victory ebbs away after those early successes. The loss of Johnson's Division brings to an end of any hope of capturing Culps Hill and the Confederate position in Gettysburg looks untenable.

Any prospect of capturing Cemetery Hill has now gone. All rests on their ability to capitalise on their successes on the Round Tops and for Pickett to achieve something remarkable on Cemetery Ridge.

A problem for the Confederates at the Round Tops is the lack of fresh troops. Most of their brigades have suffered serious attritional losses making it difficult to mount effective assaults. Elsewhere only Pickett's Division are relatively fresh.

For the Union they still have a good number of brigades yet to engage although many of these are green troops.

There are only 4 moves until the end of Day 2 although I may add a couple of twilight moves if appropriate. 

I will finish off with an overview of the battlefield at the end of turn 24: