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Description
In August of 1914, after crossing the Potomac and seizing Washington D.C., the Army of Northern Virginia (in accompaniment with elements of the Army of the Valley) marched north into Pennsylvania, the various Corps having been split apart in order to maintain flexibility and speed. The US 3rd and 4th Armies, under the respective commands of Generals Frederick Funston and Omar Bundy, was positioned west of Harrisburg (with IX Corps positioned east of the Susquehanna River) in order to prevent the Confederates from driving a wedge between the state capital and Pittsburg. On August 12, these two forces first clashed at Carlisle, with the Confederates repulsed at the cost of heavy casualties on the part of the Union. For the next three days, the opposing armies fought for control of hamlets and farms on the outskirts of Harrisburg, with Union attacks, Confederate counterattacks, and a few cavalry clashes, which saw heavy losses sustained on both sides, before the two Confederate armies were forced to retreat south.

The so-called 'Battle of Harrisburg' (part of what is referred to as the Longstreet Campaign, after the ANV's commanding general) proved the differing doctrines of the two armies and their respective advantages and disadvantages. The Confederates preferred maneuver and flanking attacks, owing to both their numerical disadvantage against the North and to the legendary exploits of Lee and Jackson; soldiers were drilled to march for many miles with the equipment on their back, often over rough terrain (through woods, swamps, and rivers, or over the hills of the Appalachians, Ozarks, and the Osage). Infantry were trained to be incredibly accurate with their rifles, aided by the nature of the Lee-Enfield, which enabled a good rate of fire in the hands of a trained riflesaur. The majority of the Confederate artillery was relatively-light 75mm and 76mm guns, and most machine guns were scattered across divisions, sometimes with only a handful of MG crews being assigned to entire battalions. The US Army, on the other hand, emphasized defense and sheer brute force against its southern adversary, with troops trained to sit and let the enemy come to them before opening fire, after which they would march forward to let open a volley. Artillery was oftentimes heavy, six-inch and eight-inch guns oftentimes outnumbering 3-inchers, intended to smash enemy formations and fortifications so the infantry could come in to mop up, and machine guns were more heavily-concentrated and were typically in the individual company's command rather than that of the battalion's.

The result was that while the Confederates were faster than the North, and able to hit the vulnerable flanks of a Union formation, if the enemy was prepared, the Rebs would endure horrendous casualties at the claws of artillery and machine guns. Conversely, Northern troops sustained losses from Confederate rifle fire, not helped by the bright blue uniforms still issued with the majority of combat units in 1914; efforts were already underway to try to replace them with new olive uniforms, though progress was slow due to entrenched traditionalism with the United States Army regarding the classic blue cotton uniforms that had been in usage for a century. The result was thousands of casualties sustained on all fronts the Army was engaged in, as the blue uniforms were a bright bullseye for enemy riflesaurs and machine gunners, and even when dirty, were still worse camouflage than a dirty Confederate uniform. It would not be until Spring of 1915 before the blue uniforms were fully phased out in the frontlines, to be relegated to rear-area units and for parade duties.

While the Confederates retreated into Maryland (the ANV recuperating near Ellicott City with the X Corps and the newly-arrived Army of Yorktown from August 14 to August 17), the various Union Armies split up; the 3rd Army drove south, while elements of the 4th moved into West Virginia to flank the ANV and take the important Virginian mining town of Roanoke. IX Corps marched north to New York to join with the newly-formed 7th Army as it prepared to cross the Niagara River. The Battle of Harrisburg would only be the start of a wider campaign that would last until late September and result in both sides digging in for three years of brutal stalemate and trench warfare.

Boy, this was a slog to draw, reference, and color, I feel like taking a break from drawing anything that I'd want to upload on here and see if I can focus more on my writing.

Description
In August of 1914, after crossing the Potomac and seizing Washington D.C., the Army of Northern Virginia (in accompaniment with elements of the Army of the Valley) marched north into Pennsylvania, the various Corps having been split apart in order to maintain flexibility and speed. The US 3rd and 4th Armies, under the respective commands of Generals Frederick Funston and Omar Bundy, was positioned west of Harrisburg (with IX Corps positioned east of the Susquehanna River) in order to prevent the Confederates from driving a wedge between the state capital and Pittsburg. On August 12, these two forces first clashed at Carlisle, with the Confederates repulsed at the cost of heavy casualties on the part of the Union. For the next three days, the opposing armies fought for control of hamlets and farms on the outskirts of Harrisburg, with Union attacks, Confederate counterattacks, and a few cavalry clashes, which saw heavy losses sustained on both sides, before the two Confederate armies were forced to retreat south.

The so-called 'Battle of Harrisburg' (part of what is referred to as the Longstreet Campaign, after the ANV's commanding general) proved the differing doctrines of the two armies and their respective advantages and disadvantages. The Confederates preferred maneuver and flanking attacks, owing to both their numerical disadvantage against the North and to the legendary exploits of Lee and Jackson; soldiers were drilled to march for many miles with the equipment on their back, often over rough terrain (through woods, swamps, and rivers, or over the hills of the Appalachians, Ozarks, and the Osage). Infantry were trained to be incredibly accurate with their rifles, aided by the nature of the Lee-Enfield, which enabled a good rate of fire in the hands of a trained riflesaur. The majority of the Confederate artillery was relatively-light 75mm and 76mm guns, and most machine guns were scattered across divisions, sometimes with only a handful of MG crews being assigned to entire battalions. The US Army, on the other hand, emphasized defense and sheer brute force against its southern adversary, with troops trained to sit and let the enemy come to them before opening fire, after which they would march forward to let open a volley. Artillery was oftentimes heavy, six-inch and eight-inch guns oftentimes outnumbering 3-inchers, intended to smash enemy formations and fortifications so the infantry could come in to mop up, and machine guns were more heavily-concentrated and were typically in the individual company's command rather than that of the battalion's.

The result was that while the Confederates were faster than the North, and able to hit the vulnerable flanks of a Union formation, if the enemy was prepared, the Rebs would endure horrendous casualties at the claws of artillery and machine guns. Conversely, Northern troops sustained losses from Confederate rifle fire, not helped by the bright blue uniforms still issued with the majority of combat units in 1914; efforts were already underway to try to replace them with new olive uniforms, though progress was slow due to entrenched traditionalism with the United States Army regarding the classic blue cotton uniforms that had been in usage for a century. The result was thousands of casualties sustained on all fronts the Army was engaged in, as the blue uniforms were a bright bullseye for enemy riflesaurs and machine gunners, and even when dirty, were still worse camouflage than a dirty Confederate uniform. It would not be until Spring of 1915 before the blue uniforms were fully phased out in the frontlines, to be relegated to rear-area units and for parade duties.

While the Confederates retreated into Maryland (the ANV recuperating near Ellicott City with the X Corps and the newly-arrived Army of Yorktown from August 14 to August 17), the various Union Armies split up; the 3rd Army drove south, while elements of the 4th moved into West Virginia to flank the ANV and take the important Virginian mining town of Roanoke. IX Corps marched north to New York to join with the newly-formed 7th Army as it prepared to cross the Niagara River. The Battle of Harrisburg would only be the start of a wider campaign that would last until late September and result in both sides digging in for three years of brutal stalemate and trench warfare.

Boy, this was a slog to draw, reference, and color, I feel like taking a break from drawing anything that I'd want to upload on here and see if I can focus more on my writing.