AWI: White Plains/Chatterton's Hill, 28th October 1776 - The Game

 Turn 1

McDougall was the only American commander to successfully activate his troops enabling him to move the entire brigade onto Chatterton's Hill.

Rall successfully rolls for 3 activations allowing him to get his Hessian brigade across the ford making good progress along the road.

Elsewhere, the 12pdr section fires its first round at Haslet's brigade but fails to score any hits. 

Maitland has failed his roll to arrive on the table the next turn.

Continued -

Turn 2

Rall continues to make good progress intending to form the left of the allied line. The 1st Connecticut State levies erupt from the trees in a skirmish line. Otherwise another quiet turn.

Turn 3

Maitland arrives with his light infantry and cavalry screened by the Hessian Jagers and Tory Scouts. Heister also arrives. I have yet to paint up any Hessian divisional commanders and therefore British Generals have stepped up in their absence.

Rall fails his command roll at a critical time with his columns stranded on the road. The American skirmishers take advantage firing into the hapless Hessians inflicting the first casualties of the game.

Turn 4

Leslie's Brigade arrives completing the allied contingent. The eagle-eyed among you will have noticed that the British regiments are the wrong facing colours! As my collection builds I will have more variety of such facings to more accurately reflect the regiments they are representing. In the meantime I have compromised on this occasion to get the game on the board.

Rall returns to form with 3 activations allowing him to deploy into line.

The Knyphausen Fusilier Regiment forms line and fires a volley into the skirmishers inflicting casualties. The skirmishers decide it is time to retire and they do so into cover of the woods.

An overview at the end of turn 4. Haslet has pulled his Delaware Continentals back towards Chatterton's Hill with McDougall sending out his skirmishers to screen his withdrawal. The British artillery are proving to be hopelessly ineffectual failing to hit anything.

Turn 5

A largely uneventful turn 5 with the British failing all its command rolls! The Americans pulled back further onto the hill.

Turn 6

A more successful turn for the British saw them advance on Chetterton's Hill.

The Jagers and Tory Scouts exchange fire with American skirmishers leaving the 1st State Levies shaken before Haslet successfully rallied them (top of photo).

Rall finally gets his act together and prepares his brigade for an advance on the hill.

The view from behind American lines as Haslet's brigade continues to fall back.

Turn 7

The Delaware Continental regiment has pulled back to form a reserve (bottom right) and look on as the Hessians once again remain static.

McDougal has ordered the 1st New York skirmishers into the woods in order to harass the flank of any advance on the hill. 

The British spread out readying for the main advance. The Tory Scouts have suffered casualties leaving them shaken (middle left). British artillery continues to prove hopelessly ineffectual.

Turn 8

A volley from two large Hessian battalions shredded Putnam's skirmishers who fell back in disorder and shaken.

The Jagers continued to exchange shots with the New York Levies who gave a good account of themselves disordering the Hessians. 

An overview at the end of turn 8. Now halfway through the game and pressure is on the Anglo/German troops to clear Chesterton's Hill.

Turn 9

Rall fails another command roll! He really needs to rediscover the success of his early moves.

The British light infantry break into skirmish formation and charge the 1st New York Continentals holding the wood. The light infantry are disordered by closing fire on the way in and are held to a draw in the subsequent melee.

With Rall remaining static the main effort on Chatterton's Hill falls on the British battalions. The 28th and 35th Line battalions move up the slopes and engage the American line. Both sides lose casualties which leaves the 19th Connecticut shaken.

Turn 10

After a hard fight that could have gone either way, the light infantry defeat the 1st New York destroying them in the process. They move into the wood to threaten the American flank.

Poor command rolls dog the British who fail to make much headway. 4 American battalions along with an artillery section pour fire into the 2 lead British battalions inflicting more casualties and leaving them close to being shaken.

The British artillery finally have some success. The 12pdr section scores a hit on the 3rd New York regiment (bottom left).

Rall has truly surpassed himself! Not only has he repeatedly failed his command rolls he now rolls a blunder causing his brigade to fall back. 

Turn 11

Disaster for Leslie's Brigade who were struggling to coordinate their attack on Chatterton's Hill. Their two lead battalions had already suffered heavy casualties when more American volleys tore into them. The 28th Line was destroyed and the 35th retreated in disorder.

Rall, clearly full of shame, sprang into life leading a rapid advance onto Chatterton's Hill. The large Hessian battalions were unperturbed by the light casualties inflicted on them by American militia.

An overview at the end if turn 11.

