Oriskany , a AWI game

Battle of Oriskany, 1777

Considered part of the overall “Saratoga Campaign”, St. Leger’s advance down the Mohawk Valley to join Burgoyne’s army was halted to besiege Fort Stanwix.  A relieving column of Patriot militia was ambushed near Oriskany and the battle proved to be one of the most deadly of the Revolutionary War.

In this engagement, the British allied Natives lined the military road and caught the Americans unaware but who fought back desperately having nowhere to retreat.

With that as a basis, I set up my version with the troops I have available including my newly rebased Old Glory Woodland Indians repurposed for my burgeoning AWI collection.  Thus four groups of small units of militia escorted the wagon train as three small groups of natives were, by a dice roll, placed along the route.  It was to be short range musket fire and hand-to-hand fighting in this solo game (obviously in this COVID era...) of “Rebels and Patriots” of 12 points apiece

The natives ignored the lead militia unit having targeted the second unit from both sides of the path.  Shattered by gunfire from the woods and unable to respond in kind, the Americans were charged by one band of natives wiping them out. This band, now in the open, were in turn charged by the officered unit who were successful in forcing those natives to retire from the fight.

While this was occurring, to the rear of the column, the militia, who moved to protect the wagons, or ran to hide behind - you can make your own judgement! -  and the natives exchanged musket fire, slowly whittling away at each other’s willpower.  The natives broke first and disengaged, leaving the militia a shattered force holding the field with over a third as casualties.