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Murfreesboro: December 31, 1862 - January 1, 1863 Home HPS Chickamauga: Scenarios 019 and 020 85 Turns USA 54,908 – CSA 46,755
(What If, 85 Turns) Stevenson's Division shall join the rest of Polk's Corps from an off map position to the east of Murfreesboro. Also, Fry's 3rd Division from Thomas' center wing will enter from the northern map edge.
A Note on Average Quality (AQ) Used Below: The calculation used to determine this is simple. An “A” regiment would receive five points, a “B” regiment four points and so on down to one point for an “E” and zero points for an “F.” You can then add up the numerical totals for a brigade and divide the total number by the number of regiments to get the Average Quality. For example – a brigade of five regiments with two “B’s” and three “C’s” would have a total of seventeen points (4+4+3+3+3=17), this number is then divided by the number of regiments (17/5=3.4) to get the Average Quality of 3.4 out of 5 for that brigade.
General Notes on the Confederate Forces: The Confederate Army is divided into two wings with a cavalry force attached to it.
46,755 – Army of Tennessee (Gen. Braxton Bragg) AQ 3.28 The Army of Tennessee is comprised of 114 cannon in 27 batteries with 2,850 artillerymen, 4,272 cavalrymen, and 39,633 infantrymen.
22,553 – First Corps (Lt. Gen. Leonidas Polk) AQ 3.05 The First Corps contains all three of its three divisions in this scenario. The Corps contains 48 cannon in 12 batteries with 1,200 artillerymen along with 21,353 infantrymen.
6,180 – Cheatham’s Division (Maj. Gen. Benjamin Cheatham) AQ 3.65 1,579 – 1st Brigade (Brig. Gen. Daniel Donelson) AQ 3.2 1,580 – 2nd Brigade (Brig. Gen. Alexander Stewart) AQ 3.75 1,300 – 3rd Brigade (Brig. Gen. George Maney) AQ 4 1,721 – 4th Brigade (Col. Alfred Vaughan) AQ 3.71
8,259 – Withers’s Division (Maj. Gen. Jones Withers) AQ 3.17 2,588 – 1st Brigade (Col. J.Q. Loomis) AQ 3.29 2,000 – 2nd Brigade (Brig. Gen. James Chalmers) AQ 3.83 2,211 – 3rd Brigade (Brig. Gen. James Anderson) AQ 2.5 1,460 – 4th Brigade (Col. Arthur Manigault) AQ 3
8,114 – Stevenson’s Division (Maj. Gen. Carter Stevenson) AQ 2.26 2,003 – 1st Brigade (Brig. Gen. Seth Barton) AQ 2.2 2,055 – 2nd Brigade (Brig. Gen. Edward Tracy) AQ 2.4 1,973 – 3rd Brigade (Brig. Gen. Thomas Taylor) AQ 2.4 2,083 – 4th Brigade (Col. Alexander Reynolds) AQ 2
19,730 – Second Corps (Lt. Gen. William Hardee) AQ 3.36 The Second Corps is a mixed bag of brigades with many veteran units and some green ones. Combined Second Corps fields 58 cannon in 13 batteries manned by 1,450 artillerymen and 18,280 infantrymen.
