Time to commit to building a calvery wing.
Robinson is attacked, but I have him retreat back into jackson. There is no way I'm letting him fact a confederate force that outnumbers him by 20,000.
Cleburnes forces, on the other hand, are right where I want them.
Unfortunatly, the terrain I'm forced to fight on has no decent features, so I'm forced to go for the "great big long line" (GBLL) formation. which I'll hook around once I know where in the line hes hitting me.
First contact. looks like their going to hit me over a fairly long strech of line, this is good as it means that we're trading blows evenly. I begin to curve my flank, but one of the confederate calvary units charges into the now exposed flanks of one of my 13th Div, brigades
I'm pritty sure that thats not what was planned. a dead CSA general, and 400 of his men along side.
I manage to use the range in the first volley to inflict some fairly serious damage on the confederates. but nothing thats going to dent their numbers. any victory here is going to be bought in blood.
I manage to compleate stage one of my hook, the more I can roll up the line, the more of my brigades I can have on each of his. I just wish I had more spencers, the two or three units armed with them are doing great damage.
In the south I try the same thing, the CSA 5th infantry tries a charge, but looses 1000 men to my 250,
The brigade routs and I continue to curl up both sides of the confederate force. they react by moving troops to my stronger left hook, but that leaves the units in the right open. they also begin to blose the range on my troops, in hopes of cutting down the losses from my ranged fire. I begin to break the line up in places to hit isolated units. although that does cost me Ayres.
General Johnston falls soon after, making it 2-1 for me so far on the generals front. and the Army of the shennadoah tried a flanking move around the lake, but it'll be at least an hour before they can compleate it. i concentrate on hammering the units in range, rather than chasing one divison.
The left hook is proceeding well, the rebs can't shift enough troops north to stop me encircling their units and hitting them from all sides, I force one brigade off and another to surrender, a similer thing is happening in the south, but in lower numbers. The confenderate centre soon forms into a tight knot, with me hammering the outliying units.
the fire is to much for some of my units, who break and flee, but the vast majority sense victory and press on.
my 136th brigade takes 1,500 casualties from two charges, things like that at this stage can make or break the battle. but its only the army of the Shennedoah in reserve for him now, although all my men are commited. Prince is wounded, but at least thats not dead.
unlike him. thats a third dead confederate general.
The enemys moral fails, I begin to box in as many units as possible before he breaks. every unit that surrenders here is one more they have to replace. be it paid for from their pockets or replaced with french mercenaries.
as they break I manage to catch several units in my net.
Come on! thats got to be a desisive battle!
9 Brigades captured. thats two divisions worth, on top of the thousands killed.
