Friday 26 February 2016

1799 AND ALL THAT small actions in Britain with Smooth and Rifled skirmish Rules

For a few months i have been playing a what if campaign set in Britain using paper armies playing small action using Smooth and rifles skirmish rules, with the empathises on small political factions fighting against each other as well as the government forces.  when we left the campagin, we last sore the BR (the British Republic) gaining control of Salisbury. with the local yeomanry falling back eastwards. what is this Tosh i hear you say.

INTRODUCTION
Allow me to explain, our campaign is set in a fictional Britain of 1799. Were the country has exsperianced some polictical problems, and is sliding into a civil war. With many different polictical factions ving for control of cities and areas around the country the BR British Republicans, have amerged the victors in a nasty but thankfully short inter war.  The BR has now over 2000 men under arms and has consolidated its control of the country side around Salisbury and is now on the move westwards, but i get ahead of myself. Back in the early parts of 1796 the French Republic is fighting for its life. With Napoleons glorious campaign in Italy, being slowly unravelled by the Austrians and Russians. The Irish and French have been defeated in Ireland, and how long would it be before the British committed more than just there navy against France. It was the Republics master spy Roshurpear,  who's plan was to cause problems in Britain in the hope that the British government would be forced to concentrate on affairs at home and hopefully force them to use their military at home and not against the French 'for a time at least'. So he  put his Grand deception together. he would use his net work of spy's in Britain, to start rumours and descent. the seeds were sown.
soon small numbers of demonstrations started, ans polictical movements grew around the country, some of the demonstrations tured violent, and were soon put down by local forces, one in Salisbury was put down brutally, this made thing worst, numbers grew in the BR mainly around the west and north west. it wasn't long before minor skirmishers were fought between the BR supporters and the local government forces as well as skirmishes against smaller short lived polictical oposition.

We picted up the  paper work from the last outings and a quick read through shows. The BR had grown in numbers helped with the supplies and weapons smuggled in from France by privateers, they had around 2'000 men under arms divided into 3 ad-hock battalions.

1st blue battalion of the BR
1st red battalion of the BR
1st green battalion of the BR
the colours of the battalions come from the colour of the collars that are sown onto the solders civilian coats and some French uniforms smugglerd in.
There is also a small cavalry contingent under the command of captain James Collins around 20 strong.
this brigade is under the command of General John Painless.

Last time:
 There had been several skirmishes around the west country, which the local yeomanry namely the Monmouthshire fencables and the Monmouthshire lights had contained, but on August 17th some 1'800 men of the BR well armed but raw, ran a running battle with the hard  pressed and out numbered Monmouthshire's who were pushed back to the out skirts of Salisbury, which eventually fell to the BR after a most spirited defence, a day later. Rumours of French regulars in Ireland, and the news of the BRs success at Salisbury prompted the Government to call back some of the regular army. (Roshurpear plan is working). At present the only regulars available to the Government is the 2nd battalion of the 28th foot who are at Deal awaiting transportation to the Caribbean. They have been dispatched to the west under the command of colonel William Beards. together with a two troops of hussars and a small detachment of artillery. the only loyal troops in the immediate area around Salisbury are the survivors of the Monmouthshire light's under a captain Travolls, he has been shadowing the BR troops movements. a 1'000 strong force of the BR made up of the 1st red battalion and some others with a troop of cavalry has moved west with the intentions of seizing a port so that the troops in Ireland can be shipped over to Britain. captain Travoll has sent a dispatch to London to ask the government to make all hast in stopping the BR before the regulars can come to there aid.

Or first action of the session will be when a BR patrol bumps into one of the Monmothshire lights advance patrols. for this action we are going to use smooth and rifled skirmish rules by                .
The forces involved and there S&R stats

Detachment of 1st red battalion BR
AV=2/3/4;  C=3
13 militiamen          smoothbore musket (20/2) bayonet
1   NCO (leader)   smoothbore musket (20/2) bayonet

Detachment of Monmouthshire light
AV=1/2/3;  C=4 LIGHT
6 privates              smoothbore musket (20/2) bayonet
1 NCO (leader)     smoothbore musket (20/2) bayonet

we will be playing the game once the old generals can get together

hoping to post the next instalment of 1799 AND ALL THAT soon.
Till next time.



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