An American Civil War action

The set up: General Polk has out manoeuvred a Northern army and is seeking to crush it before the Yankees can bring their greater numbers to bear. On his right wing is General Cheatham and on his left is Hardee. The right is massed but on the left, Buckner's division of four brigades is tasked with holding a long frontage. 

Polk's Hammer: The right flank.

Buckner's Division

A Union Corps is entirely unprepared for what is about to fall upon them. They are disorganized and still at breakfast.

The view from the start line as the rebels prepare to break from the trees.

The Confederate advance is swift and intimidating. Polk tries to encourage coordination from his generals but 'forward' is the watchword.

Things start promisingly enough for the rebels. They find that the Union troops opposing them are green. But there are oh so very many of them.

The first lines of Cheatham receive some withering fire and begin to disorder. Note the Confederate formation on the extreme left in the shot below. This is General Wood's brigade who, though is in fine enfilade position, has been ordered by Wood to keep their muskets unloaded and bayonets fixed. Neither General Polk nor Hardee are aware of this brazen scheme.

On the Union right. the first reinforcements begin to slowly, tentatively advance. Only two brigades of Buckner's Division remain to defend against this advance.

The boys get stuck in. Liddell's brigade on the left is about to be thoroughly smashed.

Buckner begins to edge his troops back.

Things begin to go all wrong for the rebels. The first wave is repulsed bloodily and the second wave rushes in but still the Yankee boys hold the line. New York Zoaves have routed Liddell and are in pursuit but behind them, Wood's brigade has commenced to charge Union artillery batteries with surprising success. General Hardee has been captured.

Desperately, the Confederates try to cling to their earlier gains but it is clear that now the initiative has been passed to the Union. Meanwhile, Wood's brigade is running roughshod over everything in their path. Having captured two batteries they have now run into a fresh Union brigade that had been assigned to guard Confederate prisoners including General Hardee. Can General 'Unload!' Wood rescue his Wing Commander?

Yet more Yankee reinforcements arrive and the artillery of Buckner is finding itself in a precarious position. In the upper right corner, Confederate troops are pursuing and mopping up the last of the Union left. That last charge made all the difference and shattered the Yankee Corps. General Hardee is rescued!

Buckner surrenders more ground but keeps his forces intact.

Polk's Hammer is not what is was when the morning began. He we see a few overly eager Rebel boys pursuing onto the wrong side of the hill and seeing just how many fresh Union troops are running to the battle.

The game would be called there as the Rebels were in no condition to meet these new threats. The South had clearly won the morning but the lost Union corps had sold its life dearly and by early afternoon, the Confederates were falling back to where they had started the day.