These battles involve Europeans/Colonists on one or both sides. This article extends only during the Colonial period of eastern North America. Later articles will cover the western North American area as well as later eras and even additional scenarios for the Colonial era

FIRST SHOTS

Florida 1500-1600s. Numerous skirmishes occurred between small Spanish patrols/expeditions and the Florida Timuca nations. These engagments can range from 10-300 men per side with the Timucas outnumbering the Spanish and initiating the ambush. Spanish can have guides.

Florida. 1500-1600s. Civil Wars occurred between Christian and Non-Christian Factions of a tribe. The Spanish would ally with the Christians. Skirmishes and town attacks can be created.

Mabila, Alabama. 1540. One of several battles fought by DeSoto's Expedition. DeSoto's Spanish (350 foot and Mounted) troops defending an occupied Native (Muskogee or Choctaw) town are attacked by between 3000 and 6000 warriors under Tuskaloosa.

Lake Champlaign. Monteganais (30) + Huron (30) + French (3) vs Mohawk (80). The initial French volley kills several Mohawk sachem. The Mohawks failed to rally. What if they had?

PEQUOT WARS

BLOCK ISLAND. 1636. A Connecticut militia force raids Niantic villages followed by raids on Pequot villages.

WETHERSFIELD, Conn. 1637. A Pequot warparty of 200 men under Sassacus attacked to town of Wethersfield and its outlying farms. Colonist (*75?)

MYSTIC. 1637. An English expedition under Cpt Mason destroyed the main Pequot town of Mystic. The English force consisted of 90 English militia + 70 Mohegan (pro-English Pequots) under Uncas + 200 Narragansett under Miontonimo. There were 700 Pequot present but only 50-60 warriors. The main warparty of 300 warriors under Sassacus was out searching for the expedition. The English burned the town and departed by boat. Their allies had to retreat overland before the pursuing Pequots. Less than half of the Mohegans and Narragansett returned home. Still the Pequots split their forces after the battle to attempt to escape the area.

Gamers: Several skirmish scenarios can be re-created. Also what if the Pequot warparty had been in the town. The idea offers a good set battle scenario.

SASQUA. July 1637. Sassacus and a following of 200 warriors with another 200 women and children are caught by an English search party of 160 militia + 20-30 Mohegan scouts. It resulted in a series of sharp skirmishes with the hunted group.

KING PHILLIP'S WAR

HADLEY 1675. Pocumtuc warriors (700) under Sancumachus defeat an English militia.

GREAT SWAMP Fight. Dec 1675-Jan 1676. An English expedition of 1000 men + 150 Mohegan attack the main Narragansett fortified town in a swamp near Kingston R.I. It was defended by 800 warriors under Canonchet. The Narragansett lost the town but most its inhabitants escaped into the swamp.

NORTHFIELD Raid. March 1676. A force of Narragansett + Pocumtuc warriors attack the English at Northfield.

CANONCHET'S Revenge. March 1676. 100 Narragansett under Canonchet ambush 150 ? English militia under Cpt Wadsworth. A later ambush against another English militia column killed 70 men. The English force would also contain a few Mohegan scouts.

TURNER FALLS. May 1676. English force defeats a Pocumtuc force. 400+ Pocumtuc warriors were KIA including its sacheum, Sancumachus.

LONG CANES & BROAD RIVER. 1760-61. Tsalagi vs English. These were Tsalagi victories.

AMERICAN REVOLUTION

ORISANY CREEK in New York. Aug 6 1777 During Burgoyne's Expedition, St Leger's force was sieging Fort Stanwyx. A Patriot relief force under Gen Herkimer was ambushed a few miles short at Oriskany Creek. About 400 troops including Iroquois under Brant were sent to set the ambush. The trap was sprung early which allowed some Patriot units (200), in the rear to retire intact. The bulk of the Patriot force held a surrounded position. After a thunderstorm the Indians seeing that the Patriots had fortified their position withdrew. The Loyalist continued to engage in bitter fighting for several hours until they too retreated. It is reported that the Patriots had half of their men engaged either killed or wounded. Forces. Loyalist = 400 Iroquois under Brant + 100 Tories; Patriot under Herkimer = 800 men + 40 Oneida braves.

MINISINK FORD, New Jersey. July 21 1779 The Patriot militia (120) from Goshen was chasing Brant's command of 60 Mohawks and 27 Tories. The militia was ambushed and destroyed by the Loyalist.

