stones river:
turning point in tenessee

Exclusive Rules 

16.0 Introduction
17.0 Set Up
18.0 Victory Conditions
19.0 Special Rules
20.0 Folio Notes
21.0 Orders of Battle

16.0 Introduction
16.1 Historical Background
Stones River (or Murfreesboro) was a classic battle, with each army seeking nothing less than the destruction of the other.

Braxton Bragg’s Confederate Army of Tennessee had retreated to its namesake state following the drawn battle at Perryville (8 October 1862) in Kentucky. D.C. Buell’s Union Army of the Ohio, soon to be renamed the Army of the Cumberland, pursued briefly, then headed to Nashville. By the time it got there, it had a new commander: William S. Rosecrans. Bragg took up a position around the road and rail junction of Murfreesboro to block a Union drive aimed at Chattanooga. Rosecrans had his sights on no such distant target: he was after Bragg, and moved against him in late December.

By 30 December, the armies faced each other just west of the town. Both generals had accurate estimates of opposing strength, and neither shied from battle. Each planned to attack with his left wing the following morning, while defending with his right.
The Confederates moved first, with a dawn assault that crushed Rosecrans’s unprepared right. Two divisions folded almost immediately. The third, under Phil Sheridan, managed to form a line at right angles to the original. Defending a rocky forest known as the Cedars, Sheridan held up the Confederates for more than an hour. Sheridan’s stand gave Rosecrans time to form a new line along the Nashville Pike. The fading Confederates hit the line, but could make no impression and fell back.

After a day of rest, Bragg tried again on 2 January, with a sudden assault north of Stones River to grab high ground from which the Union line could be bombarded. The assault succeeded initially, but a massive Union bombardment, followed by a counterattack, drove the Confederates back to their start line. Bragg had had enough, and retreated a day later. 

16.2 Course of the Game
The game starts at dawn on 31 December and runs through dusk on 2 January. The Confederate player is positioned to launch a powerhouse assault on the Union right, but must exploit the initial assault ruthlessly to drive the Union army from the field. The Union player has to balance the need to pull back his right to save manpower with the need to delay the Confederates long enough to build a new line. Success after the first day will depend on the magnitude of losses to two well-matched armies.

16.3 Folio Components
This folio includes a booklet of Standard Rules, these Exclusive Rules (including the Combat Results Table and Terrain Effects Chart), a 17” x 22” map (including the Turn Record Track), and a die-cut sheet with 100 counters. The Confederate units have gray backgrounds, the Union units blue.

Player Note. The limited number of Disruption markers is not a design limitation but a result of limited counter space; players are free to make any mutually agreeable substitution should additional markers be needed.

17.0 Set Up
17.1 Getting Started
Determine which army each player will command. Lay out the map and sort the units by side and formation. Each player deploys his units on the map or as reinforcements according to the instructions in 17.2 and 17.3 below. Units placed on the map are identified by formation, ID, and a four-digit hex. The notations “w/1” and “w/2” indicate placement within one or two hexes, respectively, of the specified hex.
Reinforcements are identified by formation, ID, and an entry location (entry hex or box). The turn of arrival is indicated by a “T” (for example, “T2” means the specified unit is available at the start of the owning player’s movement phase on Turn 2).
The Confederate player is the first player. The game starts with the Confederate Movement Phase of Game Turn 1. Place the Game Turn marker in the Turn 1 box of the Turn Record Track. Place the Day marker in the 31 December box of the TRT. Place the Confederate Fresh/Fatigued marker in the Turn 5 box of the TRT, Fresh side showing. The game may last for up to 23 turns; eight game turns each on the first two days, seven on the third. At the end of Turn 7 of 2 January, determine the winner according to Section 18.0.
17.2 Confederate Set Up
HQ (Inactive): 2422	
Hardee (Effective): with any unit of Formation 4	
Cleburne (Effective): with any unit of Formation 4	
Formation 0:
Jackson: with the main body of Formation 3
Res: 1613	
Formation 1:
Maney: 1419
Smith: 1522
Rest of Formation: in any hexes 1618-1917 and/or 1719-1918	
Formation 2:
Anderson, Artillery: 1517
Chalmers: 1716
Deas, Wthrs battalion: 1421
Walthall: 1418	
Formation 3 (except Hanson & the Artillery): unstacked on the line of hexes from 2014 through 2512, inclusive	
Formation 3 (Hanson, Artillery): 1613	
Formation 4: w/1 of 1324	
Formation 5: w/1 of 1024	
Formation 6:
Buford: arrives T5 at Entry Hex “D” (2027)
Pegram: 2408
Wharton: 0826
Wheeler: arrives T5 at Entry Hex “D” (2027)	
Trains (Active): 2423	
LOC: 2424 & 2427	
Replacements: 1 per turn	

