Battle of Street's Creek (Chippawa) July 1814 (part 2)

  At game night there were four of us who played this battle.  Dave and Art played the British/Canadians while Mike and I commanded the Americans. Rules used were the Fife and Drum miniatures rules which I have adapted for War of 1812 and called "Fife and Drum met Mr Madison's war."  All agreed they were easy to follow and provided a most excellent game.  After the first turn everyone had picked up the rules and were playing the game rather then playing The rules.

  The British regulars entered the board by the road on the north side.  The 19th Light Dragoons provided cover while the Royal Artillery led the column followed by the 100th, 8th and 1st Regiments of Foot.  Their Native warriors were deployed into the woods, but the Canadian Militia and British Light Infantry companies advanced in the open order along the fence line.

British deploying.

19th Light Dragoons covering British advance.

  The Americans had a company of the 21st Infantry regiment on picket duty by the Ussher farm house protecting Captain Towson's artillery battery.  Scott's First Brigade (9th/11th, 22nd and 25th US Infantry) entered on the road on the south side of the table.  They quickly headed towards the fence line to establish a defensive line.  The Canadian Volunteers (Canadians who supported the Americans)  and Pennsylvania Volunteers slowly advanced in the woods with the Native Americans racing ahead of them.

Mind the sheep!

Pennsylvania Volunteers and Canadian Volunteers.

   The American Dragoons, seeing the British Light Companies unsupported charged them.  It did not go well and they were forced back with 50% casualties and shaken.  During the charge the American Dragoons scattered a flock of geese in front of them to the amusement of all players.  As they retreated one British player placed a geese running after the retreating cavalry!

Out of our way!

Run away!  Killer geese!

  While the 9th/11th and 22nd US Infantry took position along the fence line Captain Towson's battery took aim at the Light Dragoons and  Royal Artillery.  In a couple turns they decimated the crews and forced  the dragoons to retire.  The British deployed their regulars into line and advanced against the Americans with cold steel.

    The Americans continued to pepper the advancing British with artillery fire while Scott prepared to defend the fence line.  In the woods the Pennsylvania and Canadian Volunteers stopped floundering about marched to support their comrades in the open plain.  Left alone in the woods both groups of  Native warriors held an impromptu truce and promised to not fight at each other.

 Native warriors wondering about in woods.

Thirsty work boys?

never mind those noisy boys.

  Once within musket range both sides opened fire.  The British 100th Regiment  was decimated by accurate artillery canister and musket fire (eight hits in one turn!).  Still they passed their morale and charged in.

Charge!

Friendly American goose gives British commander advice.

  In the fight along the fence line the British 100th Regiment was defeated and routed off the table.  But the combined 1st and 8th Regiments defeated the 9th/11th US Infantry who retired in disorder.  The British infantry climbed over the fence but now found themselves in great difficulty.  The 8th had  taken numerous hits and just barely passed morale.  A fresh American Regiment, 25th US Infantry was in front of them.  The Pennsylvania and Canadian Volunteers were advancing on their open  flank.  American reinforcements (two fresh infantry regiments) were advancing towards the  fight and were within musket range .  British reinforcements were too far away to get in to the fight, but within range of Towson's deadly guns.

Dice Mark casualties and red marker is shaken status.

Killer geese not so brave flees the fight.

Charge!  Shaken hand of photographer due to excitment!

High water mark of the British advance.

With advancing Americans on all sides the British commanders decided to conclude the game.

   At this  point the British commanders conceded the game. They felt that the two British regiments were about to be overwhelmed with no help possible.  All agreed it had been a fast and fun game.  Everyone also agreed the various items I placed about the field like animals (cats chasing mice, sheep and foxes) and civilians (woman bringing water to the troops, milking a cow and the farmer and his dog) were great fun and added visually to the game.

Thank you to Dave, Art and Mike for a fun and most enjoyable game.  Next month at game night we go  to the Crimean War 1854.  Stay tuned!

Battle of Street's Creek (Chippawa) July 1814 (part 1)

I had agreed to put on  a War of 1812 game for our club game night on July 20.  Which battle to do?   July was the anniversary of the Battle of Chippawa which would be a obvious choice.  But I had already done Chippawa which was great fun.  Rather then repeat it I chose to create a fictional action in the same ground with the troops available to both commanders.  It would follow the historical battle, but additional reinforcements would be available to join the battle. This would make the table top battle a little different and also add an additional command for another player for the night. The more the merrier.

   Set up for the battle included the following troops.  The British/Canadian Militia, Light Infantry and Native Americans sets up in the woods on the north side of the table.  The British regulars, artillery and light Dragoons enter on the road on the north side of the table.  Commander must write order of march and formation.    British/Canadian victory conditions are for the Light Brigade to hold the woods and cause trouble.  The 1st Brigade needs to drive the American regulars off the table.

