Providence; an AWI scenario

Our latest game was set in the AWI.  An American force had been besieging a British-held port, but  the arrival of Lord Howe's naval squadron had 'encouraged' the French commander to abandon plans to assist in the siege and sail away to a more secure anchorage.  This means General Desmond, (the American commander has had to lift the siege and fall back towards his supply base.  To buy the time for the siege and supply trains to pull back and pass through a narrow defile, Desmond has taken up a defensive position near Providence Chapel.  Emboldened by the American retreat, (and some reinforcements), General Knollys has opted to pursue the Americans and two brigades of infantry, (one British, one Hessian),  are moving towards Providence.  Desmond needs to hold his position and prevent the British from exiting the table in pursuit of the siege and supply trains.

View from behind the American position, 

View from behind the British right flank

In the picture above, taken from behind the British right flank, you can see Providence Chapel with Pike's Hill nearer the camera.  Beyond the chapel can be seen Prospect Ridge, Green Ridge (between the roads), and on the far right Jones' Hill.

Desmond deployed his three infantry brigades with Cooper on his right deployed on Prospect and Green Ridges and riflemen in the wood in front of Prospect Ridge.  Brigadier Bell was in the centre, holding Providence Chapel and Pike's Hill, with his reserve deployed in the lane connecting the two roads.  On the American left was Brigadier Archer, deployed on and around Jones' Hill and with riflemen in the woods nearer the British position.

Archer's regiments on Jones' Hill.

Knollys deployed with Arbuthnot's British brigade on his right and Von Seedorf's Hessians on his left.  His orders were simple, break through the American position and make for the defile.

Initial moves by the British and Hessians were rather hesitant as the brigades manoeuvred to broaden their front.  The riflemen took the opportunity to take pot shots  from the safety of the woods and eventually their fire led to battalions being directed to drive them off.  This fitted nicely with Desmond's plan, any units blundering through the woods pushing back the riflemen would be unavailable to attack his main defensive line.  With his battalions ready, Knollys ordered the advance and the allied ranks moved forward.  The Hessian battalions facing Providence Chapel had definitely drawn the short straw, their advance soon slowed in the face of sustained volleys from the continental infantry battalion lining the wall surrounding the chapel.  One musketeer battalion took such a battering that it had to fall back to rally.  Von Seedorf tried sending two battalions against the chapel but Cooper's artillery on Prospect Ridge and volleys from a second continental infantry battalion shredded that attack as well.

Defending Providence Chapel

Von Seedorf's advance

Arbuthnot had made some progress.  He had directed his combined grenadier battalion to displace the riflemen who had been sniping at them and the grenadiers' sudden advance had unsettled the skirmishing riflemen.  A quick volley from the grenadiers, followed by a charge with levelled bayonets was sufficient to send the riflemen tumbling back through the trees.   To the left of the grenadiers, the combined light companies had pushed up the road, exchanging fire with Bell's riflemen.  Eventually, the British light infantry gained the upper hand and the American unit pulled back to the lane behind Pike's Hill.  On Pike's Hill Bell's infantry waited for the inevitable British attack.  It was led by the 55th Foot who moved up the gentle slope with colours aloft.  As they crested the rise they were met by volleys and close range artillery fire which stopped them in their tracks.  A rather ragged volley was offered in reply by the British, but the American response drove them from the hill and Arbuthnot hastened to rally them.  The second British battalion climbing Pike's Hill met a similar fate and Knollys galloped forward to aid Arbuthnot.  So far, Desmond's plan was working.

The light companies advance

The first British attack up Pike's Hill

Originally Knollys had thought that he would pull the grenadiers out of the wood and send them down the road against Archer's position on the American left, but seeing the light companies' success he instead ordered the grenadiers to continue their push through the woods and then move on Jones' Peak.  In their path stood a militia battalion, but they did not offer much resistance beyond a feeble volley.  A point blank volley from the grenadiers severely thinned the American ranks and rather than wait for the inevitable bayonet charge, the militia fell back behind Jones' Peak.  Archer's main position on Jones' Peak now came under heavy pressure.  Volleys from the grenadiers and fire from Arbuthnot's artillery began to take their toll.  Particularly hard hit was Archer's artillery and the cres fell back, leaving their guns.

View from Jones' Peak along the American position

Von Seedorf had now organised a third attack on Providence Chapel.  Three battalions now concentrated their fire on the defenders of the stone wall.  Although the gallant defenders inflicted casualties on the Hessians, the weight of fire eventually told and with losses mounting the colonel felt he had to fall back to the line of the lane.  However, he still held the chapel with a militia battalion.  Unfortunately, the militia, perhaps unnerved by the retreat of the continental infantry, were soon driven off by the Hessian volleys.  In the woods on Cooper's left his riflemen were being pushed back by the Hessian musketeers, soon the main American line on Prospect Ridge came under fire.  Cooper's prospects were not helped by his artillery running out of ammunition and having to withdraw.

One of Bell's counter-attacks against the Light Companies is driven back

The grenadiers take Jones' Peak

On Pike's Hill, a third British attack rolled forward.  This was aided by fire from the Hessian Jaeger and in spite of determined resistance the summit was reached.  Bell's artillery crew stood by their guns and were cut down by the British infantry avenging the losses sustained by their comrades in earlier attacks.  His infantry were forced to fall back to the line of the lane.

Knollys had taken the first line of the American position, did he have the strength to break through the second?    Hopefully, Steve and I can finish the battle thus coming week.