The battle of St. David July 1814: part 2

New York Militia Dragoons.

    Preparing for the American army, the British /Canadian players set up a defense in depth.  The 1st and 2nd brigades were pushed forward to defend the fence line as close to St.David as they could.  The 2nd Brigade (1st Militia bde, Incorporated Militia battalion of Upper Canada and Glengarry light infantry ) held the right flank.  The 1st Brigade (1st Regiment of Foot, 8th Regiment of Foot and flank companies) held the left flank.  In the center blocking the road were a Royal Artillery battery and the Royal Marine artillery Rocket detachment.  Towards the rear, by the next fence line were the 3rd Brigade (41st Regiment of Foot, 49th Regiment of Foot).  A group of Native Americans under Norton watched curiously from a stand of tree behind the 2nd Brigade.

View of British/Canadian defense in depth.

49th & 41st Regiments.

Flank Companies, 8th & 1st Regiments.

19th Light Dragoons.

  The Americans marched through and around the village.  Ripley's and Scott's brigades were deployed on the right, while Porter's volunteers and the cavalry held the left.  The battle plan was for the massed regulars to punch through the right while the volunteers protected their left.  The artillery were to neutralize the enemy artillery.

  While the British/Canadian line waited patiently behind the fence line the American advance became unglued.  Bothered by the fields to his front the regulars advanced in a scattered fashion. Finding he could not deploy all his regulars the right flank commander formed two lines of three battalions each.   On the left, with more open ground to his front the commander of the volunteers moved forward in a more solid front maintaining formation. Just out of range of the muskets he  changed formation from column into line and waited for the regulars before opening his attack.

American militia General.

   During this time both sides artillery blasted away at each other.  Although some casualties were caused no batteries were silenced.  The Rocket battery fires away but appeared incapable of hiring anything.

Geese cheer on the American Artillery.

The rockets go up, but where they come down, that's not my department says Wernher von Braun.

Finally, with his forces in proper formation the American commander ordered a advance against the enemy fence line. No fancy echelon attacked.  Everyone march straight forward.

  On the American left(British/Canadian right). Both sides realized it was volunteers against volunteers.  More importantly the  Glengarry Light Infantry saw marching  towards them the arch traitor Canadian Volunteers.  This unit was formed of Canadians fighting for the American side.  They had earned a reputation for misdeeds and had in fact burned a number of villages near here over the winter.  So both sides were curious how these two regiments would act.

Canadian Volunteers.  The flag is a New York militia flag for the period but I thought it went with this regiment rather well.

It's those guys!

All along the front as the Americans charged the British/Canadian line tested morale and held.  They fired at the attackers causing a number of casualties but the attackers still marched on.  In  the fight  that followed  the defenders held and the attackers were all pushed back.  But while the American regulars were still in good shape, and had reinforcements the American left had collapsed.

Add Pennsylvania Volunteers move to the attack.  

Hoping to punch through the Canadian militia the Pennsylvania Volunteers were surprised to find them holding their line and the attackers retired disordered.  To their right the Incorporated Militia routed the New York militia.  But on the far right, the Glengarry Light Infantry decimated the Canadian Volunteers with small arms fire (causing nearly 50% casulties). And the volunteers routed back to the cheers of the Canadians.

 Glengarry Light Infantry route the Canadian Volunteers.

  At this point the crest fallen American commander called the game and decided to retire back towards Fort Erie.

   The game was fun, and moved  quickly.  By the second turn all players had grasped the rules and were playing the game and not the rules.  While they enjoyed the game the American players suggested next time I try to have more American Regiments to give them a better advantage.  I would also suggest that the Americans  wasted their advantage in artillery by concentrating on counter battery fire and trying to knock out the Royal Artillery.  For the Americans this tactic was a mistake. If they had concentrated their fire on a couple infantry battalions they might have caused more damage and helped with the attack.   I will also turn the table about and rather then play up the table length play across the table.  This would give each side note room to maneuver and no anchor a flank on the table edge.