Sharp Light: The Capture of Lieutenant Pelous

The poor leadership of Captain D'Estille 

results in the capture of the experienced ex-ranker Pelous by the scoundrel Molesworth.

A game of Sharp Practice involving just skirmishers using David Hunter’s Cerro Manteca campaign rules and lists.  A small game: 55 points of skirmish groups and leaders. Both sides had 4 groups and 4 leaders.

Two groups of chasseurs from the 26e Legere, commanded by Captain D’Estille and a sergeant, and two groups of voltigeurs, commanded by Lieutenant Pelous and a sergeant, were ordered to scout around the road junction at St Juan in the Baldio. Morale was high [11].

Pelous deployed from the main deployment point in the centre of the southern edge of the board and headed east through the woods towards the chapel. 

D’Estille deployed immediately from the moveable deployment point to the west. The French sensed that the British were close and there was no time to delay deployment. 

Pelous ordered his sergeant to cross the lane and and take a look at the chapel. Pelous then heard the shooting to the west and recognised that a firefight had begin. He had been concerned that D’Estille, like other chasseur officers, would find a secure position and surrender the initative rather than advance. Pelous ordered his sergeant to return, ignoring the group of British Light Infantry that had appeared in the road and were heading for the chapel. He turned and set off to Captain D’Estille and his men. 

The British, after breaking into the back of the hacienda, begin the work of breaking into the chapel

When Pelous emerged from the woods he saw that the Captain had been distracted by a good firing position but that firefight had gone badly for the inexperienced chasseurs. Both groups had lost two men and Captain D’Estille was lying wouded on the ground unable to lead his men. Pelous ordered his voltigeurs to open fire on the British Lights near the hacienda. He then moved and took command of the chasseurs, removing their shock and getting them to resume their firing. The voltigeurs came under fire from the hacienda and their unexpectedly rapid and accurate shooting [a second activation using four flags] saw the group lose three figures.

The firing from the British Lights had stopped and there was no sign of them. [They had been driven off with casualties]. The voltigeur sergeant arrived and was given orders to move to the west, cross the road and scout the other side of the road. He looked at the chaotic French defence in frot of him with indifference and continued to head west as ordered.

One group of chasseurs began shouting that there were British troops on the road by the hacienda and opened fire, Pelous turned his voltigeurs to prevent the French from being attacked from the rear. D’Estille, stung by the calm and effective way that his Lieutenant had restored control, decided to lead both groups of chasseurs in a sudden advance across the road. 

A charge by the notorious British commander Molesworth with a group of Light Infantry was received by Pelouse but his voltigeurs were wiped out and he was knocked down and captured. 

The French had lost the game.