Winter 1776 and Beyond

The winter months of 1776 will cause the usual slowdown of activity in the northern colonies. During this time the British should ship their victorious army towards Philadelphia in preparation for the upcoming offensive into the Middle and New England areas. The main American threat at this time will be that of rebuilding the spirit of revolution in the newly conquered southern areas.

Any Continentals left after winter reduction as well as any stray bands of Militia that were not finished off in the initial campaign should be vigorously pursued. Under no circumstances should a large body of men be shipped northward if it would mean leaving any Americans free to molest the British garrisons and thereby open up this theater again.

The key to maintaining the security of a completely dominated south is to control the narrowest part of the usable playing surface, the nine hex wide corridor running from Baltimore to the western edge of the board. Any American drives must pass through this area and all of them should be met with strength somewhere in the Tuscarora mountain region. Philadelphia is a key position and one that the British should be able to hold quite securely from turn three on.

And when British strength begins to concentrate in Pennsylvania for the final campaign of the war, the Americans must accept not only a narrow battlefield but large numbers of Regulars as well if they want to make a push back into the south.

Of course the river force out of Quebec can always be committed at this time. The safest move it can make is in the Ft. Stanwix area, as it will be close to both supplies and reinforcements from that position. However, Montreal and Quebec should not be left lightly guarded and open to an easy takeover by Rebel forces.

Winter, then, will be a time of "tidying up" for the British; a time to consolidate conquered territory and to assemble all available forces for the decisive campaign of the war. If all has gone well up to this point, half of the colonies will be firmly in British hands and the stage will be set for the conquest of the other half.

Conclusion

This concludes the Southern Strategy, a one year campaign to put the entire southern half of the mapboard under British control. Primarily a campaign for a specific season, an opening if you wish, this discussion of the Southern Strategy has concentrated upon the first year of the war.

A detailed discussion of the years beyond 1776 and the campaigns in the northern areas of the board rightly belong to another article. But a cursory glance at the situation resulting from a successful southern campaign shows that the British commander is left with a rather straightforward set of choices. After the Regular army has come back from the south a march on New York can be planned. Care must be taken to insure that this move does not get outflanked, allowing a Continental Army to slip back through Pennsylvania. Wyoming and Fort Stanwix should be taken first to forge a strong line across the Middle States.

This accomplished, the march through New Jersey and into New York can be executed. After the fall of New York, Regulars on land should concentrate on Albany and Ticonderoga while the Navy makes landings along the New England coast. Once all resistance is pushed east of the Hudson River/Lake Champlain line, the defeat of the Rebel Army will be assured.

In closing, I should say that the Southern Strategy follows nothing more than the basic military principle of applying maximum force against an enemies weakest point. It is in the south that the Rebel forces are weakest and it is there that British strength can have the greatest effect.

More 1776 Strategy

1776 Strategy: Introduction
1776 Strategy: 1775
1776 Strategy: Winter 1776 and Beyond