1

Issue 17 The Official Newsletter of the Johnny Reb Gaming Society $5.00

ASSAULTING Fort Fisher

Frank Leslie, Famous Leaders and Battle Scenes of the Civil War (New York: 1896)

“Jack Tar” add-on rules for Naval Wargaming!

The Battle of Belmont
Civil War Carbines
The First Attack on Fort Fisher

Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

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Welcome to “CHARGE!”
This is the official newsletter of the Johnny Reb
Gaming Society, an international association of
miniature wargamers who use regimental-level
rules such as the Johnny Reb gaming rules
developed by John Hill. The newsletter will
provide a quarterly forum for exchanging
information regarding the rules, original
wargaming scenarios written with JR in mind,
and historical articles of general interest to the
regimental ACW gamer.
US membership in the society is $20 per year,
which will partially cover the cost of assembling,
printing, and mailing the newsletter. Dues are
payable via money order or personal check,
which must be made out to Deborah Mingus
(society treasurer and secretary). Our mailing
address and e-mail address are as follows:
The Johnny Reb Gaming Society
1383 Sterling Drive
York PA 17404
jrgsnl@comcast.net
We welcome your submissions of articles,
scenarios, advertising, and related information,
as well as letters to the editor. The copyrighted
name Johnny Reb is used by written permission
of John Hill.
Table of Contents
American Civil War Carbines
An Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Ask John Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
American BattleLines
Belmont, Missouri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Jack Tar
Rules for Integrating
Naval Operations in JRIII . . . . . . .9
Fort Fisher
(First Attack) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Coming attractions in CHARGE! #18
Plum Point Bend naval scenario! Product reviews
and more infantry scenarios! The return of
Burkhard Schulze’s column from Germany!
Andy Mac’s popular painting guides!
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
From the Editor’s Desk
When one thinks of the Civil War, often the
first images are of grand infantry charges sweeping
across open farm fields, of ragged battle lines
slugging it out in woods, or of mounted cavalrymen
struggling to the death in hand-to-hand combat. For
many ACW buffs (and miniature wargamers), what
does not immediately come to mind is the riverine
and coastal warfare: every bit as bitter, but often not
as bloody or high in publicity as the fights of the foot
soldiers and cavaliers.
Civil War infantrymen were often generically
nicknamed as ―Billy Yank‖ and ―Johnny Reb.‖ Far
less often heard today is a similar period designation
for sailors—―Jack Tar.‖ In this issue of Charge!, we
proudly present what we believe is the most
comprehensive bolt-on rules for Johnny Reb 3 for
riverine and coastal warfare and combined operations
– Sgt. Chris Maes’ new Jack Tar rules addition.
Chris has taken a fresh look at naval warfare
and in these pages presents his initial playtest version
of Jack Tar. He invites the membership of the Johnny
Reb Gaming Society to give these rules a try and to
provide feedback and suggestions directly to him.
Adding ships, gunboats, transports, and the like to
traditional ground-based JR3 gaming expands the
overall utility of the rules set, and enables the gamer
to use marines, sailors, riverside and coastal batteries,
and other miniature models in combination with
those regiments of infantry and cavalry.
Also in this issue is a classic reprint of Brian
Scherzer’s overview of the various types of carbines
used during the Civil War, a few of which found their
way onto ships. The carbine was the primary long-
arm of the cavalry on both sides of ―the late
unpleasantness,‖ and Brian’s interesting article
provides the gamer with a short description and
history of each major (and the minor) manufacturers
of this weapon.
We welcome to the ranks of our writers and
contributors Jonathan Coulter of Virginia. Jon is an
owner and principal of Old Dominion Game Works,
which has a prominent presence at most HMGS-East
wargaming conventions. They sell lines of
miniatures, as well as publishing rules sets such as
Mein Panzer and others. Among their titles is
American BattleLines, which includes an edition
specific to the American Civil War for regimental-
level gaming. Jon presents his interpretation of the
Battle of Belmont, one of U.S. Grant’s early fights.
 3
American Civil War
Carbines
An Overview
Brian Scherzer
The carbine, almost exclusively used as a
cavalry weapon, was a major factor in the
improvement of Union mounted forces from 1863
until the end of the war. The repeating carbine,
especially, was responsible for the dramatic
turnaround in performance of Union cavalrymen over
Confederate troopers. Considering the importance of
these weapons, it is surprising to note how little
attention they get in wargaming literature. While this
short article does not pretend to be the final word on
the subject, information on nineteen types of carbines
is covered, including (when possible) effective range
for firing, units known to have been issued the
weapons, and the numbers of each carbine model
produced for use with the armies during the war
years. The following is an alphabetical listing of all
carbines known to be used during the Civil War:
BALLARD CARBINE: The wartime carbines were
produced by Ball & Williams between 1862 and
1866, with those manufactured prior to 1864 being
.54 caliber and those made in 1864-65 being .44
caliber. The .54 caliber ―Old Model‖ was 38" long
and weighed 7 pounds, while the 1864 model (.44
cal.) was 37 ¼‖ in length with a weight of 6 3/8
pounds. The sight was graduated to 500 yards, the
maximum realistic range for any accuracy at all,
although effective ranges were more like 150-200
yards. Tests showed that the Ballard could fire up to
18 rounds per minute, although not accurately aimed.
The Federal Ordnance Department purchased 1,509
carbines, all being the .44 cal. variety. However,
Kentucky state troops used as many as 18,500 of the
weapons (.54 cal.), and it is known that the 13th
Kentucky Cavalry and the 30th Kentucky Mounted
Infantry were armed with Ballards.
BURNSIDE CARBINE: Invented in 1856 by
Ambrose Burnside (who later led the Army of the
Potomac), the Burnside Carbine was the first weapon
purchased by the government that used metallic
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
cartridges. During the Civil War, there were four
different models, each an improvement in some way
over the others. The fourth model was 39 ½‖ long
and 7 pounds, 2 ounces in weight. The maximum
range was about 500 yards, with the actual effective
range extending out to 200 yards. The Union forces
purchased a total of 33,031 Burnsides for the war
effort. The author could not find any information on
the rate of fire. Some of the cavalry units known to
have used this carbine were the 1st New Jersey; 1st
Michigan; 3rd Indiana; 5th, 6th and 7th Ohio; 3rd W.
Virginia; 13th, 14th and 18th Pennsylvania; 14th and
21st New York; and the 2nd, 12th, 14th and 16th
Illinois.
E. G. LAMSON CARBINE (BALL & PALMER):
E. G. Lamson bought the factories and assets that
allowed them to manufacture and provide to the
government two different carbines—the Palmer and,
later, the Ball carbines. The .50 cal. Palmer was the
lightest of all ACW carbines, being 36‖ long and
weighing only 4 ½ pounds. It had some initial
problems: the rifling grooves had no effect because
of a smaller cartridge used by the Federals. However,
in a test conducted at West Point in 1863, an
improved .32 cal. Palmer was fired 12 times at a
target 336 yards away, with all shots hitting the target
within a 3-foot pattern. The Palmer was found to
produce good results at a rate of fire of 15 shots per
minute. The Ball Repeating Rifle was produced too
late in the war to be counted as a wartime weapon.
GALLAGER CARBINE: The Gallager Carbine,
patented in 1860, was manufactured in Philadelphia.
In the patent, inventor Mahlon J. Gallager of
Savannah, Georgia, claimed that his carbine was a
superior weapon because of the easy removal of a
spent cartridge from the breech. However, the
mechanism was flawed, and cartridges frequently had
to be removed by prying them out. Even so, the cost
was low enough that the government procured 17,728
of the .50 cal. weapons, each being 39 ¼‖ long and
weighing 7 lbs., 8 ounces. Of the 50 officers who
tested the Gallager, 40 rated it as totally worthless.
Effective range seems to have been about 130 yards.
Cavalry units that used the weapon included the 3rd
West Virginia; 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th Ohio; and the
13th Tennessee.
GIBBS CARBINE: The Gibbs Carbine had a very
short lifespan during the war, but left an unusual
footnote in history. Based on the same principles as
the Gallager Carbine, this .52 caliber weapon was
39‖ long and weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces. Only
slightly more than 1,000 had been delivered from the
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factory in New York City by July 1863. On July 13,
the New York Riot occurred, and rioters assaulted the
building. At first, 34 policemen armed with Gibbs
Carbines guarded the factory. They shot 3 rioters
before being ordered to another area, at which point
the mob burned the factory down, effectively ending
the career of the Gibbs Carbine. The few soldiers in
the field that used the weapon were not very
impressed.
GWYN & CAMPBELL CARBINE: Also known
as the Cosmopolitan, there were 3 separate models of
this carbine in use by the end of the war—the
Cosmopolitan and the Gwyn & Campbell types 1 &
2. Each design was only slightly different, and all
used linen .32 caliber cartridges. While the Type 1
G&C carbine had sights graduated out to 900 yards,
none of the models had an effective range more than
200 yards, but they could be fired with steadily
diminishing results up to 500 yards. The weapon was
39‖ long and weighed 6 lbs., 9 ounces. A total of
9,342 carbines of all models were sold to the
government. Cavalry units using the weapon included
the 2nd and 3rd Arkansas; 5th, 6th and 16th Illinois;
3rd and 4th Indiana; 4th and 8th Iowa; 2nd, 6th and
14th Kansas; 10th, 12th, 14th and 40th Kentucky; 4th
and 8th Missouri; 5th and 8th Ohio; 7th Tennessee;
and the 3rd Wisconsin.
HALL CARBINE (U.S. MODEL 1843): The Hall
Carbine was the first carbine introduced in the world,
with the first weapons being sold in 1834 to the 1st
Regt. of U.S. Dragoons. Being a smoothbore, the
government had many of the carbines rifled for .58
cal. cartridges. The weapon was neither accurate nor
efficient, leading all 21 officers who tested the
weapon to rate it as either poor or worthless. The
range was considered too short, and the carbines
often fouled after only a few shots. The 2nd and 9th
Illinois Cavalry were armed with Hall Carbines, but
many of the troops apparently found other arms.
JOSLYN CARBINES (MODELS 1855, 1862 AND
1864): All of the carbines manufactured by Joslyn
were of the .54 cal. single-shot variety. The first
model was 38 ¼‖ long, weighing in at 7 lbs., 4
ounces. The 1862 model, being a rim-fire weapon,
was 38 7/8‖ long and weighed 6 pounds, 10 ounces.
A total of 11,261 Joslyn Carbines were purchased by
the government, even though officers who tested the
guns did not like them. The range was similar to most
carbines of the period, but the breechblock tended to
blow open when the weapon was fired. An additional
problem was that Spencer cartridges fit poorly in this
gun. Cavalry units issued the Joslyn were the 4th and
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
8th Indiana; 1st N.Y. Dragoons; 19th N.Y.; 13th
Tennessee; 9th Pennsylvania; 3rd West Virginia; 1st
Wisconsin; 1st Nebraska; 1st Nevada; and the 11th
Ohio.
LINDNER CARBINE: Only 892 Lindner Carbines
were purchased during the war, and the only use of
the weapon in combat was by the 1st Michigan
Cavalry in the Shenandoah Campaign and, later, at
the Second Battle of Bull Run. The troopers
exchanged their Lindners for Sharps Carbines in late
1862, ending the brief debut of the weapon during the
Civil War.
MAYNARD CARBINE: An extremely accurate and
well liked weapon, the Maynard was found in some
quantity in arsenals in the Southern states at the
beginning of the war. Coming in two varieties, the
.35 cal. and the .50 cal., this weapon was a good
performing gun. The inventor, a dentist named Dr.
Edward Maynard, held a demonstration for the
government in 1859 where he fired 237 rounds (at a
rate of 12 rounds per minute) at a 3 ft-by-6 ft. target
placed 200 yards away—and ―never missed.‖ The
weapons were light, but the .50 caliber carbine had a
bit too much of a kick to it. Not used by Union forces
very much because of the late delivery (1864-65) of
the weapons, Confederate cavalrymen used them to
great advantage. The 9th and 11th Indiana; and the
11th Tennessee were known to have been issued
Maynards during the war.
MERRILL CARBINE: The Merrill Carbine seems
to have been either loved or hated, depending on who
was reviewing the weapon for the Ordnance Dept.
Survey of Weapons. I have chosen to use the ratings
of the 91 officers who helped to conduct the weapons
trials. They rated the Merrill as generally a poor
choice (72 of the officers rated it as "fair" to
"worthless," with only 19 calling it "best" or "good").
However, General George Stoneman liked the
carbine and asked for many of his cavalry troops to
be armed with it. Using a paper cartridge of .54
caliber, the Merrill Carbine was 37 3/8‖ long and
weighed 6 pounds, 8 ounces. There does not seem to
be a record of its effective range. Cavalry units
known to have carried the 14,255 Merrills purchased
by the government were the 27th Kentucky; 1st, 5th,
and 18th New York; 1st New Jersey; 7th Indiana; 1st
and 3rd Wisconsin; 11th, 17th and 18th
Pennsylvania; and the 1st Delaware.
REMINGTON CARBINE: This weapon has been
listed in several books covering Civil War carbines,
but the actual orders from the government were not
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received until the war was over, so this carbine will
not be reviewed.
SHARPS CARBINE: This famous weapon was first
produced during 1849-50 in Pennsylvania. Two later
models, the "New Model 1859" and the "New Model
1863" were the types used during the war. The
Sharps Carbine was widely used, with 5,800 being
purchased by the government in 1861, 17,134 in
1862, 22,205 in 1863, 25,039 in 1864, and 7,152
being delivered in 1865, for a total wartime purchase
of 77,330 weapons. Both models used during the
Civil War were .52 caliber and 39 1/8‖ long,
weighing in at a hefty 7 lbs., 12 ounces. Field officers
who responded to an 1863-64 Ordnance Dept. survey
about the weapon overwhelmingly shouted its praise.
0f 422 officers, 215 considered it the best arm in the
service, 199 rated it as "good," and only 8 mere rated
the Sharps as "fair" or "poor." The Battle of
Gettysburg showed the intense ability of this gun to
stop an enemy. General John Buford's cavalry, 5
regiments of which were armed with the Sharps
Carbine, threw back Confederate infantry attacks on
the first day until Union infantry reinforcements
came to the rescue. The rate of accurate fire was ten
rounds per minute at up to 600 yards, although 300
yards was considered to be the effective fire range.
The Confederates also had access to some Sharps
Carbines, with 5,200 of the guns being manufactured
between 1862 and 1864. Some of the Union cavalry
units issued the weapon include: 1st, 2nd, 4th, 6th
and 8th Illinois; 1st California; 5th and 6th Ohio; the
1st through 6th U.S. Regulars; 1st Michigan; 3rd and
13th Pennsylvania; 1st and 2nd Massachusetts; 5th
Iowa; and the 20th New York. While many more
regiments obtained the Sharps Carbine, my research
could not come up with their names.
SHARPS & HANKINS CARBINES: There were
three distinct models put out by the Sharps &
Hankins factory, none of which saw much use during
the war. Of the 1,468 S&H carbines purchased by the
government, 500 went to the Union Navy, and many
others were of a fairly experimental nature. The
differences between the models were primarily
connected with the release and breech-frame
mechanisms. The Sharps & Hankins model that
debuted in 1863 was timed at a rate of fire of 14
rounds in 1 minute, 40 seconds. One very short
model (slightly over 33‖ in length) was tried out for
cavalry usage, but was manufactured too late in the
war to make any impact in the field. The 9th New
York Cavalry and the 11th New York Volunteer
Cavalry are known to have been issued the special
short-barreled carbines.
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
SMITH CARBINE: In 1860, a board of officers met
at the Washington Arsenal to conduct tests on
weapons that were being considered for future
purpose. The carbine that generated the most raves
was the Smith, being considered the simplest to
operate and the most durable for cavalry use. This .50
caliber weapon was 39 ½‖ long and weighed 7
pounds, 8 ounces. Taking either a foil and paper
cartridge, or one of rubber, the Smith was not the
most accurate, the fastest loading, or the carbine that
could extend a shot out over great distance. It was,
however, reliable, and the troops that were issued the
weapon rated it highly. A total of 31,002 were
purchased for the war. Units known to have been
given the carbines include the 1st Massachusetts; 6th
and 9th Ohio; 1st Connecticut; 7th and 17th
Pennsylvania; 7th and 11th Illinois; and the 3rd West
Virginia Cavalry regiments.
SPENCER CARBINE: This carbine was the royalty
of the Civil War period. Capable of firing 7 rounds
within 10 seconds, the Spencer Repeating Carbine
certainly did much to change the fortunes of the
Union mounted regiments. Brig. Gen. James W.
Ripley, Chief of the U.S. Ordnance Department,
being a typical myopic bureaucrat, refused to believe
that such an advanced weapon could actually be of
value on the field. Nonetheless, the Federal
government procured more than 95,000 of these
repeaters because of the insistence of President
Lincoln, who personally tested the Spencer. This gun
used a copper rim-fire cartridge that was easily
loaded with a maximum of 7 rounds. The Blakeslee
cartridge box, patented in 1864 by Col. Erastus
Blakeslee of the 1st Connecticut Volunteer Cavalry,
gave troopers much more firepower capability than
before. This cartridge box was capable of holding up
to 13 ―tubes‖ of 7 cartridges each, giving the Union
cavalryman an additional 91 rounds at his fingertips.
Being effective at up to 400 yards, Confederate
reports of battles fought against units armed with the
Spencer often grossly exaggerated the number of
enemy combatants involved. The Spencer carbine
was effective not only in a defensive mode, but also
in the attack, because troops armed with it could fire
on the run without needing to reload. Units armed
with this weapon were too numerous to mention, but
Custer's Michigan troopers made good use of the
carbine at Gettysburg and other battles.
STARR CARBINE: Better known for its revolvers,
the Starr Arms Company also produced a carbine that
started the war as a percussion weapon and ended up,
with only slight modifications, as a rim-fire carbine.
The .54 caliber Starr Carbine was 37 5/8‖ long and
 6
weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces, with an effective range
of about 200 yards. The percussion model was well
liked by the Navy, but in a test conducted by 78
officers during the 1863-64 survey, 61 of the men
rated the weapon as ―poor or worthless.‖ The major
complaint was that it would not fire much of the time.
Later, the rim-fire model was a vast improvement,
but only 5,001 of these guns made it to armories
before the war's end. The following cavalry
regiments were known to have been issued the Starr
Carbine: 1st Arkansas, 5th Kansas, 11th Missouri,
and 24th New York.
WARNER CARBINE: This was the only brass
frame carbine produced during the Civil War. It did
not go into production until 1864, used Warner rim-
fire cartridges (many of which were poorly made),
and was tested at a rate of fire of 13 rounds in a
minute. However, the carbine was plagued by an
extraction problem with swollen cartridges that
frequently had to be removed by hand. I could find
no facts concerning whether the guns were ever
actually issued for use in the field. The government
purchased 4,001 Warner Carbines, but they may have
never seen action, and certainly they did not have
much of an impact on the war.
WESSON CARBINE: The U.S. government
purchased only 151 of these carbines, although
approximately 4,500 were sold to the state forces of
Indiana, Kentucky, Kansas, and Missouri. This
carbine had a serious flaw in that the cartridge, once
fired, had to be removed by hand, and often it was
necessary to use a ramrod, since this gun had no
extractor system. The only photo of a Civil War
soldier carrying a Wesson Carbine that I have seen
was a Confederate. It is possible that many of the
guns were abandoned by Union soldiers because the
Wesson was intensely disliked.
ASK JOHN HILL!
Q: When do units marked Hold resolve their
fire attacks? Can they be resolved prior to
the fire attacks of moving enemy units, or
are they resolved simultaneously during the
Moving Fires Phase?
A: The unique advantage of the HOLD order is
that units that are on HOLD can fire anytime
during the turn after all FIRST FIRES are fully
completed -- which includes any morale checks
that resulted from the FIRST FIRES. And
anytime means just that. This means that a unit
on HOLD can chose to fire before, during, or
after the Movement Phase. The "holding unit"
does not have to wait until the Moving Fires
Phase.
And any casualties or morale checks that result
from the fire of a "Holding Unit" are resolved
immediately after they happen -- hence, an
unlucky moving unit may be hit so hard by a
"holding unit" that he never gets a chance to fire
back in the Moving Fires Phase.
Bottom line -- if you march a column across the
front of a "Holding" unit...do expect to be
punished for your actions.
Hope this answers the question,
John

