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Torn Between the States - A Joint AACW AAR

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Nice map. I see lots of Union moves into Rebel territory, not too much activity from the CSA - is that simply indicative for the early state of the game, or are you just that much of an aggressive warmonger, Jarkko? ;)

Kindly explain Kentucky to me, an AACW ignoramus. Based on Real History, does the red outline mean Kentucky hasn't made up its mind yet about which side to join?
 
For historical reasons the pressure to attack is on USA. CSA after all declared independence from USA, and they would have been very happy if USA wouldn't have bothered them.

In the game USA is at the start behind in both Victory Points (VP) and National Morale. British & French will be much more likely to intervene if CSA leads in both VP and NM for a prolonged time; if British attack from Canada and use their massive fleet to engage US shipping, the game is pretty much over for USA. If National Morale drops low enough, that side immediatly surrenders; if USA does not even make an attempt to march to Richmond during summer -61, the USA NM will take a serious hit.

What all this means, is that USA is under pressure to take VP locations (easier to grab those in West) while also maintaining a credible pressure towards Richmond.

Kentucky and Missouri declared themselves neutral at the start of the civil war. In Missouri there was an attempt from pro-CSA troops to make Missouri join CSA, which the local Union force commander (Nathaniel Lyon) found out, and the end result was the "Massacre of St.Louis" and Missouri got effectively split. Kentucky meanwhile won't split up, if one side invades, they will join the other side, and in late autumn of -61 they will choose which side they will join. What is more, if one side stacks troops on the Kentucky border, they are quite likely to seek help from the other side and join them. Both sides often wait out until Kentucky makes the choice, altough it is a strategically viable option to invade Kentucky before that.


EDIT: Btw, for some "behind the scenes" discussion, you might want to check out http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?643525-AGEOD-s-American-Civil-War
In that thread we go through (from page two) various things we did not want to discuss in this AAR thread. For people who are more interested in game mechanics etc, that could provide more information, as well as being the place where one can ask questions not directly related to this AAR game :)
 
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Early July, 1861

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Dearest Anna Lee,

The news is good here in Virginia my dear. Volunteers have ventured from across the Confederacy to join the cause and defend our lands from the Yankee invaders. Unfortunately, the Union's troops have marched across the West, burning and pillaging everything in their wake. Even parts of Florida now reside in the clutches of the Yankees. A storm is brewing, and I know not how much blood will need to be spilled before it will be over.

Yours Truly,
Private Edward C. Smith, Winchester Brigade, Virginia Militia

​
 
Florida is a swampy, gator-infested hellhole (and in the game), but I guess the Union is taking the fight to the Confederacy and it's helping to stretch those Rebels to their breaking point, so I heartily applied the liberation of, erm, New Smyrna? Never heard of that one before. Anyway, hurrah for the Union, Up with Lincoln and Down with the Seccessionist Slavers! :)
 
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July 21 1861, Manassas, VA

Matt is dead. I still can not understand it, even though it was two days ago. We two were cheering at the Brooklyn boys as they got the honor to charge in first and our company was to follow. Rebels opened fire, Brooklyn boys began to fall down and their advance halted. Our lieutenant ordered us to move. There was an explosion, I fell face down in the mud ears ringing. After a while I got up. Everybody screaming, blood and mud everywhere.
Matt was there next to me. Without his legs. His eyes open, empty. The attack was called off. I dragged Matt with me back to the camp.

Tomorrow we are going to attack again. May the good Lord have mercy on my soul.
 
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September 8 1861, Washington DC

I have to say the doctors and nurses here are making small wonders every day. The nurses from Youn Men Christian Association especially, I have to admire their commitment.

The worst part of all this is that in the end it all was in vain. I heard the nurses discuss how they had just recieved news General McDowell was pulling back from Manassas.

I don't know what will happen with me. I will be fit and in shape soon, altough this scar surely will be something to show off when I get back home. Altough I suppose I will not get home soon, even though my company ceased to exist during that last assault. I heard there have been plans about merging together companies, but I suppose time will tell.
 
Hoo boy. You lost at Manassas (well, that's historically accurate) and now you have the numpty McLellan in charge? I guess you'll be building a 2,000,000-man strong army before you could possibly make another move against the Southern Übermenschen that populate the Confederate army with their teeming masses... :p

I'm looking forward to learning how the South views the unfolding events, both the good (in Manassas) and the not-so-good (Florida). :)
 
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October 11 1861, Harpers Ferry VA

I got a letter from Mother. She does not understand why I decided to enlist again. My 90 days ran out at the end of August and I could have gone home. In the letter she blames the doctors at the military hospital must have given me some bad medicine.
How could I have returned back home? I was the only Burtlett boy who was left alive. I can not go back, I can not look in to the eyes of Matts mother and explain how I am alive but Matt is not.

I am now in the regular army, here at Harpers Ferry with many fresh recruits, as a passing by sergeant shouted at us. We all fresh recruits have served for our 90 days in various State regiments, and we all were at Manassas, and yet we enlisted into the regular army.
One thing I have to say about the regular army is that everything is less chaotic. Not that we know anything more, not that here too we always are in a hurry somewhere to wait for something. But the feeling of being, well, soldiers. This is not a collection of naive boys on adventure. We are here to fight. It is our job, and we intend to get the job done.
 
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