   The American Third Brigade sets up in the woods on the south side of the table.  The First Brigade enters on the road on the south side of the tabke.  Again write out the order of march. The Divisional troops enter with the First Brigade except one battery and the company of the Twenty First  who set up on Street's Creek by the Ussher farm house.  American victory conditions are for the Third Brigade to clear the woods and the First Brigade to drive off the British regulars.

  Rule additions for the game. Fences provide soft cover for all Troops behind  them.  To get road movement troops must be in march column formation and start and end move on road.   Troops in woods maintain formation and move at reduced rates (2" for every 1" ).  Formed troops (volunteers) do not get soft cover advantageous;  troops in skirmish formation (Light Infantry and Indians) do.  Indians  move at full rate in woods, change  direction at no cost and get soft cover advantage in woods.  American militia or volunteers check morale first  time they encounter Indians, and each turn after they suffer a casualty caused by them. Indians that get a shaken morale result must retreat one full move;  can return after it iscremoved.  If Indians get a routed result remove from game.  At start of game Indians may operate at full 12 figure strength or break down into two 6 figure groups for entire game.  Melee lasts one turn. If no winner attacker retreats as shaken.

Reinforcements are available.  Both sides roll a 10 sided die At end of the second turn. Number rolled is how many turns after second turn they enter.  This if you roll a five they enter turn seven. British regulars enter in main road.  Americans roll a second die.  On evan number they enter woods,  odd number enter road.

British Division: Gen. P. Riall
1st Brigade: Gen. Riall
1st Regiment of Foot
8th Regiment of Foot
100th Regiment of Foot

2nd (Light) Brigade: Lt.Col. Pearson
Light Infantry companies
Militia Flank  companies
Native Indians

Division Troops: Gen. P. Riall
19th Light  Dragoons
Royal Artillery

Reinforcement: Lt. Col. Morrison
89th regiment of foot
49th regiment of foot

American Army:
1st Brigade: Gen.W Scott
9/22nd Regiment
11th Regiment
25th Regiment
Towsend's battery

3rd Brigade: Gen Porter
Pennsylvania Volunteers
Canadian volunteers
Six Nations Indians

Division Troops:
Rope' s company 21st Regiment
US Dragoons
Biddle's battery

Reinforcement:
21st US infantry
23rd US infantry

Visit to the Chippawa Battlefield, Chippawa Village Niagara Falls, Ontario Canada

  I have walked a number of battlefields. Some memorable, others very forgettable.  This one is very special to me.  It is very easy to imagine regiments marching across the fields here and even smell the black powder.  The field is small in comparison to such places as Gettysburg.  But as there is very little development, and what there is is screened by trees, it appears much bigger.  When I first stopped here in August 1985 there was only a single marker off the road.  Now there are walking paths and very good interpretive signage.

 The Battle of Chippawa was small in terms of the number of regiments.  The main fight on the "plain" was between three regular infantry battalions and an artillery battery on each side.  In the woods, militia, volunteers and Native Americans fought out a very different battle.  To me that is what makes it tactically intriguing.  It is easily imagined, easily understood because it is a smaller "playing field."  There are regulars facing off, the power of artillery and a deadly game of hide-and-seek in the woods.

  And it is the stuff of legend. General Winfield Scott had incurred the ire of The American War Department.  In consequence The War Department decided to send grey uniforms instead of the regulation blue uniforms.   The grey uniforms caused a short term case of mistaken identity by the British who assumed they were militia and anticipated an easy victory.  Observing the maneuvers as the troops advanced while under fire caused the British commander to exclaim, "Those are regulars, by God!"  Because of the American victory here West Point cadets wear grey today to honour this battle.  The stuff of legend!

Looking from American Artillery position near Ussher house towards British line.

Always important to know where you are!

Wood in distance was sure if fight between militia and Native Americans.

Looking towards Niagara river.  Site of Ussher farm house and lane.

Scott deployed his brigade along this lane from here to wood line in distance.

Same view as above but in 1814

  Today there is a marked entrance to the battlefield with a welcoming sign.  Plenty of parking spaces for buses and cars.  From the parking lot there is a short walk either across the field to the interpretation signage or along the river road past the old marker I saw in 1985.  The interpretive signage is set up along what would have been a farm lane in 1814 running from the river road, past the Ussher farm and towards the woods.  This is where is American 1st Brigade under Winfield Scott deployed into line.  Across the field in front of you was where the British line deployed.  Here in the actual field you notice that while there is plenty of room for Scott to deploy his artillery and three battalions in line, his British counterpart has room to deploy only two battalions and artillery, with his third battalion in reserve.  One of the advantages of actually visiting a battlefield is that you can  understand clearly how things happened.  Looking towards the woods you appreciate how much room they  needed to maneuver battalions even on this small scale.  The interpretive signs should be read from left to right and do a very good job of setting the stage of why this battle was fought and then how it was fought.

