Sharp Practice – War of 1812, ST. LAWRENCE RIVER, SCENARIO SIX: DEFEND THE FORT

United States Forces (Dave)

• Captain McLintock – Status II with Two Groups of 8 Regular Infantry
•  Sergeant Davison - Status I with One Groups of 8 Regular Infantry
• Captain Bush – Status II with Two Groups of 6 Rifle Regiment
• Lieutenant Clinton – Status I with One Group of 10 U.S. Volunteers in line (Musket armed)
• Lieutenant Masters - Status I with One Group of 6 Woodsmen

British Forces (Rob & Steve)

• Captain McGarrigle – Status II + Sergeant Burt – Status I, with Three Groups of 8 British Regulars
• Captain Corburn – Status II, with One Group of 10 Select Embodied Militia
• Lieutenant Walliams – Status I, with One Group of 6 British Light Infantry
• Lieutenant Mitchell – Status I, with One Group of Artillery crew and a light gun

The British started on a Force Morale of 6, which could be increased by 2, if the supply train reaches the fort. The US started in 10.

The Americans win by capturing the British Primary Deployment point, or driving the British Force Morale to zero.

The British opened with a bold deployment, marching the Regulars out of the fort, toward the US riflemen, appearing in the woods to the North-West of the fort. However, after marching the British Regulars out, in column, they then formed line, at which point Captain McGarrigle’s command chit appeared to disappear from the bag, forcing the British Regulars to creep forward on end of turn flags!

The American rifle fire rapidly started to open holes in the British line, but as the British line crept ever closer, the US riflemen resorted to tap loading their rifles, so close were their red coated opponents!

The British pushed their 4lb gun out of the North side of the fort, in an attempt to disrupt the US Riflemen, but the US responded by deploying their woodsmen skirmishers, to snipe at the gun crew.

In turn the British were obliged to deploy the militia on the fort palisade, to engage the US woodsmen. But, just as the British fire started to have some effect, the US deployed a militia unit, to threaten the fort more directly and the gun & militia were forced to switch targets.

Over on the US right, the main US Regulars had been forced to march around their own advance guard, tramping through slowly through the woods to the West of the ‘T’ junction. However, as the US line started to wheel around, the British light infantry appeared behind their right flank, wounding the US Commander and inflicting significant Shock on the US Line.

The US responded by rushing the Woodsmen across the road, to tackle the new threat of the British lights.

While all this drama was happening back in the woods, the main British line, still exposed in the open, was starting to crumble in the face of sustained US rifle & musket fire. First the left of the British Line was driven back, then the centre and finally the line formation was broken apart. This onslaught on the British Force morale, just ate through their meagre starting position, so British morale collapsed!