Fire and fall back boys!

 

  In the game  an American Brigade must hold up an advancing British column for seven turns.   I based it on the action of Pell's Point in October 1776.  I added plenty of fences and walls and hedges  to break up the landscape and give the defenders cover.  The American commander deployed two regiments on either side of the road behind fences.  The 14th and 26th Continental regiments on the right and the 3rd and 13th Continentals on the left.  The artillery was held back as crossing fences would be an issue (you have to knock them down).  The British entered with a Brigade of three regiments, the 10th, 33rd and 23rd  and a medium artillery gun on the left of the road. On the right were two loyalist regiments, the New York Volunteers (NYV) and the Prince of Wales America Regiment (PoWAR) with a light gun.  The Guards Brigade was held in reserve.

  As the Crown Forces advanced onto the field the Americans waited until they were within musket range.  Once there they fired and immediately fell back towards the next fence line.  In the rules, if you don't move during the movement phase you can use a fire and retire.   Once you fire you turn the unit to face the rear and move back half your movement rate.   So they get to cause some casualties but get out of the way before the enemy can close.  Hopeful, because if the enemy can close you are in a heap of trouble.

  This time it worked.  The Americans fell back to the next line of cover.  The Crown forces kept advancing but did take some  casualties.  Eventually one British Regiment (33rd) did go shaken but quickly recovered.  Once the Americans ran out of positions to retire to it was time for them to leave the field.

  Rather then a exciting game it turned into more of a learning experience in testing out a new wrinkle in the rules. A tactical exercise.   I have long played the Fife and Drum miniature rules (with some modifications) for my War of 1812 games.  They provide a fun and and fast game.  Because they are one page long they are easy to learn and you play the game rather then spend your time looking up rules and interpretation.  For an explanation of his the rules see https://bravefusiliers.blogspot.com/2019/11/rules-i-use-for-wargaming-war-of-1812.html

 They provided an interesting game which reflected many a action during the war.  The Americans were not going to stop the British, but could wear then down and slow them up.  In this way it was a fun learning experience.  The fire and retire rule worked very well.  But of course you need a series of good positions to falk back to each turn.  And that is not always going to happen.  I also got to get my newest regiments onto the field for the first time.  Both the Prince of Wales and the 10th fought well I am glad to say.  

 If you are interested in the period I would highly recommend these rules.

 

A Charming Field for an Encounter

 

  I had a little free time today so I started to set up the gaming table for a Rev War battle.   Nothing cheers you up like your toy soldiers so I got some of my favorite regiments out.

   I am looking towards a early war (1776) action with a smaller American force delaying a larger a British one.  I have been playing a lot of Jim Purky's Fife and Drum miniature rules.  I use them for War of 1812 and have recently started using them for Rev War also.  Jim made a suggestion for a "fire and retire" Rules which I want to try out.  They are available  for free on his Fife and Drum miniature page.

 This action is a chance for my two newest  Crown Forces regiments to take the field.  I hope the  Prince of Wales regiment does better their historical counterparts did.  And I know I will be able to depend on the 10th Regiment.

  For the Americans I brought out Glover's Brigade of the 3rd, 13th, 14th and 26th Continental Regiments.  These regiments were from Massachusetts and fought valiantly at Pells Point.   Just the type of action I was planning.

   The 14th was from Marblehead and made up of men with a maritime background who twice moved Washington's army by boat.  Hence the regiment is dressed in a mixture if civilian and naval clothing.  Figures from Eureka miniatures.

 The other regiments are from Brigade games.  They are dressed in a mixture of early was Bounty Coats, civilian clothing and a few uniform coats. For more information about these uniforms please see;  https://bravefusiliers.blogspot.com/2020/03/continental-line-uniforms-1776.html 

  This was probably a more accurate view of how the American Army looked at least in 1776 then the parade ground uniformity we all like in our toy soldiers.

