Battle Of Chatterton's Hill

We had a game of American war of Independence on Saturday using Tom and Chris's figures.

We used the card driven rules Maurice which we now use for all of our AWI games.

Myself, Richard and Tom took the British and their Hessian allies.

Chris and Rory took the Rebellious Upstarts

 The British campaign against New York began with the overwhelming victory on Long Island in August. Hesitancy on the part of General Howe however permitted the rebels to evacuate their survivors. George Washington was thus able to maintain a viable army in the field, but lacked sufficient numbers to defend New York itself.

A series of amphibious landings by the British turned the flank of one rebel position after another and by late October the army had established a fresh defence at White Plains at the northern end of Manhattan. Hoping that the British would sacrifice their army in a second Bunker Hill, Washington ordered the construction of substantial fortifications, but neglected to defend Chatterton’s Hill which lay on the right of his position. If the British could position artillery on the hill, they could render the rebel defences useless. Spotting Howe’s troops moving to his right on the 28th October, Washington realised his error and ordered part of his army to take and hold the hill.

The Battlefield.

Douglas's Americans await the British.

The British artillery take positions.

McDougall's Forces on the hill.

American Minutemen,

American Militia.

The battle starts as the British 12 pounders open fire on Douglas's forces on the hill.

Inflicting 2 casualties.



The 6 pounders do the same.



Causing another casualty.

The British right flank advance.



The British's Hessian allies advance on the left flank.

The British centre also advances.

British cavalry.

The Americans move off the hill.

The British cannon fire again.

They inflict more casualties causing a unit of Militia to break and flee

The Hessians continue their advance but are caught in a bog slowing their progress.

McDougall's infantry separate half move to cover the bridge while the other half move to confront the oncoming British infantry.

2 units of Douglas's men spot the Hessians and move to engage.



2 more move to confront the British centre force.

The 12 pounders fire at the Americans on their right.

Causing 2 casualties.

The British forces in the centre move into the river.

The Hessians prepare to take on the Americans.

The American Minutemen fire on the British skirmishers causing one casualty.

McDougall's infantry advance up to the ford and into range of the British.

The American Levies form up opposite the Hessians as both sides prepare to exchange fire.

The British skirmishers unleash a volley of fire on the American regulars on the opposite bank.

Which causes the regulars to break. 



The Jägers open fire on the Minutemen. 

Causing a casualty.

The minutemen then fire on the skirmishers causing 1 casualty.

The British infantry make it across the river.

More British regulars attempt to cross the river.

Instead of firing the Americans choose to charge the Hessians.

They are defeated by the better trained Hessians and are forced back.

The 6 pounders fire on the Americans to their left.

Causing 2 casualties.



The Americans again charge the Hessians.

They are again defeated taking heavy casualties and the remaining men flee the field.

The British infantry move into range but are unable to fire as they cross the river.

The other unit of American levies retreats in the face of the oncoming Hessians.

The British cavalry move towards the bridge but are hesitant as they can see American infantry waiting on the other side.

The British skirmishers advance across the ford and open fire on the minutemen but fail to hit.

The British in the centre march on the American militia.

The 6 pounders once again open fire on the Americans to their left.

Causing yet another unit to break.

The militia fire on the British and cause a casualty. Things are starting to look bleak for the Americans on the left.



The Hessians pursue the retreating Americans.



A small unit of militia stand firm in the face of overwhelming odds.







The British regulars open fire.

The fence offers little protection to the unit of militia as they suffer 3 casualties.

The British then charge.

Colonel Rall encourages his troops to press on.

The small militia unit retreats up the hill.

British reinforcements arrive in the form of three battalions of Hessian grenadiers.

The British infantry defeat and destroy the militia at the fence.

The remaining group of American levies are now effectively cut off from the rest of the army.

The small militia unit takes casualties after a volley from the British infantry.



The small unit finally breaks under intense musket fire.

We finished here with the American right flank virtually destroyed and the left heavily outnumbered we gave the British the victory.

A very enjoyable game.

Thanks For Reading

Carl