Let battle commence...

Holiday time and a chance to get thoughts together for the demo game I am putting on at Partizan in the autumn. The table will be 6 x 8 feet but in my garage I only have 4 x 8 so the game will be worked out in stages. Essentially there will be two British attacks, arriving from the south and east and obstructed by a stream and a town respectively. The game pictured shows the attack across the stream by Webster's brigade of the 23rd and 33rd foot supported by the light companies and assisted by the British Legion (a small brigade of a foot and a cavalry unit). The setting is a sort of alternative to Camden in 1780, with a better positioned American defence and some wiser use of the militia. In the photo above, Webster's battalions have forded the stream and are preparing to tackle the militia while Major Hanger of the Legion looks on.

Below is a view of the American defence. The first line has crumbled after Webster's initial assault and now there comes a line of militia around the farmhouse and a line of continental regulars further back:

Here is a shot from behind the American position looking towards the stream and the mill. This shows my home-made trees off quite nicely. The rest of the demo will lie to the left (north) of this picture with the town towards the foreground. The British attacks will therefore be rather separated:

Another shot of the Americans. In the foreground a militia unit has broken and is running:

Here they come! Gates considers his next move:

The British have reformed after crossing the stream and overwhelming the defending skirmishers. The Americans bring up their continentals to bolster the militia:

The infantry of the Legion finally make it over the river and after a prolonged firefight, the riflemen defending the barn blunder on a command and are ordered to retreat!:

Lastly, Webster's 23rd Fusiliers have advanced in pursuit of the American right wing while the light companies rally after a heroic charge that swept away a continental battalion. The 33rd meanwhile have had enough and have retired from the field to fight another day.

All in all a quick and fun game that will form the basis of half of the full demo.

Quiet time now, I'm off to the seaside for a week!

cheers, Steve