Alternate Stones River: Morning of January 1st 1863

Deployment: In this scenario Confederate general Braxton Bragg has been struck by command paralysis and left his troops in their positions as they stood on the night of 30th december, with Hardee's corps east of the river and just Polk's corps to hold the west bank. After failing in his planned assault on the east bank, Rosecrans throws four divisions into the fray, hoping to wipe out the rebel bridgehead west of the river before reinforcements can arrive.

Union Turn 1: Union forces advance slowly on the flanks, shuffling out the line and preparing for a general assault. Negley boldly orders his division to attack the rebel breastworks. As the lead brigade climb the hill they are decimated by cannister fire and their charge is bloodily repulsed. The brigade leader is captured and the men scatter back into the trees. 

Confederate Turn 1: General Polk lazily begins to form a reserve line, but the density of the woodland slows their deployment. 

Union Turn 2: Sheridan is ordered to mount a pinning attack in the centre, but not before his reserve brigade is drawn off to support the envelopment on the flanks. He coolly ignores the hail of bullets as one of his brigades is wrecked attacking the entrenched southerners. His other brigade have a surprisingly easy time advancing across the open ground, but find the patch of woods between the track and creek so dense that any kind of organised fighting as a formation is impossible. Instead knots of men take pot shots at each other and fence with their bayonets in the dense tangle, neither side able to achieve a decisive breakthrough.  

Confederate Turn 2: Most of Polk's reserve line still tardily struggle through the undergrowth, but on the southern flank Cheatham consolidates his men into a supported line and unlimbers an artillery battery to guard the armies flank.

Union Turn 3: The federal artillery across the creek have finally zeroed in on Cheatham's forces, his lead brigade receives deadly fire and is forced further into the treeline.  

Confederate Turn 3: With his men stuck under an intolerable bombardment, Cheatham orders his rear brigade to undertake a passage of lines and they charge the yankees. At the critical moment the generals horse is shot from under him and in the confusion the assault fails, and the survivors flee back through ranks. 

Union Turn 4: Finally in position the union forces mount a general assault, the confederate defensive fire is disjointed and ineffective. In the north their is bloody bayonet work as the rebels refuse to yield their breastworks, and the federal troops are repulsed. In the south the union troops are surprised to find Cheatham's leading brigade still doggedly holding their ground, and the attack falters. 

Confederate Turn 4: Assuming the rebels on the southern flank to be all but defeated, Davis boldly forms one of his brigades into march column, ready for a lightning strike at the bridge to cut the enemies line of retreat. Instead Cheatham's rallied brigade unleash a fearsome counterattack, sweeping the union column from the field and then slamming into the flank of another union brigade. In the centre the overconfident rebels charge headlong out of their trenches and get a bloody nose as Sheridan's division stand firm. 






Union Turn 5: Davis's beleaguered division is saved by the arrival of Sheridans reserve brigade, having marched all the way behind the union lines and out to the southern flank. As Cheatham's screaming rebels assault the federal lines they expose their own flank and Sheridans men are ordered forward. Dog tired and detached from their leader, they have no heart for the fight and are checked!

Confederate Turn 5: In the South Cheatham rapidly reforms his lines to face the new threat, forcing the overextended yankees to pull back. In the centre Withers mounts another assault, and this time Sheridan's exhuasted division are fully dislodged from the woodland. 

Union Turn 6: Davis tries once more to turn the confederates southern flank, ordering a brigade to wade across the creek to support the attack. Despite delivering a surprisingly deadly point blank fusillade, they are driven back at bayonet point. In the Centre four union batteries pummel withers division, making them pay dearly for leaving their entrenchments. 

Confederate Turn 6: Withers men hold together and press onwards through the onslaught. They slam into Negley's division, sending a brigade running and capturing several guns. In the south despite repulsing the frontal assault, Cheatham's division begin to crumble as one of his brigades unexpectedly quit the field, leaving his flank exposed. This apparent opportunity for the union is illusory however, as Confederate reinforcements are finally released and begin crossing the river to relieve Polk's forces. Confederates win!