Battle of Wild Cherry Pass

 It was mid afternoon on the 27th of July when the French finally appeared.

General Michel de St. Lambert stared up at the English, ensconced on top of a steep slope, then calmly began to issue orders.

General Ross took one more look at his dispositions. gun supported by infantry and some of his German riflemen entrenched overlooking the road, more riflemen in an orchard on his left flank, support by some marines, more infantry entrenched across the road as it curved around the hill, and hussars and highlanders in reserve. He nodded his head with a slight smile and thought: "We'll slaughter these Frogs if they dare attack my position".

 "Did they think I would send my soldiers scrambling up that escarpement to their death?" thought General Michel St. Lambert as he surveyed the British position from below. Well, they can't do me too much damage here, especially with that deadground at the foot of the slope. Still, it might be best to amuse them. He issued orders for a company of skirmishers to work around the enemy's left and draw their attention. Everyone else was ordered to advance quickly down the road and attack any enemy positions. His orders were to drive off the British and secure this road leading down towards Newport Landing, and he intended to carry them out! 

The French skirmishers climbed swiftly up the gentler slope to the east of the cliff. A small party of riflemen opened fire on them. Rushing forward, pausing only briefly to fire they pressed in but those rifles were deadly! Hardly a shot missed while the enemy was hard to see in those woods. The fight at close range was desperate, but at last the surviving attackers were compelled to giveway and fall back out of range.

The sound of the battery on the hill opening fire and the crackle of small arms fire on the far side of the ridge was warning enough for the 1st company of the DeBrouiller Regiment. They manned their redoubt beside the gate and braced themselves for the comming storm.

Soon, the French skirmishere swarmed around the corner of the bluff and began to work around the defenders flank. As soon as their front was open, the first column pushed forward, stopped for one volley and then charged. The defenders fled! General Ross had seen the movement though and ordered up his reserves, stripping the hilltop of troops. Already the Highlanders and Marines were formed across the enemy's path. In reserve, the troop of York Hussars waited for a chance to charge. 

As the British line solidified, a prolonged firefight broke out. The French columns had no room to deploy and the smaller number of British met them musket to musket. They had no reserve though and their line was growing thin while the French seemed inexhaustable. To make matters worse, the French skirmishers were working their way around the flank of the marines, keeping to the rough ground with an eye to the Hussars in reserve. Lastly, the French artillery finally made it to the frontline, deployed, and added their fire.

Finally, the French cheered and came forward with the bayonet. They were held briefly by the emigres, but General Ross was wounded in the fight and after a bloody close range fight, the remnants broke. A charge by the Hussars stalled one column, but not without loss. The Highlanders stubbornly held their ground, and a party of Riflemen who had crept around the French flank managed to hit General St. Lambert.

For a moment the battle seemed to be stalled but it was an illusion. The remnant of the Highlanders were the only British infantry left on the field. Even supported by the remnants of the Hussars, a gun and a few riflemen, it was not going to be enough to stop three French battalions. The retreat began.

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This game was played outside (in case that wasn't obvious) with various 40mm homecast figures, (mostly converted 7 Years War ones.). It lasted about 2 hours, ignoring breaks for refreshment etc. (With Humidex, it was about 35C.)  The rules were a stripped down version of my "With MacDuff To the Frontier" rules adapted to the French Revolution and crossed with some my underdevelopment "A Whiff of Dice" rules. Once I get my page of free rules fixed up, I'll post them there, probably under the Whiff of Dice title.