Whitehough Enclosures: an ECW scenario for Pike & Shotte

The government restrictions have meant our games are suspended for at least the next three weeks, but it does mean that I can attempt to catch up with the few games that Steve and I have played, but |I haven't got around to posting on the blog.

This report covers a recent ECW encounter in Kelhamshire.   Colonel William Saville had taken his brigade of foot on a raid to Overton, a small town just across the River Kelham.  It had a significant leather industry and the Royalist forces were in need of new belts and other leather equipment.  Unfortunately, Parliamentary scouts had spotted Saville's force and when they reached the river they found superior forces ready to oppose them.  Forced to fall back they were closely pursued and Sir William sent an messenger to Lord Melchett requesting assistance.  Gathering what forces were to hand Lord Melchett went to Sir William's aid.  The Whitehough Enclosures offered a temporary defensive position which could delay the pursuit long enough for Sir William to rally his dispirited foot and then hold off the advancing Parliamentarians.

Whitehough enclosures with the Parliamentarian foot nearest the camera

 The main route through the enclosures has been blocked by felling a few trees.  Lord Melchett has deployed a unit of dragoons and two units of commanded shot to hold the hedges nearest the pursuers and has the Stang Top Clubmen at the second barrier.  He has part of Sir William Molyneux's brigade of horse, but Sir William is still rounding up his remaining regiment and as the battle starts Lord Melchett is the only Royalist commander on the field.  Sir William Saville's brigade is off table and Sir William will need to rally all his regiments before they can advance and take an active part in the defence.  The final element of Lord Melchett's force is a light gun which he has placed to cover the route around the enclosures on the left of the Royalist position.

Commanded shot man the barricade

Sir Victor has taken command of the pursuit.  He has Colonel William Wanless with three regiments from brigade of foot and to his right Colonel James Livesey has three regiments from his brigade of horse.  Rushing to join Sir Victor is Colonel  Ezekial Malkin with his regiment of foot, a regiment of dragoons and the remaining regiment of Livesey's command.

Sir Victor orders Livesey to advance

Wanless began by sending Chattox forward against the dragoons and Nowell against the commanded shot on the Royalist left.  Demdyke's regiment was to support Chattox but the order seemed to have gone astray as Demdyke's remained standing in reserve. Chattox suffered a steady toll of casualties as they moved forward.  As they attempted to charge home the dragoons gave a final volley and fell back towards the next line of hedges.  Disordered by the volley, Chattox did not cross the hedge but stood to reform.  Nowell had more success.  Fire from the commanded shot was sporadic and when the Parliamentarians charged the hedge they quickly drove back the defenders and then followed then followed them into the enclosure.

The dragoons fall back

Nowell's regiment advance

Livesey faced a tricky situation.  Sir Victor had ordered him to drive off the Royalist horse and then pursue Saville's foot.  However, he would have to advance on a narrow front, which negated his advantage in numbers and he would also have to contend with the light gun which Lord Melchett had deployed to cover the approach route.  He thought it may be prudent to wait for Nowell's regiment to push forward and force the gun from its position; a brief, terse. reiteration of the order from Sir Victor persuaded him that an advance was necessary, so, turning to his own regiment he gave the order to advance, sending Shuttleworth's forward in support.  Fortune favoured Livesey's regiment as the gun fired but the shot went well wide.  Rushing past, the Parliamentary horse charged Melchett's leading regiment, Molyneux's.  The Royalists were surprised by the rapid advance and failed to counter charge.  They were driven backwards by the momentum of the attack, but managed to flow round their supporting regiment, Tyldsley's who steadied themselves for the impact. In the ensuing melee it was the Royalists who prevailed and Livesey's had to fall back to rally, once again running the gauntlet of the gun.

Lord Melchett sends Molyneux's men forward

Lord Melchett was by now casting worried glances towards Saville's regiments which seemed to be taking an age to reform.  He was also anxious for Molyneux to arrive with his remaining regiment, Loughton's, so he could take command of his brigade and allow Melchett to oversee the battle.  It was with some relief that his lordship espied Strickland's regiment advancing to reinforce the Royalist right.  The dragoons had been driven back again by volleys from Chattox's.  Once they saw the dragoons retreat Chattox advanced.  Behind them, Demdyke's regiment, the recipient of another blistering message from Sir Victor, at last moved forward.  The dragoons withdrawal became a rout as they were blasted by another volley from Chattox and Lord Melchett had to gallop over to rally them.

