I was introduced to the wargame miniatures campaign game by two of the more veteran members of our loosely organized wargaming confereracy when they informed me that I was to assume the personna of the British commander major.General Charles, Earl Cornwallis, to be in command of all British troops in the Southern colonies, and would subsequently be given my orders to insure that the rebellious colonies would return to Crown rule. Another of our group, Carmen Izzo, was to be Major General Nathaniel Greene, Continental Army commander in the South, with orders to avoid my victory conditions by keeping the British army contained in the port cities while awaiting reinforcements under Lafayette to arrive from Virginia.
The idea of a campaign game was novel to us but we immediately realized just how incredibly thrilling it would be. The possibilities were almost endless. Using the Avalon Hill boardgame 1776, we moved counters along the half of the board representing the southern colonies, and the counters themselves represented actual units of figures available to us. A battle would be fought whenever the counters of opposing sides entered the same hex and one side did not immediately withdraw or could not withdraw because of lack of movement points. Each side was given a number of supply units with which to support combat. One supply was considered "used up" if an engagement involving twenty-five or more figures on a side occurred. Forces of less than twenty-five figures could fight unsupplied with no negative effects, but if a larger force was forced to fight unsupplied, the morale of the troops would be lowered by one grade. Those units having the lowest morale grade of "P", tndians and raw militia, would be reduced to a morale grade of "G" and thus rendered non-combatant.
The rules used in the game were the much amended "MINUTEMAN" rules by Scotty Bowden, and the 25mm. figures were a mixture of American War of Independence lines from Hinchcliffe, Minifig, Jack Scruby, and several lesser known manufacturers.
British Orders
My orders as British commander read as follows: "Lord Cornwallis, I leave in your hands the fate of the southern colonies. New England is now lost but we still hold New York City and if yeecan drive the Whigs (political term for the Rebels who opposed the King), out of the south we can ruin their economy. We must control all of South Carolina, yet Virginia is the 'Plum' of the South so I am sending General Arnold to aid thee. Sir Henry Clinton"
Both commanders were supplied with a list of supply centers that were controlled by one side or the other at the start of the campaign. Every three months we were to receive one supply at a supply center under our control based on a percentage of a die roll. The supply centers were: 1. Savannah (British controlled), 2. Charleston .(British), 3. Georgetown, 4. Wilmington, 5. Norfolk (British), 6. Richmond (American controlled), 7. Camden (American), 8. Augusta (American), 9. Hillsboro, 10. Alexandria. As can be seen, both sides controlled three supply centers at game start and four centers were unoccupied. See map for location of these centers.
British units that began their turn in a port could move to any other friendly port that turn and that was their full movement for that turn. This simulated British control of the sea. I was given three transport vessels to move my troops by sea if 1 wished, but I never knew if French intervention would play a part in this game or not (they didn't, no French were in the game), and as a result had to be very careful about subjecting my vulnerable transport fleet to a possible French naval attack.
The inflicting and receiving of casualties were made more realistic in this campaign game in that all kills in battle remained gone (i.e.,dead), but routed.units could be rallied and be ready for combat in future battles. Runaways were brought back for a future engagement at 50% strength plus a percentage. The commander rolls a pair of twenty-sided percentage dice and the total is the percent of the routed troops over fifty percent that will return.
EXAMPLE: If a militia unit of five figures (100 men/flakes) engaged in combat and failed a morale test with orders to ROUT, at the conclusion of the battle fifty men would be returned to service automatically, with a possibility of another one to fifty also returning depending on the die roll. If the commander rolled the two percentage dice and came up with a total of 50%, twenty-five more men of that militia unit would rejoin their comrades giving the unit a strength of four figures (75 men/flakes).
This indeed was almost the essence of the campaign game. In normal one-game battles one has the inclination to fight on to the last figure with regard to no one. In actual war commanders are plagued with responsibilities to their military superiors, politicians, civilians, economics, religions, etc. With the idea of securing a campaign objective (i.e. for me securing the Southern Colonies), winning or losing one battle may not always be that important. withdrawing, or indeed retreating, to save one's forces to fight the enemy another day or at another place sometimes is more desirable that fighting engagement which, due to losses sustained, will result in being Phyrric. As a commander, one suddenly becomes aware not only of tabletop glories won by valiant charges or flanking movements, but of the "BIG PICTURE", the overview of what not only one army or one battle, but of the culmination of the entire endeavor to secure the campaign's objectives and win total victory.