Sources:

* Lustyik, A. F., Civil War Carbines from Service to

Settlement. 1947.
* McAulay, J. D., Carbines of the Civil War. 1981.
* Lewis, Col. B. F., Notes on Cavalry Weapons of the
ACW 1861-1865. 1961.

This overview first appeared in The Zouave, Volume

1, Issue 3. Reprinted and updated by written
permission of Marek/Janci Design of Wheaton,
Illinois, owners of the copyright. Gilbert Gaul – The Skirmish Line

Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

        A M E R I C A N B7 A T T L E L I N E S       

BELMONT, MISSOURI
November 7, 1861
The Setting
On November 6th , Brigadier General
Ulysses S. Grant and his troops boarded
six riverboats—the Chancellor,
Memphis, Alex Scott, Keystone State,
James Montgomery, and Rob Roy. They
set sail from Cairo, Illinois, to
demonstrate against the Confederates at
Columbus, Kentucky. Escorted by the
gunboats USS Lexington and USS Tyler,
Grant discovered the next morning
Confederate troops had crossed the
Mississippi River near Belmont,
Missouri. Grant landed his forces
upriver on the Missouri shore out of
range of the big guns in Columbus.
In Columbus, Leonidas Polk had a
respectable force, but thought Grant’s
move was only a feint and sent only part
of his force across the river to Camp
Johnston.

The Scenario
On the morning of November 7th , Grant’s troops
The Terrain
came ashore at Hunter’s Farm, almost three miles
from Belmont and Camp Johnston. The location was
The wargame was designed to be played with
selected as it was out of the range of the big guns in
10mm miniatures on a 4’x4’ game table. If playing
Columbus, including a 128-lb. Whitworth rifle. They
with larger miniatures, simply elongate the table
marched two miles south and formed a line of battle
down the length of the road.
in front of a cornfield. A little further south, in front
The area is mostly flat, with a scattering of
of Camp Johnston, the Confederates had formed their
trees. A single road winds through and around
line of battle.
several cornfields, each surrounded by fencing. At
This scenario is actually played in two parts. The
the far south is Camp Johnston with several tents.
first part recreates Grant’s march and assault on
The Mississippi River is also a major feature.
Camp Johnston. Once the camp was taken, Grant
was surprised by Confederate reinforcements to the
Part I Setup
rear, blocking his path back to his transports. The
second part will be detailed a little later.
UNION
All Union forces are deployed in map grids 4-1
through 4-4.

Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

 8
CONFEDERATE
Confederate Part I forces may be deployed in
grids 1-1 through 1-4 and slightly inside grids 2-2
and 2-3 as indicated on the map.
OBJECTIVES
UNION
During Part I of the scenario, the Union must
totally take Camp Johnston. That must be
accomplished before Part II can be played.
CONFEDERATE
Johnny Reb must prevent Grant from taking
the camp, or at the very lease inflict as many
casualties as possible upon him.
CONFEDERATE
The Confederates must prevent the Union
from breaking through and reaching their boats.
VICTORY RESULTS
UNION
If the Union can make it off the board with all
units AND the captured guns and prisoners, it will be
a Union victory. Getting some of the units off the
board will be a draw.
CONFEDERATE
If the Confederates prevent any Union troops
from exiting the board, it will be a Rebel victory.

AFTERMATH I AFTERMATH II
Grant was successful in pushing the Confederates
During Grant’s fight to return to his transports,
back into the camp. A little over 100 men
the big guns in Columbus opened fired on his rear.
surrendered to the Union troops, but most were able
They were silent earlier when there were
to pull back and boarded two boats, the Prince and
Confederates within range, but now, with a clear line
the Charm, but they abandoned their colors and two
of sight to the enemy, they entered the battle. Their
guns in the process. When Grant’s inexperienced
support was short lived, though, and the two U.S.
soldiers entered the camp, they began to plunder and
gunboats opened fire on Columbus, diverting their
party. In an attempt to gain control over the men,
attention.
Grant ordered the camp burned, which resulted in
Grant managed to get back to his transports, but
several wounded Rebels being burned to death.
with one unit missing. He returned to the field to
The Confederates surprised the Union by
look for the unit, but quickly changed his mind after
appearing in the rear with fresh troops, as well as
seeing Rebel units moving toward him. When he
those who managed to escape earlier. Grant said
returned to the transports, they had all cast off. The
―Well, we must cut our way out as we cut our way
closest one had just pushed off when the captain saw
in.‖
Grant return. According to Grant’s memoirs, the
And so begins Part II of the scenario.
captain delayed starting the engines, giving Grant
time to make it to the boat, where his horse slid down
Part II Setup the bank and trotted on board without hesitation.
Some sources portray Belmont as a Union
For Part II, the deployment areas are victory, while the Confederates claimed the victory
reversed, with the Confederates setting up in 4-1 as well. In truth, it was really a draw, with about
through 4-4 and the Union in 1-1 through 1-4. 1,500 casualties combined.

OBJECTIVES
UNION
The Union doesn’t have much choice… it must
fight its way through the Confederate line and exit off
the bottom table edge.
- Scenario by Jon Coulter of Old Dominion Gameworks

Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

 9

ORDER OF BATTLE
UNION
UNIT
TQ MM FM SK CQ CR STANDS WEAPON
B. General U.S. Grant +2 2 1M

First Brigade
B. General McClernand +1 1 1M
27th Illinois Infantry 11 0 0 Y 5I/1F Springfield
30th Illinois Infantry 11 0 0 Y 5I/1F Springfield
31st Illinois Infantry 11 0 0 Y 5I/1F Springfield
15th Illinois Cavalry 11 -1 0 Y 2C/1M Carbine
1st Illinois Artillery, Battery B 11 -1 0 N 3A/1F 6lb Gun
Supply Wagon

Second Brigade
Colonel H Dougherty +1 1 1M
22nd Illinois Infantry 11 0 0 Y 5I/1F Springfield

7th Iowa Infantry 11 0 0 Y 5I/1F Springfield

Note – During Part II, the Union player also has four unmanned Confederate guns (two stands)
and one 4-figure stand of Confederate prisoners.

CONFEDERATE PART I
UNIT
TQ MM FM SK CQ CR STANDS WEAPON
B. General G.J. Pillow +1 1 1M

12th Tennessee Infantry 11 0 0 Y 5I/1F Enfield

22nd Tennessee Infantry 11 0 0 Y 5I/1F Enfield
21st Tennessee Infantry 11 0 0 Y 5I/1F Enfield
13th Tennessee Infantry 11 0 0 Y 5I/1F Enfield
13th Arkansas Infantry 11 0 0 Y 5I/1F Enfield
Watson’s Battery 11 -0 0 N 2A/1F 6lb Gun
Supply Wagon

CONFEDERATE PART II
UNIT
TQ MM FM SK CQ CR STANDS WEAPON
B. General Cheatham +2 2 1M
15th Tennessee Infantry 11 0 0 Y 5I/1F Enfield
2nd Tennessee Infantry 11 0 0 Y 5I/1F Enfield
11th Louisiana Infantry 11 0 0 Y 5I/1F Enfield
B. General G.J. Pillow +1 1 1M
Blythe’s Mississippi Regt 11 0 0 Y 5I/1F Enfield
Mixed Regiment #1 11 0 0 N 3I/1F Enfield
Mixed Regiment #2 11 0 0 N 2I/1F Enfield

Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

 10
Introduction:
Sgt. First Class Christopher Maes is a career
soldier in the Michigan National Guard and a
veteran wargamer. He manages the post-
deployment health care system and is a platoon
sergeant in the 1st Squadron of the 126th
Cavalry Regiment.
For some time, he has been working on a set of
add-on rules for use with Johnny Reb 3 and
other popular regimental gaming systems. The
rules he presents here are meant to be an
addition to the standard rules set, and are useful
for combined arms operations, as well as for
stand-along riverine and coastal warfare.
Questions and suggestions may be addressed
to christopher.maes@ us.army.mil.
Ship Attributes:
All ships and boats have the following attributes. Players
will have to derive the specific values on their own from
relevant source material (see examples and references).
A. Hull Points: This value represents a boat’s
ability to absorb damage and stay afloat. To
calculate Hull Points, add ship’s length, beam
(width) and draft (depth), and then divide this
number by 25.
Hull Point formula: H = (L + W + D) / 25.
B. Armor: This value represents how resistant
the ship is to damage based on the ship’s armor
type, thickness, and quality. Armor value is
expressed as Heavy, Medium, or Light, and is
equivalent to JR III fortification levels.
Heavy- Ironclads (> 1” iron backed by
heavy timbers); -8 Target DRM; equivalent
to Heavy Works. Includes monitors and
casemate ironclads.
Medium- Tinclads/”Cottonclads” (<1” iron
backed by heavy timbers, or cotton bales,
or extra heavy timbers); -6 Target DRM;
equivalent to Medium Works.
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
Light- Wooden Vessels without substantial
reinforcement; -3 Target DRM; equivalent
to Hasty Works.
C. Crew Size: This is the number of figures
required to man the guns, operate the engines,
steer the vessel, and assorted other shipboard
functions. Divide the listed number of crewmen
by 15 to calculate the number of figures
required. Note: there must be a minimum of 1
figure per gun, plus 1 additional figure to operate
the ship. As crew figures are lost to combat, it
may be necessary to reassign crew to other
functions.
Crew Figure formula: Figs = (listed ship’s
crew) / 15 or 1 figure per gun + 1.
D. Crew Quality: Represents the general
training and morale of the ship’s crew, and uses
the same BMPs as JR III. Naval crews rarely
have a rating worse than Veteran, and (almost)
never are Militia. Merchant crews rarely have a
rating better than Green, and are usually rated
as Militia.
E. Officers: In addition to any crew figures, a
ship also requires a Captain. This officer is
treated the same as a Brigade command figure,
and gives orders to the ship and crew. A normal
Captain is considered to be a +1 leader. A Flag
Officer may also be present: he is treated as a
Division or Corps commander, with a +2 or +3
bonus.
F. Speed: This is the maximum listed speed of
the ship in knots. From this, we can determine
the ship’s Base Move and Flank Speed. Ships
rarely operate at max speed; rather they usually
operate at Cruise speed; this is the ship’s Base
Move. For short durations, however, they can
increase their speed to Flank Speed. Flank
Speed is treated much like Charge Bonus
Movement, and involves a number of d6 extra
inches of movement on top of the ship’s Base
Movement. To calculate movement points in
inches, take the ship’s speed (in knots) and
multiply this by 6; this is the ship’s Base Move.
To determine Flank Speed Bonus movement,
roll 1 d6 per knot of speed. Thus a ship capable
of 5 knots speed would have a Base Move of
 11
30” (5 x 6”), and a Flank Speed movement
bonus of + 5d6” (or 5-30 inches).
Movement Point formula: Base Move = knots x
6 inches. Bonus Move = knots x d6 inches.
Movement in Reverse is at half speed.
G. Turn Cost: A ship’s maneuverability and
turning rate is expressed as a number indicating
the cost (in inches of movement) per 45-degree
turn. Generally, the larger the ship, the less
maneuverable it is, and thus, the higher the cost
per 45-degree turn. Without better information,
assume that a ship less than 150 feet in length
has a Turn Cost of 2; vessels with a length of
150-249 feet have a Turn Cost of 4; those with a
length greater than 250 feet have a Turn Cost of
6. Ships equipped with side wheels have their
turn cost reduced by 1, making them more
maneuverable. Alternately, they may spend half
their movement and pivot in place.
Small Craft such as Ship’s Boats, Long Boats,
Whale Boats, Launches (including Torpedo
Launches), etc. have a Turn Cost of 0. Some
vessels were built as Double-Enders for service
in narrow waterways, with rudders on both their
stern and bows; these ships may move in either
direction at full speed.
Reversing course costs half a ships movement,
as does docking, anchoring, or weighing
anchor/getting under way.
H. Draft: A ship is considered to be Shallow
Draft if it draws less than 6 feet of water. A ship
drawing 6-12 feet of water is considered to be
Medium Draft, while those drawing more than
12 feet are considered Deep Draft. Ships with
Shallow Draft are less likely to ground in shallow
water, while those with Deep Draft are more
likely to get stuck, and are thus restricted to
deeper water.
I. Guns: This is the armament of the ship.
Weapons may be mounted in a number of ways:
Bow, Stern, Port and Starboard – These
guns are restricted to an arc of 45 degrees
left or right.
Pivot Guns – May be pivoted to fire to
different facings. Changing facings is not
considered movement.
Turret Guns – Can (theoretically) fire in any
direction. Most monitors had at least some
restrictions to their firing arcs due to the
presence of pilothouses, smoke stacks,
ships boats, etc. Traversing is not
considered movement.
The range and firing modifiers of ship’s guns are
listed in the Gun Tables.
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
J. Rams: The ship’s bow may be reinforced for
ramming, or not.
K. Spar Torpedo: Some vessels (notably
certain Confederate Ironclad Rams and
Union/Confederate Torpedo Launches) may be
equipped with Spar Torpedoes, depending upon
the scenario.
Spar Torpedo attacks are resolved as a
ramming attack, and cause additional damage
as follows (roll a d6): 1-2 = Torpedo fails to
explode; 3-4 = Target ship takes 2d6 points of
Hull Damage; 5-6* = Target vessel takes 3d6
points of Hull Damage. Note: on a roll of 6, the
attacking vessel also takes 1d6 points of Hull
Damage!
L. Troop/Cargo Capacity: This is a vessel’s
ability to carry troops, etc. This capacity will be
expressed as a number of figures. Unless
specified, assume that warships can transport
up to 1.5 times their Hull Rating in troops.
Vessels actually constructed as transports can
carry 6 times their Hull Factor. Artillery Batteries
take up 2 spaces per gun section without
horses, and 4 per section with horses.
Command figures take up 1 space per figure on
the base (i.e. 1 per Brigade officer, 2 per
Division, 3 per Corps, etc…) due to a
need/demand for better quarters, horses, etc…
Supply Columns take up 20 spaces. It is up to
the referee to determine how much other cargo
a ship could carry. Any troops carried by
Ironclads will be treated as “overload”.
M. Paddle Wheel(s) (optional): Vessels
propelled by side or stern paddle wheels will
have 3 boxes to track hits. The first hit reduces
speed by ½; the second hit means the vessel
may not move (though side-wheelers may still
pivot); the third hit destroys the paddles, and no
movement is possible. Note: stern-wheelers hit
on frontal arc ignore paddle wheel hits.
Movement:
A. General: Ships are restricted to movement
on water. If a vessel is to move, it must be given
a Move order. The direction of movement is
indicated by the arrow.
B. Movement Distance: A vessel may move
any or all of its Base Move; it must use ALL of
any bonus movement resulting from the use of
Flank Speed.
C. Turning: In addition to the Turn Cost, ships
must move at least 1 inch forward per 45-
degree turn. Small Boats, including Steam
Launches are exempt from this, as they can
 12
essentially move in any direction. Ships which
suffer a Rudder Hit have their required move
between turns increased.
D. Currents and Tides: Most rivers will have a
current whose direction and speed will be
specified before the scenario. Ships heading
upstream will have this deducted from their
speed, while those heading downstream will
have it added to their speed. Movement may be
broken down into two half-moves (just as on
land) to determine effective speeds. Thus, a
ship which spends half its movement going
downstream will have the current speed (halved)
added to the ship’s speed to determine
movement points. Coastal waters may likewise
be subject to the effects of tides.
E. Running Aground: Most waters have some
sand bars, shallows, etc. hereafter referred to as
shoals. Shoals may either be shallow or deep.
The chance of a vessel grounding on a shoal is
related to the depth of the water/shoal, and the
draft of the vessel, and determined by rolling a
d6.
Shallow Draft Vessels will pass freely over
a Deep and ground on a 1 or 2 on a Shallow
Shoal.
Normal Draft vessels will ground on a Deep
Shoal on a roll of 1 or 2, and on a Shallow
Shoal on a roll of 1-4.
Deep Draft vessels will ground on a Deep
Shoal on a roll of 1-3, and automatically
ground on a Shallow Shoal. If a vessel
grounds on a shoal, it immediately ceases
movement.
There is also the potential for damage to the
vessel’s hull. The ship immediately takes a Crew
Competency Check by rolling versus the crew’s
Base Morale Point (BMP) on 1d6. If the roll is
higher than the BMP, no damage is taken. The
presence of a Naval Officer gives a +1 to the
roll. Hull Damage taken is equal to the ships
current speed in knots divided by two (Kts / 2).
F. Grounded Vessels: Once grounded, a ship
is considered stuck unless it passes a Crew
Competency Check with the following modifiers:
+1 if Officer present, -1 if attempting to move
forward rather than reversing off the shoal. If
the roll is failed three times in a row, the ship is
stuck fast and requires assistance from a towing
vessel, which will add +1 to all subsequent rolls.
Additionally, the ship will take one point of Hull
Damage if it attempted to move forward.
G. Collisions: If two vessels come within 1 inch
of each other, there is a chance of an accidental
collision. To avoid a collision, both ships will take
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
a Crew Competency Check (modified by
Officers). If either ship FAILS the check, treat it
as a ramming attack, with the ship that failed the
check the attacker. If BOTH ships passed the
check, continue movement as planned.
H. Ramming Attacks: During the War Between
the States, ramming was considered a legitimate
tactic for sinking another vessel; some vessels
even being constructed just for this purpose. To
attempt a ramming attack, the vessel must have
GOOD morale (or SHAKEN with an Officer
present), and have marked CHARGE in the
Orders Phase of the game turn. Ramming
attacks will be resolved in order of closest
attacker to intended target. The attacking
vessel will first move any bonus movement
points toward its intended target, making any
necessary turns, etc. The target vessel now
takes Crew Competency Check (modified for
Officers), and if passed, may pivot up to 45
degrees. If the target vessel has good morale, it
may also attempt a bow-to-bow ram on the
attacker. The target vessel may also fire any
weapons that bear on the attacker. If contact
still occurs, resolve the ramming attack (see
below). If contact does not occur using only
bonus movement, the target vessel may now
move its full move, followed by the attacking
vessel. If contact occurs, the target may now
fire any weapons that bear (- 1d6 if fired
previously), then resolve the ramming attack. If
no contact, wait until the Moving Fires Phase to
resolve any gunfire between the two ships. As
long as there is an Officer present, morale
loss due to enemy action will not prevent a
ramming attack.
I. Resolve Ramming Attacks: If contact
occurs, determine which facing of the target
vessel was struck (bow, portside, starboard side,
or stern). If it is unclear which facing is struck,
the target vessel takes a Crew Competency
Check (modified for Officer); if the roll passes,