8,339 – Breckinridge’s Division (Maj. Gen. John Breckinridge) AQ 3.41 1,785 – 1st Brigade (Brig. Gen. Daniel Adams) AQ 4 1,454 – 2nd Brigade (Col. John Palmer) AQ 2.6 2,078 – 3rd Brigade (Brig. Gen. William Preston) AQ 2.75 1,988 – 4th Brigade (Brig. Gen. Roger Hanson) AQ 4.6 1,034 – 5th Brigade (Brig. Gen. John Jackson) AQ 3
6,504 – Cleburne’s Division (Maj. Gen. Patrick Cleburne) AQ 3.55 1,397 – 1st Brigade (Brig. Gen. Lucius Polk) AQ 4.34 1,821 – 2nd Brigade (Brig. Gen. St. John Liddell) AQ 3.25 2,030 – 3rd Brigade (Brig. Gen. Bushrod Johnson) AQ 3 1,256 – 4th Brigade (Brig. Gen. S.A.M. Wood) AQ 3.4
4,887 – McCown’s Division (Maj. Gen. John McCown) AQ 3 1,750 – 1st Brigade (Brig. Gen. Matthew Ector) AQ 3.4 1,256 – 2nd Brigade (Brig. Gen. James Rains) AQ 2.5 1,881 – 3rd Brigade (Brig. Gen. Evander McNair) AQ 3
4,472 – Cavalry (Brig. Gen. Joseph Wheeler) AQ 3.73 The cavalry of the Army is grouped into a force under Wheeler. This force contains 8 cannons in 2 batteries with 200 artillerymen and a total of 4,272 cavalrymen.
1,277 – Wheeler’s Brigade (Col. John T. Morgan) AQ 3.71 626 – Buford’s Brigade (Brig. Gen. Abraham Buford) AQ 4 2,094 – Wharton’s Brigade (Brig. Gen. John Wharton) AQ 3.7 475 – Pegram’s Brigade (Brig. Gen. John Pegram) AQ 3.5
The Good and the Bad of it: Top Rated Division: Cheatham’s Division AQ 3.65 Lowest Rated Division: Stevenson’s Division AQ 2.26 Top Rated Three Brigades: Hanson’s Brigade AQ 4.6 Polk’s Brigade AQ 4.34 Adams’s Brigade AQ 4 Lowest Rated Brigade: Reynolds’s Brigade AQ 2
General Notes on the Union Forces: The Union Army is divided into three wings and a cavalry division.
54,908 – Army of the Cumberland (Maj. Gen. W. S. Rosecrans) AQ 2.82 The Army contains 143 cannon in 26 sections with 3,575 artillerymen, 3,068 cavalrymen, and 48,265 infantrymen.
16,928 – Right Wing (Maj. Gen. Alexander McCook) AQ 2.95 This Corps contains 52 cannon in 9 batteries with 1,300 artillerymen along with 15,628 infantrymen.
4,900 – 1st Division (Brig. Gen. Jefferson C. Davis) AQ 2.55 1,527 – 1st Brigade (Col. Sidney Post) AQ 2.5 1,925 – 2nd Brigade (Col. William Carlin) AQ 2.5 1,448 – 3rd Brigade (Col. William Woodruff) AQ 2.67
6,499 – 2nd Division (Brig. Gen. Richard Johnson) AQ 2.36 1,763 – 1st Brigade (Brig. Gen. August Willich) AQ 2.4 2,072 – 2nd Brigade (Brig. Gen. Edward Kirk) AQ 2.2 2,664 – 3rd Brigade (Col. Philemon Baldwin) AQ 2.5
5,529 – 3rd Division (Brig. Gen. Philip Sheridan) AQ 4 2,021 – 1st Brigade (Brig. Gen. Joshua Sill) AQ 4 1,824 – 2nd Brigade (Col Frederick Schaefer) AQ 4 1,684 – 3rd Brigade (Col. George Roberts) AQ 4
18,956 – Center Wing (Maj. Gen. George Thomas) AQ 2.63 The Center Wing is composed of 48 cannon in 9 batteries with 1,200 artillerymen and 17,756 infantrymen.
6,680 – 1st Division (Maj. Gen. Lovell Rousseau) AQ 2.72 1,591 – 1st Brigade (Col. Benjamin Scribner) AQ 2.6 1,670 – 2nd Brigade (Col. John Beatty) AQ 3 1,689 – 3rd Brigade (Col. John Starkweather) AQ 2.25 1,730 – 4th Brigade (Lt. Col. Oliver Shepherd) AQ 3
4,117 – 2nd Division (Brig. Gen. James Negley) AQ 2.5 1,928 – 2nd Brigade (Col. Timothy Stanley) AQ 2.5 2,189 – 3rd Brigade (Col. John Miller) AQ 2.5
8,159 – 3rd Division (Brig. Gen. Speed Fry) AQ 2.4 2,176 – 1st Brigade (Col. Moses Walker) AQ 2.4 3,148 – 2nd Brigade (Col. John Harlan) AQ 2.6 2,535 – 3rd Brigade (Col. James Steedman) AQ 2.75
14,113 – Left Wing (Maj. Gen. Thomas Crittenden) AQ 2.87 The Left Wing fields 37 cannon in 7 batteries with 925 artillerymen along with 13,188 infantrymen.
