Historical Overview
Following his capture of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, Grant’s army of 40,000 soldiers was ordered to move south, up the Tennessee River, to Pittsburg Landing. Buell was ordered to join him there with 35,000 troops. Once united, they could attack the important railroad junction at Corinth, twenty miles to the south. This would cut deep through the Confederate defense line in northern Tennessee.
With just over 42,000 soldiers, Johnston knew he must act quickly before Buell arrived. The Confederates attacked at daybreak on April 6 and threw back the Union line. At the center of the Union line stood the remnants of the Sixth division, under Prentiss, along with Wallace’s fresh Second division. They had taken up a strong position behind an oak thicket.
Initial rebel attacks were repulsed. During one of these attacks, Johnston was killed while urging several brigades forward.
Confederate soldiers dubbed the position the “Hornet’s Nest.”
By midafternoon, realizing that repeated infantry attacks were suicidal, General Daniel Ruggles amassed over 50 guns to bombard the Union positions. At about 5:30 p.m., with Union troops falling back on their left flank, the defense finally collapsed. Wallace was mortally wounded and Prentiss was captured along with 2,250 Union soldiers. As the victorious Confederate troops cheered, a defiant Prentiss called out, “Yell boys, you have a right to shout for you have this day captured the bravest brigade in the United States Army.”
The stage is set, the battle lines are drawn, and you are in command. The rest is history.
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Set-Up Order
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Union Army
Ulysses S. Grant
Take 2* Command Cards (max 5)
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| 19 | 2 | 5 | 6 |
Confederate Army
Albert Sydney Johnston
Take 5 Command Cards
You move first
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| 17 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
Victory
12 Flags
Special Rules
1. A Confederate unit that occupies any hex in the first row of hexes on the Union side of the battlefield counts as one victory flag. When a Confederate unit occupies one of those hexes, place a flag token on the Confederate victory stand. As long as the Confederate unit remains on the baseline hex, it continues to count toward Confederate victory. If the unit moves off or is eliminated, remove the flag token from the victory stand.
2. Reinforcements - Units offmap (the Corps of LLWallace, and Beckinridge, plus General Johnson) may be placed on the friendly base line of 1 Section instead of playing a Command Card. Union reinforcements must enter on the Union Right section.
Not all must be placed (and perhaps could not all be placed) in 1 turn.
Union Reinforcements: Leader L.L. Wallace, 3 x INF, 1 x ART
Confederate Reinforcements: Leader A.S. Johnston, 2 x CAV,
Leader Breckinridge, 4 x INF, 1 x ART
3. Any unit attached to General Johnson is automatically ordered in the Confederate turn. If Johnson is eliminated, Confederate Command is reduced to 4.
4. The 2 end hexes of the Hornet's Nest count as 1 Victory Banner each to the Confederates whilst occupied by a Confederate unit. The Pittsburgh Landing hex is worth 2 Victory Banners to the Confederates.
5. The Tennessee River is impassable.
6. Surprise. The Union starts with 2 Command cards, and draws 2 command cards at the end of each Union turn until they hold 5 Command cards. Thereafter they draw only 1 Command card.
Breakthrough Map rules
One (or two Standard Card decks) and modified Rules similar Memoir44 Breakthrough.
Some cards allows additonal units anywhere on the board to move, but only to move, not battle.
These cards shows the "on the move" lettering and the number of additional units, which may be ordered,
Attack cards = "+1 on the move",
Probe cards = "+2 on the move",
Scout cards = "+2 on the move".
On the Move may be ordered in ANY section of the battlefield. They move as normal, but may not battle this turn.
