Gettysburg Campaign 1-4 July 1863 Design Notes

PLEASE NOTE: Revision 1A fixes balancing problems reagrding VP's for casualties and Objectives. A new .pdt is included to support some supply wagon movement issues along Pikes and roads also. A what-if sceanrio that features a new Confederate 4th Corps (under D.H. Hill) is now also included.

1. The Scenario along with a new OOB, features a new extra large map, kindly created by David Freer of WDS that covers the majority of the historical    campaign area in Southern Pennsylvania and Northern Maryland
   
2. This is a historical setup where units are deployed on map in their actual starting locations, or enter as reinforcements at the proper times and location. Use of a larger map allows both sides the opportunity to try different strategies, and perhaps not have the climactic battle at Gettysburg. The only constraints are fixed units, their release times, and entry locations of off map forces. Scenario length is 212 20 min turns, starting at 6am July 1, 1863 and ending at sundown (8pm) July 4, 1863. The extra day (July 4) has been added in order to give players the opportunity to maneuver, and fully develop their strategies. Historically, both Armies were still in position at Gettysburg until late in the day on July 4, when Lee began his withdrawal. (See item 6 for a what-if variant of this scenario.)

3. New OOB and why: The Scenario includes a new OOB file (July1.oob) based on Douglas Strickler's original that substitutes an "AoP Train" command under Brigadier Gen. Rufus Ingalls for the Army of the Potomac Engineers. (The Engineers were not present with the Army after building bridges over the Potomac - they were temporarily absorbed by the Washington Military District.) General Ingalls was the Chief Quartermaster of the AoP for the entire War, so his inclusion was deemed necessary as the AoP Supply Depot at Westminster, MD is now on map. Gen. Ingalls' portrait is actually that of Gen. H.W. Benham so as not to require any new leader portrait file. The units assigned to Ingalls represent detachments from all of the Corps in the AoP detailed as Train Guards. They are titled "Det, 1st Corps", and so on.

4. Other changes made include the cleaning up of some misspellings, adopting a common unit naming convention, and the (historical) substitution of William Gamble as a Brigade Commander in Buford's Division, vice the one in the original OOB. In one case a Union Brigade is marked "DO NOT USE". This is actually Lockwood's Brigade of the 8th Corps/Middle Dept. It was already included as a part of the AoP in the original OOB, and the marker is intended as a reminder of that. The rest of the 8th Corps is not used in this scenario anyway (but, see 6 below). Again, unit naming conventions are different from the other scenarios included in the basic game, and are just my personal preferences.

5. Artillery ammunition levels for both sides were increased somewhat in order to support a four day battle. Supply wagons on both sides will either release or deploy on map with their parent units. This ensured units will have an organic ammunition supply available at all times. While the original game scenarios do an accurate job of depicting wagons arriving at historic times, along with their escorts, it is my feeling that the system is not distinguishing between general supply and ammunition. While maybe not strictly accurate, I am attempting to portray a unit's reserve ammunition supply coming with them, while the general supply wagons arrive later.

6. The additional "what-if" scenario includes a Confederate 4th Corps lead by D.H. Hill that enters play from the direction of Greencastle, along with the remainder of the ANV cavalry. In addition JEB Stuart has "stayed home" with two of his brigades, and is camped just forward of Heth's division at Cashtown. In compensation the Union has the following changes: John Buford has his entire division outside of Gettysburg with an additional artillery battery, a division from the 8th Corps (Middle Dept.) will enter from the direction of Waynesboro, and units from the 22nd Corps (District of Washington) will arrive along the Baltimore Pike.

7. Unit arrival and release times were adopted from Richard Berg's "Terrible Swift Sword" (1976, SPI). Starting locations for on map units were done using Harry Pfanz's "Gettysburg, The First Day". The OR's were also consulted for this, and special thanks to John Ferry for tracking down Alfred Pleasonton, who was with him, and what he was doing there!

8. Installation: The ".scn" files should be placed into the Campaign Gettysburg/Scenarios Folder, the "July1.OOB" goes into the Campaign          Gettysburg/OOB's Folder, the "GB Campaign.map" file goes into the Campaign Gettysburg/Maps Folder, and the GBCampaign.pdt goes into the data folder.

9. All mistakes made, and oversights are mine alone. Credits are due to Mike Hicks, and John Ferry for serving both as play testers and consultants, Mark Jones for play balance suggestions, and of course David, for that map. 

Edited 28 Aug 2019, Tom Porto, Scenario Designer 
   
                                                    

