General George Meade attempted a turning move against Robert E. Lee’s flank in November 1863. Heavy rains and disagreement among the Union commanders slowed the advance, and as the blue-coated troopers emerged from the thick woods into a clear area near Raccoon Run, they found Confederates blocking their path. Though they outnumbered the Rebels, terrain prevented them from bringing their greatly superior numbers to bear and by day’s end, the Confederates had held them off long enough for Lee to draw up in a defensive position behind Mine Run.
Meade, who hadn’t wanted to undertake this campaign in the first place, didn’t press the issue, and the Mine Run Campaign is rarely discussed, let alone gamed.
But on April 18 at the Columbia Man Cave, Meade, in the person of Mike Peccolo tried again. With the same results. Thick woods, a few buildings and a marshy area around Raccoon Run denied the Union the advantage their greater than 2:1 odds should have given them. However, one valiant blue charge on the Federal left chased off a Confederate brigade and overran four sections of guns, so the day wasn’t a total loss. On the Union right, they nearly seized the bridge over Raccoon Run as Bryant Williams’ defenders ran low on ammo, but daylight ran out too quickly.
In retrospect, the terrain was too great a disadvantage – movement on much of the board was slowed to 2 inches – and the Confederate reinforcements should have been held off the board another turn or two. But with modifications, the Miine Run Campaign is worth revisiting. The game used Gerald Swick’s Hell & Glory rules.
