Action at Stanton Virginia

[has.been]

One of our Regulars games.
This time a four player skirmish set in the AWI.
Rules used were my own (simple) Emboscada (Ambush), which although
I wrote them for use in Peninsular war games, will do for just about any
black powder skirmish.
The players & roles:-
Bob (Flatpack) was Jervais Montgomery, Captain of American Militia.
Ian (Westbury) was his Sergeant, Jedadiah Moseby.
They were aware of an impending British attack & were tasked with
getting the townsfolk, & the Armstrongs (from their farm) into the Stockade.
As the civilians did not want to leave their buildings, crops & livestock to the
mercy of the British (& their Native allies) it would be (I thought) like herding cats.

John Cunningham was Lieutenant Ponsenby-Smyth. In a 'Stroke of tactical genius'
had decided to split his forces & send Sergeant Tomas York (played by myself)
to attack from the South, while he attacked from the North.
This did mean a possible delay for my force, & if I only threw ones (those that
know me will confirm, that is VERY possible) I would never turn up.

To get the pictures started:-
193 = Ponsenby-Smyth's force leave the cover of the Northern wood & move
         towards the Armstrong Farm (Foreground)
194= Captain Montgomery busy herding the Townsfolk down the road to the Stockade.
195= The Stockade...'Say can you see by the dawn's early light...'
         As an aside, on my firts visit to the States I actually swa THE Star Spangled Banner...
         It is BLOOMING ENORMOUS !!!! The size of a house! How did he NOT see it?
196= 'Keep moving! The British are coming!' I thing the young girl in the second row should
         NOT be allowed to have that musket!
197= Much to everyone surprise, I managed to get the Sergeant & troops onto the table at
         only the second try.
198= My guys eye up all that nice (tinder dry) corn. 'That'll burn well' said York.
         Note the Natives are being kept close to my British. Didn't want them running Amok.
         'Kill Militia = Good
         Kill Civilians = Bad 
         You savvy?'

[has.been]

204= Townsfolk have reached the Armstrong farm.
203= My men have taken up position at the fence, & begin taking shots at
         the Stockade. Not to any great effect, but it helped to keep the defenders'
         heads down.
205=Meanwhile some of my other troops are going after some livestock.
       
I can't see clearly what is happening on the other flank, but I do hear Indian
War whooping. That is not good, I warned the Lieutenant to keep a firm rein
on them. If he's let them run wild there'll be hell to pay.


206= Just as I thought...Preacher hunted down & scalped.
207= Less of a worry, it's a Militia man this time.

[has.been]

I have to hand it to the Yanks, they did a good job of getting the Civilians to safety.
They lost a few, but we were never going to storm the stockade, not without a cannon or two.
We settled for keeping their heads down & following orders, 'Burn what you can't drive off'

213= taking pot shots at the Stockade, from beside the Armstrong's farm.
208= Armstrong farm starting to burn.

209,210,212,214= Burn it!
216 & 218 = Drive it off! 'We eat well this week lads'

[has.been]

A fairly quick game, & I hope the players enjoyed it.
I will rely on the others to  fill in the gaps & provide nice photos.

The 'burning' & 'Running off livestock' I did after the lads left &
before tidying away everything. The table is now back to its usual
chaotic state, but the wife's conservatory & the dinning table are
once again clear.

[flatpack]

“The British are coming, the British are coming ! “
As captain of the militia, I was tasked with getting the local population from the town, safely into the stockade, before the British could capture them.
This really was like herding cats, as they definitely didn’t want to leave their homes and belongings to mercy of the British troops.

Here I am, informing the locals of the impending DOOM.

Notice the local vicar mouthing off !

Let’s get moving, as here come the Brits and their local allies from our right.


Come along vicar…..


British forces now appeared behind the town too.


The Armstrong farm being overrun by those damed Redcoats.


Nearly there…
Heard those cats into that stockade !


Hold on !
Where’s the vicar ?
Heading back to town, as he’s forgotten his favourite prayer book  !
That’s the last we will see of him.


Fun game, played in the right spirit.

Glad to add photos from the American (winning ?) side.

[vodkafan]

Looks fun guys!

[Freddy]

Nice game, I really like how you made the fires.

[has.been]

Thanks Freddy.
Just different colour craft wool (from an art shop) pulled apart & draped over things.

[Freddy]

Thanks Freddy.
Just different colour craft wool (from an art shop) pulled apart & draped over things.

Ingenuity sometimes means simplicity Wool can be attached more flexibly to any subject than even the most intricate fire counter.

[Lord Raglan]

that looks fun mate

[has.been]

Ingenuity sometimes means simplicity Wool can be attached more flexibly to any subject than even the most intricate fire counter

If you can go for a long exposure, (no tittering at the back!) and gently blow the wool, it is possible to make it look more flame like.

that looks fun mate

Thanks. Not nearly as impressive as your set ups, your Lordship. (If I had hair I would tug my forelock  )

[vtsaogames]

"How did he NOT see it?"

Two things:
1. Key was a long way off, on a British man-o-war safely out of gun range. *
2. It hadn't been shot down or worse, hauled down.

But yeah, one dang big flag, about the size of the ones that adorn used car sales lots.

* Useless trivia: Key's nephew dallied with politician/ACW general Dan Sickles' wife. Sickles shot him dead in broad daylight and beat the rap on the first US temporary insanity defense. Many approved of this until Sickles crossed the line, forgiving his wife. He went on to be the most controversial Union officer at Gettysburg.

And now some damned freighter has wrecked Key's namesake bridge. Is there no justice?

[has.been]

Cheers for the info. Vtsaogames.
Still a flipping BIG flag.

[CapnJim]

I'm late here, but lovely report.  Flag regardless...

[flatpack]

Is he flagging up some Key issues here Pete