Braddock's Defeat on the Monogahela

 I am a big fan of Muskets and Tomahawks, 1st Ed. I'm not such a fan of the 2nd Ed. Today I played a fun game based on Braddock's ambush during the French and Indian War, as we call it here in the US. Although outnumbered, the French and their Canadian and Indian allies completely triumphed over the more numerous British, even though the British possessed artillery and better trained troops. The Indians and Canadian militia were able to move through the forest at will, while the British were stuck on the forest path. When the British were able to charge home, which happened once, they made short work of the their tormentors, but the constant sniping wore down the British and, when a regular French infantry unit entered the battle, with their volley fire, it was all over for the British. We used the ranges and move distances as written and, even though the figures were 54 and not 28mm, it played well.

ACW battle in 54mm - August 14, 2021

ACW game, with Steven and me. 

Figures from Steven.

To simulate the uncertainty we started the game with blancs (white painted figures with a letter or number on the base) representing one or more units or ...just noting. Also for the reserves I had forseen playing cards. Both the attacker and the deffender had to draw a card out of 3.  For the attacker it was 4 - 5 or 6 , the defender 2 - 3 or 4. The figure representing the number of reserve units arriving between turn 2 and turn 7.  (also dicing). The arrival place also had to be noted beforehand.

The game: 10 units or Federals with 2 batteries definding a crossroad behind fieldworks. Part of the units are 5 stands strong. The batteries firing with a +1D. Only one unit is veteran.

The Condederates attacking with 12 units and 4 batteries.  1 Elite unit and 7 veteran units. Only the Confiderates have a +1D when charging.

The Elite Louisiana Tigers try to dislogde the sharpshooters. The first attack failing, the second succeeded thanks to support from 2 other units. The losses however were heavy for the Tigers, their role reduced to supporting other units.

The non -veteran Confederates tried to charge the fieldworks but failed on with several attemts

The Federal right in the wooded hills was facing the main Confederate attack. The reserves of the latter also arriving on the far left in turn 2. Giving however with the great number of units on that flank a problem of getting enough orders with the command dice.

On the Federal left, more confederate troops pushed the sharpsooters out of the woods. The Federal left was under stress. The 2 resevere units arrived in the center.

Federal sorties from the fieldworks were driven back with artillery fire

The Federal heavy battery kep further Condederate assault atempts at bay.

The Confederates started to push back the Federal right .

Also on the left Confederate charges were successfull destroying a unit an with the breaktrough also one of the batteries.

Only a countercharge of my veteran unit was able to stop the Confederate advance and stabelise the situation. 

The confederate reserves finaly making contact, the Federal right collapsing.

The Federal forse had no other option than to cede possesion of the strategic crossroad.