Suggestions for fighting Guilford Courthouse

 

  Guilford Courthouse is one of the most refought battles of the American Revolution.  Back in 1997 I decided to fight the battle as my contribution to the club's convention Tricon.  This was a all 18th century miniature gaming day put on by our club the northern conspiracy.  

  As part of the game I wanted the British player to experience the surprise and frustration of there counter parts at the actual battle.  Surprise in that each time they pushed away a line if Americans a new line appeared.  The woods had blocked there view so they could not see what was ahead of them.  Frustration in that the Americans just kept appearing and fighting.

  In my game the set up was the first line and only the first line.  Once the British players broke the American militia I stoped the game and gave everyone a mandatory break if ten minutes.  When they returned the table had been cleared off and now the second American line was set up.  Only those British units that had advanced a certain distance were set up.  The others were struggling and arrived in a turn or two.  The reaction was surprise.  Apprehension was the feeling when I called a break after the second line broke.  More frustration when they arrived back to see the third American line set up.  

  Victory conditions were different for each side.  Naturally the British had to break each line and force the Americans to retreat off the boards.  The Americans had to preserve the Continental line at all cost.  They lost points for heavy Continental casualties.  This replicated nicely Greene's withdrawal just as it looked like they might win.  Militia casualties did not count towards victory points!

  The final result was a fun game which both players won.  It modeled the battle rather well and both sides had a fun time.  Which after all is the mist important thing.

Battle of Guilford Courthouse 15 March 1781

 

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"Come on my brave Fusiliers!"

  " As at Camden, the British went forward as soon as they were in line. Captain Peter led the 23rd on as acting commanding officer, with the regiment effectively in two wings under captains Saumarez and Champagne. As they went forward, one of them noticed the ‘field lately ploughed, which was wet and muddy from the rains which had recently fallen’.

On they trudged towards the fence that marked the end of Hoskins’ cornfield and the beginning of the woods to the fore, observing as they grew closer that the rails were lined with men. MacLeod’s cannon opened fire, sending their ball whooshing into the American lines. Colonel Webster, on horseback, trotted to the front of his brigade and called out so that all could hear, ‘Charge!’ The men began jogging forward, bayonets fixed and muskets levelled towards the enemy. A crackling fire from their left, Kirkwood’s riflemen, began knocking down a redcoat here or there, but did nothing to check their impetus.

North Carolina militia

When the British line was little more than 50 yards from the North Carolina militia everything seemed to stop for Serjeant Lamb: … it was perceived the whole of their force had their arms presented, and resting on a rail fence … they were taking aim with the nicest precision. At this awful period a general pause took place; both parties surveyed each other for the moment with the most anxious suspense … Colonel Webster spurred his horse to the head of the 23rd and bellowed out, ‘Come on my brave Fusiliers!’ Some of the Americans started to run, but most held on for a moment; there was a rippling crash of American musketry when the redcoats were at optimum range, 40 to 50 yards away. Dozens of Webster’s men went down as the musket balls cut legs from under them or smashed into their chests. Lieutenant Calvert worried for an instant how his men might react to such a heavy fire: ‘They instantly returned it and did not give the enemy time to repeat their fire but rushed on them with bayonets.’ Captain Saumarez noted with pride, ‘No troops could behave better than the regiment … they never returned the enemy’s fire but by word of command and marched on with the most undaunted courage.’..."

Quote from;

Fusiliers:  The saga of a British Redcoat Regiment in the American Revolution  by Mark Urban

WuFun miniatures

 

  Question for those out in the blogging world.  Have any of you bought or gamed with the WuFun figures?  They look interesting and could make a cheap, easy way into the hobby. Also a nice way to try out a new period.  I am just curious how they workout on the table top.  They remind me of early gamers who played with flats.

In addition to the figures they have now released many of  the rules sets as a free PDF.  You just go to the site and under rules put them in a cart and"buy"them for free.  Its much easier then it sounds.  Here is a link;

https://wofungames.com/

When on the home page s roll down to the free rules.  I picked up a couple and am very impressed by them. A quality looking publication with nice pictures and some diagrams.  The rules are written by Andy Callan.  I have always looked his rules.  They are easy to learn but a you have to read they carefully.  I will be doing a in-depth revuew if his American Revolution set next post.

Continental line gun carriages

 

  What color should you paint your Continental line cannon carriages?  The answer is a surprising depends.  Depends on the year and they type of carriages.  Gray, red brown and finally blue are all correct, depending on the date and type of carriage.

  According to Harold Peterson's "Book of the Continental Soldier" iron guns and all other iron were to be painted black. This was to prevent rust.  At the start of the war gun carriges were painted grey similar to the British Royal Artillery.  Returns from quarter masters suggest the actual shade of grey varied depending on the paints available.  

  In Charles Wilson Peale painting of Washington at Princeton the cannon is painted a grey color.  

  In the Battle of Princeton painting by William Mercer in the first-round there is a grey carriges gun.  Off to its left there is also a red brown carriges on another gun.  Perhaps thus was a French Valliere system carriges as these were usually painted red brown in French service.

  After 1780 there are many returns for blue paint.  We see many carriges are now painted blue.  These are carried forward to the post war years and is standard practice for the army during the war of 1812.

  What about waggons?  For military service waggons there are returns for grey and also red brown waggons.   Interestingly an Hessian office from Stirn's Brigade on Long Island mentions using captured waggons to carry tents and baggag; "little chariots painted red."