Turn 12

British light infantry, now occupying the woods on the American left flank, began firing on the 3rd New York regiment. Maitland though decided that something more dramatic was needed to salvage the British position. The 17th Light Dragoons were ordered to charge the 3rd NY taking casualties as they galloped in. The ensuing melee was a draw with neither side losing any casualties. The British cavalry fell back to reform ready to charge again. 

Hessian Jagers screens Rall's flank.

The two lead Hessian battalions deliver their considerable volleys at the American militia who absorbed the punishment well. The Hessians suffered casualties in reply but remained in good shape. 

The view across Chatterton's Hill at the end of turn 12. The British have some work to do to overcome their setbacks.

Turn 13

McDougall spends his time galloping back and forth along his line frantically rallying troops. Here, the 3rd New York, are shaken by casualties sustained from skirmishers on their left flank. They are in danger of being outflanked and are pulled back as a counter to that before McDougall successfully rallied them.

Rall Grenadiers on the left and the Leib regiment on the right charge the militia defending the earthworks. The Leib regiment is battered by a volley from Brooks' militia and a blast of canister from the single cannon. Morale fails completely and the Leib regiment flees the field.

The Hessian Grenadiers easily push aside the Graham New York militia who fall back shaken and disordered. The Delaware regiment, held in reserve, is rushed forward to stabilise the flank. It wins the melee but the Hessians hold their ground and the melee will continue.

An overview at the end of turn 13 - that clock is ticking down for the British!

Turn 14

A moment of danger for the Americans. More casualties are sustained by the 3rd New York from the British skirmishers to the point where they finally broke. In the photo the Maryland regiment has pulled back to protect its flank.

On the right the Delaware regiment again defeats the Hessian Grenadiers in melee and they fall back shaken and disordered. The Hessians are now in some difficulty with the Knyphausen Fusiliers haven fallen back also shaken and disordered having sustained more casualties by accurate volleys from the militia.

It is beginning to look grim for the British with the main hope for success lying with Maitland's light troops slowly turning the American left flank.

The situation at the end of turn 14. There are now only 2 moves left for the British to gain the hilltop.

Turn 15

The 17th Light Dragoons sweep around the flank of the Maryland regiment. With little left in the way of reserves, Haslet sends the 1st Connecticut levies to do what they can to disrupt the British cavalry (upper right). Fire from the skirmishers has no effect on the dragoons.

The two British battalions on the left (the 35th and 49th) struggle to make any headway. As soon as they rally from shaken they are immediately shaken again by volley fire from the Americans. This is not helped by their Brigade commander, Leslie, away to the rear attempting to rally the 5th Line. Heister himself is left to put some backbone into the British infantry.

On the opposite flank, the Rall Grenadiers engage the Delaware regiment with musket volleys. Unfortunately for the Hessians, they receive another hammering and in their already shaken state, morale collapses completely and they flee the field.

To the rear, no less than all 3 British brigade commanders all struggle to get their regiments back in the fight.

Turn 16

The outcome of this battle now rested on this turn. 2 crucial melees are underway. In the top left of the photo successfully ordered the Knyphausen Fusiliers in a charge from the rear. Absorbing fire from the militia and canister from the single cannon, it charged across the earthworks still in good order. The militia fought heroically leading to the total collapse of the last of the Hessians. Rall himself was captured signalling the end of the Hessian brigade.

Could this be the moment of salvation for the British? The 17th Light Dragoons charged into the flank of the Maryland regiment shrugging off fire from the skirmishers on their way in. The charge was shattering utterly destroying the American regiment.

The Light Dragoons conducted a sweeping charge into the flank of the 19th Connecticut regiment. Another resounding victory with the Americans ridden down and McDougall killed.

During the American turn they attempted to counter the threat from the dragoons by moving the Delaware regiment across but suffered a command blunder resulting in the regiment moving forward! (Top left of photo). Nothing further was achieved signalling the end of the game.

Given the disparity of the surviving forces and the loss of the American commander, it was inevitable that the British would now capture Chatterton's Hill. But at what cost?

The British lost 30 stands with a further 14 shaken at the end of the game giving the Americans 74 points.

The Americans lost 22 stands with none shaken giving the British 44 points. 

A combination of the British failing to capture Chatterton's Hill by the end of turn 16 and suffering losses well in excess of a third more than the Americans, gives a clear victory to the rebellious Americans!

Had the light dragoons not destroyed 2 regiments in succession it is quite possible the British would have failed completely to take Chatterton's Hill. Not something I anticipated at the start. An even bigger surprise was the failure of the powerful Hessian brigade to make any meaningful impression. 

As a solo player, it is that unpredictability that makes a fun game. In your own mind you set the plans for both sides only for them to be upended in short order!