Historically, the British forces in the South, despite the victories they won against their numeri- cally greater Rebel foes, so reduced their forces through sustained combat that their armies became unable to garrison what they had won due to sheer lack of effectiveness.
Thus, the campaign game introduced these conditions which, in addition to tactical movements, had to be kept in consideration: supplies, garrisoning captured supply centers, possible reinforcements, both mine and the enemy's, seapower, and making certain that the casualties I sustained did not effect the enforcement of my overall strategy.
Although I was to remain the British commander and Carmen to remain the American commander throughout the campaign, our subordinate commanders changed from week to week and from battle to battle. Thus one week the commander of my right flank might the next week be the commander of the enemy artillery. Messrs. Kruivial, Grider, Daney and Rakowski performed admirably on both sides, but it was disconcerting to have someone who was responsible for slaughtering the British Light Infantry the previous week's battle to today be commanding the Grenadier Battalion. We found this practice to be undesirable and decided that in future campaign games the various players would remain on one side or the other throughout the campaign until its conclusion.
Carmen Izzo and I began our maneuvering the counter on the 1776 boardgame and the British secured eight of the possible ten supply centers almost immediately. The historic time reference was at beginning March 1778 and in actuality April 1982.
A force of the Queen's Rangers and Indians assaulted Georgetown only to find it defended by a Rebel "decoy" counter. It was nevertheless garrisoned by a British force. Cornwallis was hot on the trail of a Yankee force south of Camden while Arnold and Tarleton drove south through North Carolina towards Hillsbough from Virginia. These were the columns that secured so many of the British objectives so quickly in the game. It only made military sense to secure these supply centers as quickly as possible, not only to gain supplies for British forces, but also to deny the Rebels supplies.
The first engagement of the campaign occured in Augusta, Georgia when the combined armies of Greene and Morgan eluded Cornwallis and struck the all German garrison with overwhelming forces. The outnumbered Germans put up a marvelous defense and even annihilated the command of "The Swamp Fox" Francis Marion with a howitzer shot that destroyed a building that the unit had occupied. The battle was fought in two parts on two separate evenings, myself and Mark Daney defending Augusta against Izzo, Grider and Kurivial, the latter two being wargame veterans of over a decade's experience each. The conclusion of the second part of the battle was inevitable and the Rebels swarmed into Augusta and almost destroyed the entire German force. Two guns, a howitzer and a three pounder were lost to the Americans, but the Germans had fought well and the routed troops were regouped by some high numbered die rolls and returned to Savannah for a much needed respite. German battle honours went to the Converged German Grenadiers who survived two bayonet attacks from both flank and rear by the Rebels. The next turn after the battle, the Black Watch (42nd Foot Royal Highland regiment) and the 4th Foot (King's Own) occupied Camden and Johnson's Greens moved towards the unoccupied town of Wilmington.
Undaunted by the defeat at Augusta, the British forces under Earl Cornwallis appeared before the city and engaged the enemy. The artillery and Ist Light Infantry Battalion on the left flank (under Kuriviali did well against Green, the 2nd Light Infantry on the right flank, under my personal command, was routed with severe loss from the withering fire from the Rebels hidden in the swamp and the massed artillery battery fire directed on us. The continuance of the battle would have been fruitless and both sides' commanders agreed to a cessation of hostilities. The Rebels had six batteries to the British three, and the lack of Rangers or Indians to infiltrate the large swamps on either flank made an assault out of the question. The British command wrote it off as a somewhat unsuccessful reconnaissance-in-force. Thus ended the BATTLE OF SECOND AUGUSTA, the second setback to British arms in as many engagements.
***Hillsborough, May 1778***
The cause of the restoration of Crown authority was getting desperate in the South and it was with this in mind that His Majesty's Forces assaulted the Rebel-held town of Hillsborough. The British strike force was commanded by two of the most audacious and enterprising commanders seen in this conflict: Brigadier General Benedict Arnold (now in British service) and the redoubtable cavalryman Lt. Colonel Banastre Tarelton. The town was defended by the Marquis de Lafayette with an unknown force of Rebels and two guns. The small British strike force assaulted the town from east and west with a vengeful fury, the 7th Royal Fusiliers and the lst/71st Highlanders coming into contact with the enemy immediately. On the eastern side of town the British Legion and Butler's Rangers under Tarleton advanced against the Rebels attempting to stop them, but the,main action was on the western flank.