he may determine which facing is struck.
Damage from the ramming attack will be
determined as follows:
Bow- First, determine relative speeds of
attacking and target vessels: add target’s speed
(inches moved since last 45 degree turn
divided by 6) to attackers speed (inches moved
since last 45 degree turn divided by 6);
apply this as a DRM. Consult the JR III Combat
Results Table (CRT), using attacking vessels
remaining Hull Points as the number of
attacking batteries; modified by relative speed,
target armor, officer, and crew quality Then roll
 13
2d6 (3d6 if the attacking vessel is equipped with
a Ram), the result is the number of Hull Factors
lost by the target vessel. Additionally, if it was a
Bow-to-Bow Ram (see above), resolve an attack
on both vessels!
Side- Use the number of inches of movement
since last 45-degree turn (divided by 6) as a
DRM. Consult the JR III Combat Results Table
(CRT), using attacking vessel’s remaining
Hull Points as the number of attacking
batteries; modified by relative speed, target
armor, officer, and crew quality Then roll 2d6
(3d6 if the attacking vessel is equipped with a
Ram), the result is the number of Hull Factors
lost by the target vessel. If the target is a side-
wheeler, it also takes a Paddlewheel Hit.
Stern- Determine the relative speeds of the two
vessels by subtracting the target’s movement
from the attacker’s movement (inches moved
since last 45 degree turn divided by 6), use this
as a DRM. Consult the JR III Combat Results
Table (CRT), using attacking vessel’s
remaining Hull Points as the number of
attacking batteries; modified by relative speed,
target armor, officer and crew quality Then roll
2d6 (3d6 if the attacking vessel is equipped with
a Ram), the result is the number of Hull Factors
lost by the target vessel. Additionally, the target
vessel will suffer the effects of a Rudder Hit. If
the target was a stern-wheeler, it also takes a
Paddlewheel Hit.
J. Damage to Ramming Vessels: For each
“1” rolled, the attacking vessel also suffers 1
point of Hull Damage. If the attacker is
equipped with a Ram, there is a chance that it
will be lost as a result of the attack. A roll of 6+
means that the Ram has been lost. Each
additional ramming attack increases the chance
by +1. If the attacker is a Wooden Vessel (WV)
without a ram, and the target is an Ironclad, the
attacker automatically suffers at least 1 point of
Hull damage.
K. Towing or Pushing: A vessel may tow or
push another. The two vessels must first be
secured together with a Crew Competency
Check (by the moving vessel only) to determine
if an accidental collision occurred. On the next
game turn, mark both vessels with a Formation
Change order. If the crew of the towing vessel
is Veteran or Elite, they may still get a half move
in the Movement Phase of the turn; if they are
Green or Militia, the ships may not move this
turn. The speed at which the vessel may be
towed/pushed is based on a ratio of towing
vessel Hull Points (A) to towed vessel Hull
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
Points (B). A ratio of 1:2 (or less) will reduce the
available speed by ¼. A ratio 1:1 (or less) will
reduce speed by ½. A ratio of 1:2 will reduce
speed by ¾. Larger ships may not be towed, or
may require more than one towing vessel.
Firing From Ships:
A. General: Ship’s guns are fired in the same
manner as their land-based cousins. Each gun
on a ship is treated as a section of artillery and
can engage separate targets, or combine their
fire like an artillery battalion per JR III rules.
B. Rate of Fire: Heavy Naval Guns generally
had their magazines located close by, had larger
gun crews, and were designed for rapid
reloading. Therefore, they are not restricted to
firing every other turn, as are Coastal Artillery
(see Gun Tables).
C. Magazines: Ships usually have a well
stocked magazine; so guns will not go Out-of-
Ammo unless the ship has suffered a Magazine
Hit. They are not restricted in the number of
canister (grapeshot) rounds available, unless the
ship has suffered a Magazine Hit.
D. Moving Fire: Ship’s guns are generally
considered to be on Hold orders (even if the ship
moved), and do not fire down one die for moving
fire unless they used Flank Speed bonus
movement.
E. First Fire: Ships may never be given First
Fire orders.
F. Subsequent Shots: Unlike land-based siege
and fortress guns, ship-borne guns never get the
firing modifier for subsequent shots at same
target unless the firing ship is anchored or
moored.
Firing At Ships:
A. General: a ship may be fired at by artillery or
small arms in the normal manner.
B. Firing Modifiers: The following modifiers
apply as normal: opening volley, officer present,
crew quality, target armor, and raking fire.
Shore batteries may get additional modifiers.
C. Target Armor: Apply the appropriate DRM
for target armor. Raking Fire: If the line-of-fire
is down the length of the ship, there is a +3
DRM.
D. Shore Batteries: Shore batteries are artillery
positions specifically constructed to defend a
harbor, coastline, or section of a river. Because
the guns are carefully sighted in, and ranges
 14
known (and frequently marked), shore batteries
get an additional +1 DRM. If the firer is
howitzer, mortar, or firing from a significant
elevation, reduce the armor value by 1 level (i.e.
Hvy becomes Med) for plunging fire. Shore
batteries never get the subsequent shot bonus
to hit moving targets.
Effects of Artillery Fire Against
Ships:
A. General: Use the JR III Combat Results
Table (CRT), with appropriate modifiers, to
determine the number of “hits” on a ship. For
each “hit”, roll a d6 and consult below.
1- Hull hit; cross off 1 Hull Box.
2- Hull hit; cross off 1 Hull Box.
3- Crew hit; eliminate 1 Crew figure.
4- Solid hit; cross off 1 Hull Box, and
eliminate 1 Crew figure.
5- Penetrating hit; cross off 2 Hull and 2
crew.
6- Critical hit; roll again on table below
(d6).
1- Paddle Wheel hit
2- Boiler hit
3- Gun hit
4- Waterline hit
5- Rudder hit
6- Magazine hit
B. Effects: All hits are cause for a morale
check. Check morale after all fire from a single
attacker has been resolved. Critical hits have
the following effects:
Paddle Wheel hit- Mark off 1 Paddle Wheel
box (or Hull box if none available).
Boiler hit- Roll d6: 1-2, speed halved; 3-4,
steam lost, no movement (roll each turn in
the Routes/Rallies/Replacements Phase;
fixed on a roll of “6”); 5-6, Explosion (2 Hull
Boxes, 2d6 Crew casualties, plus the ship is
on fire!
Gun hit: Destroys largest gun (and crew) on
facing side (or random gun if not
available/obvious). Also, a fire will be started
on a d6 roll of “6”.
Waterline hit- A lucky shot causes extensive
flooding: mark off d6 Hull Boxes.
Note: ignore if hit by plunging fire; instead
mark off 2 Hull Boxes.
Rudder hit- Damage to the rudder or
steering gear has caused the rudder to jam.
Roll a d6: 1-2, rudder jammed left; 3-4,
rudder jammed center; 5-6, rudder jammed
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
right. Immediately make a 45 degree turn in
that direction. All Turn Costs and Required
Movement are doubled. Turns to the
opposite direction are prohibited. Roll a d6
each Routes/Rallies/Replacement Phase;
fixed on a roll of “6”).
Magazine hit- Roll a d6: 1-4, the ship is on
fire; 5-6, Explosion-ship destroyed!
Fire- Immediately mark off d6 Hull Boxes.
Roll a d6 each Routes/Rallies/Replacement
Phase for each crew figure assigned to fight
the fire; fire is extinguished on a roll of “6”).
If fire not extinguished, mark off another d6
Hull Boxes, and roll a second d6; on a roll of
“6”, fire has spread to the ship’s magazine
(see above for effects). Note: fire will
continue to burn until extinguished, or the
ship sinks.
Morale:
A. General: Shipboard morale is as per JR III.
Base Morale Points (BMP) are the same: Elite,
2; Veteran, 3; Green, 4; Militia, 5.
B. Morale Modifiers: Use the following
modifiers: -1/-2/-3 for Naval Officer present, -1
for behind cover (if crew is protected), -2 for
Heavy/Medium armor, -1 for Light Armor, +4 if
no enemy in sight/range, +1 for each crewman
killed, +1 for each Hull Hit, +1 for each ship in
same division out of action, +2 if Shaken, +3 if
ship on fire, +4 if routed.
C. Morale Results:
GOOD- ship performs all actions
normally.
SHAKEN- ship’s guns fire down one die;
crew may not conduct boarding actions,
etc. (see boarding actions); ship may not
initiate ramming attacks (unless officer
present).
ROUTED- ship’s guns may not fire; ship
will attempt to flee battle at best possible
speed; if not possible, attempt to run ship
ashore; if not possible, the ship will
“strike colors”, and be out of action for
the remainder of the game, or if ship on
fire, abandon ship!
Embarked Troops:
A. Infantry: Embarked troops may fire as if
from land, but only ¾ may fire to any side. If the
vessel is a casemate ironclad, only ¼ may fire
from under armor to either side.
 15
B. Artillery: Other than the ship’s guns, no
artillery may fire from a ship. Naval gun crews
may opt to fire small arms rather than their
heavy armament.
C. Embarking/Disembarking: Troops wishing
to load or unload from a vessel should be
marked Formation Change (FM). Troops
transported in small craft automatically
disembark in disorder when they reach shore.
D. Charge: Troops may never charge from a
ship. Ships may be charged by enemy infantry
(not mounted cavalry), but the last inch of
movement is considered to be ROUGH terrain,
and must be done in disorder.
E. Casualties due to Enemy Fire: Embarked
troops may be targeted by small arms, or suffer
casualties as a result of fire directed at the ship
itself. If targeted by small arms, treat as normal,
but ignore DRMs for formation. Only use the
following DRMs when firing at embarked
troops/ship’s crew: opening volley, officer
present, morale, and appropriate cover
modifiers. Embarked troops may also suffer from
artillery fire directed at the ship. For each Crew
casualty taken, mark off a hit on each embarked
unit also, as if by penetrating fire.
F. Morale: The morale of embarked troops is
treated normally, except they ignore modifiers
for fire on flank/rear, losses to (or morale of)
units not onboard the same ship, and formation.
G. Overloading: A ship may take on extra
cargo/personnel than is safe or advisable.
Overloading a ship allows a 50% increase in
carrying capacity. However, the ship will lose
25% speed, all casualties to the embarked
troops will be doubled, and passengers will
disembark in Disorder. Any troops carried by
Ironclads are treated as “overload”.
H. Splitting Units: It is not necessary for all of
a unit to be transported on the same ship;
figures may be split up among several ships if
necessary.
Boarding Actions:
A. General: Ships may be boarded by enemy
crew or infantry.
B. Charge: A charge may be declared against
a moored/beached ship by a land unit on foot
(not mounted cavalry). The last inch of
movement is considered to be Rough terrain,
and must be done in Disorder. Resolve the
charge normally, ignoring formation, but always
giving a cover DRM to the defending figures.
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
C. Morale: A defending unit on deck that fails a
Morale Check will retreat below decks; if it fails
another Morale Check, it will surrender.
D. Melee: Melee will be handled normally,
figures not eligible fire on the attacker counting
as supporting troops. Troops/Crew that ROUT in
melee will surrender.
Small Craft:
General: Small Craft have their own special
rules.
Row Boats: May move 12” per game turn.
They can transport up to 8 figures or 1 Boat
Howitzer section per boat. They are a -3 target
to hit due to their small size, but they provide no
cover. There is no target modifier for formation.
Upon reaching shore, occupants immediately
disembark in disorder.
Boat Howitzers (and Rifles): These were very
light guns with two carriages: a wooden sled
mount for use on small boats, and an iron,
wheeled carriage for use on land. Transition
from one mode to the other was very rapid.
They were pulled into action by their crews, or
other foot troops. They fire as any other 12-
pound howitzer or rifle. Ammunition was
transported slung from the carriage, and was
thus in limited supply; they will therefore go “Out
of Ammo” on a roll of all 5s or 6s. Boat
Howitzers may perform Moving Fire while
embarked.
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 16

