This day 150 years ago in Rebel Raiders’ History
-Dedicated to Civil War episodes, battles, people and ships
that also appear in my game, GMT ’s Rebel Raiders on the High Seas,
September 20, 1863
– Chickamauga: The South’s Last Great
Victory
Historical Event: Bolstered
by the transfer of General James Longstreet’s corps from the Army of Northern
Virginia, General Braxton Bragg turned
on Union General William Rosecrans, crossing the “River
of Death Georgia
and back to Chattanooga . September 20 was the third and final day of
the epic battle, which although a defeat for the Union
would have been far worse had it not been for the stalwart rear-guard stand
of General George Thomas, who would win
fame as the “Rock of Chickamauga.” Among
the 34,000 casualties in the battle was Confederate Brigadier General Ben
Hardin Helm – a brother-in-law of Mary Todd Lincoln. Rather than mourn the loss, she cheered it,
adding that she hoped that all of her relatives in the Confederate Army would
suffer a similar fate, for “they would kill my husband if they could, and
destroy our government – the dearest thing of all of us.”
Game Connection: Although
primarily a naval game, the land war is represented in Rebel Raiders on the High Seas, and General James Longstreet is a counter and a card - CSN Card 79. He gives the South not only an additional die
in a Counterattack, but also aids in defense against all attacks in the space
where he is assigned. To represent the
South’s ability to move him and his corps from front to front, the Confederate
Player is allowed to be used in a different space each turn. The
failures of General Braxton Bragg at
Chickamauga (and on other fields)
are represented by the Lack of Brains
card (USN Card 7), which bears his
likeness and requires the Rebel player to re-roll a die of the Union ’s
choosing.
