The World Turned Upside Down - His Majesty's 17th Foot.

In 1688, King James II ordered the raising of several new regiments to strengthen his weakening grip on the throne and the Seventeenth Regiment was part of the new levy, being raised in London and its immediate vicinity, and with the colonelcy conferred on Solomon Richards, by a commission dated the 27th of September, 1688.

King James II of England (1633-1701) - Peter Lely
King of England and Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII from February 1685 until he was deposed in the 1688 Glorious Revolution. The last Catholic monarch of England, Scotland, and Ireland, his reign is remembered primarily for conflicts over religion.

Colonel Solomon Richards was a professional soldier who fought in Ireland first for Cromwell and then for William of Orange, and is best known for his part in a failed attempt to relieve the Siege of Derry in 1689, which led to Richard's dismissal and his replacement by Colonel George St George

The efforts to procure men for completing the ranks of the regiment were a great success, and in three weeks after the letter of service for its formation was issued, it was embodied, armed, and clothed; being composed to a great extent of men who had entered the army at the augmentation in 1685, and had been discharged after the suppression of the Duke of Monmouth's rebellion, however, it quickly went over to James’s rival and son-in-law, William of Orange.

 

The regiment embarked for Flanders in 1693 for service in the Nine Years' War and took part in the attack of Fort Knokke in June 1695 and the siege of Namur in summer 1695 before returning home in 1697.

In 1701 the regiment moved to Holland for service in the War of the Spanish Succession and fought at the siege of Kaiserswerth in 1702, the siege of Venlo later that year and the capture of Huy in 1703. It was then transferred to Portugal in 1704 and took part in the sieges of Valencia de Alcántara, Alburquerque and Badajoz in 1705 as well as the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo in 1706. It also saw action at the Battle of Almansa in April 1707 before returning to England in 1709.

The Battle of Almansa, 25th April 1707 - Ricardo Balaca.
The 17th Foot saw extensive service in the 'First Peninsular War' culminating in its participation in the Battle of Almansa fought between an army loyal to Philip V of Spain, Bourbon claimant to the Spanish throne, and one supporting his Habsburg rival, Archduke Charles of Austria, with the result a decisive Bourbon victory that reclaimed most of eastern Spain for Philip. Almansa is probably the only battle in history in which the English forces were commanded by a Frenchman, the French by an Englishman.

In spring 1713, the regiment was ranked 17th in seniority, and was sent to Scotland to suppress the Jacobite rising of 1715 and fighting at the Battle of Sheriffmuir in November 1715, during which the 17th suffered seven men killed and five wounded.

A soldier of the 17th regiment (1742)

In 1726 the regiment moved to Menorca, assisting the garrison at Gibraltar during its siege in 1727, remaining on duty in the Balearic Islands until 1748, when it moved to Ireland.

On the 1st July 1751 a royal warrant assigned numbers to the regiments of the line, and the unit became the 17th Regiment of Foot.

The regiment embarked for Nova Scotia in 1757 for service in the French and Indian War; fighting at the siege of Louisbourg in June 1758, at the Battle of Ticonderoga in July 1759, and in the following year, took part in the successful three-pronged attack against Montréal in September.

It also saw engagements in the West Indies in 1762 and during Pontiac's Rebellion before assignment to Ireland in 1763 and then a return to England in 1767.

The 17th Foot in America 1776-1783

After the outbreak of hostilities at the Battle of Lexington and Concord, the regiment embarked on the 23rd of September 1776 bound for Boston from Ireland. Rough seas saw its companies separated, with its first four companies landing in November, and the remaining six on the 1st January 1776.

A private soldier of the 17th Foot - Don Troiani
A likely representation of the look of the 17th Foot when it landed in Boston in November 1775 and January 1776 dressed as per the Royal Warrant of 1768. When General Howe reorganised British troops at Halifax, his reforms, drawing on his personal experience of warfare in North America, would see not only a new open order, two deep line drill ordered, but uniforms with cut down coats, cocked hats turned down and turned up on the left side, whilst trousers and half gaiters replaced breeches, and blanket rolls replaced knapsacks.