Chattox continue their advance

 On the left, the commanded shot which had been pushed back by Nowell's regiment attempted to stand.  For their pains they were charged again by then Parliamentarian foot.  They managed to stand against the first push, but when the surge came on again they had to give ground.  However, they had managed to force Nowell's regiment to rally before they could advance again.  In the lane, the second unit of commanded shot had experienced little action themselves, but had seen their comrades on each flank pushed back.  Captain James Hartley, their commander thought he had a chance to intervene against Nowell's regiment.  He passed the order for the men to turn to their left and line the hedge facing the Parliamentarians.  Some of his NCO's questioned the wisdom of this, but he was adamant and reluctantly the men shuffled to their new position.  They were too late.  Nowell's had regrouped and charged again and routed the commanded shot facing them, clearing the way for an advance towards Savlle's still disordered units.  Not only that, but Lady Luck decreed that Malkin should now reach the field with his regiment of foot.  Sir Victor sent him forward immediately with orders to clear the way between the enclosures.  With a "Follow Me men", Malkin charged forward, catching Hartley's men as they tried to re-deploy to meet this new threat.  The issue was never in doubt and Hartley's men were soon routing back through the second barrier and the Stang Top Clubmen.  Fortunately the clubmen stood their ground and the sight of the barrier held against them caused Malkin's regiment to pause.

Hartley's gamble

Disaster seemed imminent for the Royalists, but the light gun re-aligned and fired hail shot into the flank of Nowell's regiment, forcing them to halt to rally.  Lord Melchett was delighted to see Clifton's regiment of foot arrive, meaning that Saville now had to rally only one more regiment, Bradshaw's.  Clifton's were sent immediately to the left to oppose Nowell's should they advance any further.  Having rallied the dragoons, Lord Melchett now galloped over to rally the units of commanded shot.  On the way he met Sir William Molyneux.  "You took your d*** time, Sir William", he growled.  "Look to your men, the enemy are attacking again".

Nowell's advance again

Having rallied his men Livesey moved forward again.  This time Shuttleworth's regiment was to the fore.  With no galling fire from the light gun they swept forward, charging Stanley's under-strength regiment.  The Royalists counter-charged but numbers told and they were forced to withdraw, exposing Molyneux's regiment to attack.  Weakened in their earlier combat they were unable to hold the Parliamentary troopers and they routed from the field.  However, Shuttleworth's had by now become isolated, far ahead of their supports.  Sir William directed Tyldsley's regiment to charge Shuttleworth's and the recently arrived Loughton's regiment was to support them.  In a dour struggle it was eventually the more numerous Royalists who prevailed, forcing back Shuttleworth's regiment.

Shuttleworth's driving forward

A regiment of dragoons had also arrived with Malkin and Sir Victor had ordered them to the right to support Livesey.  Livesey had sent them forward to drive off the light gun.  This they did, picking off the crew until the survivors took to their heels.  With the flanking fire removed Nowell's men advanced again, only to find Clifton's men ready to receive them.  A withering short range volley swept through the Parliamentary ranks, driving the survivors back to regroup.  On the Royalist right, Strickland's faced Chattox and the now nearing Demdyke's.  Two volleys forced Chattox to fall back and a fire fight now developed between Strickland's and Demdyke's.  The reformed dragoons joined in on Strickland's right flank and their fire whittled away at the Parliamentary foot's resolve to attack.

In the lane Malkin was having trouble getting his regiment to attack the clubmen.  For some reason they feared farm implements more than muskets, (the clubmen had no musketeers).  It took three attempts to get them to attack.  The delay was crucial because Saville had at last rallied Bradshaw's regiment and when it arrived on the field it was immediately sent to cover the centre behind the clubmen.  Before Bradshaw's were in position Malkin's men charged.  Against the odds the clubmen held.  It took a second push to drive them back and by then Bradshaw was in position and ready to fire.

The gallant stand by the clubmen

Sir Victor's men had almost breached the defences on each sector, but the Royalists had had the good fortune to receive reinforcements just as they needed them.  A most enjoyable game that was in the balance to the end.