American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC)

WDS solved the problem of more than two supply wagons in column movement not being able to follow a road at a sharp turn, but in its place (a much lesser evil), every unit follows a supply wagon when using the Alt key. Accordingly, be careful what you run a supply wagon by when using the Alt key. Even the Commanding General doesn't get this much respect.

When using column movement for corps and above, be aware that division commanders stacked with brigade commanders in other than the highlighted hex will take the brigade commander with a unit in the same hex and leave the division commander to follow in the next hex. That means that once column movement is finished, you need to complete movement for all of your trailing units from the division commander to the rear of the column.

I'm not sure about this one yet, but it appears that routed units behind friendly lines will now move in any direction even if it is toward the front.

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Gen Ned Simms
2/XVI Corps/AotT
Blood 'n Guts hisself, a land lovin' pirate. Show me some arty tubes and we'll charge 'em.
VMI Class of '00

Hi, Ned,

Got this from the 4.03 changelog:

Adjustment so that Routed units must increase distance from enemy units unless a friendly
Combat capable unit is in between them. This can potentially result in Routed units not
being able to move at times. Check is based on LOS.

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MG Mike Mihalik
Forrest's Cavalry Corps
AoWest/CSA

It would be nice to hear from some of you guys that are very knowledgeable on the subject of routed ACW units during the war. What WOULD they do once the first rout move was done?

I wont even try and use Hollywood films as a basis for my answer (its called I don't really like the taste of residual mud on the face and then in the mouth).

I have never liked the distance of routed movement. In fact, it looked like they can defy the movement rules and do superhuman-like movement. Is it six hexes that they run? Its similar in the Napoleonic and other pre-20th Century series. The units just head for the hills but again, they move further than you can historically.

I like the involuntary movement part. I just am not nor ever have been happy with the distance moved.

My feeling is that they should have to continue moving in the same direction too. If this means into the arms of the enemy and they surrender then so be it. Its not like they are a remote control drone craft.

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Optional Rules I Use in WDS ACW Games:
(by column from left to right)
Column 1: All ON except for Man. Def. Fire; Column 2: All ON except for Alt Fixed Unit Rel.; Column 3: All ON except for Art.Capt. & Prop.Op.Fire

"On emerging from the woods, we encountered a charge of cavalry. When my section was made aware of the enemy’s approach, the cavalry was not fifteen yards distant. The command "Gallop” was then given, and the rout was made in the greatest confusion. Previous to our encounter, several regiments had passed us at a run, completely routed, without our being aware that we had lost the day. Had there been any support for our battery, had one company of infantry stood fast, the cavalry could easily have been repulsed, and the shameful consequences avoided. Our battery moving at a gallop, the carriages one by one broke down, and the pieces one by one were scattered along the road."
S. C. LYFORD,
Second Lieutenant, First Dragoons, U. S. Army. July 25, 1861. Bull Run (https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077730186&seq=381&q1=)

"Our loss in killed, wounded, and missing cannot be determined, as large numbers of wounded and unwounded were drowned when the boats were swamped as well as in attempts to swim the river during the night, and no reports as yet have been sent to me. The Fifteenth and Twentieth Massachusetts Regiments, Baker’s California regiment, and a part of the Tammany regiment lost a large number of men, who were made prisoners. Colonel Lee and Major Revere, of the Twentieth, and Colonel Cogswell, of the Tammany regiment, are reported missing. Lieutenant-Colonel Ward, of the Fifteenth Massachusetts, was severely wounded. We have lost two howitzers and one rifled gun belonging to Captain Vaughan’s Rhode Island Battery, and a considerable number of small-arms (say 1,500), with equipments."
EDWARD W. HINKS,
Colonel Nineteenth Mass. Vols., Commanding Brigade. Ball's Bluff (https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077730194&seq=330&q1=)

Once a unit decides to run, they really run. Artillery is abandoned, haversacks are left behind or removed and guns are often thrown away. They move as quickly away from the enemy as they can. Any efforts by officers (if they are themselves not running) to stop them are either not heard or are ignored. Only once the routing unit has put a considerable distance between the enemy and themselves do they begin to slow their run. The worse thing is, it's infectious. Once one unit goes, those next to them also go, especially if the departing unit has now exposed their flank.

The game replicates the rout fairly well although there is some problem with the direction of some routs in my opinion. The routing of artillery is absurd (they simply couldn't limber the guns and then move off with them in their routing frenzy). The artillery absurdity is quite rare so can be accepted as a quirk as I do not think it would be a solvable problem in the game engine.
I also believe that, in the interests of historical reality, the Optional Rule Rout Limiting should never be selected. However, in my experience, it almost always is selected. I don't know of anyone who will play with it unselected. Only one of my games was played with Rout Limiting not selected. That opponent never failed to select it again.

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Paul Swanson
Lieutenant-General
First Division
First Corps
Army of Northern Virginia