WYOMING VALLEY, Pennsylvania. July 3 1778 Though classified as a massacre by the Patriot Press. It was in fact a standard battle with the Iroquois giving no quarter. No non-combatants were killed during the battle. It was a classic situation where an area was divided in loyalties.Each side had built a fort at one end of the valley. Both sides left their respective forts to meet in open battle. The Patriots initiated the battle and were very close to the Loyalist fort before the battle started. The extreme distance from the safety of their own fort resulted in an extreme number of Patriot casualties after their lines broke. Forces. Loyalist = 120 Butlers Rangers under Maj. J. Butler (CnC) + 120 Johnson's Royal Greens + 350 Senecas under Chief Gein-gwatoh + 100 other Iroquois. Patriots = 60 regulars under Cpt Hewett + 300 militia under Col Z. Butler (CnC) and Col Denison. Historical deployment had the Rangers on the Left facing Butler's militia, the Greens facing Hewetts Regulars in the center and the Iroquois facing Denison's militia on the right.

CHERRY VALLEY, New York Nov 11 1778 A rare raid involving a combined war party of the Seneca and Mohawks plus a detachment of Butler's Rangers. The force was commanded by Cpt Walter Butler, his first command, and supported by John Brant. Brant did not want to go and the tories in his force refused to serve under Cpt Butler. The Mohawks also refused to go unless Brant went. In order to ensure protection for Mohawk towns Brant relented and accompanied the force. The objective was to destroy Fort Alden which was garrisoned by (400-British reports or 250- Patriot reports) Patriot soldiers. These troops, with almost every officer caught outside the fort, refused to leave the fort and protect the settlement. Forces. Patriot = 250-400 regulars/volunteers in fort + 30-50 settlers in the town. Loyalist = 100 Butler's Rangers + 100 Mohawks + 500 Senecas

CHEMUNG VALLEY, New York. 1779 In retaliation for the Wyoming Valley and Cherry Valley raids, a large Patriot force under Gen. Sullivan planned to knock the Iroquois out of the war by destroying their towns and crops. Note: Most of the burned towns would belong to the Seneca nation, the main participants in the above raids.. The main battle occurred at a ford which was the main route into Iroquois country. The Loyalist and Indians fortified the ridge that overlooked the ford but were vastly outnumbered. The patriots crossed at several points and tried to encircle the defenders.

The Tories retired early upon seeing the danger of encirclement. The Iroquois stayed as long as possible and was barely able to retreat through the swamps. After the battle, the Sullivan expedition continued its pillaging of Iroquois towns with only a few minor skirmishes. (I was surprised that so few Iroquois could be raised to defend their homes from invasion. This seems to destroy the myth of hordes of warriors attacking settlements.)

Forces. Loyalist = 315 Tories under Col J. Butler, 200 Butler's Rangers, 100 Royal Green, 15 from the 8th Foot + 500 (some as high as 1000) Iroquois under Brant.

Patriot under Sullivan = Maxwell's NJ Brigade of 1400: 1st NJ- 351, 2nd NJ-371, 3rd NJ- 353, Spencers Rgt- 319 + Poor's NH Brigade of 1300 : 1st NH- 447, 2nd NH- 332, 3rd NH- 288, 2nd NY- 248 + Hand PA Brigade of 800: 11th PA- 366, German Bn- 372, Schott's Company- 51, other independent troops- 89 + Artillery consisting of 2 x Lgt 6 pdrs, 4 x 3 pdrs, 2 Lgt howitzers. A second column under Gen. James Clinton of 1800 men attacked the Iroquois from a different direction so were not at the battle.

In 1780 a Patriot militia expedition under Campbell- VA (400) + Sevier- NC (300)was conducted to burn pro-Crown Cherokee towns, mainly of the Over-hill and Chickamauga clans. The main skirmish of this expedition occurred at GREAT ISLAND on Dec 16 1780.

SHELBY'S Raid on Chickamauga towns Patriot forces = Col E. Shelby cdr.; 300 Va militia + 200 NC militia. Cherokees under Dragging Canoe ( 200).

MISSISSIPPI RIVER, May 1779 Patriots under A.Williamson (250). Loyalist consisted of Loyal Refugee Co (50) + 100 Chickasaw + 150 Cherokee(Chickamauga) The Loyalist forces contained the Patriot forces at a river landing.

MOBILE, Alabama. 1779 After the Spanish captured Mobile, the Chickasaw surrounded the fort and often attacked Spanish patrols and foraging expeditions. These are generic scenarios. The Spanish are at a site collecting food/water and must return to their boats. Forces. This is a skirmish scenario so each side should range from twenty to fifty men. The Chickasaw should outnumber the Spanish 2 to 1. Board Setup. One board edge is a river/bay. A road will bisect the board. A clearing will be near the other boardedges. Troop Setup. Deploy the Spanish, pack animals optional, at one of the clearings with a 1-5 man detachment guarding the boats. Deploy the Indians randomly on the board. Objective. Spanish are to reach the boats and exit the board.

MOBILE, Alabama. Jan 1781 A determined effort by the British to recapture Mobile. The attempt failed when all of the regular officers were killed and command fell to a timid Tory officer who elected to withdraw.