Sailing

 Today I am off sailing in the lake.  In the video my ship is dead, #99.  I definitely have a lot to learn about sailing but it is great fun and very relaxing.  

Saint David's Day and The Royal Welch Fusiliers

 

1st March 1775;  This being St. David's Day the officers of the 23rd Regiment, or Royal Welch Fusiliers, dinned together according to the custom.  All the General & Staff Officers, the Admiral, and several other person's were invited to dine with the Regiment...."

From the diary of Lieutenant Frederick MacKenzie.

The "custom" was on each Saint Daivid's Day following dinner the regimental goat with the drummers and fifers are led around the mess table.  The drum major has a silver plate with raw leeks and the mess sergeant carries a loving cup filled with champagne. They halt by the newest joined officer who then stands on his chair with his left foot and places his right foot on the table and eats a leek while the drummers play a continuous roll.  Once he has consumed the leek he is handed the loving cup and before drinking toasts "And Saint David!"  All present who have not eaten a leek, including guests are expected to do so. Similar ceremonies occurs in the sergeants and the other ranks mess.  This custom, described as "ancient" in 1775  is still observed in peace and during war time up to the present time.

To all today I wish a Happy Saint David's Day to the Welch, and to all Royal Welch Fusiliers both past and present!

Chatterton Hill October 1776 Game

 

 

Slowly putting together a game based on the Battle of White Plains, in particular the fighting around Chatterton Hill on 28 October 1776.  Sadly there is a tremendous amount of misinformation about the battle and its been interesting researching and trying to figure out who was where and who was involved.  I will be doing a future post on what I can put together about the battle based on primary (first person) accounts later.

  First off here is the order of battle I put together based both on first person accounts and casualties returns per regiment.  Part of the problem here is there were two British columns and two separate American delaying forces.  One retired back to Chatterton hill while the second fell back to the main American line.   Most wargames scenario books have a number of units that did not take part in the fighting on Chatterton hill.  One unit never mentioned was the Independent Loyalists companies that became  The New York Volunteers.  Two companies were assigned to each column. They definitely suffered casualties so might gave been there at the battle.  If I do add them they will be dressed in the loyalist uniform British were just sending;  green coats with white facing's and round hats.  I have most of the figures ready except for the Hessian Grenadier battalions.  RSM Ltd miniatures have castings which are very decently priced.

Crown Forces:

Hessian Line Brigade:  Colonel Rall

Rall Grenadier Regiment (Dk blue coat, red cuff no lapel)

Knyphausen Fusilier Regiment (Dk Blue coat, Black cuff, black lapel)

Lossburg Fusilier Regiment:  (Dk Blue coat Orange cuff,  Orange lapel)

Lieb Musketeer Regiment  (Dk Blue coat, Yellow cuffs Yellow lapels)

2nd British Brigade: General Leslie

5th Regiment of Foot (Gosling Green facings)

28th Regiment of Foot (Yellow facings)

35th Regiment of Foot. (Orange Facings)

49th Regiment of Foot (Green Facings)

Hessian Grenadier Brigade: Colonel von Donop

Grenadier Battalion von Linsing

H-C Lieb (Dk Blue coat, Yellow cuffs Yellow lapels)

 H-C Mirbach M. (Dk Blue coat,  Red cuff, Red lapel)

H-H 2nd Lieb Gren Rgt (Dk Blue coat,  Red cuff, Red lapel)

H-H 3rd Lieb Gren Rgt (Dk Blue coat, Red cuff, Red lapel)

Grenadier Battalion von Block

H-C Wutgenau M. (Dk Blue coat, Red cuff no lapel)

 H-C Prinz Karl M. (Dk Blue coat, Red cuff, Red cuff)

 H-C Trumbach M. (Dk Blue coat, White cuff,  White lapel)

H-C Donop M. (Dk Blue coat,  Straw cuff, Straw lapel)

Grenadier Battalion von Minnigerode

 H-C Erb Prinz F (Dk Blue coat Rose cuffs,  Rose lapel)

H-C Ditfurth F. (Dk Blue coat,  Yellow cuff, Yellow lapel)

H-C Knyphausen F. (Dk Blue coat, Black cuff, Black lapel)

H-C Losberg F. (Dk Blue coat Orange cuff,  Orange lapel)

American Forces:

Here are the American forces who fought on the hill.  I have used faculty returns as well as first person accounts to determine who I think were there.

Ordered to fortify Chatterton hill Washington sent Brook's and Graham's Massachsetts Militia regiments out.  Using fences and stone walls they created a good position for themselves.  Colonel Haslet was then sent out with his Delaware regiment and two guns from Hamilton's New York Artillery company to support them.

Earlier Washington had sent a number of regiments out to harass the two advancing British coloumns.  From Colonel Douglas's brigade the 1st  and 2nd Connecticut State regiments  harassed the left column under General von Heister.  He detached Colonel Rall with his regiment, the Knyphausen and Lieb regiments to push them back.  

Finally Washington sent Brigadier McDougall's brigade to support the hill.  The Brigade was made up of the Smallwood's Maryland regiment, 19th Continental, 1st and 3rd New York regiments.

Haslet's Brigade:

Delaware Regiment

Mosley's Massachusetts Militia

Brook's Massachusetts Militia

New York Artillery

Spencer's Brigade:

1st Connecticut State Regt.

5th Connecticut State Regt.

Skirmishers

McDougall's Brigade:

Maryland Regiment

19th Continental Regt.

1st New York Regt.

3rd New York Regt.

Finaly;  if anyone out there has done convention type games in the past and have advice please feel free to pass this on to me.