  Buildings are from "Things From The Basement.". Most are typical New England houses of the 17th/18th century.  Two of the buildings are from my time in the NPS at my station;  the Hartwell Tavern and Captain Smith House.  These buildings are great fun to build and reasonably priced.

  

David McCullough

 

   

Another sad day when one of the great ones has passed on.  

   David McCullough was one of my all-time favorite history books writters .  His books sparked my imagination and left me wanting to know even more.  I greatly a number of his books.  "1776"rekindled an interest in the campaign around New York.   His biography if Truman and John Adams were both enlightening and illuminating about the men.  The Johnstown Flood gave me goosebumps as I read it.  All wonderful and all enjoyable.

   David McCullough was right when he said "history is for all of us." And I learned from his books that "History could be exciting."

10th Regiment of Foot

  I have added the 10th Regiment of Foot to my Crown Forces army.  A favorite Regiment of mine for sentimental reasons back during my reenactment days.  Historically the regiments light infantry and Grenadier companies took park in the fighting in 19 April 1775 at Lexington and Concord and later at Bunker Hill.  The Regiment took part in the New York campaign in 1776 and the Pennsylvania campaign 1777.   Later, in 1778 as an under staffed regiment they were returned to England to recruit while the rank and file were drafted into other regiments in American.  The surplus uniforms were sold to a loyalist Regiment The Kings Orange Rangers.

 Figures used are Fife and Drum miniatures.  I used the British line marching with blanket rolls for something a little different.  Flags are from GMB.  I like the yellow facing and colors as they give a bright spot in a otherwise somber background.

Prince of Wales American Volunteers

 

 This long serving but hard luck loyalist Regiment was raised in 1776 by Governor Montfort Browne.  It was to a multi battalion regiment, similar to DeLancey's and his ticket to a Major General Commission.  Alas!  Browne's ambitions were greater then his talents and it never came to pass.

 The Regiment first saw service  in 1777 on the Danbury Connecticut raid.  Later they were  sent to the garrison of Newport Rhode Island and took part in the siege there.  Sent south they took part in the siege of Charleston South Carolina 1780.  

 At the battle of Hanging Rock 6 August 1780 the regiment held its ground but was decimated.  Out of 180 men present they suffered over 94 casualties.   Because of this the regiment was detached in small garrison which are picked off by local  militia and partisans during the next year.

   Captain Maxwell's  defense of Fort Granby was particularly poor when he raised the white flag on condition of being able to keep his loot and march away.  This was done pretty much at the first sign of trouble and ignored the fact a relief column under Lord Rawdon was on the way  

 The Light Infantry company was combined with two companies from the 16th Regiment of Foot and the light company of the 71st Highlanders  to form a light infantry battalion that served with Cornwallis at Camden and Tarleton at Cowpen where it was captured.  The survivors were later incorporated into the cavalry of the British Legion 

  On Rawdon’s relief column to the siege of Fort Ninety Six  the regiment could muster a meager 36 rank and file to march.

  Following the war the regiment was disbanded in New Brunswick Canada.

  For figures I have used Old Glory 2nd edition.  There appears to be evidence the regiment wore green uniforms faced blue at least until 1780. But as with all things about loyalists confusion reign and there are also reports of red coats being issued.  I needed a green coated loyalist  regiment in my army so that is what I went with.  We wargame are a fickle group. 

  The sharp eyed viewer will note the presence of numerous Black men in the ranks of this regiment.  It was very common for escaped slaves during the war to be recruited into loyalist Regiment and win their freedom.  So I have added a number of if these brave men in all my loyalist regiments

  I did not give the regiment colors as I can not find any evidence they had any.  Also no evidence they did not have any.  But this may change as they look too sad without them.  So I will ask my readers what they think. Should I give the regiment a set of colors?  Or not?   Please vote and let me know!

What I have been painting

 

  I have been rather busy the last couple weeks actually painting figures!  My hand eye coordination is still not what it was but I at least am making up for it in painting volume.  