With maps and books in hand I follow the course of the battle.

Pointing towards Street's Creek where Scott's brigade crossed and then deployed into line.

  How they would have looked.

   In the center of the field, just behind the signage is a memorial cairn which has memorial tablets to all sides who fought here.  British/Canadian and American regiments and batteries are listed, and there is a memorial tablet to the Native Americans who fought on both sides.  Lastly a tablet that mentions that since this "unpleasantness" America and Canada have enjoyed over two hundred years of peace as neighbors. That is a nice thought to take with you as you leave.

  Thank you to my wife Janine for visiting this battlefield in both 1985 (during our honeymoon), again in 2018, and for editing this posting.

13th Continental Regiment 1776

  The 13th Continental Regiment ( Read's Regiment) was raised April 23, 1775, as a Massachusetts militia regiment at Cambridge, Massachusetts, under Joseph Read. The regiment would join the Continental Army in June 1775. The regiment saw action during the Siege of Boston, the New York Campaign and the Battle of Trenton. As part of General Glover's brigade it fought  the rear guard action at Pell's Point in October 18, 1776.  The regiment was disbanded on January 1, 1777, at Morristown, New Jersey.

  Littl Little e is known of the uniform warn by this Regiment in 1776.  As other Massachusetts regiments raised during this time had brown coats faced and lined red I have gone with that.  The regimental colors are based on similar colors done for other Massachusetts regiments during this time.  Figures are from RSM miniatures and the flag by The Flag Dude.

July 5, 1814 Battle of Chippewa

  Yesterday was the 204 anniversary of the Battle of Chippewa.  Although minor in terms of numbers the Battle is important in the rebuilding of the American army during the War of 1812.  General Winfield Scott 's highly trained brigade is able to stand toe to toe with British regulars.  The brigades gray jackets becomes the stuff of legend in the history of the American regular army.

   Later this month I will be visiting the battleground of Chippewa and Lundy's Lane.  I have a wedding to go to outside Buffalo New York and as part of the time there we will be visiting the Canadian side  of the Niagara falls area.

   In addition on July 22 I will be putting on a "What if" battle of Chippewa at club game night.  I will fight the historical battle but will allow additional reinforcement for both sides  of troops available who might have taken part in the fighting.


Please stay tuned!

Sailing in the USS Constitution July 4, 2018

  A once in a life time experience.  And something to cross off my bucket list.

 

   During my time with the National Park Service in the 1980's I was stationed at the Charlestown district of Boston National Historical Park.  Each day arriving to work and later leaving work I passed by the USS Constitution.  Still a commissioned ship of the United States Navy,  "Old Ironsides is crewed by serving members of the navy.  It is a living  history of the traditions of the navy from the War of 1812. a must see for anyone visiting Boston. 

  Once a year on July 4 the ship is towed out from its pier and brought to the outer harbour and back again.  In addition to invited dignitaries and  guests a small number of people are chosen by lottery to sail on the Constitution.  My wife Janine (who I met while working at the navy yard) and I have always wanted to do this.  Well, this year we were picked to sail on the Constitution! We set sail at 10:00 a.m. on July 4th for a four hour cruise.

Crowds on the main deck

Singing sea shanties

   We arrived early at 8:30 am at the Navy Yard.  We had to go through security before entering the ship.  Similar to going through TSA at the aurport.   It was very hot (about 99 degrees) and we brought lunch and plenty of water and Gatorade with us on board.  Everyone was excited and happy and in a good mood.  Janine and I explored the main deck and gun deck.  The ship's crew members entertained us with stories about the ship and also ran children (and some adults) through simulated cannon gun drill.  A group who sang sea shanties entertained us with their music throughout the cruise.   Once the lines were established the tugs started us off the dock and off we went.  The Constitution does not have enough sails to be under her own power so tugs push us along at a leisurely pace.  Plenty of smaller boats and tour  ships follow along side. 

   On board the ship was a volunteer group who represents the ships Marine detachment.  They had excellent kits and have a very good musket drill and firing demonstration.

  If you were interested you could also get a flag that was flown on the Constitution.  You got a certificate signed by the captain.  A crew member helped you raise the flag and then lowered it.   Another crew member then helped you fold it in a military fashion.  Janine and I just had to do it. 

  A pleasant time and a very memorable experience.  One that we will not forget.  After all how many people can say they sailed on the USS Constitution!