Gun Tables

Naval & Coastal Artillery

Fortress RANGES RANGES
Mortars
guns CNSTR NORM LONG EXT NORM

32 # Smoothbore +3 DRM 4 19 38 12 # Coehorn 24

42 # Smoothbore +4 DRM 4 20 40 24 # Coehorn +1 DRM 24
8" Seacoast
Howitzer +4 DRM 4 18 36 8" Siege +2 DRM 24
10" Seacoast
Howitzer +4 DRM 4 16 32 10" Siege +3 DRM 24
8" Columbiad +4 DRM 4 21 42 96 10" Seacoast +4 DRM 24
13" Seacoast &
10" Columbiad +5 DRM 5 24 48 112 Navy +5 DRM 24
12 # Wooden
15" Columbiad +6 DRM 5 27 54 94 Coehorn * 12
20" Columbiad +7 DRM 5 36 72
100 # Parrot Rifle +5 DRM 5 24 48
200 # PR (Army) +6 DRM 5 27 54
300 # Parrot Rifle +7 DRM 6 30 60
6.4" Brooke Rifle +5 DRM 5 24 48
7" Brooke Rifle +6 DRM 5 22 44
7.5" Blakely Rifle +6 DRM 6 44 88
70# Whitworth
MLR +5 DRM 6 50 100
150 # Armstrong
Rifle +3 DRM 6 80 160

RANGES
siege guns
CNSTR NORM LONG

18 # Smoothbore +2 DRM 4 16 32
24 # Smoothbore +3 DRM 4 19 38
24 # Siege
Howitzer +2 DRM 3 13 26
32 # Siege &
Garrison +3 DRM 4 19 38
8" Siege Howitzer +4 DRM 3 23 46
30 # Parrot Rifle +2 DRM 3 36 72
4.5" Parrot Rifle +3 DRM 3 35 70
4.5" Ordnance
Rifle +3 DRM 3 30 60
4" Armstrong Rifle +3 DRM 3 60 180
12 # Siege Rifle +1 DRM 2 20 40

Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

 17

RANGES
naval guns
CNSTR NORM LONG EXT
32 # +3
Smoothbore DRM 4 19 38
42 # +4
Smoothbore DRM 4 20 40
+4
8" Shellgun DRM 4 17 34
+5
9" Dahlgren SB DRM 4 17 34
10" Dahlgren +5
SB DRM 5 17 34
11" Dahlgren +5
SB DRM 5 20 40
15" Dahlgren +6
SB DRM 5 17 34
50 # Dahlgren +5
Rifle DRM 3 20 40
80 # Dahlgren +4
Rifle DRM 4 24 48
20 # Parrot +1
Rifle DRM 2 20 40
30 # Parrot +2
Rifle DRM 3 36 72
100 # Parrot +5
Rifle DRM 5 24 48
150 # Parrot +6
Rifle DRM 5 27 54
42 # Army Rifle +3
(James) DRM 3 26 52
6.4" Brooke +4
Rifle DRM 4 24 48
+5
7" Brooke Rifle DRM 5 22 44

Boat RANGES
Howitzers
CNSTR NORM LONG EXT
12 # Boat
Howitzer 2 15 30
12 # Rifled Boat
How. 2 18 36

JR3 Rules Questions?

