This week's action....2nd Battle of Oriskany variant

This week’s Thursday evening game was not played at the SESWC but was played in Hugh Wilson’s new Wargames room.

It was a 28mm Black Powder game based on the Mohawk Valley campaign of 1777. It was a hypothetical game - 2^nd Battle of Oriskany - based on the British actually resisting the 2^nd relief expedition under Benedict Arnold.

I devised the scenario and Dave O’Brien and I provided the figures from our AWI collections. Colin Jack and Hugh commanded the British Army whilst Dave, Kevan Gunn and I commanded the Patriots. I added 2 units of Hessians and a unit of British regulars to bolster the British force.

The British deployed with the Indians and Butler’s Rangers thrown forward, their 4 formed units holding the line of a stream whilst the Jaegers and Canadians screened Fort Stanwyx.　　

View from Fort Stanwyx end of table

The patriots advanced with the Tryon Brigade on the track and the volunteer militia supported by the Continentals sweeping thru the woods. Butler’s Rangers broke almost immediately and fled leaving the Indians to engage the militia. In a long running battle the Indians were steadily driven back. A Hessian battalion which crossed the stream and charged the continentals in support of the Indians broke and ran before getting into hand to hand combat. Following this the last Indian units dispersed.
 

Militia engaging the Six Nation's warriors

The battle developed into a protracted fire fight between the British formed units and eventually the 6 remaining formed Patriot units. The 2^nd Hessian battalion also fled at it’s first break test and with this the British commanders decided to call it a day and retire towards Oswego. Highlights of the game were the bravery of the wavering Tryon militia, the shooting of the Canadians who saved the Loyalists from a flank charge and the consistency of the Hessian’s who both broke! Must be that Hessian’s are simply not used to forest fighting. 



Patriot's massing against main British line

We used some adaptations of the rules to suit the terrain.  Skirmishers could move thru forest at full speed, formed troops moved thru the forest at half speed and the forest counted as clear terrain for shooting.  This last change meant that skirmishers still had an advantage in woods.  All troops in woods still recieved a +1 morale save to shooting.  we also enhanced the effectiveness of Indians allowing them to charge troops in flank and rear and any shaken troops frontally.

I think BP works well for AWI but we have not yet played a single game where the British have won!

The order of battle used is shown below.  The 20 figure units were standard BP units, any unit with 12 or 16 figures was treated as a small unit.

American OB
CinC Brigadier General Benedict Arnold 8
1^st Brigade The Tryon County Militia

Mohawk coy                 16 figs
German Flats coy          16 figs
Palatine coy                   16 figs
Oneida Indians              12 figs

2^nd Brigade Volunteer Militia
Dayton coy                   20 figs
Albany coy coy             20 figs
New Jersey coy            20 figs
Kinglands Militia Skirmishers 12 figs

3^rd Brigade Volunteer Continentals
1^st New York Regt     20 figs
2^nd New York Regt    20 figs
Vermont Rifles            12 figs

Fort Stanwyx Garrison
2^nd Canadian Congress’ Own Regt 20 figs
Artillery Gun & crew

British forceCinC
Brigadier General Barry St Leger 8

1^st Brigade Col Sir John Johnson
Johnsons Royal NY Regt 20 figs
34^th Foot                        20 Figs
Hessian Fus Btn              20 Figs
Hessian Fus Btn              20 Figs
Butlers Rangers               12 figs

2nd Brigade Col John Butler - In works before Fort Stanwyx
Hesse Hanau Jaegers     12 figs
Canadians                      12 figs
Siege train 1 gun and crew

3^rd Brigade Joseph Brant
Six Nations Indians       12 figs
Six Nations Indians       12 figs
Six Nations Indians       12 figs
Six Nations Indians       12 figs