Along with the rest of the garrison, the regiment was evacuated after the Siege of Boston to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and it was at this time, Lieutenant-Colonel John Darby was superseded by Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Mawhood, formerly Lieutenant-Colonel of the 19th Regiment of Foot, on April 4th, 1776.

The regiment set sail from Halifax with the army on June 29th for the invasion of New York, landing unopposed on Staten Island in July, and seeing action at the Battle of Long Island in August 1776, as part of 4th Brigade under Major General James Grant with a strength of 307 men all ranks, suffering the loss of Captain Sir Alexander Murray and two rank and file killed; and Lieutenant Marcus A. Morgan, one serjeant, and nineteen rank and file wounded. 

The Americans quit their fortified lines at Brooklyn and passed over the river to New York, and the conquest of Long Island by British troops was completed; and the 17th Regiment was involved in the later operations by which the capture of New York was accomplished, being part of the reserve at the Battle of White Plains in October 1776 and the Battle of Fort Washington in November 1776.

A Contemporaneous view drawn by British officer Thomas Davies of the attack against Fort Washington on November 16, 1776 by British and Hessian brigades. The depiction shows artillery fire on the fort and redoubts as well as several boats of soldiers in the river. The New Jersey Palisades and the Hudson River are also shown in the background.

The regiment was part of the force that marched into the Jerseys, and was stationed at Brunswick, and subsequently at Princetown.

The Heroes of Princeton

During the winter, General Washington suddenly passed the Delaware river, and surprised and made prisoners a corps of Hessians at Trenton, and afterwards made a precipitate retreat. 

Being reinforced, he again passed the river, and took up a position before Trenton, to which. Major-General the Earl Cornwallis advanced with a division of British troops, and, driving the Americans back to Trenton, forced them through the town to their positions on the south bank of the Assunpink River; following which attempts were made that evening by the British to cross the creek and force the American lines, but in the face of stiff resistance the crossing was postponed to the morning.

Assunpink Creek, 1777 - Original Painting by Graham Turner 
American officers deploy their forces at Assunpink Creek in the gathering darkness on January 2nd, 1777, while British forces probe their defences.

On the evening of 2nd January 1777, General Washington resolved to move before his army was attacked and overwhelmed the next day, and in the middle of the night, the Americans left fires burning and marched off to the east and then to the north towards Princeton. Light infantry led the American column, followed by Brigadier Hugh Mercer’s brigade. The road was a new one and led through dense woods curving round the river and to the North. As the troops marched a cold wind set in, freezing the muddy roads and aiding movement.

The Battle of Princeton, 3rd January 1777 -  map by John Fawkes.

At dawn that day, a British force set out from Princeton to march to Maidenhead and join General Leslie, comprising the 17th Foot, the 55th Foot and a troop of the 16th Light Dragoons, the 40th Foot being left at Princeton, all commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Mawhood. In the early morning mist the British mistook Mercer’s Americans for Hessians and then for a small party of Americans they assumed must be fleeing from Cornwallis.

Realising his error, Mawhood attempted to position his force in an orchard and a fierce fight developed around the orchard against the Americans who had already occupied it. Each side brought two cannon into action. Mawhood ordered a bayonet charge, and because many of the Americans had rifles, which could not be equipped with bayonets, they were overrun. 

A mixed force of British troops break out of the tightening circle of Americans during the battle of Princeton on January 3rd 1777 - Graham Turner

Both of the Americans' cannons were captured, and the British turned them on the fleeing troops. Mercer was surrounded by British soldiers, and they shouted at him, "Surrender, you damn rebel!"  Declining to ask for quarter, Mercer chose to resist instead. The British, thinking they had caught Washington, bayoneted him and then left him for dead, and Mercer's second in command, Colonel John Haslet, was shot through the head and killed.

