On October 19, 1864, weeks before the 1864 election between Lincoln and McClellan, Jubal Early's 2nd Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia launched its last attack in the Shenandoah Valley attempting to route Sheridan's 3 infantry and 1 cavalry corps while he was away in Washington. Early succeeded in driving the union up the valley turnpike but eventually the numbers began to tell and his own troops became weary. When Sheridan arrived he organized the remaning troops and mounted a furious counterattack. Gordon, protecting the left flank of the confederates at this point, was eventually overwhelmed by union infantry and cavalry. At that point, the confederates tried to perform an organized retreat but the union cavalry soon turned it into a route. By the end of the day, Early's command was in shambles, but the union had sustained heavy losses as well. To paraphase Early, "We had them whipped, but then we just got scared".
Scenario Starts at 5:30 am with the confederates Kershaw and Wharton only able to move. Visibility is 4" at 530 and 8" at 600. The scenario ends at dusk 1800 or until both sides agree (neither has any punch left). Victory is determined by control of the entire length of the Valley Turnpike and by casualty points per the F& F rules.
Map of Cedar Creek Battlefield- Cedar Creek Map 6' by 11'
October 19, 1864
Union Rules:
1) All union troops begin in "camp formation" except for Moore and Custer'sdivision. In camp formation, only 1 stand (pickets) can fire, they are alwaysenfiladed and flanked, its a "disordered" formation (roll on the disorder movement column. Any rally (shaken, rally, rally with elan) result puts thebrigade into line. Note rally with elan can go into any formation.
2)Union units only start rolling when they wake up, i.e. they have line of sight to another unit already out of camp formation (including confederateunits) and are within 18" of that unit.
3)Artillery that wakes up (qualifies under (2)) spends its first actionto move men to the guns which start unlimbered and unmanned. The secondaction can be limber, pivot or fire.
4)All union units try to rally from camp at 730. Those that still fail,end up in line formation at 800.
5)All union movements rolls at -1 to reflect Sheridan's absence until noon,when all union movement rolls receive a +1 until after the 3:00 pm turn.
Cedar Creek Confederate Order of Battle
The artillery starts behind Wharton on the turnpike and Wharton and Kershaw are free to move at 5:30 am, Gordon, Ramseur and Pegram are frozen until 6:30 am but they are not spotted by the union until after they unfreeze.
