The Battle for Bertram's Bridge.

It is the early spring of 1781 and with winter passed and the roads no longer quagmires military operations are about to recommence. The British are planning a movement against Philadelphia and the Americans  are planning operations against New York. About halfway between the two cities is the small settlement based around Bertram's General Store. A few hundred yards north of the place a covered bridge crosses the  Goose River that is assuming an unexpected importance. The Goose is neither broad or fast flowing, but its banks are steep and Bertram's covered bridge is the only point for fifteen miles either side where wheeled transport can cross, so control of the area by both sides is important.

Over the winter each side had maintained a small garrison on opposite sides the river, but now with the campaign season about to start, larger forces are beginning to assemble.

As the day of battle dawns starts there are two forces of roughly equal size on either side of the river. The Americans occupy the settlement and have constructed a blockhouse on the heights east of the place. The British have constructed their own redoubt on a height on the opposite bank. The players commanding these forces are the respective CinCs. Beyond the forests on both flanks are reinforcements for both sides (on the map a little further down, marked A and B for the British and C and D for the Americans). These reinforcements, each of two small brigades, have three options for each brigade:

• They can march up the road to join the main force. On turn three will roll 1xD6 and if a 4+ is scored they arrive that turn, otherwise they arrive the next turn.
• They can attempt to move through the woods, on their side of the river, and exit at any point, rolling 1xD6 on turn 4 and if a 5+ is scored they arrive that turn, otherwise they roll again on turn 5 with a 4+ to arrive, otherwise they arrive on turn 6. These large wooded areas are otherwise impassable to troops.
• They can attempt to cross the river and arrive on the enemy road rolling 1xD6 on turn 5 and if a 4+ is scored they arrive that turn, otherwise they arrive the next turn.

In the event of a conflict during these movements there is a means of resolution.

The commanders of the reinforcements make their decisions independently and without consulting the CinC, but once on the field of battle they are under the CinCs comnand.

Also available is a small reserve force for each side that may arrive after turn 6.

The river is fordable to infantry at any point except within 300mm of the bridge and the destruction of the bridge (either deliberately or by accident) is an automatic loss.

My quick sketch of the terrain .

The American position at the start

The British position at the start.

Of the flanking forces only one, the British A command chose to not come on their hone side road. That force chose to bring one brigade on the opposite road and one through the adjacent woods.

The British forces moved to secure the northern approaches to the bridge

The Americans looked to hold the British in position while they flanked them

British 'B' force arrived and deployed on the high ground to the left of the bridge

With 'B' force in position the British centre force shifted right to face the arrival of the American 'C' force.

The militia lined the river bank and sniped at the British 

In the face of a withering militia the British dared not cross the bridge

Instead they brought up their guns, but every shot fired at a target within 100mm of the bridge that missed the target, had a chance of damaging the bridge.

With the grenadiers leading the British advanced boldly

The Americans of  'D' force pushed forward against the British left

Meanwhile the British 'A' force arrived in the rear of the American 'C' Force

The Hessians reinforcement arrive...

The battle in full swing. In the foreground, American 'C' force is attempting to cross the river

The Hessians deploy...

...and press forward

American 'D' force, leaving the British in their rear to the freshly arrived French reinforcements, are moving forward,

A Continental unit has pressed across the bridge in the face of British fire

An American 'D' force battalion attacks and breaks a Hessian unit, scattering it to the wind, but is now isolated from the rest of its command and eventually dispersed itself

American riflemen snipe away at the distant British

The French have arrived and are engaging the British flanking force

More Continentals have crossed the bridge

Above and below, the French are advancing

The battle has been particularly bloody. 

On the British side all of the infantry from the central force has been dispersed and only four battalions of the Hessians and a few guns remain in the centre. To their left the American 'C' force is almost wiped out, but there too British 'B' force is damaged with only a battalion and a gun remaining. On the right 'A' force is also dispersed.

Of the Americans 'C's has one battalion out of six still fighting. In the centre the militia had lost a third of its units and the Continental brigade has lost half. American 'D' Force is also largely dispersed, with one of six units still in action. The French reinforcements had lost two of their four battalions.

So what was the result? Neither side can claim to dominate the bridge. So it remains in contest for another time...or maybe both sides will just fall back on their bases and leave the inhabitants near Bertram's General Store alone.

The battle bear the end of the game, with most of the command is tatters.