"It's the Supply Situation, Stupid."

The Third and Final Act
in the Civil War
between Prince John and Queen Polivka

Campaign Journal: November and December 1649

by Chris J. Hahn

In MWAN 114, Hal was kind enough to publish my revision of "For God, Queen and Country." This was a set of rules originally developed for the conduct of a solocampaign / Civil War in England during the middle of the 17th century.

Hal was also kind enough to publish pages from the journal kept while this, the 2nd Civil War, "raged" throughout my fictional England in subsequent issues. (Please see MWAN 115 and 116, respectively.)

The Civil War between the rebel forces of Prince John; to include the Scots and some French for good measure, and those forces loyal to Queen Polivka is now history. I trust that the reader will enjoy this, the third, final and most brief installment from the pages of my solo-campaign journal.

November 1649

During the first month of Winter in this, the Second Civil War, the weather was as varied as the nationalities and religious beliefs of the combatants. Snow fell in parts of Scotland, in Sussex and The Lowlands. Rain fell in other parts of Scotland and more heavily in districts of The Western Confederation. The weather in Eastershire and the lands of the Southern Association was cold, but clear. Oddly enough, in the province of Northumberland, the weather was rather mild and clear.

The political status of The Lowlands and of the Southern Association remained unchanged. That is to review, these provinces were allied with Prince John and his cause. They had declared about mid-Summer, but the added weight of their force did not secure the issue for the Prince. Northumberland had elected to back the Queen (a kind of default as the Scots had trespassed prematurely), but was far removed from operations and so, essentially cut off and then overwhelmed by a "tidal wave" of Scots. A portion of their military forces did escape and make their way to the camp of Lord Otto.

Speaking of Lord Otto, in this first month of the Winter season, the usually feisty and fiery commander concentrated his efforts on changing the hearts and minds of the magistrates and ranking military officers of the Southern Association. This effort (ultimately in vain) would include an invitation to the lavish banquets and celebration marking the Festival of Thanks. In retrospect, this attempt was perhaps a little foolish on the part of Lord Otto, for his talent lay on the field of honor and not in "smoke-filled rooms." It was called foolish by some as it was the start of a long Winter season and the question of supply loomed large.

While the question of supply loomed large in this month of November, all of the standing armies and garrisons were deemed to be "in supply." The sole exception here, being the forces under General Featherstone. His Lowland forces had lost nearly all of their home districts in the previous season, and though they did have control of a couple of enemy districts, the supply points "awarded" for such were not enough to feed and pay his troops. The General's problems were compounded by a poor roll on the Incident Table. At the same time that Lord Otto was wining and dining members of the Southern Association, brigands were wrecking some havoc among the scattered encampments of General Featherstone. Even with these attacks, alarms and the poor supply situation, the Lowland forces were in fine spirit. So much so in fact, that they welcomed the chance to carry the war further into the province of Eastershire. Following minimal preparations (there was little in the way of a baggage train to organize), the General advanced against the small Eastershire force under Morefield.

The Scottish Third Army "suffered" from a similar situation. That is to remark that while they were well supplied (the Scots had a fair number of points in depots), the Incident Table was not kind. Rations and arms they did have; money for pay, they did not. Due to an administrative blunder, the pay chest was routed to forces in Northumberland. And so, the Scots, impressive for two seasons of campaigning were brought to a standstill by the lack of compensation and not by any army the Queen and her allies could field. It would be December before the situation was resolved. The Scottish Third Army had lost 30 days.

The French Garrison would lose control of the Sussex district they had held for more than three months. General Woolley marched his army northeast into this district and secured it without firing a shot. The French, very much outnumbered, abandoned the depot, carrying what they could and put a torch to the rest.

For want of Supply, a Battle was lost ...

While a future military commander would argue that "morale is to physical as three is to one," the excellent spirits of Featherstone's soldiers could not make up for privation nor could they help to secure the field from Morefield's veteran infantry.

