The Easter holiday brought on two wargames, one the Battle of Plataea, Greeks versus Persians. The Greeks were led this time by Barnokrates and the Persians by Timotheus. Really a sad story for the Greeks, even though their General had recruited a band of mercenary Samurai under their famed leader Ikebana. The Persians swept the Greeks away with volleys of arrows and sling stones, and the Spartans, advancing in their usual ponderous way, only came up to have their phalanx stand like a rock in the sea of routing allies. I hear Barnokrates is buying Dahae horse archers, at great cost, for a refight. However, being unable to get to the Arms and Armour Press "America's Military Heritage 1776-1865" the second battle as fought in the American Colonies The "Generals" were Col. Seth Warner (Christopher Barnes) and Col. William Faucitt (David Barnes). The terrain was imaginary, but kept generally to the players ideas of what New England looked like. A map gives the idea. The forces were as follows - Col. Wm Faucitt had recruited several bodies of Hessians and was bringing them from their port of entry to join the forces of His Majesty, embattled with the rebels. These were the Wurst Regiment under their commander Col. Brottwurst. Their lilac and white flag declining the famous challenge "Wurst ist Beste!" The Trumbach Regiment, Musketeers and Grenadiers; the Hesse Cassel Wadjanau Regiment with their smart brown coats with ponceau rot turnbacks and waistcoats. A rather gaudy Fusilier Regiment, Von Lossberg and the Hesse Cassel Jagers with leather hats, green coat and rifles. A troop of the 16th Light Dragoons were the only cavalry cover and no artillery marched with the column. The Americans under Seth Warner included his Battalion of Green Mountain Boys; The Culpepper Minute Men;,Washington's Guard; The 5th Regiment; The 3rd New York Regiment and a troop of Baylor's Dragoons quite a sight with their fox fur plumes bobbing over the black leather helmets swathed in red turbans, Warner had got to know of the advent of Faucitt's reinforcing move and was determined to stop it. Baylor's troop moved off to scout the enemy and met the rather nervous Light Dragoons just north of the Greenhill stream. The Dragoons manoeuvered about trying to find some room to charge, but there were too many trees around. Baylor's were content to watch the capering of the British whilst the Culpepper-men shrink swiftly behind Greenhill Farm, the 8th Regiment moved to the west of the main road and formed up in battle array. Washington's Guar d followed the Culpepper men and half of them entered Greenhill Farm buildings, overlooking the side road and the farm bridge. The remainder held themselves ready for action masked by the buildings. The Hessians began to deploy as follows: The Wadjanau Regiment followed the 16th Dragoons down the road, going north, and formed up to give fire just over the bridge and along the north side of the stream. Their line was extenuated by the trees dotting the bank. The Jagers went forward in open order, inclining East, towards the farm up the gentle rise. The Wurst Regiment followed more sedately and the Von Lossberg Fusiliers swung further right, to the east. Faucitt held the Trumbach musketeers and Grenadiers as a reserve. Now began the critical period of the battle. The Von Lossberg fusiliers and the Culpepper men exchange volley after volley. The jagers were met with fire from the farm and a sweeping charge by Baylor's dragoons. Half Washington's Guard moved up to help the Minutemen and were met by a charge of the leather-hatted Wurst Regiment. Faucitt tried to tip the balance by throwing in the Trumbach musketeers and grenadiers into the centre of the engagement. This fell away as the general marksmanship of the Americans hit the reserves before they were fairly engaged and shattered them, so that the remnants had to withdraw. The Von Lossberg fusiliers stood to their post and only withdrew when forced to do so by the collapse of the Trumbach Regiment. The jagers were almost destroyed and their remnant crossed the field to comparative safety behind the Hesse Cassel Wadjanau Regiment, still solid and surviving on a "fire and retire" policy. The 5th Regiment and Seth Warner's own Green Mountain Boys advanced smartly and set about annihilating the Wadjanau Regiment. The final disastrous scene saw the 16th Light Dragoons charging into the 3rd New York Regiment to cover the retreat of the remnants of what had been a considerable reinforcement to the British. Only the Von Lossberg fusiliers did well out of the engagement and possibly the Wurst Regiment. The terrain was imaginary as I have said, but caused some interesting problems, particularly to the cavalry. The Hessians found great difficulty in keeping their dressing, the body of Jager$ being too small to hinder the Americans long enough for the parade ground drill of the Old World to tell in the battle. The rules were those written by Tony Bath (1750 period including North America) published by Wargamer's Newsletter. Since the battle some Hinchliffe Butler's Rangers and Iroquois Indian Warriors have arrived and Tradition Dahae mounted archers. These reinforcements are waiting to be painted to extend our battles into "fresh woods and pastures new" - not, I hasten to add - all in the same battle! Back to Table of Contents -- Wargamer's Newsletter # 173 To Wargamer's Newsletter List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1976 by Donald Featherstone. 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