Situation A force of Royalists comprising Pendrills Regiment of Foot; Colonel David's Regiment of Foot; a squadron of cuirassiers and squadrons of Trumpett's Horse and Blue's Horse with a saker and galloper gun are escorting a wagon train of supplies towards Basing House, coming from the south along Rushmoor Lane. Unknown to them, at Burkham 114 miles away to the north is a Parliamentary force consisting of a large body of horse with the banner "Pinkus Ad Valorem Tibill; another body of cavalry Scrogge's Horse; some Scots infantry; Lord Brooke's Regiment of Foot, a regiment of Fairfax's Foot and a saker and crew. Marching to reinforce them is Greene's Regiment of Foot of the New Model. The Game The Royalists sent out their cavalry to scout ahead, the cuirassers heading the I body behind them. Trumpett's Horse went up Rushmoor Lane and Blue's Horse scouted down a lane be] with old chalk pits to Ashley Farm on the south-east. Just beyond Pittard's Wood Trumpett's Horse into the main body of Parliamentary Horse at the cross roads. The narrow lane echoed to pistol shot and the scrape of steel blades as a melee ensued. This swayed back and forth as both sides sent out separate messages for reinforcements. The main Parliament force, camped in the park of Burkham House became a hive of activity - encouraged by the figure of General Cromwell, no less, his Standard and bodyguard looking on. Meanwhile Blue's Horse had trotted down a parallel lane to Rushmoor Lane towards Powell's Fatroubled by the fact that sounds of the melee were drifting towards them, the action masked by Pittard's Wood. The Royalist saker and galloper gun followed Blue's to Powell's Farm and unlimbered, the fusils lining the stone wall that divided the lane from the farm. Slowly but surely the Royalist Trumpett's were gaining ascendancy over the Parliament Horse. ever, in their rear Lord Brooke's Regiment hurried down the lane from Burkham and Scrogges' Horse leaping their steeds throl and over the hedge landing them in a ploughed section on the east. The Scots allies lined the hedge with muskets pikes and even a few plaided archers. The cornet i/c Blue's Horse squadron set his horse at the broken stone wall before him and w his gentlemen urging their horses behind him swung round the plough and into Scrogge's Horse who had time enough to get into some kind of order to receive their charge! The Royalist cuirassiers lumbered through Bradleywood on the left of Rushmoor Lane and emerge near the ancient earthwork. Luckily for them several rides had been kept open. On debouching from trees they saw a daunting sight. To their left on the cart track leading to Burkham Park stood a of Parliament Foot, on their right another group of pikes and muskets. Before them up the hill, lowering over the wall of the lane that fronted Burkham House was a Parliament saker with supporting fire. The cuirassiers, trusting to their armour, trotted into the infantry on their left on the cart track. They received a galling fire from the muskets and a cannonball carried two men away before they meleed. The sorry outcome saw a lone cuirassier routing back into the wood. The battle saw him no more. Before Powell's Farm the Royalist galloper gun and saker went off in unison, but shooting wide and Lord Brooke's Regiment pressed on down Rushmoor Lane. Blue's Horse hit Scrogges' Horse and a melee ensued. Both sides suffered badly, but Blue's Horse became dismayed and fled back the way had come. Trumpett's Horse, having decimated their opponents now forced their horses through the hedge of Rushmoor Lane and fell on the rear of the Parliament Foot who had helped massacre the cuirassiers This was too much for the infantry who routed from the field. Rather foolishly Trumpett's Horse, "having blood in their eye" went on at the second body of Parliament infantry standing on the car track. As they passed the saker, it fired at them and they were shattered by a well delivered volley from behind the pikes. Trumpett's Horse too had fought their last. The Royalist galloper and the saker were banging away before Powell's Farm with only moderate success. Scrogges' Horse swung at the saker and the fusils closed up as the pistols flashed over wall. The saker, the wall and the fusils were too much for Scrogges' Horse; seeing the remnants od Blue's Horse rallying back their survivors withdrew. Lord Brooke's Regiment left Rushmoor Lane and swung right through Bradley woods. Their intent was evidently to despoil the wagon train. However, they had discounted Pendrill's Regiment of Foot a that there was a lane leading away from them to Ashley Farm. The wagon train took this and then followed the parallel road to Powell's Farm. This put David's Royalist infantry between thew and foe. Pendrill's and David's linked forces with the galloper gun at their conjunction, making the hedge of Rushmoor Lane their frontage. Pendrill's suffered from the Parliament saker, still before Burkham House. In an attempt to silence this gun the Royalist officer of Artillery ordered his men to break down the wall before them and take their saker round the plough and bring it to bear on that of Parliament. With a strong body of fusils supporting this much was accomplished. However, the Parliament men levered their gun around and with a lucky shot took off half the Royalist saker's crew. At the same time the only unscathed and uncommitted Parliament infantry, a body of Greene's New Model Infantry opened a sharp fire on the Royal fusils. Darkness fell rapidly with Brooke's Regiment crashing through Bradleywood looking for the wagon train that had escaped them. The exhausted David's and Penrill's Regiments resting in the hedge on Rushmoor Lane and an exasperated officer of the New Model Foot berating his men for not stepping off to the sound of firing with more determination. The wagon train had not reached Basing House - but what of the morrow? My son and I really enjoyed this battle and even more because the terrain was taken from OS sheet SU.64 and recreated on the table-top as closely as possible. Most of the Regiments names are ours. The figures were a mixture of Tradition, Minifigs, and Hinchliffe, except the wagon train which was a tiny wooden farm set one can buy in little net bags, repainted by my son. The game lasted several hours on two days of the Christmas holidays. The board was 6 feet by 4 feet. The rules were Wargamer's Newsletter Publications. Back to Table of Contents -- Wargamer's Newsletter # 168 To Wargamer's Newsletter List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1976 by Donald Featherstone. 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