British forces finally fought their way into Hillsborough and "The Boy" (as Cornwallis termed him) Lafayette accepted the generous terms offered to him. The Rebels withdrew from the town and left the works and a howitzer in possession of the victorious British troops. Augusta was avenged, God save the King. A happy day for Britons. Especially mentioned in the dispatches was the 2nd troop of the 17th Light Dragoons whose daring charge against the Rebel howitzer battery routed the gunners from the fieldpieces and decided the day against the Americans. Hillsborough was a difficult position for the American commander to defend (see map), but he did not take full advantage of the cover of the woods against the British regulars and also of the protection afforded by the buildings and works in the town itself. By allowing the strength of the British force to engage him immediately and thus becoming unable to break free from their telling volley fire, the American forces were denied their advantage, of both mobility and superior range of rifle fire. Their being pinned allowed then to get flanked and thus forced to defend.on every side.
Since this British strike force was small in number, it was thought better to offer terms and secure the objectives (occupy the town - it was a supply center - and capture an artillery battery to offset the loss of artillery at Augusta) rather than fight on any longer than necessary and risk weakening the force. Hillsborough was immediately garrisoned upon the Rebel withdrawal.
***Georgetown***
Flushed with the success of victory, Arnold and Tarleton pursued the elusive Rebels south from Hillsborough to the vicinity of Camden. The Rebel forces split into several groups and Arnold paused to await supply counters from Virginia (which was totally in British control) and sent Tarleton with his British Legion Horse to raid whatever Rebels he could find. It was also at this time that the Royal Regiment of New York, the Provincial unit better known as "Johnson's Greens" entered WILMINGTON unopposed and thus secured another supply center. Unfortunately while Arnold was waiting for supplies and Tarleton was off chasing scattered Rebel units, the force under Lafayette, which had been reinforced by units from Camden, advanced upon Georgetown, forcing the tiny British garrison to evacuate before them and allowing the Rebels to possess the town. The reader can see the see-saw pattern that the campaign was taking.
Somewhat chagrined, but now resupplied, Arnold advanced again against Lafayette hoping to seal off all routes of escape and destroy the entire Rebel army. The town was ocean on the east and swamps on both north and south. Arnold advanced steadily from the west. The original (British) garrison of two hundred Cherokee Indians approached the town through the swamp from the north-east and remained hidden, while Butler's Rangers opened the battle from the west by routing a force of Rebel militia from a house and then proceeding into the light woods. The game went on for twenty-one turns before it was decided to continue it the following week. The rebel rangers in the light woods on the British left flank put up a stubborn resistance, begrudging Butler's Rangers every centimeter of ground. One British gun was put out of commission by a Rebel howitzer shot, and the first half of the game ended before the British battle line could be completely formed.
As a result our right flank was almost to the city's defensive works while our left was hung up in the light woods.
As can be seen from the map, "Terrain" played an important factor in this battle. The rice field presented no problems to either side but the indigo field limited visibility and no charges were allowed. To an army who depended on the bayonet to solve its problems (we British), and another who utilized rifle fire to its maximum effect (the Rebels), this little area right in the middle of the battlefield presented an immense problem.
The battle resumed the following week with much carnage and the British battle line - a long row of glittering bayonets stretching across the indigo field - was finally formed. Rebel units began to pour out of the city to reinforce their battle- line, but suddenly one of their units on the right flank routed. Unfortunately, so did one of ours, which lead to another and another on both sides. The British Legion Foot and the 1st/71st Highlanders left the field and our entire right wing was gone. Having no reserves to throw in (I discovered too late that my force really wasn't quite large enough to assault a protected Rebel force of this size), it became evident that a withdrawal was in order.
Much to the chagrin of his subordinates, Lafayette and Arnold agreed to end the hostilities and the British force was allowed to exit the field with full battle honours without pursuit. Although the town was not re-taken, British casualties were light and the Rebels were forced to use up another supply.