On a grey, cold morning in late November, the depleted forces of these two commanders met in battle. Per the supply rules (6.3.3.1 and 6.3.3.2 respectively), Featherstone's force was reduced by 12 BP. By these same rules, the command of Morefield "lost" 10 BP. Even with these substantial reductions, both forces were roughly equal: Featherstone taking the field with 11 BP of infantry and 4 BP of horse. (He had disabled and then abandoned his artillery two days before the battle.) Morefield defended this district of Eastershire with 13 BP of infantry (all veterans) and 5 BP of cavalry.

The engagement was brief and straightforward. Infantry engaged infantry while the mounted element of both sides were held in reserve. Two attempts to break the center of Morefield's line were repulsed. Having lost nearly half of his men (5 BP in casualties), Featherstone ordered a withdrawal. In terms of Victory Points, the Royalists gained 19 to zero for the Rebels. There was no pursuit by the Royalist cavalry. The victorious foot however, were quick to scavenge what little they could find among the dead, wounded and prisoners.

By mid-afternoon, Featherstone and his remaining men were 10 miles away from the field. By mid-afternoon, Morefield's men were already back in camp, warmed by the company fires but still without much in the way of rations.

November then, was colder for the Rebels than it was for the Royalists. However, the supply situations being what they were, both sides sensed as well as feared that "things" would be a lot colder during the next three months.

December 1649

Cold weather was the norm (as one might well expect for Winter) throughout the land in the month of December. Freezing temperatures circulated in part of Scotland, Northumberland, Sussex and in the principle province of the Royalist cause, Eastershire. Snow fell in The Lowlands as well as in the districts of the Southern Association. A front of extremely cold weather moved through the states making up Western Confederation. Adding to the bleakness of the weather and the general misery resulting from supply shortages; rain fell in the lower districts of Scotland.

While the second month of the Winter season did bring some change (none for the warmer, however) in the weather patterns affecting the island nation split by civil war, the political alliances of the combatants remained the same. In the broadest strokes, Prince John had secured allies in the provinces of The Lowlands and the Southern Association. The influence of the French was also on his side. And, from the very beginning of the war, the Scots were with him. (There were times, though, when they seemed to conduct operations for their own interests.) As a result, the Royalist forces found themselves, after some seven months of marching and battle, in a two-sided box. The Queen was "boxed in" by the Scots to the north, and to the south, by a dual alliance of rebels and French.

The Queen was also beset by supply problems. Combined revenues and reserves did not approach the cost of maintaining both a field army and numerous garrisons. As a result, the garrisons were reduced. This reduction included the recently victorious force of General Morefield. Her field force even felt the "pinch" of the shortage, losing 4 BP from its roster. At the end of the month then, at the end of 1649, districts of Eastershire and of The Lowlands (the Royalists had occupied these in the Fall season) were denuded of troops. A small, hungry garrison was holding in place in the capital of Eastershire, however. The Queen and her army were frozen in place, occupying the capital district of The Lowlands. In spite of this, the morale of her force remained very good.

The morale of the closest opposition, that being Featherstone's command, also remained positive, even if their situation was three times as bad as that facing the Queen. On top of the defeat suffered in November, Featherstone faced the prospect of a negative total in supply. As with the Royalists, Rebel garrisons were eliminated and any negative carry over affected his field army. Or what was now left of it. Despite all of this, his men remained in good spirits.

For the remaining field forces and their associated garrisons, spirits were also generally good. To be sure, none of the other standing armies faced as dire a supply situation as did the Queen and General Featherstone. To be sure, they might feel more of the aforementioned "pinch" in January of the New Year. As for their status come February of 1650, well, only time would tell.

The Battle Won ...

In mid-December, Brigadier General Woolley advanced into the home district furthest from the capital. His intent was to wrest this territory from the Scots. An attempt against the main Scottish army was considered, but the risk was deemed too great. It was agreed that attacking a smaller force was better.

The Scots, under High Constable Wallace, were indeed fewer in number. In this camp, there were four Highlander warbands (two were at reduced strength, but of veteran status), two foot regiments, a few troops of horse and a battery of light cannon. The French, under Lt. Colonel Montblanc, added two veteran foot regiments. All told, the force numbered 27 BP. Only two of this number were mounted.