  Reorganizing my Crown Forces for the American Revolution.  Looks like I over did the "elite" units and have to add some British line regiments and loyalists line regiments.  In a attempt to save money and help fellow wargamers with their lead piles I have traded some extra painted regiments for unpainted figures.  So in the next week I will be displaying some new regiments in my army.

 In adding British line regiments I have been working on the 10th Regiment of foot. The 43rd and 52nd Regiments are next up.  

  For loyalists, a early war green coated regiment the hard luck Prince of Wales America Regiment.  Also yet another American Continental line regiment the 2nd Pennsylvania Regiment.  Figures primed but not started yet.

 And still plugging away on Luzaun's Legion infantry and Hussars but still going slowly. I have 12 infantry almost done towards the 24 figure battalion.  Finishing six more Hussars for the first squadron's 12 figures.  Haven't started the lancers yet.

I will be posting more about each unit as I finish then up.  Its great fun to be able to paint again and enjoy it rather then it being a chore.

Logistics and the Failure of the British Army in America 1775-1783

  This is a book that any student of the American Revolution War should read.  It is not a fun, entertaining read, but a read that will reward you with a deeper understanding of how the army operated and did not operate because if its logistical problem.  What the book makes clear  is how much influence logistics had on British operations and plans. Much of the movements or lack of movement of British forces in the war are often attributed to poor generalship. A deeper look into logistics can generally account for a lot of what and why and how it happened.

  The scope of the British logistics effort was amazing. I believe it was one of if not the largest overseas operations until either the Crimean or the world war.   The majority of military supplies, food stuff, fodder, and equipment issued to the armies was supplied from across the Atlantic Ocean. This explains the lack of deep maneuver away from the ocean and the rivers by the British. Locally they harvested firewood, though rarely with out escort and loss. 

  The book is divided into seven major sections. The author starts by describing the British logistical organization. He goes into the problems that that organization and the operational units it supported faced.  Conflicting data, poor communications, and the lenghth of time required to send messages back and forth across the Atlantic.  London did not seem to realize how much wastage occurred due to poor food quality, poor packaging,  uncertainties of sea travel in the age of sail, poor storage in the colonies, and further losses ashore in getting the landed supplies to where the troops actually were.  The population was much more disaffected than the Britiish government believed.   Supply was only possible when  areas were under the British army's direct control.  The battle for provisions both locally collected and transported proved a constant drain on British manpower. Not only did having to provide escorts and fight off attacks waste and fatigue manpower but this type of thing  also seasoned American troops and boasted their self-confidence. 

   I, for one had not realized how close the British were to being unable to feed their army in 1779. They scraped by but had difficulty throughout the war in amassing the reserves necessary to support campaigns away from coastal ports. Bowler states that for the seventy-nine months of conflict (Lexington-Yorktown) the army had the desired six months reserve it thought necessary for only twenty-three of those months.

  The fifth section deals with the curruption and graft that occurred within the supply organization. This section could have been shortened and still made its point that these who were "gaming the system."  These activities increased the overall cost of the war, lessened efficiency, and provided incentives to supply inferior products at quality prices. One has only to look at Archibald Robinson‘a journal to see this  A poor engineering officer he was in charge of obtaining wagons for supplies. Early in his journal he complained about his financial situation   At the end of his memoirs there is a wonderful picture of the grand mansion he had built after the American war!

  The section on the "Northern War"  was one of the most interesting to me.  Canada was handled separately from the colonies. It includes an analysis of the poor logistical planning for Burgoyne's campaign in 1777. It was supplies and logistics which doomed the expedition and also showed his little Burgoyne or London understood things in America. Either political or especially geography.   

   The conclusion was excellent and sums up the changing British strategies during the course of the war and the pervasive influence of supply matters. It is worth having the book just for this last section. The author states that you can not lay the failure of the British to win in the American War on the altar of logistics alone. But he does make a great case for how significant a role it did play in the outcome.