Back to the "1776" boardgame with more maneuvering and arrival of supplies. I began shifting my artillery from the garrison towns to the main army under Cornwallis across the river from Rebel-held Augusta. I also made use of my transport ships to send supplies from safely held Virginia to Charleston and Savannah and thus to my forces in the field, to make certain that my fighting forces would never be handicapped by a lack of supply. Twenty-one Hessian Grenadiers who had been captured at lst Augusta were returned to Savannah and incorporated into a "converged" grenadier battalion. These had been released by order of Lafayette as one of the "conditions" following the cessation of hostilities following Georgetown.
Having failed to take Georgetown, and reluctant to attempt another assault on that town because of the difficulty of terrain, British forces, now well supplied, turned their intention upon Cambden in north central South Carolina. Cambden had been occupied by the Rebels quite early in the campaign when they occupied it in force, causing the Black Watch and the 4th Foot to abandon it. As a result, the town was protected with a mass array of works, forts, and every device of defense that would benefit the defender.
The battle began with the Rebel force in battle formation blocking the road to the town. The British Indians located the hidden Rebel units in the woods on both flanks and these Rebels were then engaged by several Loyalist Ranger units. The British Legion horse narrowly escaped being driven from the field by a bold Rebel combination assault and cannon fire, but no other British units were threatened.
The two Rebel guns had their crews routed or shot away, and the effective fire of the Royal Artillery caused a series of multiple rout checks which decided the battle in favor of the British. A consultation with the Rebel commander resulted in the British possession of the town of Camden, the works, the two captured guns, and three Rebel units which, upon being surrounded and cut off, surrendered. These units were the lst S.C. and the two units of backwoodsmen. A glorious victory for H.M. Forces!
While the good news of Arnold's and Tarleton's success at Camden was inspiring, Cornwallis knew that another attempt upon Augusta without the proper number of ordinance and supplies would be foolhardy, so nozttempt was made to cross the Savannah. The Hessian force who had been driven from the city in the very first battle of the campaign was camped just southeast of the city waiting for the moment to assault the town in conjunction with Cornwallis' army. It was this small army that was hit by a brilliant lightning attack from the garrison of Augusta. The German force possessed no artillery, no officers higher than colonel, and considerably fewer troops that the attacking Rebel host, but nevertheless formed a battle line to firefight the oncoming Rebels.
The outnumbered Germans performed admirably, inflicting casualties and forcing Rebel units from the field, until a charge by Regiment von Erb Prinz against Smallwood's Maryland Regiment did not close. (In order to melee the enemy, the charging unit must close, i.e. come into contact.) With the Regiment von Marks heavily set upon by converging Rebel units, the order to withdraw was given. The mounted jaegers fought multiple melees with the enemy to allow their comrades to retreat safely, and 80% of the German forces exited in good order and with no further casualties. Strategically the battle accomplished little except to disburse a threat on the flank of Augusta, and Cornwallis, was still just north of the Savannah River waiting.
THE FINAL BATTLE OF THE CAMPAIGN - THIRD AUGUSTA
Nonplussed by the German defeat at what came to be called the Battle of One Hex (on the 1776 board the battle was fought just one hex southeast of Augusta), Cornwallis gathered his supplies and ordered Arnold and Tarleton to join forces with his army in the attack on Augusta. Both sides realized that this coming battle would be Armegeddon and would decide the fate of the American War of independence. Possession of Augusta was the final and key condition for total victory for both sides, and both were determined that the other should not prevail.
The battle was fought on two separate evenings - June 24 and June 29, 1982 - with the final lineup being: BRITISH, Corbett (Cornwallis), Kurivial (Arnold), Grider (Tarleton) versus the AMERICANS, Izzo (Greene), Rakowski (Morgan) and Daney (Lafayette).
Hostilities commenced with Tarleton with his Legion and Butlet's Rangers advancing through the swamps on the right flank while Arnold took position on the left flank and massed nine batteries of artillery in the center. Incredible luck of the worst type was the British fate and the Rebels silenced eight out of the nine batteries with their superior shooting! The Light Infantry Battalion was routed off the field and the 16th Light Dragoons cut to pieces. An inauspicious debut for British forces in this battle.
Finally the British regained the good graces of Mars and several Rebel units began to rout and effectseveral of their guns, reducing the rate of their murderous fire. These routs however were not decisive and the Rebels were shortly reorganized.