17.3 Union Set Up
All Union artillery, battalions, and squadrons are set up Ineffective.

HQ: arrives T2 at Entry Hex A (0201)	
Rosecrans (Ineffective): 1110	
Thomas (Ineffective): 1110	
Sheridan (Ineffective): with any unit of Formation 3	
Formation 0 (Pion): 1509	
Formation 1: w/1 of 0920	
Formation 2 (except 3/2/R): w/1 of 0823	
Formation 2 (3/2/R): 0518	
Formation 3: w/1 of 1118	
Formation 4 (except 3/1/C): w/1 of 1110	
Formation 4 (3/1/C): arrives T8 at entry Hex “A” (0201)	
Formation 5 (except 1/2/C): w/1 of 1315	
Formation 5 (1/2/C): T4, Entry Hex “A” (0201)	
Formation 6: T8, Entry Hex “A” (0201)	
Formation 7: w/2 of 1511	
Formation 8: w/1 of 1212	
Formation 9: w/1 of 1708	
Formation 10: 
Minty: T4, Entry Hex “A” (0201)
Reserve: T5, Entry Hex “A” (0201)
Zahm: 0315
4 US: 1109	
Trains: arrive any turn after T2 at Entry Hex “A” (0201)	
LOC: Hex 0201	
Replacements: 1 per turn	

18.0 Victory Conditions
18.1 Confederate Victory
The Confederate player wins if both the Union trains and HQ are on or west of the 04xx hexrow and/or off the map for any reason at the end of the game.

18.2 Union Victory
The Union player wins if there are no Confederates west of Stones River and there are at least four Union infantry brigades east of the river by the end of the game.

18.3 Winning a Drawn Battle
If neither player achieves the conditions set forth above, the battle is drawn and the game is won on victory points (VP). Each player receives the following points:

1 VP for each enemy unit destroyed (see 11.2); do not count eliminated steps or routed units on the TRT.
1 VP for each leader casualty.
2 VP for each unit or leader captured.
4 VP for a captured enemy HQ or Trains.

The player with the greater total wins, but if the total point count for the winner is less than 10, consider the game a draw. 

19.0 Special Rules
19.1 Surprise
The Union army was preparing to attack at 7:00 on the morning of 31 December. The Confederate attack–at 6:00–struck while men were still eating or straggling into formation. During the Confederate Movement Phase of Turn 1, make a morale check for each Union unit the first time a Confederate unit enters its ZOC. If a unit fails the morale check, it is disrupted. In the following Union Movement Phase, all MA die rolls are halved (round up).

19.2 Confederate Fatigue
At the beginning of each Confederate Movement Phase beginning with Turn 5 of 31 December, roll a die. On a result of 1-3, the Confederate army is fatigued; flip the marker to its Fatigued side. On a roll of 4-6, move the marker to the next turn. Repeat the process every turn until the Confederates become fatigued. Whichever side is showing, remove the marker at the beginning of Turn 8 of 31 December; the marker is out of play for the rest of the game (but see 19.3).

If the Confederates become fatigued, they remain so until the marker is removed. The effects of fatigue are as follows.
1) Each Confederate unit must make a morale check upon entering an EZOC (units already in EZOC make no check). If the unit fails, it is disrupted (units already disrupted suffer no further effect).
2) After any Confederate attack yielding an NE, Ex, or any A result, the Union player receives an FOW in addition to any awarded by the CRT or after a rout.
3) After any Union attack yielding an Ex or any D result, the Union player receives an FOW in addition to any awarded after a rout.

19.3 New Year’s Day
The combination of frigid weather and a full day of battle left both armies exhausted on 1 January. Both players must take a day of rest that day or risk pushing their armies past the point of exhaustion.

During 1 January, play proceeds normally; however, at the end of any game turn in which a player has launched an attack other than a bombardment, his entire army is considered fatigued for the remainder of the game. His opponent’s army also becomes fatigued beginning the turn after one of his units enters an EZOC (unit’s already in an EZOC may fight normally). If neither army becomes fatigued on 1 January, the Fatigued marker is removed from the game for good.

19.4 The Pioneers
The Union Pioneer Brigade consisted of three battalions made up of 10-man details from every regiment in the army. It was to be used as a construction party but was capable of fighting and is treated as an infantry unit for all game purposes. In addition, the Union player may use the unit to create new fords across Overall Creek (along the West side of the map) and/or Stones River. Move the brigade to a clear hex adjacent to one of the watercourses. It must stay there two complete Union Movement Phases to complete a crossing to an adjacent clear hex. You will have to write down the hexes involved as there are no counters for this purpose. In subsequent turns, treat the crossing as a ford. If at any time the Pioneers move or engage in combat (other than bombardment), the process stops and they must begin anew. (Historically, the Pioneers partially constructed a crossing between 1205 and 1306.)

19.5 The Nashville Pike Bridge
This bridge (1918-2018) had been burned by the Confederates in the pre-battle preparations; the icon was included for use in a future scenario. Treat it as a ford hexside for game purposes. 

20.0 Folio Notes
20.1 Designer’s Notes
Stones River is a classic situation: well-matched armies deployed and (more or less) ready for battle, commanded by aggressive generals who sought nothing less than destruction of their opponents. One of the bloodiest battles of the war, in both absolute terms and percentage of those engaged, it featured powerhouse attacks, ignominious routs, heroic stands, and one of the first great coordinated artillery barrages of the war. The battle has been unfairly overlooked both in histories and wargames (including the original Blue & Gray system).

