winterbadger | Revolutionary War miniatures battle AAR

Our battle last Saturday was a large one, with over half of the main force of the Continental Army in 1777 in action attacking a substantial portion of Howe's army under Lord Cornwallis as they marched toward Philadelphia. The British were better trained and disciplined, but considerably less numerous.

The British having deployed to the west of their line of march, they moved forward to hold a line of open woods and farm fields. A large force of light dragoons were on their left, supported by German jaegers and grenadiers. Their right was Grey's brigade of Scottish Highlanders and line infantry, while their center conisted of Agnew's brigade of infantry (including the crack 33rd Regiment of Foot) and most of the column's artillery reserve--some six pounders and two section of heavy twelve-pounder guns.

The Americans refused their left, screening their Corps of Light Infantry with several small regiments of horse. Their center held a coniderable force of infantry and artillery, while their right was heavily weighted with Maryland and Virginia troops as well as the stalwart Delaware Regiment and Congress's Own, the Canadian Regiment.

The American right advanced rapidly, inflicting some losses on the jaegers and pressing them back on their supports. The American overran a section of light three-pounder guns that had been run forward to cannister them, and as they pressed their attack they broke through the front line of Agnew's brigade and forced it back, driving into the second line which had been redeploying. Agnew pulled his other regiments into place to cover the reorganisation of his line.

The American center chose to move only lsowly forward, leavign their right isolated and giving the British time to redistribute their forces. The British right began pinching in, and as the Americans laucnhed theu cavalry intot he center of the British line, the British right flank began turning in to threaten the American left.

The Continental cavalry was able to chase away the artillerists manning the main British battery, which had been doing much execution in the advancing American ranks, but they were not able to exploit the gap they had created. Withdrawing, they wer savaged by fire from the British infantry and eventually retired from the field.

Taking advantage of the lack of support given to the American right by its centre, the British had launched their light dragoons against the Americans' flank, and they were quite successful, driving back first one American brigade and then another. With their right flank crumbling and their centre only slowly getting into position, the Americans decided to begin preparations for a retreat, leaving the field to the British.

Two of our four players were just learning the rules that day, but we played a quite large game to a conclusion in something like 4-5 hours.