5,488 – 1st Division (Brig. Gen. Thomas Wood) AQ 2.62 1,777 – 1st Brigade (Brig. Gen. Milo Hascall) AQ 2.5 1,816 – 2nd Brigade (Col. George Wagner) AQ 2.75 1,895 – 3rd Brigade (Col. Charles Harker) AQ 2.6
4,433 – 2nd Division (Brig. Gen. John Palmer) AQ 3.25 1,200 – 1st Brigade (Brig. Gen. Charles Cruft) AQ 3.5 1,393 – 2nd Brigade (Col. William Hazen) AQ 3.25 1,840 – 3rd Brigade (Col. William Grose) AQ 3
4,192 – 3rd Division (Brig. Gen. Horatio Van Cleve) AQ 2.77 1,345 – 1st Brigade (Col. Samuel Beatty) AQ 3 902 – 2nd Brigade (Col. James Fyffe) AQ 2.75 1,945 – 3rd Brigade (Col. Samuel Price) AQ 2.6
1,843 – The Pioneer Brigade (Capt. James Morton) AQ 3 This was a hand-picked group of engineer-soldiers from each regiment in the army. At Stones River they numbered 1,693 infantry and 15 artillerymen with 6 guns in a single section.
3,068 – Cavalry Division (Col. John Kennett) AQ 2.9 The cavalry of the army is consolidated into a single division and numbers 3,068 cavalrymen.
1,052 – 1st Brigade (Col. Robert Minty) AQ 2.75 1,062 – 2nd Brigade (Col. Lewis Zahm) AQ 3 954 – Reserve Bd (Brig. Gen. Stanley) AQ 3
The Good and the Bad of it: Top Rated Division: Sheridan’s Division AQ 4 Lowest Rated Division: Johnson’s Division AQ 2.36 Top Rated Three Brigades: Sill’s Brigade AQ 4 Schaefer’s Brigade AQ 4 Roberts’s Brigade AQ 4 Lowest Rated Brigade: Kirk’s Brigade AQ 2.2
Comparing the Forces: The forces in this scenario are again tilted toward the Union player as they are bolstered by the arrival of two more of Thomas’s brigades. These are large brigades with decent troops and will help to negate the arrival of Stevenson for the Confederates. The Union army will have the edge in artillery while the Confederate cavalry will be superior to the Union cavalry.
Other Useful Information: This scenario adds Stevenson’s Division to the Rebel army – but also adds two of Thomas’s brigades for the Union. For the Rebels the addition of Stevenson’s Division will help on the first day of battle as you will have a mobile reserve to use wherever it is needed. The division is a large one but is also very low in quality. These men will be poor replacements to fill the ranks of the veterans of Cheatham or Cleburne on day two. The best option for the Confederates is to deliver a hard attack on the first day and then dig-in and let them attack on the second. Stones River can be either an asset or a liability as it divides your army and the battlefield. The Rebel commander must be sure his men are able to support one another if they are divided. The Union player will simply have more men to dispatch to any part of the field once Fry’s men arrive on the first day. His best option is to let the Rebels come to him on the first day. He may also keep an eye on Breckinridge’s lone division on the eastern side of Stones River if he finds the Rebel attack floundering. A determined attack may drive the division back and result in the capture of Murfreesboro in the Confederate rear.
Created and Written By: Blake Strickler Army of the Mississippi Questions or Comments?
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