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.

Now The Hurley Burly Is Done...BUT

 I haven't had time to write the battle report today but the game is done. Hopefully, tomorrow will see the full illustrated battle report but, for the meantime. 

The 2nd British Attack
(As is usual, for a larger view, click on the picture, then click again.).

To be continued.......

A Spring Surprise

It had been a hard winter for campaigning and after the failure of the British attempt to march through the snow to make a surprise attack on the outskirts of Belmont, both sides settled into Winter Quarters. Once the snow had melted and the ground dried up a bit, Brigadier Turner  determined to get his men into shape and resume his attack on the Acadian settlements.

"Enemy in sight Sir!"

"A LOT of enemy Sir.......behind an abatis!"

"Captain, ride back to the Provincial Brigade and give them orders to step out and deploy for battle as soon as possible." 

Done! (At Last)

It's just a bit more than 2 years since the first company of Highlanders appeared in a F&IW game. Now, at last, I have the full battalion, regimental colour as well, ready to take the field.

40mm figures cast in Prince August moulds.

 Time to clear the table and come up with an Acadian scenario!

It's Just A Flag Away

The lads are now painted to old geezer level. 

All that I  have to do now, is to produce a regimental colour for the Ensign to wave.

Sunday: A Day of Mostly Rest

 So, now I have three stands of Highlanders with a fourth one 1/2 way there,

(Apologies for the awful lighting....)

'........then I'll need to give the Ensign a Regimental Colour.......pity there aren't any definite descriptions of the original flags of this regiment. At least there have now been some research indicating that all of the 4  Highland battalions in North America in the 1750's/60's wore the Government or Black Watch set. 

Interruptions! Always Interuptions!

Well, I got a bit done on the second half of Fraser 's Highlanders but Mother Nature has again intervened. 

Rather unusually, we are suddenly having a normal winter, several months late and the first one in a few years but there it is.  So its down paintbrush and pickup a shovel.

Italian Greyhounds have a bit of a problem playing in fresh snow over their heads, so the primary winter trench system has been dug out from the house to around the Willow tree.......again.... 

Ah well, the Highlanders will be ready for action ere long.

But Wait! There's More!

 Having got back to painting again, its easier to set to on a larger bunch (technical term).

Once these are done, I'll finally make a go into the new PA British Infantry molds, but will probably wait till spring before pouring in the wood shed!  

Back To "Work"!

I haven't been doing much painting recently but life is starting to slow down again, so today I finally turned my attention back to the next company of Fraser's (78th) Highlanders, the grenadier company. 

Recruits for Fraser's Highlanders

I can't fit a 40mm Siege of Louisburg game, or even the Plains of Abraham, on my little table but they'll get their share of tabletop fighting in my alternate universe Acadian war. Won't be right away though, the coats on the first batch of highlanders dried darker than I intended and seems to have darkened even more since,  so I'm going to have to get the grenadiers right, then go back and fix the coats on the first highlanders. 

I'll need six more Highlander after than but they don't need to be a full battalion to get in some action. When the time comes, it'll be a matter of deciding whether to paint or play on some quiet day.

Now The Battle's Lost and Won (Incomplete Post Now completed..... Ooops!)

It was a cold January day in Acadia, the festivities were over when word came of an English column marching towards Belmont. The church bells began ringing and the women, children and old folks headed for the woods, carrying supplies and driving what livestock they could manage and a messenger sent to the local Mi’kmaq camp to ask for their support. Before long the beat of the British drums could be heard.

At last the British columns came into view along the snow covered road while rangers could be seen flitting through the woods and on the hills. 

    

The Acadians watched the British battalions deploy and advance towards the village and listened to the sporadic fire from the woods. Soon the Acadians, supported by some Compagnie franches from Canada, joined the battle as the Royal Americans and a battalion of provincials advanced. 

The 60th suffered heavy casualties and was forced to fallback having done little harm to the Compagnie franches in the stone church, but the provincials halted and kept up a heavy fire.

As the Acadians began to suffer casualties, they turned and retreated despite the Priest's admonishments.

The Provincials pursued but the Acadians rallied behind another stone wall and the Provincials stopped to pour another volley into them before crossing the wall and preparing to charge. 

As the Provincials advanced across the open field, a deadly stream of fire came from the Acadians in front of them, but another hail of bullets also poured into them from the flank.  Compagnies franches and Mi'kmaq warriors had moved into position to support the Acadian militia.

Their Colonel ordered a charge, but he was shot down and seeing that the 60th foot had broken, they voted to carry their commander to safety. 

Day By Day

 Despite several hours of cracking and removing 1"+thick hunks of ice today, I managed 1 turn.

Hopefully tomorrow will include an hour of downtime to allow me to finish the game.

A T Party.....(T Junction that is...)

When Brigadier Ross, the British General in Pisiquid, heard that the Duc d'Anville's armada had arrived in Chebucto Bay (now known as Halifax harbour), he ordered Brigadier Turner to lead an expedition to cross the bridge over what is now known as the Meander River, and block the only direct routes from Chebucto to either Pisiquid, or to the Acadian settlements along the Minas Basin.     
(Where Highway 215 crosses the Meander River near the current NS town of Brooklyn if  anyone wants to look at a map, but don't expect even a close representation of the actual geography of any particular point!)

