Colonial Campaigns Club (CCC)

Three of my games are quickly ramping down and I was looking for a set of new games.
Are there any brave Crown officers out there looking to do battle?
I am thinking - Bladensberg Historical with:
Line Movement Disruption OFF
Manual Defense Phase ON
ADF ON
Rout Limiting ON
Rifles OFF
All else ON
Can also play other battles too.

Maj. Bill Peters, Morgan's Rifles, American Army
Commander of French Dept.

Bill,
I had four fights at Bladensburg and never won there.<img src=icon_smile_sad.gif border=0 align=middle> If you like I can try it a 5th time with you.

<font color=gold>Lt.Colonel Reuter D.S.M.
1. Regiment (Royal Scots)
Royal North American Corps</font id=gold>

Edited by - Stefan Reuter on 08/21/2002 17:02:27

Hurrah for the RNAC and its noble commander! <img src=icon_smile.gif border=0 align=middle>
So who won at Bladensburg, historically? <img src=icon_smile_shock.gif border=0 align=middle>

<font color=gold>Colonel D.S. Walter O.S.M.
Commanding The King's Own (4th) Regiment of Foot
Aide-de-camp, Royal North American Corps</font id=gold>

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=2 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
Hurrah for the RNAC and its noble commander! <img src=icon_smile.gif border=0 align=middle>
So who won at Bladensburg, historically? <img src=icon_smile_shock.gif border=0 align=middle>

<font color=gold>Colonel D.S. Walter O.S.M.
Commanding The King's Own (4th) Regiment of Foot
Aide-de-camp, Royal North American Corps</font id=gold><hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

Not sure but I guess the British won there. I only can tell you .... not me<img src=icon_smile_sad.gif border=0 align=middle> But Bill is a noble man. Maybe he let me win.<img src=icon_smile.gif border=0 align=middle>

<font color=gold>Lt.Colonel Reuter D.S.M.
1. Regiment (Royal Scots)
Royal North American Corps</font id=gold>

Edited by - Stefan Reuter on 08/21/2002 17:17:48

Um, not sure if this is meant as a serious question.. but the Brit's won in a walkover. "The Blandesburg Races" may be the single most humiliating defeat in US Military history... take Kasserine Pass and multiply it by about 4x

Major Gary McClellan
12th Virgina Light Dragoons
CO Northern Department

It was a serious question. I am wondering why in a battle that was historically easily won by the good guys the bad guys win so often in the club. <img src=icon_smile_shock.gif border=0 align=middle>

<font color=gold>Colonel D.S. Walter O.S.M.
Commanding The King's Own (4th) Regiment of Foot
Aide-de-camp, Royal North American Corps</font id=gold>

Heh, goes back to the Fredricksburg question in ACW eh Dierk.

Seriously, I'm not familiar with the details of the battle, but I do know a few things.

1) Future President Monroe was at the battlefield, and medded with the deployment of the troops near the creek crossing (at the time he was in a cabinet position, and fancied himself a military genius because of some service he did with the dragoons during the revolution) I do not know if the opening deployment represents what he did, or the original one that Winder used.

2) President Madison was there. He really should be represented by a leader counter you know. Even if he would be an F-F leader, he would be worth serious VP, though he was far, far to the rear.

3) When the British first advanced under cover of Congreve Rockets, the militia just flat out bolted. (the the name the Blandesburg races) A mass rout of the first order. The only troops that stood steady were the "Flotillamen" who ended up serving as the rear guard as the rest of the army melted away.


Beyond that, I don't know enough to comment on the rest of the deployment or forces involved. Rich, Al or Steve Davenport would have a better idea I'd imagine.

Major Gary McClellan
12th Virgina Light Dragoons
CO Northern Department



Edited by - Gary McClellan on 08/21/2002 18:10:31

Stefan - I am up for any scenario in 1812 really - it doesnt have to be Bladensberg but if we play that battle I think some options might help you out:
1. Rout limiting OFF
2. ADF ON and MDF ON - that way you are not shot to ragdolls as you approach.
3. Rifles off of course
The rest of the options are open to discussion as we start it up. I will send you a courier.