Woolley's command numbered 42 BP. Twelve BP were rated as veteran, and nine of the total BP were cavalry. In addition to having the advantage in overall numbers and experience, Woolley also possessed a battery of heavier guns.

The High Constable arrayed his force for battle, electing to keep a fraction within the encampment. Behind makeshift works (wagons, hastily assembled gabions and the like) the two regiments of Scottish foot were positioned. The artillery battery was also stationed here. The center part of the line was formed by the French. In support, Wallace placed what little cavalry he had. The left of his line was taken by the Highlander bands. These irregulars were not entirely exposed, for there was a hill and small wood on this part of the field. The right of their section of the line extended from the French position and the left ended in the woods.

Brigadier General Woolley moved his army into place late in the morning of December 19th, 1649. His plan for battle revolved around engaging the flanks and leaving the center of the Scottish-French line alone. To this end, he placed his battery of guns on the left. The battery was supported by three foot regiments. In the center, the General stationed four regiments of foot to pin the French. The rest of his force - musketeers forward, cavalry in a strong line and another foot regiment in reserve - comprised the right flank.

Time and in some respects, the weather, were on the side of the Royalists this day. The medium guns wrecked havoc among the troops in the encampment. In an hour, several holes had been punched in the make shift works and there were several score infantry no longer standing in the ranks.

As indicated, the main attack took place on the right of the line. The musketeers advanced as a screen to the Royalist horse and fired two volleys into the waiting Highlanders. The fire was true, but the warbands held the now bloody ground. After this brief preparation, the musketeers fell back and three regiments of horse supported by a number of dragoons swept forward.

The nearest French regiment was able to fire into the mass of horsemen as they approached, but the effect was negligible. At the moment of contact too, there appeared to be a negative effect. A few more moments passed and it still seemed as if the Scots were going to hold the Royalist regiments. Then, as the full weight and numbers of the horse reached the stretched line, the Scots broke en masse. Highlanders fled in three directions: left into and through the woods, back as fast as they could run in the snow and right, directly into the ranks of the French infantry.

The Royalist horse gave chase to those routing. A few foolish troopers tried to advanced up the hill and into the edge of the wood, but were sorely rebuffed. Against this improvised defense, Woolley ordered the musketeer "battalions" forward. Several volleys later, the Highlanders were either in full flight or on their backs, no longer seeing the crisp blue of the sky.

As it turned out, Wallace would be among that desperate number. He suffered a mortal wound while attempting to lead his mounted element against the Royalists. His cavalry did, however, slow the tide of the attack and one of the two French regiments was able to retreat in good order to the camp. This bought a little time, but really only served to prolong the agony of the Scottish Third Army.

What cannons were not smashed by effective counter-battery fire were spiked before the white flag was raised over what remained of the Scottish encampment. Colonel McNally, second to the newly departed Wallace, surrendered what was left of three foot regiments to Brigadier General Woolley.

The elimination of one of the Scottish armies had cost Woolley roughly half of his cavalry and 4 BP of his infantry contingent.

The Campaign Lost ...

As intimated in the report for the month of November 1649, the question of the state of supply would be crucial in these months. The campaign rules addressing supply are rather simple. They state that any negative points in supply are "costed" from the BP of the standing army(ies) or garrison(s) of that particular force.

Effective January 1650 then, one saw the "elimination" of the French invasion force as well as Featherstone's remaining units. The army of Sussex, so recently a victor on the battlefield, would lose severely in this fight where no sword was drawn, musket fired or pike leveled. The two other armies making up the Royalist cause would also suffer.

Though his forces still held most of their home districts, Lord Otto's army would "lose" garrisons for lack of enough supply. The Queen, on the other hand, could only watch as her field force was reduced for want of fodder, food and munitions.

In the face of such dire circumstances, the choices facing her majesty were few and not one of them palatable. And so, in the dead of Winter, with her cause and claim similarly dead, Queen Polivka and a small group of her advisors sailed into a selfimposed exile. On receiving this news, an elated Prince John left the company of Lord McMullin. The Scottish commander was only too happy to see him go.