The Death of General Mercer at the Battle of Princeton, January 3, 1777 - John Trumbull
The picture displays several events at the Battle of Princeton. At the centre, American General Hugh Mercer, with his horse beneath him, is mortally wounded. At the left, American Daniel Neil is bayoneted against a cannon. At the right, British Captain William Leslie is shown mortally wounded. In the background, American General George Washington and Doctor Benjamin Rush enter the scene

Seeing Cadwalader’s brigade of 1,100 militiamen coming up, Mawhood fell back to the support of his guns and with their discharges of grape shot dispersed the advancing Americans; however, the rest of the American army was brought up and the regiment quickly found themselves surrounded. 

Captain the Honourable William Lesley,
17th Foot, killed at Princeton.

With superior enemy numbers, the regiment was forced to retreat, and Mawhood ordered a desperate bayonet charge to break out of their encirclement, which succeeded, whilst at the same time, Captain William Scott of the 17th Regiment, with just 40 men, successfully defended the 4th Brigade's baggage train against superior numbers of enemy attackers. 

Thomas Sullivan of the 49th Regiment of Foot remarked:

"He formed his men upon commanding ground, and after refusing to deliver the Baggage, fought with his men back-to-back; and forced the Enemy to withdraw, bringing off the Baggage safe to Brunswick."

His performance in the battle was mentioned in dispatches, and later, the regiment was lauded as "The Heroes of Prince-town" in British recruiting adverts.

Casualties were not heavy. The British lost only 40 dead, that included Captain the Honourable William Lesley, 58 wounded and 187 missing. The Americans lost a number of able officers: General Mercer, Colonel Haslet and several others. They also lost 40 soldiers killed and wounded.

Later that year the 17th Foot would go on to fight at the Battle of Brandywine in September 1777 as part of General Charles 'No Flint' Grey's 3rd Brigade with 233 all ranks, 

The 17th Foot would go on to fight at the Battle of Brandywine in September 1777 as part of General Charles 'No Flint' Grey's 3rd Brigade with 233 all ranks.

The regiment was also present at the Battle of Germantown in October 1777, taking part in the British counterattack against Major-General John Sullivan's Maryland Division, during which Ensign Nathaniel Philips and four rank and file of the regiment were killed, and three serjeants and twenty-one rank and file wounded.

The 17th Foot in action at the Battle of Germantown, October 4th 1777.

The following year, the 17th Foot alongside the 15th, 42nd (Highland) and 44th Foot, as part of 3rd Brigade would be at the Battle of Monmouth, 28th June 1778, after a winter spent in quarters in Philadelphia, and in the spring of 1778 supplying several detachments, which ranged the country in various directions to open communications for obtaining provisions. 

The regiment took part in the march of the army from Philadelphia, through the Jerseys, in order to return to New York; and its flank companies were engaged in repulsing the attack of the enemy on the rear of the column, at Freehold, in New Jersey, on the 28th of June at the Battle of Monmouth, on which occasion Captain William Brereton, commanding the grenadier company, was wounded.

In September 1778, the regiment took part in Grey's raid at New Bedford and Martha's Vineyard, destroying rebel stores and making off with forage and plunder.

Major-General Charles 'No Flint' Grey, 1st Earl Grey KB.

Grey, leading 4,000 troops, raided the towns of New Bedford and Fairhaven along with Martha's Vineyard, one of the first in a series of attacks executed by the British against American coastal communities.

A 1778 map annotated with the route of a raiding expedition against Massachusetts coastal communities in September 1778. The expedition was under the command of British General Charles Grey.
Points of note: A: Newport, Rhode Island, B: New Bedford and Fairhaven, Massachusetts, and 
C: Martha's Vineyard.

His troops destroyed storehouses, shipping, and supplies in New Bedford, where they met with light resistance from the local militia; they damaged fewer American holds at Fairhaven where militia resistance had additional time to organize. He then sailed for Martha's Vineyard, which was undefended, and between September 10th and 15th, its residents surrendered 10,000 head of sheep and 300 oxen, as well as most of the island's weapons.

The Battle of Stony Point in July 16th, 1779 

The 'hatmen' companies and the regimental colours were captured at the Battle of Stony Point in July 1779 by a daring night-time bayonet charge by "Mad" Anthony Wayne.