Gamers, if you have questions involving rules
interpretation, send them to Scott Mingus, Sr. at
jrgsnl@comcast.net.
Questions will be collected and forwarded to John
Hill for the “Ask John Hill” column.

Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

 18

Mortars, Howitzers & Columbiads:
All indirect fire by MORTARS (as well as
HOWITZERS firing over intervening terrain) is
treated as Blind Fire unless the firer can actually see
the target or is within line-of-sight (LOS) of a
SPOTTER/SIGNAL team that is also within LOS of
the target, in which case treat the fire as Area Fire.
HOWITZERS with LOS to their target follow normal
direct fire rules.
Movement – MORTARS were not provided with
field carriages, and were generally emplaced in
prepared positions. Some heavy mortars were
mounted on rail cars, or on specially constructed
mortar boats or rafts. Unless so mounted, all Mortars
are considered immobile, though they may pivot.
The exceptions to this rule are Coehorns, which
could be carried by four soldiers, moving as
Disordered Infantry.
Rate of Fire (ROF) of 13‖ Mortars is once every
other turn, because the massive mortar is difficult to
aim and the shell weighs 200 pounds!
Target Cover modifiers (Hsty, Med, Hvy works,
etc.) will be reduced by 1 for HOWITZERS firing
indirect fire, and by 2 for MORTAR fire; this
includes ships. This is to reflect the fact that the
attack is coming from above, thus negating some of
the defensive cover. Heavy and Medium Works will
provide useful protection DRMs, as they would be
better constructed than Hasty Works, and frequently
included ―bombproof‖ shelters.
follow the basic rules as if for a battery captured and
used by infantry.
Historically, while mortars could be deadly, they
usually suffered from faulty or poorly timed fuses;
either exploding harmlessly at too high an altitude, or
burying themselves in soft ground. It seems that
while they caused much fear and consternation, very
little real damage, and few casualties, are attributed
to mortar fire during the War Between the States,
perhaps because they were generally used against
prepared positions designed to protect the defenders
from such fire. That said, mortars did tend to disrupt
formations, cause fear, and force the defenders from
their battle stations into their ―bombproofs‖ or other
shelter; thus they could be useful in direct support of
an assault (one of the primary uses of Coehorns at
Petersburg).
COLUMBIADS are a bastard form of heavy
gun/howitzer, typically employed for coastal defense.
They were usually equipped with special gun
carriages enabling higher degrees of elevation, which
when coupled with the ir larger powder charges,
allowed them to engage targets at very long ranges.
When engaging targets at Extreme-range, they will
fire with 1 less die than at Long-range. Thus, they
will fire with 6 dice at CNSTR range, 3 dice at
NORM, 2 dice at LONG, and 1 die at EXT. At EXT
range, they will gain a –1 Target Cover DRM for
plunging fire. In all other ways, they will comply
with the standard rules for Fortress Guns.

Units targeted by mortars will test morale for any

hits, *, or MC results on the Combat Results Table.
Any morale modifiers for cover will be reduced by 1;
failure will reflect the unit’s desire to seek better
cover, to include ―Bombproofs‖ if available.

Coastal Mortars frequently used what we would call

today ―Target Reference Points‖ or TRPs, ie known
ranges and bearings to specific (frequently marked)
locations such as river bends, channels, obstacles,
buoys, etc… Mortars are entitled to a +1 DRM when
firing at a target within 6 inches of that location.

Employment – many small mortars (Coehorns) were

operated by infantry, rather than artillery personnel.
This could be represented as a separate mortar
section with, perhaps, a lower morale/quality rating
or DRM. Or it could be attached to the infantry and

Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

 19
U.S.S. Maratanza (wooden side-wheeler,
Examples of Ship Data double-ender gunboat)
Hull Points: 10 Armor: Light (-3 DRM)
U.S.S. Onondaga (2 turret monitor)
Crew: 7 Quality:
Hull Points: 12 Armor: Heavy (-8 DRM) Speed: 10 kts Base Move: 60‖
Crew: 9 Crew Quality: Bonus Move: 10d6‖ Side-wheels:
Speed: 7 kts Base Move: 42‖ Turn Cost: 4 Draft: Medium
Bonus Move: 7d6‖ Armament: 1x 100# PR, 2x 9‖ Dahlgren SB, 4x
Turn Cost: 4 Draft: Deep 24# SB, 1x 11‖ Dahlgren SB
Armament: 2x 15‖ Dahlgren SB, 2x 150# PR (1 Troop/Cargo Capacity: 11 figs.
ea. per turret), or 4x 15‖ Dahlgren SB Overload: 16 figs.
Troop/Cargo Capacity: 0 figs.
Overload: 18 figs. U.S.S. Commodore Perry (wooden side-wheel
gunboat, ex-ferry)
U.S.S. Lehigh (single turret monitor) Passaic
Hull Points: 8 Armor: Light (-3 DRM)
class
Crew: 7 Crew Quality:
Hull Points: Armor: Heavy (-8 DRM) Speed: 11 kts Base Move: 66‖
Crew: 5 Crew Quality: Bonus Move: 11d6‖ Side-wheels:
Speed: 7 kts Base Move: 42‖ Turn Cost: 1 Draft: Medium
Bonus Move: 7d6‖ Armament: 2x 9‖ Dahlgren SB, 2x 32# SB, 1x
Turn Cost: 4 Draft: Medium 12# Boat Howitzer
Armament: 1x 15‖ Dahlgren SB, 1x 11‖ Troop/Cargo Capacity: 12 figs.
Dahlgren SB or 2x 15‖ Dahlgren SB Overload: 18 figs.
Troop/Cargo Capacity: 0 figs.
Overload: 15 figs. U.S.S. Fucia (wooden 4th Rate Screw
Combatant)
U.S.S. / C.S.S. Water Witch (wooden side-wheel
Hull Points: 5 Armor: Light (-3 DRM)
sloop)
Crew: 7 Crew Quality:
Hull Points: 7 Armor: Light (-3 DRM) Speed: 10 kts Base Move: 60‖
Crew: 5 Crew Quality: Bonus Move: 10d6‖
Speed: 12 kts Base Move: 72‖ Turn Cost: 2 Draft: Medium
Bonus Move: 12d6‖ Side-wheels: Armament: 1x 20# PR, 4x 24# Howitzer, 1x 12#
Turn Cost: 4 Draft: Medium Boat Howitzer
Armament: 1x 30# PR, 1x 12# rifle, 2x 12# SB Troop/Cargo Capacity: 8 figs
Troop/Cargo Capacity: 11 figs. Overload: 12 figs
Overload: 16 figs.
U.S.S. Rose (Steam Tug)
U.S.S. Cayuga (wooden screw gunboat)
Hull Points: 4 Armor: Light (-3 DRM)
Unadilla class ―90-day Gunboat‖
Crew: 3 Crew Quality:
Hull Points: 8 Armor: Light (-3 DRM) Speed: 8 kts Base Move: 48‖
Crew: 8 Crew Quality: Bonus Move: 6d6‖
Speed: 10 kts Base Move: 60‖ Turn Cost: 2 Draft: Shallow
Bonus Move: 10d6‖ Armament: 1x 20# PR, 1x 12# SB, (Spar
Turn Cost: 4 Draft: Medium Torpedo, 1864)
Armament: 1x 11‖ Dahlgren SB, 4x 24# SB, 1x Troop/Cargo Capacity: 6 figs
20# PR, 1x 30# PR Overload: 9 figs
Troop/Cargo Capacity: 12 figs.
Overload: 20figs.

Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

 20
U.S.S. Neosho (River Monitor) Speed: 6 kts Base Move: 36‖
Hull Points: 9 Armor: Heavy (-8 DRM) Bonus Move: 6d6‖ Sternwheel:
Crew: 6 Crew Quality: Turn Cost: 4 Draft: Shallow
Speed: 10 kts Base Move: 60‖ Armament: 2x 20# PR, 4x 24# SB, 1x 12# Boat
Bonus Move: 10d6‖ Paddlewheel: Howitzer
Turn Cost: 4 Draft: Shallow Troop/Cargo Capacity: 10 figs
Armament: 2x 11‖ Dahlgren SB Overload: 16 figs
Troop/Cargo Capacity: 0
Overload: 14 figs C.S.S. Richmond (Casemate Ironclad)
Hull Points: 9 Armor: Heavy (-8 DRM)
Crew: 12 Quality:
U.S.S. Cairo (City class River Ironclad) Speed: 6 kts Base Move: 36‖
Hull Points: 9 Armor: Heavy (-8 DRM) Bonus Move: 6d6‖
Crew: 16 Quality: Turn Cost: 4 Draft: Medium
Speed: 8 kts Base Move: 48‖ Armament: 1x 7‖ R, 1x 10‖ SB, 2x 6.4‖ R, Spar
Bonus Move: 8d6‖ Paddlewheel: Torpedo
Turn Cost: 4 Draft: Shallow Troop/Cargo Capacity: 0 figs
Armament: 3x 8‖ SB, 3x 42# R, 6x 32# SB, 1x Overload: 14 figs
30# PR, 1x 12# SB
Troop/Cargo Capacity: 0 figs C.S.S. Hampton (Wooden Gunboat)
Overload: 14 figs Hull Points: 5 Armor: Light (-3 DRM)
Crew: 4 Quality:
Speed: 10 kts Base Move: 60‖
U.S.S. Tyler (Timberclad Gunboat) Bonus Move: 10d6‖
Hull Points: 9 Armor: Medium (-6 Turn Cost: 2 Draft: Shallow
DRM) Armament: 1x 9‖ SB, 1x 32# SB
Crew: 8 Quality: Troop/Cargo Capacity: 8 figs
Speed: 8 kts Base Move: 48‖ Overload: 12 figs
Bonus Move: 8d6‖ Sidewheels:
Turn Cost: 3 Draft: Shallow C.S.S. J.A. Cotton (Cottonclad, Sidewheel
Armament: 6x 8‖ SB, 1x 32# SB Gunboat)
Troop/Cargo Capacity: 14 figs Hull Points: 9 Armor: Medium (-8
Overload: 20 figs DRM)
Crew: 5 Quality:
U.S.S./C.S.S. Queen of the West (Wooden, Speed: 10 kts Base Move: 60‖
Sidewheel Gunboat) Bonus Move: 10d6‖
Hull Points: 9 Armor: Light (-3 DRM) Turn Cost: 3 Draft: Shallow
Crew: 8 Quality: Armament: 2x 24# SB, 2x 12# SB
Speed: 10 kts Base Move: 60‖ Troop/Cargo Capacity: 14 figs
Bonus Move: 10d6‖ Sidewheels: Overload: 20 figs
Turn Cost: 3 Draft: Shallow
Armament: 1x 30# PR, 3x 12# Howitzer Generic Side-wheel Transport
Troop/Cargo Capacity: 14 figs Hull Points: 6 Armor: Light (-3 DRM)
Overload: 20 figs Crew: 2 Quality:
Speed: 6 kts Base Move: 36‖
U.S.S. Cricket (Tinclad Gunboat)
Bonus Move: 6d6‖
Hull Points: 7 Armor: Medium (-6 Turn Cost: 3 Draft: Shallow
DRM) Armament: Typically none
Crew: 8 Quality: Troop/Cargo Capacity: Overload:

Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

 21

Credits:
work is much great er in scope and detail than
mine (almost a complet e set of ACW naval
rules) while mine is a much simplified and
refined attempt on the same subject.
Information and data for this work came from many
sources; most are publicly available on the Internet.
John Hill, creator of the Johnny Reb series
Notable sources include, but are not limited to … of miniature wargames we know and love so
much.
Vicksburg National Military Park, for data on
Siege and Garris on Artillery.

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships,

an excellent article by Eugene B. Canfield on
Civil War Ordnance.

Encyclopedia of Civil War A rtillery, for

descriptions of Seacoast Howitzers &
Cross ed Sab ers
Columbiads. Gettysburg in Miniature
Civil War Ordnance, for gun data on
Dahlgren, Brooke, and P arrot Rifles.

CivilWarArtillery.com, for transcripts of

actual, period gunnery tables taken from The
Conf ederate Ordnance Manual and The
Artillerist Manual.

Warships of the Civil War Navies, by P aul H.

Silverstone,
Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD, 1989.

In addition I would like to thank the following groups

and individuals…

My wife, Majel, for her love, patience, and 12 cavalry scenarios

tolerance of my hobby interests. from the Ge ttysburg Campaign
Sean Brady, Ray Bramer, Ste ve Gaumer, For regimental -level minia ture
John K ailukaitis, Jay Langone, Paul Maes,
Ethan McCallum, Rob Reed, Mark Walsh,
w argaming
and the members of the Lansing Miniature
Gamers. Scott Mingus
Scott Mingus and his wife Deborah, for
editing and publishing Charge!, the finest
Civil War gaming magazine out there.

The members of the Johnny Reb III ORDERING INFORMATION:

discussion group on Yahoo.com for their
lively and interesting discussions, and acting Send $17.00 postpaid per copy within the USA:
as a sounding board for many of t he ideas in
this rule set. JRGS - 1383 Sterling Drive - York, PA - 17404

David Ternes, who published an earlier, and

Make checks payable to Debi Mingus
very similar, work on the subject for t he Or use your PayPal account!
nd
Johnny Reb (2 Edition) rules set. Any
similarities between our works may be
attributed to the fact that I was much inspired
by his direct and logical approach to rules
writing, and the subject matter at hand. His

Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)

