SHIELDS SAVES THE DAY A “What If” Battle of Port Republic By Rich Hasenauer and Lowell D. Hamilton The Battle of Port Republic scenario was first pub- lished in the Regimental Fire and Fury Scenario Book, Volume 1, in 2012. The scenario was presented as a historical battle, however, history is not the best venue for a fair fight. At Port Republic, the slow but inevitable build up of Confederate reinforcements will eventually turn the tide of battle, and end in defeat for the outnumbered Union forces. An effort was made to balance this scenario by including a variable game ending turn, which depended upon a die roll for an earlier arrival of Union forces under General Frémont. Historically, Frémont arrived too late to affect the outcome of the battle, but had he placed his artillery on the heights across the Shenandoah The Confederates close in on the The Coaling, unaware of River sooner, the guns would have compelled General the approaching Union reinforcements. Jackson to call off his attack against the isolated ele- ments of General Shield’s Division south of the river. his superior, General Irvin McDowell, to advance with his This “what if” version of the battle introduces an units within supporting distance of one another. However, alternative to balancing the scenario, by veering fur- the muddy road condition hampered movement and his ther away from history, and allowing the unlikely pos- command became strung out. On the morning of June 9, sibility of General Shields marching to the sound of 1862 only two of his brigades, under the tactical control the guns and reuniting his division on the battlefield. of Brig. Gen. Erastus B. Tyler, were near their objective Note: In the following historical background, the as Jackson began to concentrate his force to attack this italicized text is where we take licence with history. isolated Union force. Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson’s brilliant Valley Port Republic is located at the junction of the North and Campaign culminated with the Battle of Port Republic. South Rivers, which merge to form the South Fork of the Since March, Jackson’s foot cavalry had out-marched and Shenandoah. Heavy rains had swollen the rivers. A bridge out-fought the numerically superior but widely-dispersed spanned the North River, but the South River only could be and uncoordinated Federal forces. In the final stage of the crossed by a makeshift bridge of planks laid over several campaign, two Union armies under Maj. Gen. John C. wagons lashed together and resting on the river bed. This Frémont and Brig. Gen. James Shields pursued Jackson up crossing created a bottleneck that forced Jackson to commit the valley, intending to trap him between their converging his troops piecemeal. forces. However, Jackson boldly attacked and defeated Tyler’s line of battle stretched across the river bottomland, Frémont at Cross Keys on June 8, 1862, while the Federal with his right flank resting on the South Fork and his left forces were still one day’s march apart and separated by anchored on a spur of commanding ground called The the South Fork of the Shenandoah River. Unaware that Coaling – where the locals produced charcoal from burnt Frémont had fallen back, Shields continued to march on wood – at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Port Republic. Federals repulsed then counterattacked the first Confederate Shields dismissed a rumor that a large Confederate force brigade to arrive on the field under Brig. Gen. Charles under General Longstreet was about to attack through the Winder, but the pressure on Tyler began to mount as more mountains. Instead of remaining behind with part of his Rebel reinforcements made their way across the river. A division to guard the passes, Shields obeyed orders from Confederate flank attack through the wooded foothills, led Port Republic Scenario Map Woods Lynnwood 7 IN Z 300-yards 12”/ 15mm Huntington 18”/ 25mm 9”/ 6mm 5 VA 5 Clark ) Lewiston Lane Lewiston d Wheatfield e Carroll B y r D Winder ( 29 OH n Wheatfield u Dry Bed R p e 27 VA 27 e 7 OH D Carpenter e l t t B i L 24" Deep Run (Dry Bed) 5 OH Y Sunken Road Sunken Poague A Lewis 1 WV Lewiston Orchard Tyler Huntington Woods C River Road X Daum 110 PA 84 PA Robinson 2 VA Clark Trail W Woods The 4 VA Coaling 66 OH Crest Line Woods Ravine Ravine Trail Ravine by Brig. Gen. Richard Taylor’s Louisiana Brigade, overran play, and requires a 5-ft. by 5-ft. gaming area when using the Union battery on The Coaling. 