The British position at Stony Point was a fortified one, with the defences consisting of earthen fleches (cannon positions) and wooden abatis (felled trees sharpened to a point and placed in earthen embankments). 

Sir Henry Johnson, 1st Baronet, circa 1801 - Robert Dunkerton.

As Lieutenant Colonel, he assumed command of the 17th Foot on the 8th October 1778,

and would command the regiment at Stony Point and later in the South as part of Lord

Cornwallis's army, with Cornwallis having an indifferent opinion of Johnson, writing of him as "a wrong-headed blockhead"

Situated on a rocky elevation approachable only from the west, the defences were protected in the front by a watery defile and on both flanks by extensive swampy areas.

Stony Point was garrisoned by about 550 men, with elements of the 17th Foot (258 men, all ranks) under the command of Lt. Col. Henry Johnson, who replaced Mawhood in late 1778, reinforced by a grenadier companies belonging to the 71st Highland Regiment (177 men, all ranks), and a company-strength detachment of the Loyal American Regiment (68 men, all ranks). A detachment of the Royal Artillery (51 men, all ranks) manned sixteen field pieces that included two 24-pdr, two 18-pdr, four 12-pdr and one 3-pdr cannon, two 5.5-inch and two coehorn mortars and one 10-inch, and one 8-inch small howitzer; whilst a Royal Navy gunboat was assigned to protect the river approaches to the fortifications, and the armed sloop Vulture was also anchored in that part of the river.

Brigadier-General Anthony Wayne

For his service, Wayne was awarded a medal by Congress, 

one of the few issued during the war.

The position was stormed by the Continental Corps of Light Infantry formed on June 12th, with command assigned to Brigadier-General Anthony Wayne, an elite, seasoned combat organization drafted in each of the years between 1777 and 1781 from the light infantry companies of each regiment in Washington's army, and organized into a brigade of four regiments, (1-4th Light Infantry Regiments) each composed of two battalions of four companies, numbering around 340 men each supported by two light cannon and fifty men from Lee's Legion (McLanes' Troop) dismounted.

The Americans lost 15 killed and 83 men wounded, whilst the British suffered 20 killed, 58 missing, thought drowned trying to escape into the River Hudson, and 546 men made prisoners. A notable casualty from the 17th was Captain Francis Tew, killed by a rebel volley while leading his company in a bayonet charge to clear the enemy from the upper works.

The remaining companies of grenadiers and light infantry were detached to composite flank battalions, while the remaining men, drafts, and recruits from England were formed into the "17th Company" under Captain-Lieutenant George Cuppaidge, who was on business in New York during the action at Stony point. The 17th Company was tasked with fighting partisans in South Carolina in 1780.

While the 17th Company under Cuppiadge was fighting partisans in South Carolina, the bulk of the 17th Regiment was being exchanged from captivity and by early 1781, the regiment was entirely exchanged and on duty again in New York.

In April the 17th Regiment, now with 12 officers and 209 other ranks, was chosen as part of the last reinforcement to reach Lord Cornwallis. Consisting of the 17th, the 43rd, the 1st and 2nd Anspach Regiments, and detachments of light infantry, the 76th, 80th, Queen's Rangers, Loyal American, and Prince Hereditaire Regiments, along with the Anspach Artillery, the fleet sailed on April 29, 1781, under the command of Colonel de Voit.

17th Foot at Yorktown 1781.
Illustration by Alan Kemp - Great Battles, Yorktown, Almark.

They arrived at Portsmouth in late May, and the 17th stayed with the Anspach Regiments to garrison Portsmouth, under the command of General Leslie, while the remainder of the detachment joined Lord Cornwallis; and following the Battle of Green Spring, the 17th joined Cornwallis when he retired to Portsmouth and moved the army to Yorktown. On October 16th, 1781, the 17th Regiment once again marched into captivity with Cornwallis's army.