Guys - I am going to look this scenario over a bit. I want to read up on the battle and see if the historical scenario needs some tweaking. With Rout Limiting ON I think it helps the Brits out immensely. Perhaps I am wrong and Stefan's columns will go racing back to the landing sites!
Still open for another game of 1812.

Maj. Bill Peters, Morgan's Rifles, American Army
Commander of French Dept.

It's been at least 15 years since I read this, so it's very possible that it's not as good as I remember *L*, but for Blandesburg (and to a much lesser extent North Point) this is an interesting book
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/bookse ... 0801848644
"The Dawns Early Light" by Walter Lord. Now, it's very much a general history of the Washington-Baltimore campaigns, and doesn't give OOB or deployments, but it does give an idea of why the army broke so badly at Blandesburg.

Major Gary McClellan
12th Virgina Light Dragoons
CO Northern Department

There is a long answer to "why" Bladensburg was a US defeat, but I'll give the short answer: No preparation.

Congress, Madison, Armstrong, and Winder (remember him? captive at Stoney Creek) all failed to prepare the Tenth District for defense. In addition to this, the key players didn't like each other or had lost confidence in one or more of the others....<sigh>


Steve
Sgt 36th US Inf

In our Bladensburg games, I imagine the US has an easier time because there is no model in the game for certain commanders not getting along with other commanders. Likewise, some of the militia at Bladensberg should probably be F.

Example, few of the generals got along with John Armstrong (Sec. of War). And how much confidence would you have in the senior commander, Winder, whose previous field experience ended in his own capture.

Some of the militia troops were not equipt for battle, marching to the front without food or water and without proper clothing.

Steve
Sgt 36th US Inf

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=2 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
It was a serious question. I am wondering why in a battle that was historically easily won by the good guys the bad guys win so often in the club. <img src=icon_smile_shock.gif border=0 align=middle>

<font color=gold>Colonel D.S. Walter O.S.M.
Commanding The King's Own (4th) Regiment of Foot
Aide-de-camp, Royal North American Corps</font id=gold><hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>
Dierk,
it is not so easy to get large Militia companies in extended order to run. In one game I have seen NO one running before turn 8!


<font color=gold>Lt.Colonel Reuter D.S.M.
1. Regiment (Royal Scots)
Royal North American Corps</font id=gold>

Edited by - Stefan Reuter on 08/22/2002 04:48:11

Well, yes, militia in x-line ... what a contradiction in terms. <img src=icon_smile_sad.gif border=0 align=middle>

<font color=gold>Colonel D.S. Walter O.S.M.
Commanding The King's Own (4th) Regiment of Foot
Aide-de-camp, Royal North American Corps</font id=gold>

Militia in 1812 can form Extended Line? I must try that out. I thought only Light rated troops could form EL.
I think that this is an error if it is possible. I dont see how hastily trained militia could use EL.

Maj. Bill Peters, Morgan's Rifles, American Army
Commander of French Dept.

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=2 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
Militia in 1812 can form Extended Line? I must try that out. I thought only Light rated troops could form EL.
I think that this is an error if it is possible. I dont see how hastily trained militia could use EL.

Maj. Bill Peters, Morgan's Rifles, American Army
Commander of French Dept.
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

Bill, believe us ... they can do it. Maybe an error but for sure a nightmare. No problem with smaller companies but it is much more difficult to attack 80 men companies<img src=icon_smile.gif border=0 align=middle> A heavy firepower and nearly no losses in firefight.<img src=icon_smile_sad.gif border=0 align=middle>

<font color=gold>Lt.Colonel Reuter D.S.M.
1. Regiment (Royal Scots)
Royal North American Corps</font id=gold>