The Bloody Toll Bridge Battle

The frontier had been quiet for the last 8 months, since that little incident (click), but the border patrols remained alert. It was in a balmy day in late March when General Douglas received reports of Origawn troops being on the march. A quick study of the reports strongly suggested that they were headed for the bridge near Stone House junction. 

The hidden sharpshooters in the wood caused serious casualties amongst the Origawn infantry while they were searching, fruitlessly, for a ford. The bridge itself was open to the Origawn cavalry.

Word was passed to the local native border scouts and the closest detachments of Faraway troops were called out and started down the road.  The Mounted Rifles and the Governor General's Bodyguard were the first on the scene. The Rifles dismounted and did their best to turn the Hostel into a temporary fort, while the GGBG drew swords and charged into the Origawn mounted rifles, driving them back over the bridge.

After the brief clash of sabres, the cavalry on both sides dismounted with carbines in hand and
 waited for their infantry to arrive.

For a short while, the popping of the skirmishers and dismounted cavalry were almost outdone by the drums, bugles and the marching feet of the infantry, stepping out to get into the action.

Normally the stream was fordable in various places but apparently the heavy snows over the winter had made the fords impassable. It had to be the bridge, or nothing and that was down to the infantry!
(Note: I normally make blind markers for unknown fords etc, but I just rolled when a unit probed a 6" length of water, needing 5 or 6. It turned out, NONE of them were passable. Ooops! Heavy rain I guess!)

And now the bloody fighting began!

Four Origawn units managed to cross and deploy, one after another, under a murderous fire from the Highlanders, artillery and dismounted cavalry. The fight was prolonged and bloody. Late in the day, another Blue unit, the veteran black hats, arrived, having lingered in camp (ie shelf...oops..). 

As the Origawn army started to waver, theBlack Hats rushed across the bridge but were cut to pieces by cannister and bullets. Old Veterans of this action talked for years about "never seen so many 5's and 6's in one fire phase!"

There was nothing for General Lannigan to do but cuss a little, deploy his cavalry as a rearguard and try to get his soldiers into good order for the retreat.

Coming Soon

It's been 9 months since Dominion Soldiers repulsed an incursion by Origawn forces, but the border patrols haven't relaxed their guard.

K

I'm still trying to reduce the number and breadth  of "collections"  a little so that I can focus a bit more on a few and get every collection on the table at least once a year..,..or two.  I have enjoyed the handful of Not-Quite-the-Northwest-Rebellion games but I don't have much enthusiasm for finishing restoration/conversion of remaining antique figures and am low of scenario ideas that I want to play.

To wrap up, I'll just select a portion of the 1st Nations warriors to serve with the Dominion's Redcoats.

Oh look, an 1870ish scenario, all set up.......

Roadblock

With the British line  deployed  , it lost no time in advancing to assault the French position, abatis and artillery fire or not.

Soon the rolling volleys and the persistent popping of the irregulars started to have an effect. The Highlanders attempted to storm the enemy battery but were forced to retreat and reform. 

(Click photo for a larger version)
The British battery was soon deployed and an artillery duel began. French musketry and cannon fire cut swathes in the British line but it didn't stop them until they came to the abatis. This tangle of fallen trees with many sharpened branches was a formidable barrier. 

On the far right of the British line, some Acadians and Mi'kmaq warriors worked their way around the British flank but maintained their cover on the wooded hill, trading shots with Gorham's Rangers with little effect. The British artillery soon deployed and an artillery duel began while the British infantry in the open trading fire with the smaller number of French and Acadians behind the logs in the abatis.

With the sun sinking slowing, General Turner had two choices left, pullback, camp, and try again the next day, hoping the French would retreat during the night and not be reinforced, or try one last assault to break the French right wing, forcing their army to retreat. His force was still stronger despite their heavy losses, and they were trained to use their bayonets for assaults unlike the militia and tribesmen. 

The order went out for an assault and while the charges were repelled by the French regulars (esp Ogilvy's Jacobites in dark blue), the Acadiens by the river, who had suffered from the musket fire and were not equipped for close combat, broke to the rear. This allowed the Royal Americans, (60th foot), to wheel and flank Ogilvy's who had already taken heavy casualties. They had no choice and were forced to retreat. At the same time, the remaining Highlanders stormed the French artillery and opened the road.
 

There was no hope for the remaining French, they quickly retreated to the safety of the woods.