The British garrison at Yorktown, including the 17th Foot, surrenders, October 16th, 1781 - Keith Rocco

After being exchanged in 1782, the regiment was resupplied at New York and was on service there until the city was evacuated in 1783. After withdrawing from New York, the 17th Regiment became part of the Canadian garrison and was stationed at Halifax, Nova Scotia, until 1787, when the regiment returned to England.

The 17th Company fought in the last major action of the war on August 27th, 1782, near Beaufort, South Carolina, at Combahee Ferry, where the famous rebel Colonel John Laurens lost his life. 

A royal warrant dated 31st August 1782 bestowed county titles on all regiments of foot that did not already have a special designation "to cultivate a connection with the County which might at all times be useful towards recruiting", thus the regiment became the 17th (Leicestershire) Regiment of Foot.

My 17th Foot are composed of the plastic British infantry from Perry Miniatures, Colours from GMB Designs and low profile sabots from Supreme Littleness Designs.

Next up, the 3rd Continental Division under Major General John Sullivan is complete with the inclusion of the German Battalion, sometimes referred to as the 8th Maryland Continental Regiment, to be showcased next together with my reinforced Canadian (Hazen's) Regiment, before work moves on to the Virginians of 2nd Division.

As always, more anon.

JJ

The Dalton Gang's Last Raid, Coffeyville, Kansas, 1892 - What a Cowboy!

Between Xmas and New Year, myself, Steve M, and Chas gathered at Chez Vince for another Wild West Adventure, picking up from our last gathering back on New Year's Eve 2022 when we played the shoot-out at the OK Corral in Tombstone Arizona Territory 1881, and the following gunfights that culminated with the shootout at Iron Springs 1882, that time using the rules 'Ruthless'.

Ruthless at Tombstone, New Years Eve 2022

This time I was finally getting the opportunity to have a go playing the Lardy set of Old West rules, 'What a Cowboy!' which have appeared several times at club and with which Vince was using to refight the last raid of the Dalton Gang in Coffeyville, Kansas on October 5th 1892.

 

This disastrous raid by the Dalton brothers and some of their associates is well documented and although I am not an aficionado of the Old West, it was not difficult finding the first hand accounts and details of the plan enacted by the gang on the day that led to the demise of four members of the gang including Bob and Grat Dalton and the capture of a badly shot up Emmett Dalton, as well as the deaths of four residents of Coffeyville who joined the fight to prevent the gang riding away with cash from two of the town's banks.

http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/daltons.htm

At around 9:30 on the morning of October 5th, 1892 five members of the Dalton Gang (Grat Dalton, Emmett Dalton, Bob Dalton, Bill Power and Dick Broadwell) rode into the small town of Coffeyville, Kansas. 

Vince's interpretation of Coffeyville from the map above

Their objective was to achieve financial security and make outlaw history by simultaneously robbing two banks. From the beginning, their audacious plan went astray. The hitching post where they intended to tie their horses had been torn down due to road repairs, and this forced the gang to hitch their horses in a near-by alley - a fateful decision.

Grat Dalton, Emmett Dalton, Bob Dalton, Bill Power and Dick Broadwell hitch their horses in what would become known as 'Death Ally' near to the livery stables managed in our game by John Kloehr, seen in the background, Winchester rifle in hand

Coffeyville was the Dalton's hometown, a fact that had persuaded them against doing their normal pre-raid reconnaissance visit due to the chances that they might have been spotted, and therefore to disguise their identity, two of the Daltons wore false beards and wigs but despite these precautions the gang was recognized as they crossed the town's wide plaza, split up and entered the two banks. Suspicious townspeople watched through the banks' wide front windows as the robbers pulled their guns.

The five gang members, (three gunslingers and two shootists), armed with various weapons, pistols and rifles hidden under riding coats, and three town characters, Marshal Connelly, who could arm himself with a Winchester rifle if summoned into the town, John Kloehr, located at the livery stables in Death Ally, and Carey Seaman the town barber, located next door to Isham's hardware store, armed with a double barrelled shotgun (two gunslingers and one shootist). 

In the game we simulated the initial moves made by the gang, as they split into two groups to enter the two banks and seeking to avoid recognition by having locals randomly wandering about town and when activated testing to spot the gang if in line of sight or overhear any gunshots.

