How to Capture/Rescue Units, Cannon, Wagons?

[MikeK]

 

CAPTURES

What exactly is needed to force a surrender rather than have routers slip away?  I've had the enemy routed and trapped in a river bend but they just run past/through and away, taking losses but not yielding. My most successful bag of prisoners came when I wasn't looking and it appeared the surrender occurred even though they were not surrounded. 

 

RESCUE

I was advised that it doesn't take much to rescue prisoners, and even a commander's staff can do so by contacting them.  Tried it but there was an enemy unit nearby and he vanished from the field for the battle.  Also tried to capture and rescue wagons with detached skirmishers, and was baffled why the wagon at the edge of Bull Run  wouldn't flip with skirmishers nearby being ordered to take it. Maybe as they were e under fire? 

Thanks.

 

[Hitorishizuka]

Captures: No exact formula but roughly their retreat path must be cut off and they must be outnumbered something like 2:1 to be captured instead of shatter.

Rescue: Simply have a unit physically contact them. Would need to see exactly what was going on to explain if you were having an issue there.

[A. P. Hill]

I've never seen any artillery get captured.   Wagons all the time however.

[MikeK]

Thank you.

I think the Wagon capturing problem was that the enemy wagon went part way into Bull Run but the troops I sent after did not want to get their feet wet, but I believe it was captured later when it moved else where.

Maybe the captured guns are just those left by a defeated enemy on the field of battle and in decent condition. 

[A. P. Hill]

1 hour ago, MikeK said:

... Maybe the captured guns are just those left by a defeated enemy on the field of battle and in decent condition. 

Most likely, and they do show up in your Armory after the battle so I'm told,

While I'd like the ability to drag/send them off the field, that's not a mechanic yet.  I do know that historically, when infantry was taking a battery many times they shot the horses of the battery to keep the current owners from pulling them off the field.

[JJPettigrew]

On 14/12/2016 at 2:51 AM, MikeK said:

and even a commander's staff can do so by contacting them.  Tried it but there was an enemy unit nearby and he vanished from the field for the battle

truly even a commander can rescue troops (did it myself) .. but that is because commanders retinue are troops that can be shooted at too, yours probably vanquished as the enemy unit shot them down.

Have not seem yet artillery being tactically captured (that is, usable by your side in the middle of a battle instead of guns being available at camp) but this is indeed ok, even if defender do not disable the guns ,  horses would be missed, and few infantrymen would be able to man the guns properly.

Edited December 15, 2016 by JJPettigrew

[A. P. Hill]

Believe it or not, I was playing Gaines Mill last night, my first Corps was first on the map, and my second corps came in on the northeast, and oddly, my II Corps commander is T. J. Jackson.

As they pushed in from the northeast, it seemed like all the Union supply wagons decided to bolt for the rear.  I took Jackson's command group, (the only horse mounted units I had, (besides my I Corps commander, but he was on the northwest side of the creek,) and with Jackson's command unit managed to capture 3 of 4 wagons bolting for the rear.

Edited December 17, 2016 by A. P. Hill

[MikeK]

Dear General Hill,

I write to you indebted for your relation of the particulars of this courageous exploit of General Jackson and his staff. I have just this day been in mind of the need for additional supplies and munitions that are overdue from Richmond. It is a pleasure and a relief to discover that General Jackson's noted powers of persuasion have enabled him to remedy our immediate deficiencies with the cooperation of the Federal commissariat.  This is exemplary for the army, and will put our boys in good cheer. However, I pray you, do counsel General Jackson to observe a decorous prudence in his chevauchees before our lines, for the bullet bears no respect for the noble nor the brave.