Nick and William brought over the ACW scenario for Big Bloody Battles - Battle of Pea Ridge. March 7–8, 1862. Nick has a great collection of 6mm ACW, and it was nice to see them out on the table.
This being a Western Theatre battle, it could be roughly described as 'Two armies blundering through woods into each other!'
I asked for the Union, as I never play Confederates by choice, leaving William (political views here) the Rebels.
The Confederates had to hold three objectives by the end of day 2. The Union idea was to stop them. My self-imposed aim was to secure the camp, the two left hand villages and the right hand village/crossroads, or at least cause as much damage to the Rebels as possible.
Before you ask, and I know you will, the dark green bits represent open terrain, EVERYTHING else is the woods! Dark paths = roads, light roads = tracks. Steep hills = steep. Union entry point is lower left, with a large bulk of their kit on table. The Rebels come in top right and top left (under the rules sheet) turn 1 and 2.
Rebels arrive, and there are LOADS of them. This quite discombobulated me, as I only had a small force (Nick later explained these were not well disciplined and entheusaistic Rebels of other games, most are raw and fragile). I sent two units towards the left hand far village, plus two batteries. But, William had troops coming down the middle track, these had to be stopped too as they could threaten two of the objectives on my side of the table! The far right hand village, I sent my, acting like linebackers looking for a loan wide receiver to pick on. My cavalry came down the road to screen and stop any Rebel advance, with units following up. I also snuck a unit down the right hand track as there were two objectives out that way too, maybe they could peel of Rebels and make theor life harder? Another small Union unit was holding the baggage and on hand to deal with any units coming down the middle.
William was putting his weight into the left hand village, and a long column of artillery was being escorted towards the right hand village. There were enemy loads of cavalry out there too! 
"It's all kicking off, Pru!" My cavalry dismounts and snipes at Rebel infantry. I was slighty worried by that cavalry to my left.
William might need that label...
It's a big unit of infantry that is coming up behind. 
On the right:- A unit of three Union infantry, versuses all that lot! Well, we might slow them down long enough to get extra units to help out. Maybe?
Forlorn hope? 
On the right, the sniping causes an issue. A disordering hit from the cavalry, and on their next attempted move, a worse possible roll causes Confederate infantry in the wood to break backwards through the next column, big unit, and artillery!!
Then facing the wrong way... 
On the left, my unit draws breath, and waits for the hell to arrive. Seven units in strike range, Thankfully, one artillery unit had deployed as was firing down the road at the cavalry, but it was a definite lost cause with units already round their flank. 
At the right hand village, the 14th Division, which was planned to send out right to grab that far objective, but instead, the rear of a shaken disordered unit was presented. Even in column, this was too tempting a target. Avoiding the formed up unit to their left, charged in and they broke the Rebels! 
Which legged it down the road, allowing a follow up charge into the limbered artillery behind, forcing them to retire. It could have been a break, but I threw really badly, with a column and a knackered unit, while William's artillery threw really well.
Actually, this was not so much a charge, more an embarrassed suffle forwards, and a junior non-commisioned officer being shoved forwards, walked up and ahemed at the Rebel artillery "Excuse me, would you mind not parking there?"
In the left hand village, I was swamped. Losing my valiant defenders (who threw back the first assault, but the second had hit from three directions and out numbered me three to one) and one battery. I had a decent unit of five bases waiting to go, but kept fluffing their rolls to move (muttermuttermutter).
In the centre, a unit of my cavalry had arrived from reserve to threaten the rogue Conferate unit that was loose in the centre.
The Rebels pile two units into my five strong unit, this was going to hurt.
Forming out into line, my Union foot shot well, joined by the remaining artillery, breaking one of the Rebel units, but stripping out the Union ammunition. This was a hard fought game, and small moments of glory like this almost got lost. My cavalry, backed up by a big foot unit, chaged in in the centre too. 
That assualt failed (1-6 to William). On the right, I lost my unit in the village as William turned to face with his big unit. My five in the left hand area failed to move. On the right, I was closing on the village with three units, but there was a lot of Confderate cavalry buzzing around.
We finished the first day there, it was late, it was bloody, and I wasn't sure what else I could do. I had had a rough day at work (big theft from my shop), and probably wasn't the best of mental states, and a grumpy one at that too. Sorry guys! This was, in retrospect, a good game, but I had no idea what I was doing!
William's movement and combat dice were on fire, I was failing all over the place. I know the factors go in the Union favour on day two, where the Confederate general is dead and the Rebels are low on ammunition, but I had lost three key units. I am not sure how this would fight out. Maybe one day I will find out!
Thanks to Nick and William for playing in a great spirit. A fun scenario ,which really plays to fog of war.
"It wasn't bad, just a few rolls higher... 🤣"
"Would make a good epithaph!😜"
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