 22
Fort Fisher
(First Attack)
Christmas, December 25, 1864
North Carolina
By Sgt. Chris Maes
“… it would b e butchery to order an assault on that work
under the circumstances.”
- Ma j. Gen. Godfrey Weitzel, USA
BACKGROUND
Christmas Day dawned calm and clear; the
sea’s surface was like glass. Col. William T. Lamb
looked out from the ramparts of Fort Fisher and
beheld a spectacular sight—more than 50 Federal
warships and transports lay at anchor about a mile off
shore. The fort’s commander shivered, not from the
morning chill, but from the certain knowledge of
what was about to come.
For two days, Admiral Porter’s Federal fleet
had pounded Fort Fisher and its outlying batteries.
Confederate casualties had been low, but several
large guns had been rendered inoperable. Inside the
fort, spirits remained high, as it was learned that
Hoke’s division of more than 6,000 men was at Fort
Anderson, 5 miles north of Fort Fisher, and prepared
to repulse any landings.
Around 2:00 p.m., on the 25th , Christmas
Day, 450 men from two New York regiments rowed
ashore. Resistance from the outlying batteries was
quickly smothered under an avalanche of shot and
shell from the Union warships offshore. Soon, the
Rebel batteries were in Federal hands, their crews
having fled back to the safety of the main fort. More
troops and artillery followed, and soon a sizeable
beachhead was established.
The Federal invasion force consisted of
around 9,500 men from the XXIV and XXV Army
Corps under the overall command of Maj. Gen.
Benjamin Butler, a man known for his excesses and
hair-brained schemes, and not for his successes.
Butler had, in fact, pulled rank over Maj. Gen.
Godfrey Weitzel, who had been appointed by Grant
to command the Army troops. Weitzel had been
Chief Engineer of the Army of the James, and had
witnessed the attacks on Fort Wagner in July of 1863.
By 5:00 p.m., Weitzel and Bvt. Brig. Gen.
Newton M. Custis were within 800 yards of Fort
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
Fisher. Skirmishers of the 117th New York had
actually penetrated the fort’s palisade and advanced
to the base of the fort without drawing fire.
Messengers were sent back to General Butler
requesting permission to attack, but no replies came.
As if on schedule, the naval bombardment stopped,
and the Union officers were horrified to see 700
Confederate riflemen where once were empty
ramparts. This was going to be no easy task, but it
was not going to get any easier by waiting. It was
now or never, and General Weitzel gave the word—
“Advance!”
.
THE WARGAME
The scenario begins at 5:00 p.m. and ends
after the 7:20 p.m. game turn (tenth turn), and assumes
a more aggressive action on the part of generals
Weitzel and Butler.
Table size is 5x6 feet for Johnny Reb III ,
15mm scale. Adjust as needed for other ground scales
or rules sets. All infantry units get a +2 opening
volley die roll modifier, as do the Confederate land
face guns of Fort Fisher (but not the sea face guns, as
they have been dueling with the Federal fleet off
shore). Turn 0 represents the long-range gun duel
between the fort’s sea face guns and the Union fleet
from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The game proper begins
with the 5:00 p.m. game turn.
DEPLOYMENT
Set up is as per the map. The 117th NY is
deployed in skirmish formation at the palisade line (at
least 2‖ from any Confederate troops). The remainder
of Curtis’s 1st Brigade is deployed in line or extended
line 16‖ from the palisade. Curtis and Weitzel deploy
with the 1st Brigade main body.
Naval forces deploy as per special rules.
Confederate gunners on the land face begin
the game in their bombproofs. Gunners of the sea face
guns are manning their pieces, engaged in a duel with
the Federal fleet. One artillery crew figure may be
deployed at the palisade battery, or sheltering in the
north sally port. All infantry forces begin the game in
bomb proofs. Colonel Lamb begins the game with any
confederate unit. Any element deployed outside of
shelters is subject to the pre-game bombardment.
Reinforcements come in as follows:
5:00PM CSA – Gen. Whiting and combined SC
Battalion enter from SW corner.
 23
5:00PM USA – Col. Pennypacker’s 2 Brigade nd
arrives from the north in brigade column. The XXIV
Artillery Brigade (Lee’s 16th NY Ind. Lt. Arty. Btry.)
arrives limbered on the Wilmington Road. Naval
Beach Party enters from north along beach in any
formation * (see also Special Rules).
5:20PM USA – Brig. Gen. Ames and Col. Bell’s 3rd
Brigade enter in march column on the Wilmington
Road.
TERRAIN
The area around Fort Fisher is mostly flat,
sandy beach with some scrub and beach grass, and a
few trees. North of the fort is a small brackish creek
and a salt marsh. The Wilmington Road crosses the
marsh and creek on a narrow causeway. Units on this
causeway can only be in march column, any other
formation must be treated as if in ROUGH terrain.
Further north is a line of low sand dunes, and a larger
sandy hill; use BROKEN for all non-road movement
outside the fort. The woods were generally fairly
light in density, and were relatively free of
underbrush. Roll for combat visibility in full inches.
Woods do serve as cover for morale and rally die
rolls.
VICTORY CONDITIONS
Union: Clear the land side-works, and capture the
Confederate HQ (Pulpit Battery) for a victory. Clear
all the land and sea face works and inflict 40%
casualties for a resounding victory.
* Union Navy: capture the Confederate HQ before
the Army does. *
Confederate: Prevent Union victory conditions.
ORDER OF BATTLE
Confederate
Fort Fisher Garrison – Col. Wm. T. Lamb +1
40th NC – 12 figures, veteran, Rifles
10th NC Battalion – 12 figures, veteran, Rifles
13th NC Battalion & Junior Reserves –
12 figures, green, Rifles
C.S.A. Navy Detachment – 8 figures, green, SBM
Land-face Batteries-
A. NW Bastion – 8‖ Columbiad
B. 30# Parrot Rifle
C. 32# Smoothbore
D. 8‖ Columbiad
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
E. 32# Smoothbore
F. 8‖ Columbiad
G. N. Sally Port – 12# Napoleon
H. Wilmington Gate – 12# Napoleon
I. Coehorn Battery – 24# Mortar
Sea-face Batteries
1. NE Bastion – 8‖ Columbiad
2. Pulpit Battery – 10‖ Columbiad
3. E. Sally Port – 8‖ Columbiad
4. Armstrong Btry. – 150# Rifle
5. Telegraph Btry. – 10‖ Columbiad
6. Mound Btry – 8‖ Columbiad
Battery Buchanan – 10‖ Columbiad
Attached – Gen. W.H.C. Whiting +1
11th , 21st , 25th SC, consolidated –
12 figures, veteran, Rifles
Union
Army of the James - Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler +0
(Not present on the field)
Weitzel’s Provisional Corps – Maj. Gen. Godfrey
Weitzel +2
Signal Corps Detachment – 1 figure
Second Division, XXIV Army Corps –
Brig. Gen. Adelbert Ames +2
1 st Brigade – Bvt. Brig. Gen. N. Martin Curtis +1
3rd NY – 8 figures, elite, Rifles
112th NY – 12 figures, veteran, Rifles
117th NY – 12 figures, veteran, Rifles
142nd NY – 12 figures, veteran, Rifles
2 nd Brigade – Col. Galusha Pennypacker +1
47th NY – 8 figures, veteran, Rifles
48th NY – 8 figures, veteran, Rifles
76th PA – 12 figures, veteran, Rifles
97th PA – 12 figures, veteran, Rifles
203rd PA – 16 figures, green, Rifles
3rd Brigade – Col. Louis Bell +1
13th IN – 12 figures, veteran, Rifles
4th NH – 12 figures, veteran, Rifles
115th NY – 12 figures, veteran, Rifles
169th NY – 12 figures, veteran, Rifles
Artillery Brigade – Capt. Richard Lee +1
16th NY Ind. Lt. Arty. – 2 sec, elite, Napoleons
Federal Fleet – Rear Admiral David Porter +2
 24
Naval Landing Party –
Lt. Cmdr K. Randolph Breese +1
* Lt. Cmdr. William Cushing +1 *
U.S. Marines – 12 figures, veteran, Rifles
U.S. Marines (sharpshooters) –
8 figures, elite, BLR
U.S. Sailors – 8 figures, veteran, P/C/M
U.S. Sailors – 8 figures, veteran, P/C/M
U.S. Sailors – 8 figures, veteran, P/C/M
Boat Btry. – 2 sec., veteran, 12# Boat How.
Boat Btry. – 2 sec., veteran,
Mixed Boat How. & Rifles
Inshore Squadron –
U.S.S. Monadnock (2-t monitor) – veteran
U.S.S. Canonicus (monitor) – elite
U.S.S. Huron (wooden vessel) – elite
U.S.S. Maratanza (wooden vessel) – veteran
Main Fleet-
Northern Division-
1 battery, 2 sec. Mixed Heavy Guns
5 batteries, 3 sec. Mixed Heavy Guns
(Fires from NE corner of map.)
Southern Division-
1 battery, 1 sec. Mixed Heavy Guns
5 batteries, 2 sec. Mixed Heavy Guns
1 battery, 3 sec. Mixed Heavy Guns
(Fires from SE corner of Map.)
SPECIAL RULES
Confederate
Gen. W.H.C. Whiting – He was the former district
head until he was demoted and replaced by Braxton
Bragg. He refused to take command from Col. Lamb,
and was present merely to show his support for, and
share the fate of the fort’s defenders who he felt were
being sacrificed by an incompetent and uncaring
commander. He may confer a +1 morale and firing
bonus to all troops.
Col. William Lamb – A former engineer who had
never seen serious combat in his military career until
this day. His two years of effort turned Fort Fisher
into the ―Gibraltar of the South‖. He confers a +1
morale and firing benefit to all troops. In addition, he
acts as an artillery officer, and thus may use his
bonus to affect the fires of any gun he is present at.
Land Torpedoes – Any unit crossing the torpedo line
(16‖ north of palisade) must roll a d6 at the end of
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
their movement. On a roll of 1 or 2, the unit suffers 1
casualty due to exploding mines buried in the sand, is
thrown into disorder, and must check morale.
Palisades – Extended across the land face of the fort.
Troops at the fence must spend 1 turn stationary (in
disorder) to make a gap as wide as the unit. The
palisade also provides cover like a regular wood
fence. All units touching the palisade are within
normal rifle range and canister/grapeshot range of the
fort’s guns. Once inside the palisade, the Confederate
guns cannot depress to fire at the infantry.
Thrown/rolled artillery shells, grenades, explosives
Artillery crews may opt (instead of loading or firing
their gun) to throw explosives down the slope of the
fort wall at infantry below, within 1‖ of the fort’s
base. Roll 3d6, and consult the artillery results table
for the number of crew figures.
Land Side Batteries – They are stocked with plenty
of ammunition, and will therefore never go ―Out of
Ammo‖.
Sea Side Batteries – They have been engaged for two
days now, and have exhausted much of their
ammunition. They will go ―Out of Ammo‖ on a roll
of all 6s. The 150-Pound Armstrong Rifle was
critically low on ammunition, and will go ―Out of
Ammo‖ on a roll of all 5s or 6s. No replenishment is
possible during the time frame of the game.
Battery Buchanan – Protected the back door to Fort
Fisher, and is located 12‖ off the SW corner of the
map. The battery contains several heavy guns
crewed by C.S. Navy volunteers. If any Union troops
are seen within 6‖ of the NW Bastion, the gunners of
Battery Buchanan will fire on them using Long range
Area Fire (2dice) with one section of 10‖
Columbiads, veteran crew. Half casualties will
ALSO be applied to any Confederate unit within 2‖
of the intended target unit. This fire will continue
unless they pass a d6 roll vs. BMP, or receive word
by courier to cease fire. The crews may abandon
their guns and attack as infantry if they receive orders
by courier or it grows too dark to see. Either way,
they will take the fastest, most direct route to the post
HQ at the Pulpit Battery unless they encounter enemy
or come within command range of an officer.
Union
Lt. Commander William Cushing – Famous for the
sinking of the C.S.S. Albemarle, Cushing led a bold,
but unsuccessful attempt to find a deep-water passage
 25
allowing the Federals to attack Fort Fisher from the
rear.
* If Lt. Cmdr Breese becomes a casualty,
Cushing will assume command and order an
immediate charge on the nearest Confederate unit.
Returning to the fleet, he proposed
landing a second force and attacking the fort directly
from the sea. Admiral Porter dismissed the idea as
too risky, and landed his Sailors and Marines to the
north of Fort Fisher, where they joined the Army’s
overland attack. What if a small detachment of
volunteers had been allowed to try Cushing’s bold
plan?
The Union player may choose to try
Cushing’s plan and make an assault landing.
Cushing may personally lead a landing party of no
more than 8 Sailor figures and 2 sections of boat
howitzers in an assault from the sea. This assault
maybe launched from the Main Fleet, or from an
inshore vessel (specified in writing before the start of
turn 1). The assault is transported in small boats; see
below.
Small Boats – May move 12‖ per game turn. They
can transport up to 8 figures or 2 Boat Howitzer
section per boat. They are a -3 target to hit due to
their small size, but they provide no cover. There is
no target modifier for formation. Upon reaching
shore, occupants immediately disembark in disorder.
Boat howitzers may perform moving fire while
embarked.
U.S. Navy Sailors – These volunteers are armed with
Pistol/Cutlass/and Musket. They are treated as green
troops in all respects. They did not carry bayonets,
instead relying on their cutlasses and pistols for close
in fighting. Due to their unusual armament, they are
+1 on Impact when receiving a charge. When
conducting a charge, they may not fire with rifles
during the Moving Fire phase, as they have slung or
discarded these in favor of pistol and cutlass. Their
use of pistols gives them a +1 in melees.
Boat Howitzers (and Rifles) – These were very light
guns with two carriages: a wooden sled mount for use
on small boats, and an iron, wheeled carriage for use
on land. Transition from one mode to the other was
very rapid. They were pulled into action by their
crews, or other foot troops. They fire as any other
12-pound howitzer or rifle. Ammunition was
transported slung from the carriage, and was thus in
limited supply; they will therefore go ―Out of
Ammo‖ on a roll of all 5s or 6s.
Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)
Shore Bombardment
Main Fleet – May only conduct
bombardment during the preparatory bombardment
(turn 0) phase of the game. Each ―battery‖ may make
3 attacks against any land target as Long Range Fire
(2 dice). Note: any attacks against targets ―inside‖
the fort are Blind Fire (1 die). They always get the
First Fire (+1) bonus, and do not take a moving fire
penalty as they are at anchor.
Inshore Squadron – Consisted of shallow
draft vessels, and may enter the board by making a
BMP roll per ship, each turn. If the roll beats the
ship’s BMP, it may enter from the north edge of the
map. They may not move within 8‖ of shore. They
may conduct Moving Fire at targets they have LOS to
and can actually see. They may Area Fire against
targets they cannot see, but whose location is known.
They may Blind Fire at any target they have LOS to
whether that target has been spotted or not. They
cannot engage targets BEHIND walls inside the fort,
or in bombproofs. They MAY mark First Fire. They
will ALWAYS take the moving Fire penalty unless
they are at anchor, in which case they are +2 to hit.
Signal Corps – May direct guns onshore, and fires
from inshore vessels. If Signal Corpsmen have LOS
to both target and firing batteries, the guns may Area
Fire. If the firer can also see the target, it is treated as
normal fire. They can only direct the fires of one ship
or battery per turn. All fires that they are directing get
a +1 DRM.
General Godfrey Weitzel – Though a veteran officer
of the Army of the James, this was to be his first
independent command. That is, until Butler intruded.
The confused command structure left Weitzel unsure
of his authority, and deferred all of his decisions to
Butler, who was nowhere near the fighting. Weitzel
witnessed the slaughter at Fort Wagner a year-and-a-
half earlier, and feared a repeat.
If any single brigade suffers 40%
casualties, he will order ALL units to halt, dig in and
await orders. Units may roll against BMP (with
officer benefit) to ignore these orders and press on
using local initiative.
If any single brigade suffers 60% losses,
he will order ALL troops to evacuate the fort and
assume defensive positions. Again, units may attempt
to use local initiative to ignore these orders, by
rolling against their BMP.
 26

Fort Fisher
(First Attack)
N
December 25th, 1864

Northern
Division
Dunes
A and
A Scrub
ad
n Ro

F
ingto

F
e
Wilm

e
d d
Torpedoes e
e r
r a
Inshore
a l
Squadron l F
A
F l
G
B
C D E F 1 l e
H e
I
2 e t
e
―The t
Pulpit‖ 3

6 Southern
Btry Buchanan Division

Steven Hofner (Order #35311104)