The American War of Independence, Black Powder, 28mm

My planned Napoleonic game didn’t materialise, as my opponent was delayed by work. Fortunately I was invited to join a game based around the American retreat towards the River Dan in the North Carolina colony. That was when Cornwallis chased the rebels through the backwoods of the Carolinas in February 1781. All the figures belonged to Bill Gilchrist. The scenario was drawn directly from Charles S. Grant and Stuart Asquith’s Scenarios for All Ages (1996) called “A Vital Bridgehead”. The idea was for the Americans to get a clutter of wagons and supplies across the river to safety, while a rearguard stayed behind to hold back the British. It all seemed straightforward enough, except that the defenders were outnumbered, outclassed and time wasn’t on their side!The bulk of the American force deployed around a hamlet, a half mile or so from the bridge. The rest – engineers who were busy rigging the bridge with explosives, a small unit of cavalry and a token gun – were clustered around the wagon park, at the southern side of the bridge. Each turn the Americans rolled a die, and if the result was favourable they were able to get one of their ten wagons across. That meant we needed to keep the British at bay for at least ten turns – possibly longer.The British assaulted the American line, and after a tougher time of it than expected they broke the militia and one regiment of regulars. Still, it cost the British a vital regiment of foot – the 23rd – which was broken and dispersed by the militiamen before the American line collapsed. A unit of Virginia riflemen holed up in the buildings caused the British a few more problems, until their commander decided to bypass the strongpoint and head for the bridge. The last of the American wagons still had to cross, and so it was all to play for. That was when Light Horse Harry Lee’s light dragoons launched a charge, smashing into the 33rd Foot and sending them retiring precipitately back to their supporting infantry near the hamlet.The cavalry pulled back to reform, and the British came on again, only for the same thing to happen again. Worse, American survivors from the rearguard were also harrying them from the flank and rear and in the last few turns of the game their advance stalled, allowing the surviving Americans to slip away, together with their wagons and supplies. We never actually diced for it, but one supposes they wouldn’t have had time to blow the bridge, as the British were right behind them. Therefore the game ended as something of a draw – one that slightly favoured the Americans. Just like in the real “Race for the Dan” there would be another battle – this time fought near a little place called Guilford Courthouse.

The Britis

Tags: Black Powder