Tarleton right flank could not cross the Savannah River without courting disaster, as the southern bank of the river was lined with a mass of Continental units. Repulsed on the left and frustrated on the right flank, Cornwallis had no other choice than to order a frontal assault. The 3rd, 4th, 53rd and 33rd Regiments of foot advanced across the open field toward the city of Augusta as the Rebel gunners raked them unmercifully. The 53rd Foot, hit by three artillery batteries, routed but the valiant 33rd withstood a series of both battery fire and morale checks and continued to advance. The 2nd Guards Battalion was ordered to advance from its position behind the crewless British guns and the evening's battle came to a halt.
The second stage of Third Augusta began with the advance of the 3rd Foot "THE BUFFS" crossing the right flank bridge and forcing their way into the town. Once inside the town they stormed down the streets in skirmish order and poured a decimating fire onto the Rebel gun crews. The Rebels, however, were quick to react to this threat and came from all directions to punish the Buffs for their audacity. The Buffs almost instantly lost over half of their numbers from concentrated artillery and volley fire and were routed out of the city and did not rally until they had passed through the Guards. General Cornwallis himself came to the front lines to rally the Buffs, who then numbered only 32 men out of an original pre-assault total of 400 effectives. Knowing that the eyes of their commander were on them, the 2nd Guards rushed across the bridge, up the redoubt, and established themselves in the city. on the left flank, the 33rd Foot rushed to assist General Arnold and crossed the bridge on that flank and occupied a house abandoned by the Rebels.
The elite companies of the 33rd, the grenadier and light infantry, blasted a Rebel gun crew and caused a series of morale checks before being themselves overwhelmed and captured. Thus at this stage of the battle, British forces had force both bridges and had established two footholds in the city.
Back on the right flank the Guards fought a number of bayonet charges and, with Earl Cornwallis in personal command, meleed Smallwood's Maryland 'Regiment and caused them to rout, which in turn caused a chain reaction of routs which spread to the other Rebel units like the pox, causing more and more units to check, until the valiant Rebel defenders saw that further resistance was useless. Thus ended not only the Battle of Third Augusta, but also the fight to keep the South loyal to the Crown. The might of the rebellion had met its match against the cold steel and iron discipline of the British and Loyal American warriors. God save the King!
THE RESULT OF THIS CAMPAIGN GAME ON OUR WARGAMING
Whatever novice entered this game certainly became veteran as a result of it. The constant series of battles often fought with the same units over the same terrain made all of us sharpen our strategical and tactical skills in battle and made us expert in the rules. Certain problems arose which were not covered in the rules and we took it upon ourselves to decide what should be done about them.
Some of what we decided as a result of having played this campaign game are: (1) No volley fire could be issued from buildings; skirmisher fire only. (2) Howitzer fire would be restricted to line- of-sight. (3) Fire while crossing rivers would be a game condition. (4) Skirmishers (Rangers and Indians only), but only as entire units. No detaching of a single company from the parent body to charge the enemy. (5) A charging unit that breaks or routs a defending unit follows the fleeing defender to the full extent of the charger's movement distance.
POSTSCRIPT
With the loss of the Southern Colonies, the American War of Independence slowly came to an end. Washington's Continentals began deserting in droves until only a skeleton force of diehard Rebels were left. The civilian population, weary of years of war, refused to serve as militia and longed to return to the prewar prosperity of British rule. Former Rebels who had borne arms against the Crown were granted pardons, and when Washington finally surrendered what was left of his army to General Clinton in New York City, he was sent to London for an interview with the King and granted a Royal Pardon and made Royal Governor of Virginia. Benedict Arnold was promoted to Lt. General and granted the title of Earl of Vermont and New Hampshire, while Benjamin Franklin, who had secretly been the King's agent, was created the Duke of Lancaster (Pennsylvania, that is). John Hancock was hanged along with Samuel Adams on Boston Common to the tumultuous cheers of the populace. Thomas Paine escaped to France along with Lafayette, and Patrick Henry was reported to have taken residence in one of the Spanish colonies. Thus the American War of Independence became one of Britain's "Little Wars" and has enjoyed popularity with wargamers on both sides of the Atlantic ever since.
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© Copyright 1982 Hal Thinglum
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