In the matter of Civil Wars, the "score" now stood at 1 to 1. The Prince and Queen were tied. Given the present state of affairs in war-ravaged England, it seems that future conflicts are imminent. For one, there is the problem of the now powerful and proven Scots. They control the province of Northumberland and, with the disbandment of Royalist forces in Sussex, will shortly have secured this province. Fully one-third of the country will be in Scottish hands by the first month of 1650.

Prince John assumes power in something of a vacuum, then. The army of the Western Confederation could have turned from Royalist to Rebel (against the Prince), but Lord Otto, realizing that the greater good was at stake - at least against the estimated designs of the Scots - allied himself with the Prince.

Prince John could appreciate the political shrewdness of the maneuver. His military counsel advised him keep an eye on Lord Otto, however. And so, the untried forces of the Southern Association became the Prince's main army. The rest of Winter and all of Spring would be spent establishing his rule in The Lowlands and in Eastershire. The former province surely to prove easier than the latter.

Concluding Comments

As already stated, the "score" in the contest of wills between Queen and Prince - between mother and disaffected son - stands at one victory each. This Second Civil War took substantially longer than the First War, however. But by most military standards, it was still a very short affair.

From a completely subjective viewpoint, I think the revision of the original rules worked very well. Of course, they could have been better. Is not that the case with every set of home-grown rules? Or is that just the price we gamers pay for being such "purists" and "perfectionists?"

As with the First War in this fictional setting, the end of this Second War provides fertile ground for yet another conflict. For example, I can possibly look forward to battle between the Scots and Prince John for complete control of the island nation. Given the Scottish record for 1649, why would they stop their advance just because the Queen sails away and the Prince takes the throne? Then, there is the question of the French. That is to remark, why would they just sit by and let two armies be "swallowed up" by a conflict across the Channel? But then, more rational heads in their court might prevail; arguing that the evidence plainly shows it is impossible to support a force that is so far removed from the Continent.

Other questions and scenarios follow closely after these two. Queen Polivka might well secure support from yet another nation state (Germany? Spain?) and sail back to reclaim her throne. There might be "intrigue" within the court so newly established by Prince John. Lord Otto himself might make a play for the throne. Finally, separate from any influence by or agreement with the Queen, a power on the Continent might decide that England was ripe for the taking. Again, the names of Germany and Spain spring to mind, though Spain has to be the front-runner here, given its naval strength.

The mention of naval strength brings up one of two noted weaknesses in this version of the solo-campaign. In the fight for power between Prince John and Queen Polivka, naval forces played hardly any role. Each province did have a small navy and the French certainly had sufficient support - for all the good it would do their land-based efforts. Admittedly, the concentration of effort and attention was on the land battles and movement.

Making use of hindsight, however late, it seems to me that the naval aspect might be "worked into" the campaign game move sequence. Naval forces then, would be engaged in offensive and defensive operations. (I cannot see how they would have any role in political machinations.) Extending the hypothetical train of thought, there would be need of simple rules to resolve naval combats. And of course, as with the land forces, there would be a need for some rule(s) to address the supply status of respective naval forces: operating costs for type of vessel, repairs for battle damage, and so forth. Of course, the caveat of any naval expansion or addition is the "complication" of the rules and subsequent "complication" of the paper work involved in monitoring the monthly turns.

It should be apparent to the reader that the Winter season resulted in many complications for the warring sides. Indeed, the lack of sufficient supply resulted in the abdication of the Queen and victory for Prince John. It may also be apparent to the reader that the current version of the rules is too harsh with respect to Winter and the question of supply.

If there is a another conflict to take place on the island nation, I think I will "decree" that absolutely no fighting is allowed during the Winter season. I think too, that I will modify the supply rules (especially those dealing with cost and production) so as to ensure the survival of at least the nucleus of an army from November of one year to February of the next. To be certain, I would not want to revise the supply rules to the point where they were inconsequential. I do think though, that I need to find that elusive point at which there is a balance between action that takes place on the field of honor, and that which transpires at supply depots.

I would greatly appreciate any feedback, comments, and constructive criticism from period enthusiasts and MWAN readers.

Return of Prince John ECW Campaign Rules

Return of Prince John ECW Campaign Rules

Return of Prince John ECW Campaign Rules

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