"Live Free or Die" Camden

 

Today We played the Battle of Camden in the Live Free or Die Rule book.  James and Aidan were the British while Kenny and Ryan played the Americans.  It is a simple battle.  The British must take the Route of Retreat for a major victory or score double the casualties for a minor victory.  Historically Cornwallis wiped Gates off the field. Let's See if History repeats itself...

Ryan is commanding the Militia and holding the front of the Hill while Kenny is in reserve with the trained troops on the reverse slope.  If Ryan breaks Kenny is to plug the holes and push the British back.  James and Aidan split the road with the goal of pummeling the Americans is a straight up boxing match.   Aidan Approaches with a column of companies with one unit on the right flank while James chooses a 2 by 2 approach.

The Americans Responded with a counter attack the right with a militia forming a flanking fire and the cavalry taking out the artillery.  The will Pause the British attack temporarily.  A good Spoiling attack from Ryan.  He will take out the artillery piece in the cavalry charge on turn 2 and force Aidan to pause his frontal assault on the hill.  James is much more methodical in trying to break the left flank.

The British spread out their line to counter the spoiling attack.  James cavalry forced Ryans to surrender while his militia retreated back to safety.  Aidan's Infantry Charged the hill in the center.  He was hoping to break the American line.  But unfortunately for him, Kenny's Experienced troops began to crest the hill to stop Aidan's Advance.  James was bogged down on the left with a pesky bunch of farmers with pitchforks keeping him from advancing at all towards the woods. 

James sent his cavalry to the right to break the last unit between him and victory on turn 5.  But those pesky famers with pitch forks held their ground and drove James' Cavalry back.  Ryan would soon fall back because the British regulars to his front were too much.

However, the British could not keep the hill.  In Fact, Kenny's Regular troops repulsed the attack sending them down the slopes.  They must have been trained by some annoying frenchman who wanted to kill a few redcoats when we weren't looking.  The Americans Held the Ground but did they win?

According to the Scenario, this came down to number of casualties.  If the British doubled the kill count they won a very marginal victory.  They did, barely.  After 4,500 casualties, The British lost 1,500 while the Americans lost 3,000.  Though the British "won" I think the Americans could leave with their heads held high.