In anticipation of Unioncon 2025, the second edition of the greatest gaming convention ever held in Brookeville Maryland, I’ve been rapidly finishing my forces for the Battle of Monocacy, 1864! General Lew Wallace, most famous for writing Ben Hur, is in charge of the Middle Department and VII Corps, based in Baltimore, MD.
With the bulk of the Union army with Grant in Virginia, only token forces have opposed Jubal Early’s invasion up the Shenandoah valley. In fact, it was operators of the B&O railroad who spotted the confederate invasion headed towards Baltimore or Washington. Wallace scrambled his Corps to Monocacy Junction and the railroad bridge just outside of Frederick Maryland. Grant had dispatched General James Rickets of VI Corps to reinforce. Totaling around 6,000, Wallace’s forces gathered to hold the junction, outnumbered 2:1 by Early’s invaders. Could they delay long enough for reinforcements to reach the forts outside of Washington?
Here is everything I’ve assembled for this Union force of 6,000. They’re based for Fire and Fury, and using the brigade rules its around 100 men represented by a stand. Troops from Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and even Illinois are represented!
We have six batteries of artillery and limbers:
As well as cavalry and infantry in abundance! The cavalry features dismounted options as well as horse holders (every fourth stand is converted to a holder when dismounted).
And our bold commander, General Wallace!
And finally, some casualty markers and transportation!
This all went very fast- not by best work but cohesive and ready for the battlefield! Hope to be running this game, and variants, for a number of years!
-BS