White Plains (Chatterton Hill) - an AWI battle using British Grenadier

A multi-player game of British Grenadier at Abbeywood Irregulars in Frome based on the White Plains scenario.

The British must cross the bridge over the Bronx river and drive the Americans off Chatterton Hill . 

The British force, under the command of General Von Heister, contained 4 brigades: -

1. Maitland - 3rd Light Battalion, Hessian Jagers, 17th Light Dragoons & local Tory Scouts. A elite brigade of skirmishers and scouts.
2. Leslie - 5th, 28th, 35th & 49th Regiments. A brigade of British line under an excellent general.
3. Rall - Lieb Regiment, Rall Grenadiers & Knypheusen Fusiliers. A second-line brigade of Hessians. 
4. Cleaveland - 3 batteries of 12 pdr guns and 3 batteries of 6 pdr guns A large brigade of artillery.

The Americans deployed the Maryland Continentals in a redoubt on the hill and the elite Delaware Continentals in a redoubt below it. A militia battalion was deployed in a third redoubt to the west. They were supported by 3 units of skirmishers and a reserve of a brigade of 2 second-line battalions. 

In Turn 6 the Americans were reinforced by a brigade of 3 second-line battalions.

The battle begins

Cleaveland's artillery brigade was deployed on the hill on the east side of the Bronx river. It fired at the American forces on Chatterton Hill but had no significant effect on the battle. The 12pdr batteries could not move. The 6 pdr batteries did not move. They were limited to ineffective bombardment of the redoubts. This powerful brigade could have more effect if the 6 pdr batteries had been moved and if Leslie's brigade had delayed before assaulting the American position.

Maitland's brigade deployed on the west side of the river. Van Heister wanted them to just screen the deployment of Leslie's and Rall's brigades and then turn the American's flank. Instead they engaged the American redoubts where their specialist abilities, and elite status, were wasted. 

Leslie's brigade crossed the Bronx river first and immediately committed its first battalion, the 27th Foot, to charge the entrenched Maryland Continentals. This isolated attack was driven back and the battalion routed off the table. Von Heister reminded Maitland that he should attack as a brigade not individual battalions. 

Rall's brigade marched behind Leslie's brigade.

The attack on the redoubts

Maitland's battalions continued to engage the Continentals and Leslie's battalions continued to assault the redoubts but without achieving anything. The Americans deployed their reserve brigade between the two redoubts on Chatterton Hill. A charge by the Dragoons against one of these second-line battalion was driven back and eventually the cavalry routed off the table. Van Heister was frustrated that Maitland had not charged the Dragoons into the back of the Delaware Continentals while they were facing Leslie's brigade, but he had delegated such tactical decisions to his brigadiers.

The flank attack

Roll's brigade advanced along the road, as instructed by Van Heister, until then were ready to turn and engage the American right flank. This contained a battalion of levy skirmishers and a militia battalion in the woods, with a couple of second-line battalions behind them. There was a good chance that the large Hessian battalions could rout the levy and militia and then overrun the demoralised line battalions before rolling up the American line. Unfortunately their movement was slow and the battalions were disrupted. This prevented them from charging the Americans and instead they had to engage in an insignificant fire fight. 

With Maitland's and Leslie's brigades routed and Roll's brigade halted the American had an unexpected victory.

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Historically the Hessians deployed first with the British behind them. The Hessian brigade assaulted the American position on the hill and the British brigade followed up and overran it. 

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Von Heister's intention was for Rall's Hessian brigade to deploy first and wait for Leslie's British brigade to deploy to their left. Maitland's light brigade would continue to move along the road and threaten the American flank. The large Hessian battalions would then engage the Americans and the superior British battalions would assault their weak centre while the cavalry and elite light battalions got behind their flank.

The Americans had small, poor-quality brigades. If the British had broken an American battalion then this could have led to brigades fleeing and gaps appearing in the American position. Unfortunately fortune favoured the Americans on this afternoon.

Von Heister changed his mind and deployed Leslie's brigade first. This mistake was compounded by Maitland and Leslie forgetting the overall plan and engaged the entrenched Americans prematurely with individual battalions. This lead to the destruction of their brigades.