Saratoga Campaign:American push on Sword's House, September 17, 1777

In this action, Gates, sends his army to push Burgoyne's Army back into the Hudson river.

The Americans quickly push off the British and American artillery occupy the redoubts which are in turn overrun by British Light Infantry 

British and Brunswick troops assault on mass

 The Americans attempt to form lines 

which keep being blown apart by concentrated musketry

in the end, the Americans are driven off. The British camp is saved

King Phillips War 1675 Governor Winslow Attack on Connecticut River

This battle comes from a variety of sources. The inital idea came from the August 1999 issue of Miniature Wargames. In their Renaissance section an article by Simon Lee War in the Colonies: King Philip's War 1671-1676.

Roger Marsters Bold Privateers: Terror, Plunder and Profit on Canada's Atlantic Coast (2004) gave me some more ideas. The rules used were Slitherine/Osprey's 

Field of Glory Renaissance.

 New England troops, a combination of Pike and Shot with some ship guns, prepares to advance on the French and Indians who are blocking the river valley.

A large body of Huron warriors have rallied to try and drive the English from the Connecticut river valley. 

Winslow's force consists of several regiments of militia, most armed with pikes and matchlocks, a few with flintlock or doglock muskets

The French forces however all have flintlocks. They have barricaded their end of the valley with fallen trees and some basic earthworks.

The English artillery open up and smash some of the fortifications to bits. 

This enrages rather than discourages several groups of Hurons who charge out and engage the militia in impact charges.

The miltia pike and shot blocks are unable to make much headway towards the lines.

More and more Hurons rush the militia who are stalled in their advance.

One group is broken apart and slowly cut to pieces.

The first line of militia pike and shot blocks begin to fall back. 

The militia units with more advanced firelocks begin to open fire holding back he surge of warriors

However, it proves to be too little too late

With a broken line and no clear way to break through, Winslow orders a withdrawl. New England may now be open to invasion!

Battle of Harlem Heights 1776

On Sunday, my son and I played this battle with our expanded 18th century British and American army in 1/72.

The scenario I built was based on the fact the British and Hessian troops assault the American lines.

 

 

Ian took the Americans. He first used his American riflemen to hold back my British Grenadiers. He then used his artillery to take out mine.

The 17th Light Dragoon attempted to clear off the militia but were dealt a mighty volley. For the rest of the game, they stayed put.

Undetered, I then advanced my British Grenadiers to try and flush out the American rifles. This didn't work. I then advanced my Light Infantry units. Firing them by Indian files, they were able to drive them back but the rangers and rifles were still able to hold their own. Added to the fact that their artillery support kept the British at bay.

On the American right, the British advanced and nearly broke into the defences. The Continentals came out but after some volleys, they broke and ran! The American militia then marched into the fray and kept up a brisk fire on the British. The American artillery kept them off.

Eventually, the Hessians began their attack, but with most of the British broken, and without anymore artillery, the Crown forces pulled back. Washington was safe yet again.

Ticonderoga 1758 Refight December 26, 2012

For a long time, I considered this battle an American one as it took place in upper state New York. For Canadiens in Quebec, this battle is seen as one of the last victories to halt the advance of the Anglo-Americans. Chartrand's Ticonderoga 1758 by Osprey Publishing givens an interesting narrative to this story.

The battlefield was set up on the kitchen table. Once again, the Anglo-American force forgo a preleminary artillery bombardment of the French defences. They decided that they would go in with the bayonet and musket fire.

The French had prepared elaborate entrenchments to trap the Anglo-Americans. And as before, the Anglo-Americans were stopped dead in their tracks by the abiti and French musketry.

The 55th anchors the left wing of the army.

while the 44th holds the right of the line.

The Grenadiers advance up,

 

 

The Light Infantry and Rangers attempt to screen the British Army advance

The American colonial troops begin their advance.

Like the actual battle, the Anglo-Americans could not advance past the abitis. By the time the Black Watch came into range, night had fallen. The French score a tremendous victory against the odds.

 

 

The Battle of the Cedars, May 1776

My weekend never feels fulfilled unless I can do a wargame. I had a solo game as Ian wanted to play with his Legos and with his older sister.

This scenario basically consists of an American collumn advancing towards Montreal in 1776. The force consisted of 8 companies British Light Infantry, 2 companies of 1st Battn Royal Highland Emigrants, 3 companies of Kings Royal Yorkers, a band of Mohawks, 2 companies of Jagers and 2 mounted companies of Queen's Rangers attacking a New England collumn consisting of Knowlton's Rangers, Dearborn Light Infantry, 1st Contential Regiment, and various militia companies.

I`m calm, I`m at peace, I`m enlightened

Following the Mohawk and Queen's Rangers deployment in a wood and meadow, the Jagers took post in an outcrop of rocks which bordered the small river the rebels would cross.

From their experience in the French and Indian War, the men who made up the riflemen companies of the Americans deployed in the forest to screen their advancing militia. The riflemen comprised companies from Knowlton's Rangers, 13th Pennsylvannia Rifles, and further back with some veterans of Dunn's Rangers and Partridge's Ranger companies.

The American militia collumn advancing towards the river unaware that in the wood to their front await the main British force sent to stop them.

The main British force waits inside a small wood waiting to pounce on the rebels. Most of the troops here are Light Infantry companies from the Quebec garrison, and some Loyalist provincial troops.

The Light Infantry charge out of the woods to fire into the rebels.

Surprisingly, the rebels did not flee with great amaze and wonder. Their morale held and their officers were able to form a line.

The initial militia companies stay on their side of the river, ready to take on the 1st Battn Royal Highland Emigrants (in their new Highland Uniforms). Just after this shot was taken, the British fired a devastating volley into the militia which then caused them to break and run!

On the American right, the rifles fired into the advancing Mohawks until only a small band was left. The mounted Queen's Rangers then rode along the river bank to flank what was left of the patriot rifles. The rebel ranger companies could see the writing on the wall and quickly covered the retreat of the militia. Canada was saved from another invasion.

  

The Great Swamp fight King Philip's War 1675

The Amerindian camp

New England pike and shot block

Other New England troops say hidden in the woods

Some of Church's men and some sword and buckler men

More New Englanders with muskets, swords

The pikemen charge in

Pikemen begin to break into the fort

The Amerindians await the onslaught

The chief watches for the whiteman's attack.

Church's men begin to snipe at the defenders.

Others begin to move up.

The pikemen break into the fort.

A final volley from the New Englanders.

The Great Swamp Fight December 16, 1675

New England Colonial militia vs Narragansett

 2 battalions of militia          3 bands of warriors/civilians

Board: Amerindian fortified village attacked and destroyed

Most of this conflict consisted of attacks on English colonial settlements and counter raids on Amerindian villages. Church’s Rangers were developed in this period.

The re fight 1/8/12

The Narragansett were settled into their village for the winter when Benjamin Church came to pay a visit. The Amerindians, believing they were safe inside their fortified camp in the middle of a frozen swamp never thought the New Englanders were come to make war on them. After all, they had not started the fighting, the other native groups in the area did.

The Amerindian leader, deployed his warriors with muskets outside to try and delay the New Englander advance. The New Englanders on the other hand decided to use Pike and shot tactics to try and smash into the fort. Church's company deployed on the right while the less able militia with muskets took the left. A further collum was behind them armed with older matchlocks and swords and shields. The first Amerindian volley took out some of Church's men but they were slowly shot down by English musket fire.

As the pike block smashed into the fort, the remaining Amerindians fled into the woods during a cold bleak season.