American War of Independence Game

On Sunday 1 July we pre-empted the US Independence Day celebrations by playing an American War of Independence game.

 

The scenario set up was that a British frontier fort, supported by an outer line of earthworks, came under attack from a significant American force.

 

On the British side there were six battalions of regulars, one of rangers and four field guns and a cavalry unit in garrison with another ten battalions of Hessians outside the fort. The Americans had four separate commands, two largely militia and two of Continentals.

 

All description of the battle are given from my (British) view so that my end of the table is the near end,  The battlefield was laid out so that we were playing along the length of the table. The fort stood left hand near end with a town in front of it. To the right of the town was a large flat and relatively open hill. About a third of the way down on the right, beyond the hill, was a farm. A stream divided the table in two across which ran the main road.

 

Two brigades of American militia were on the table, on the fort side of the stream, but beyond the town. A third militia brigade was advancing on a road running in from the right edge between the farm and the hill. The Continentals had to march pretty much the full length of the table to get into the fight.

 

We were told that loyalists had advised high command of the American attack and we were to take the fight to the Americans and drive them back across the stream. Following orders I marched out of the fort with the Hessians on night right. Immediately I struck problems with terrain. The town seriously constricted my ability to manoeuvre. If I wanted to get at the enemy I needed to move to the right of the town and the wood that stood beyond it, but if I ignored the town the Americans would be free to occupy the place and have access not only to my left flank and rear, but also access to the almost undefended fort. I decided instead to let the Americans come to me, while the Hessians took control of the hill and drive off the other, weaker, American force.

The Hessians advanced boldly up the hill and secured its far slope with some ease. There they formed and no sooner had they done so than the Americans attacked. While the Hessians should have driven them off easily the Americans put up a good fight. One of their units broke and was destroyed, but two other fought on in an extended fight. The Hessian line began to look a bit ragged. When the Americans were reinforced on the hill things began to look grim for the Hessians.

 

On my front I occupied the two with three battalions of line infantry and pushed the rangers forward to engage the militia on the left. The remaining three battalions formed in the clearer space to the right, with the guns to their right where they had free reign.

 

The Americans on my front pushed three battalions towards the town while and other five made for the open ground in the centre. Four of these battalions formed one great column of battalions and made straight for the guns. The guns should have blown them away, and while they scored nine hits but for the American player rolling saving throws for eight! The gunners were driven from their guns but were not dispersed.

 

Next turn a British battalion charged the Americans, routed them and broke through onto the unit behind, breaking them too. The gunners rallied and, covered by that single battalion, recovered their guns.

 

Meanwhile on my left the rangers were shot to pieces by the militia, but the Americans were unwilling to push against the British in the town.

 

It was becoming increasingly evident that the British and Hessians could not push forward, even with some reinforcement, and they close to fall back on the fort…well the British fell back on the fort and the Hessians were told there was no room at the inn and they would need to make camp in the woods. As the game drew to an end the last of the British fell back into the works around the fort. The officers retired to the mess where a goodly portion of beef and potatoes had been roasting most of the day, and a few bottle of fine claret were broken out and one, that had been opened the previous evening was sent over to the Hessians.