River of Death: Battle of Chickamauga, September 19-20, 1863

About this board game

River of Death: Battle of Chickamauga, September 19-20, 1863 is a two-player, regimental-level simulation of the Battle of Chickamauga, with an advertised playing time of 360 minutes. Released in 1999, it uses the Great Battles of the American Civil War system.

Chickamauga was the last major Confederate victory, and the battle’s dense, entangled woods created a uniquely confused battlefield. Good plans went awry, individual units fought on without knowing what was happening just 100 yards away, and remarkable heroic stands shaped the action.

River of Death presents the battle at a detailed scale, focusing on regimental operations across September 19-20, 1863. Each turn represents one hour of real time, allowing the two-day engagement to unfold through a sequence of hourly battlefield situations.

• Scale: 140 yards per hex
• Strength points: 50 men or 1 gun
• Elevation: 50 feet per level

This scale places the game firmly in the middle of the battle’s local actions, where nearby events could remain unseen and formations could continue fighting amid uncertainty. The result is a focused portrayal of Chickamauga’s tangled terrain, disrupted plans, and isolated stands.

As part of the Great Battles of the American Civil War system, River of Death offers a historical treatment of one of the American Civil War’s defining engagements. Its regimental perspective and precise time-and-distance scale make the game a substantial choice for players seeking a detailed simulation of the Battle of Chickamauga.