15mm figures. Outnumbered and in an untenable position, Tyler was about Terrain to sound the retreat, when suddenly Shields appeared on Terrain should be laid out as shown in the scenario map. the road at the head of a column of mud-spattered troops. Terrain effects for the scenario are as follows: Deploying at the double quick, the Federal infantry coun- terattacked. Surprised by this sudden turn of events, the Elevations. The wooded high ground that spans the Confederate attack stalled. Meanwhile, Fremont, who cau- south edge of the table is the foothills of the Blue Ridge tiously advanced after Jackson withdrew from Cross Keys Mountains. Each hill is represented as a two-level elevation and burned the bridge over the North River, arrived on the marked by a crest line and separated by ravines. The hills heights across the river, only to watch the Confederates slope continuously upward toward the southern edge of the withdraw. table and also toward each crest line. Unable to win a clear victory at Port Republic, Jackson Crest lines block line of sight. A stand must be located marched east to reinforce Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Army within 1” of a crest line to see beyond it. Units and leaders of Northern Virginia defending Richmond against Gen. must move at the rough ground rate to move up or down George B. McClellan’s Army of the Potomac. slope. Defending both on higher ground and in woods is not a cumulative modifier in charge combat; the defending The Scenario unit receives only the +1 for favorable ground. The scenario covers the entire Battle of Port Republic. Ravines. Units and leaders must move at the rough ground It can be played by two Union players and two to three rate to enter or exit a ravine. In charge combat, the defender Confederate players, takes between four and five hours to receives a +2 for a strong position if the attacker charged does not provide a cover modifier for units in other forma- across or out of a ravine. tions, and it has no defensive modifier in charge combat. Woods. Woods are rated rough ground for movement. Line Dry Stream Beds. The dry stream beds are rated broken of sight through woods is reduced to 4”. Firing stands suffer ground to cross. They have no effect upon line of sight or a -1 modifier for a target in partial cover when firing through combat. woods, or a -2 if the target is in extended line. In charge Roads. The River Road and the Lewiston Lane are in combat, a unit defending in woods receives a +1 modifier for good condition. Units in march column, limbered guns, and favorable ground. leaders may move at the road movement rate. The lane to Orchard. The orchard is a minor wooded terrain feature Lynnwood Farm and the trails running south into the hills that does not block line of sight. It is rated broken ground for are rated in poor condition. Movement along a trail is at the movement. Firing stands suffer a -2 only when firing at a open ground rate. target in extended line located in the orchard. The orchard Port Republic Scenario Union “Historical” Order of Battle (XX) 1,2 I I I 1 I I I 1 I I I 1 1 I I I 1 (Shields) 3 Bde/ 2 Div (Tyler) (Tyler) (Tyler) 66 OH (Tyler) Tyler 5 OH 7 OH 29 OH Candy 66 OH Able Vet 12/8/5 SM Vet 8/5/3 SM Trn 8/6/4 RM Brave Colonel Grn 10/9/7 RM X 1 I I I 1 I I I 1 I I I 1 I I I 1 (Shields) 4 Bde/2 Div (Carroll) (Carroll) (Carroll) (Carroll) Carroll 7 IN 84 PA 110 PA 1 WV Able Vet 9/6/4 SM Trn 8/6/4 RM Trn 8/6/4 RM Vet 10/7/4 SM The Coaling Battery X 1,3 .. 1 .. 1 .. 1 .. 1 .. 1 .. 1 (Shields) (Daum) (Daum) (Daum) (Daum) (Daum) (Daum) Div Arty C Sec/ M/ 1 OH L Sec/ E/ 4 US Sec/ L/ 1 OH L Sec/ M /1 OH R Sec/ M/ 1 OH R Sec/ E/ 4 US Daum Huntington Clark Robinson Huntington Huntington Clark Able Trn LR Vet LR Trn LH Trn LS Trn LS Vet LR XX 2,4, Additional “What If” Forces 9 X 4 I I I 4 I I I 6 I I I 5 I I I 4 2 Div Shields (Shields) Able 1 Bde/2 Div (Kimball) (Kimball) (Kimball) (Kimball) Kimball 14 IN 4 OH 8 OH 67 OH Gallant Vet 10/8/5 RM Trn 12/9/6 SM Vet 11/9/6 SM Trn 12/9/6 RM X 7 I I I 7 I I I 8 I I I 7 (Shields) 2 Bde/2 Div (Ferry) (Ferry) (Ferry) Ferry 13 IN 39 IL 62 OH Able Vet 11/9/6 RM Trn 13/10/7 RM Grn 11/10/8 RM .