28MM AWI BLACK POWDER: BENNINGTON 16TH AUGUST 1777

This week’s 28mm AWI game that I arranged at the my house was based on the Rebellion scenario for the battle of Bennington August 16, 1777.   Scott Duncan was up visiting from Gatwick and this gave me a good excuse for the game.

Hessians and Indians deployed near the Hessian redoubt

Some History
The Battle of Bennington was a battle of the American Revolutionary War that took place on August 16, 1777, in Walloomsac, New York, about 10 miles from it’s namesake Bennington, Vermont. A rebel force of 2,000 men, primarily composed of New Hampshire and Massachusetts militiamen, led by General John Stark, and reinforced by men led by Colonel Seth Warner and members of the Green Mountain Boys, decisively defeated a detachment of General John Burgoyne's army led by Lieutenant Colonel Friedrich Baum, and supported by additional men under Lieutenant Colonel Heinrich von Breymann.

Baum's detachment was a mixed force of 700 composed of dismounted Brunswick dragoons, Canadians, Loyalists, and Indians. He was sent by Burgoyne to raid Bennington in the disputed New Hampshire Grants area for horses, draft animals, and other supplies.

Rebels close up on the Loyalist redoubt

The Setup

The game was fought on a 10ft by 6ft table. We used the standard movement and ranges given in the rules not the 66% version that we use in most of our BP games.  The terrain for the table was based on that in the Rebellion map – it is largely wooded except for an area of open ground in front of the 2 redoubts and along the road and the ford.   I used 20 figure units for the standard units and 10 figure skirmishing units as small units.   The figures are mainly Front Rank, with some Perry, Foundry, Old Glory and Sash and Sabre.  Given the size of the units used I slightly reduced the number of units given in the scenario – you will find the revised OB at the end of this report.  I used the troop ratings given in the scenario including the Militia with a Ferocious charge but added in some Rebel skirmishers.  We used the alternative turn sequence, a Break Test chart based on the one from Hail Caesar, and I did not count formed troops in woods as an unclear target but did give them the +1 to their saving throw for the cover.   We decided to ignore the scenario rule about the inactivity of the British troops in the first 2 moves.

Loyalists close up on the River to engage Stark's brigade

How the Game Played

Scott Duncan commanded the British Army.  Dave Paterson and I commanded the Patriots.  The Loyalists deployed 1 unit in their redoubt on the south bank of the river with the rest of that command on the north bank.  The Hessians deployed 1 unit and the gun in their hilltop redoubt with their other 3 units deployed around the hill supported by the 2 Indian units in the forest.

In turn1 Stark and Herrick’s commands both arrived on table with Nicol arriving on turn 2.  All of Stark’s command under Dave advanced on the redoubt and after several turns of a firefight broke the defenders.  Then Stark’s brigade was broken by the steady fire of the Loyalists who had closed up to the north bank of the river.  The Rebel action was reinforced by Warner’s brigade which after some command issues  got across the river and started to force back the right wing of the Loyalists when Breymann’s reserve finally began to get into action.

Continentals cross river and engage the Loyalists

I commanded Herrick’s and Nichol’s brigades whose objective was the Hessian redoubt.  They came into action first with some of the Hessian infantry supported by the Indians.  I lost one unit very quickly but after that the ability of the militia showed thru and they broke the Indians and all the Hessian infantry.  Their ferocious charges into flanked Hessian units was a feature of the action.  They took the redoubt and then Herrick’s force moved west thru the woods to shoot at the flanks of Breymann’s reserve while Nicol’s force moved to support the Continentals.. 

We had played 12 turns when we had to end the game.  It was agreed that it looked like a Rebel victory, as though we both had 1 broken brigade, it was obvious that the Loyalists would be the next brigade to break.  Good enjoyable game – having not played full movement for a long time it worked okay – possibly because a lot of the fighting near the Hessian redoubt was done in the forest which halved formed troops movement.

Redoubt falls to Herrick's militia

Notes
All my photos are on flickr at
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bill26048/sets/72157647170199483/

I staged my own Hubbardton scenario at the SESWC 3 weeks ago and it is written up in Angus Konstam’s Edinburgh and Orkney Wargames site at

http://www.edinburghwargames.com/Journal%20100.htm

I dont have enough troops to stage the Rebellion Princeton scenario in 28mm with sensibly sized units so our current plan is that we will stage the game using Dave Paterson’s extensive 6mm collection.

I will write a separate report about the HC based Break test idea later.

Order of battle

BENNINGTON 6th AUGUST 1777

CROWN FORCES

LT COL BAUM (C-in-C)

4 Brunswick Infantry
Light Artillery

LT COL PETERS

4 Loyalist Infantry
Canadian Militia Skirmishers
2 Indian Skirmishers
British Marksmen Skirmishers

LT COL BREYMANN  (reinforcements)

4 Hessian infantry
Field Artillery

Reinforcements arrive on turn 7.

REBEL FORCES

BRIG GEN JOHN STARK (C-in-C)

3 New Hampshire Militia
New Hampshire Skirmishers

COL MOSES NICHOL

2 New Hampshire Militia
2 Massachusetts Militia (reinforcements)

COL SAMUEL HERRICK

3 Vermont Militia
Vermont Skirmishers

COL SETH WARNER (reinforcements)

2 Continental Infantry
2 Vermont State Infantry

Nichol’s reinforcements may try to enter from turn 3 and Warner’s from turn 4.