Sam Grant: The Civil War in the West 1862-1864

About this board game

Sam Grant: The Civil War in the West 1862-1864 is a two-player historical wargame covering the western theater of the American Civil War, playable in about 180 minutes. Set around the Mississippi area from 1862 to 1864, it combines a broad strategic layer with a more detailed tactical approach to combat.

The game includes a beautiful card-stock map stretching from Vicksburg to Cincinnati, along with heaps of wooden blocks representing the North and South. These blocks use the Columbia Games Block system, placing unit information on only one side to create an effective fog of war. Opponents cannot easily identify a unit or its current strength without careful observation and memory.

Block orientation also provides a practical way to track changing unit strength. By rotating a block so that the current strength appears at the top, the game records multiple strength levels without extensive bookkeeping. This gives the system more detail than many counter-based games while keeping play relatively short and approachable.

• A card-stock strategic map covering Vicksburg to Cincinnati
• Wooden blocks for Northern and Southern forces
• Additional battle maps for center and flank positions
• A combination of strategic movement and tactical combat

When forces meet, the additional battle maps allow specific units to occupy center and flank positions, adding another layer to the larger campaign. The result is a game that connects theater-wide decisions with more focused battlefield situations.

Sam Grant can also be combined with Bobby Lee to play out both theaters of the American Civil War at the same time. All artwork and graphics were created by RPG and historical artist Eric Hotz. Released in 1997, this Columbia Games title offers a block-based treatment of the war in the West with hidden information, rotating strength levels, and distinct strategic and tactical perspectives.