Drill No. 1: Barlow's Knob

[Joe Meyer]

The first training scenario offered is "!HISTORICAL 1.1.3 Barlow and Early - July 1st - Gettysburg" from the JTS/HPS Campaign Gettysburg package. The scenario is only 5 turns in length and recreates the situation experienced on the Federal right flank on the afternoon of July 1st, 1863. The map board is small with relatively few units and no reinforcements for either side.

The game should be set up with the Union side manual and Confederate side automatic w/fog-of-war, the game balance set at "0." All optional rules are to be engaged with the exception of Manual Defensive Fire.

The criteria for success in this instruction is to record at least 2 Draws and 1 Minor Victory result for the Union side. All three Victory Dialog screen shots are to be sent to the current AotS AC for registration.

FEDERAL FORCES, 3754 officers & men


First Division (Barlow), XI Corps, 2185 officers & men


1st Brigade (von Gilsa), 916 officers & men


2nd Brigade (Ames), 1269 officers & men


Battery B, 4th U.S. Artillery, 6 12-lb Napoeons, 150 officers & men

From Third Division (Schurtz), XI Corps

2nd Brigade (Krzyzanowski), 1419 officers & men

These forces will be assaulted from the north by Doles's Georgia Brigade, 1319 men, of Rodes's Division and most of Early's Division of the II Corps, ANV. Early will have three brigades of infantry, Gordon, Hays and Hoke (commanded by Avery) and Jone's Artillery Battalion, totaling some 4641 men and 12 guns. The combined Rebel force numbers 5,960 men, 300 of them artillerymen. However, the AI script for the CSA does not incorporate all of Hays's Brigade to any great degree. The exercise is selected to test the officer's defensive skills, and all participants are invited to leave their comments as replies to this thread.

[Joe Meyer]

Here are some tips and information that should be incorporated in your approach to the "Barlow's Knob" scenario. You are, of course, free to disregard any or all of it in your own pursuit to victory.

Battery B, 4th U.S. Artillery should not under any circumstances be removed from its starting hex (Blotcher's Knoll, aka "Barlow's Knob"), 6,9. Besides being a 500 point victory hex it rests at a 530' elevation, the highest elevation south of the Rock Creek tributaries, and provides an excellent field in firing against the northeast approaches. "C" section ought to be immediately turned in that direction, joining the facing of "A" and "B" sections. There is nothing realistically to be gained by splitting the battery's fire in two different direction. Those six, Napoleon, smooth bore, gun howitzers, if properly protected, will deal out a great amount of punishment against Early's people as they draw near. But Battery B also represents a important target for the 12 guns of Jones's Battalion, 8 of which are rifled pieces. One of von Gilsa's or Ames's regiments ought to be placed with Battery B to absorb some of the punishment.

Not all of the brigade commanders are mounted at the beginning of the scenario. They should be!

It should also be obvious that Krzyzanowski's 2nd Brigade will bear the responsibility of holding back Rodes's Brigade. The high ground just back of Smithy's place and partially fronted by the creek offers a good place to do this.

A good commander will be intimately familiar with his units' strengths and weaknesses. As an example, the 26th Wisconsin Infantry regiment is your best regiment on the field. von Gilsa's brigade represents your worst brigade, both in manpower and quality.