The game was a clean and simple design, since the armies were so evenly matched and both generals sought easily definable victories. The only difficulties were handling the surprise attack without choreographing the Confederates or unduly hamstringing the Federals—the morale checks handle the job nicely—and the Confederates’ mid-afternoon collapse. The fatigue rule, duplicated in Shiloh, keeps the Confederate player in the game while encouraging him to cut back on his activity.

20.2 Confederate Player Notes
You start the game with a great positional advantage and would be foolish to throw it away: attack with everything you’ve got. Sooner or later your attack will run out of steam as your units fade and the Union line stiffens. Don’t persist in your attacks too long (as Bragg allowed his army to do) or you face the possibility of a collapse. If you haven’t succeeded entirely, and you probably won’t, use the rest of the first and the whole second day to position yourself for another try. 
You should consider attacking on the second day (and accepting the inevitable fatigue) only if you get an irresistible opening in the Union line and can force your opponent to counterattack (at least then you’ll be equally fatigued). The attack on the third day will be more methodical, but if you’ve caused enough damage to the Union forces you should be able to roll them back to the west edge of the map.

20.3 Union Player Notes
The first few turns won’t be much fun for you. Accept the inevitability of lost units and ground and start building a strong defensive position, but do so with an eye to counterattacking if possible. If you can rock the Confederates back on their heels by the end of the first day, you will be in that much better a position for your own offensive. If all you can do is what Rosecrans did—hold the last line—you’ll have a long way to go to win the game. Like the Confederate, you probably should avoid attacking on the second day and should be prepared for methodical and persistent fighting on the third.

21.0 Orders of Battle
Formations noted in [brackets]. 

Braxton Bragg’s Confederate Army of Tennessee
Leonidas Polk’s Corps
Cheatham’s Division [1]: Donelson, Maney, Smith, Stewart, Cheatham’s Artillery (6,000 men, 16 guns)
Withers’ Division [2]: Anderson, Chalmers, Deas, Walthall, Withers’ Artillery (7,500 men, 16 guns)
William Hardee’s Corps
Breckenridge’s Division [3]: Adams, Hanson, Palmer, Preston, Breckenridge’s Artillery (7,000 men, 18 guns)
Cleburne’s Division [4]: Johnson, Liddell, Polk, Wood, Cleburne’s Artillery (6,250 men, 16 guns)
McCown’s Division [5]: Ector, McNair, Rains, McCown’s Artillery (4,500 men, 18 guns)
Jackson’s Brigade [0] (850 men, 6 guns)
Reserve Artillery [0] (officially 6 guns; the counter represents a collection of batteries)
Wheeler’s Cavalry [6]: Buford, Pegram, Wharton, Wheeler (5,000 men, 3 guns)

Total Strength: 32,100 infantrymen, 5,000 cavalrymen, 90 guns

Williams S. Rosecrans’ Union Army of the Cumberland

Alexander McCook’s Right Wing
Davis’ 1st Division [1]: 1/1/R, 2/1/R, 3/1/R, 1/R (4,500 men, 16 guns)
Johnson’s 2nd Division [2]: 1/2/R, 2/2/R, 3/2/R, 2/R (6,000 men, 18 guns)
Sheridan’s 3rd Division [3]: 1/3/R, 2/3/R, 3/3/R, 3/R (5,000 men, 18 guns)

George Thomas’ Center Wing
Rousseau’s 1st Division [4]: 1/1/C, 2/1/C, 3/1/C, 4/1/C, 1/C (7,000 men, 12 guns)
Negley’s 2nd Division [5]: 1/2/C, 2/2/C, 3/2/C, 2/C (7,000 men, 20 guns)
Fry’s 3rd Division (partial) [6]: 1/3/C (1,750 men)

Thomas Crittenden’s Left Wing
Wood’s 1st Division [7]: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, & Artillery (4,500 men, 20 guns)
Palmer’s 2nd Division [8]: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, & Artillery (4,500 men, 20 guns)
Van Cleve’s 3rd Division [9]: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, & Artillery (4,000 men, 20 guns)
Pioneer Brigade [0] (2,000 men, 6 guns)
David Stanley’s Cavalry [10]: 
	Kennett’s Division: Minty, Zahm (1,800 men, 2 guns)
	Reserve Brigade (800 men)
	4th US Cavalry (400 men, 260 after details)

Total Strength: 39,500 infantrymen, 3,000 cavalrymen, 137 guns

The wing organization was used because the entire army was officially designated a single corps, the 14th. Shortly after the battle, the Right and Left Wings became 20th and 21st Corps, respectively, the Center retaining the designation 14th Corps.

Credits
Design: Chris Perello
Map: Joseph Youst
Counters: Larry Hoffman
Production: Callie Cummins
© 2010 Decision Games, Bakersfield, CA.Made and printed in the USA. [MSStonesRivRules_V3]