The opposing forces collide. The British force consisted of 1 battalion of veteran Royal Americans and 3 battalions of provincials as well as 2 companies of rangers. The French had 1 battalion of Colonial infantry from Ft. Beausejour and 2 companies of veteran Colonial infantry from Canada, 2 companies of militia and two parties of Abenaqui and Mi'kmaq warriors. 
(Note Acadian women and children on the far left, fleeing the village, hoping their houses and winter food supplies would not be burned or confiscated.)

While the main forces moved up and deployed, the light troops were already trading fire.

Soon, the fighting spread across the entire battlefield.

Casualties were heavy and both sides had to pull back their right flanks.

Eventually the French infantry, fighting twice their numbers, had to retire, but at the same time, the 60th Foot (Royal Americans)  also had to retire after heavy casualties while the rangers were forced back by superior numbers and heavy losses. The sun was sinking and it seemed that at the end of the day, neither side  would have fully achieved their orders.  

Brigadier Turner, leading his first detached command, was torn between not fully completing orders, even if he held the bridgehead and could be reinforced by night fall, or having the glory of winning his first battle, especially as the French appeared to be on the verge of breaking. At last he flipped a coin and decided to order his New Englanders to charge again. 

Alas, his troops were tired and low on ammo while the small body of French infantry, including veteran skirmishes manning the hedges,  were steady and released a deadly fire causing the Provincials to break and run for the bridge. There was nothing to do but to use the remaining Rangers and the remnants of the 60th to cover the retreat.

Now The Hurley-Burly's Done

At last I found some 'me time' and the battle surged forward to the music of fife and drum and the rattle of dice.

Click on the picture for a larger view.

Battle report to follow.

First Shots

 At last! This little skirmish has begun.

Stay tuned!

An Imminent Encounter On The Fringe

 The table is set, and a battle is likely.

Stay tuned!.......

Too Much Info Can Be A Nuisance

For a good number of years, one could easily find references to the milice in New France wearing red, blue or white toques (knitted caps) depending on whether they were from Quebec, Montreal or Trois Rivieres. 

Well........my latest, hot off the press after years of research by professionals Rene Chartrand, and Kevin Gelinas, 2 volume set has just crossed that out.  During the ancien regime, only red caps were sent from France or made in Quebec. 

Milice in the woods.

So,,,,,,,,I shall slowly update my lads when convenient, such as when I needed to replace a missing head after an accident. (The habitant standing next to the kneeling one.)

Down Tools! Clear for Action!

Its that time of the year, getting ready for winter, cutting and stacking firewood, trying to manage water supplies after more than 3 months of drought, sorting out and reorganizing miniatures for North America from the 1740's to 1760, casting, painting, and on and on. 

Its time for a game! The rest can wait.

 

       
"Sergeant Major! Clear the table! Get work parties together, ready to set up terrain as instructed!"

  "Army commanders, meet in my tent to discuss scenarios, then draw cards for sides"

Everyone, else....Stand by!

En Avant!

Not my best painting ever, but these days, its often as good as I can manage. (I know 70 isn't really old but there are days when it feels like it.) 

 Anyway, these are Compagnies Franches de la Marine from Canada, dispatched to Acadia to help drive out the English. The full uniform is left behind in the heat of a muggy summer day, especially when moving quickly through the forests. (In winter a warm woolen, hooded, coat would replace the uniform coat.)

The figures are a mix, mostly formed from various Prince August moulds but with a few modified Irregulars and one 3d printed sample from Day of Battle.

The rest of the Highlanders are finally cast and next on the painting list!

On and Off the Painting Desk This Week

I needed to add 2 more of Gorham's rangers to fit the plan, so now that's done. In the early days the friendly 1st Nations warriors were a large part  or the Rangers so they make up 1/2 of my rangers.

While I was at it, I rechecked my thin sources (no pieces of clothing remain and no contemporary paintings have been found so far), and lightened up the facings, tams, and small clothes.

While I had the camera in hand, I took a quick shot of some of the existing and in progress casualty markers.  

The two First Nations warriors were done on purpose more than a decade ago, but the rest are actual casualties injured on the tabletop or in transit and are going to be touched up and used as removed stand markers on table.

On the table now, is a refurbishing of some of my Compagnies Franches skirmishers.

The unpainted ones are fresh castings, the two painted Irregular Minis loading their muskets, have had their odd mini-bicorne heads removed and Prince August replacements attached. 

More Highlanders are next!

What's He Doing Next?

Well, the attempted overthrow of the planned units of 4 stands of 4 infantry or 2 skirmishers, has been squashed and the Acadian campaign is about to resume shortly, once the reinforcements arrive and all units conform to international regulations on basing and unit sizes.

More artillery will be next.....

Then trees....I need more trees, more BIG ones especially (for the 40mm lads), and more foliage. At the moment I'm pretty well equipped for late autumn forests.......

(I miss the days when one could easily get treated lichen for model railway layouts, even in the boonies....)