Condon Bank Coffeyville, Kansas, circa 1890, one of the two banks the Dalton Gang attempted to rob

In addition once the alarm was raised, three additional groups of armed townsfolk (henchmen) could be generated to support the player characters, with Steve M. and Chas running the Dalton gang, myself the town characters and Vince the henchmen.

Condon Bank Coffeyville, Kansas, circa 2025.

In our game the gang managed to move relatively quickly without drawing attention as Bill Power stayed behind close to the horses with a likely plan to cover the escape from town should things get hot, whilst Grat and Emmet made their way to Condon Bank and Bob Dalton and Dick Broadwell moved across the street to First National Bank, not however without Bob getting spotted and an urgent message sent off to Marshal Connelly.

The other target of the raid, First National Bank.

Things went from bad to worse for Bob and Dick as they entered the First National Bank and encountered not one but two 'Have a go heroes' that would see Bob take a shock from the suddenly unexpected resistance requiring Dick to end matters with his Winchester, the shot being heard by Carey Seaman the town barber, only two buildings south along the street, next door to Isham's hardware store, causing him to grab his shotgun and peer from his shopfront window.

Carey Seaman challenges Dick Broadwell as the latter runs out of First National Bank and then draws his pistol

Looking out he immediately spotted Dick Broadwell heading across the street gun in one hand and a large sack in the other, as Dick turned and levelled his six shooter, the nimble barber lowered his shotgun and let the bandit have both barrels, causing him a wound, but having to then successfully dodge the return pistol shots.

The exchange of shots between Seamen and Broadwell, caused both antagonists to seek cover in doorways and street corners as Broadwell and Bob Dalton headed for Eighth Street and a circuitous route back to the horses with over $20000 dollars in hand and having left two dead townsfolk in the First National Bank.

While the gunfire echoed around town, Grat and Emmet Dalton were patiently waiting for the non existent safe timer to allow them access to the cash in Condon Bank, having been conned by the bank teller that there was one and now only to aware of the town now likely aware of their presence and the need to swiftly make their getaway. 

How the West was really Won. Carey Seaman catches Dick Broadwell with two shots from his shotgun, in the back, killing the robber and repossessing the stolen cash.

However the gunfire had also alerted Marshal Connelly, who passed the chap coming to warn him of the presence of Bob Dalton in town, now having armed himself with a Winchester and working his way to the block next to Death Ally, attracted by yet more shots now being exchanged between Bill Power and John Kloehr at the livery store, the latter having noticed the stranger hanging around the horses hitched close by.

In the meantime Carey Seaman had observed Dick Broadwell run off towards Eighth Street and looking to cut him off headed into the building across from the bank with a view into the next street, catching Broadwell trying to make his way back to Death Alley and wounding Broadwell a second time causing him to fall before letting fly with the second barrel of his shotgun and killing the robber as he continued out of the window in pursuit of Bob Dalton.

A contemporary drawing of the aftermath in Death Alley.

With things now really 'hotting' up in town as three groups of armed townsfolk headed into the streets, Grat and Emmett Dalton now found their escape route bottled up, caught in the crossfire generated by Marshall Connelly and John Kloehr at the livery store in Death Ally. Bill Power had earned himself a new nickname in our game 'Bullet-magnet Bill' and was leading a charmed life when it seemed the name got to him as he jumped astride his horse turned the animal in the direction of escape and managed to get away unharmed despite Connelly shooting away his left stirrup as he did so.

Connelly and Kloehr were playing a stealthy game with both men using the cover of low walls in the case of the former and the livery table in the case of the latter, to pop up and take aimed shots at the gang members as they tried to get to the horses.

The final battle in Death Alley - Marshall Connelly has ducked down behind the far stone wall in front of the tape measure as he and Kloehr off to the bottom right have driven the Dalton's and Bill Power to take cover, left of picture, unable to get to the horses.

With Grat and Emmett pinned down by Connelly and Kloehr a group of pistol toting townsfolk came charging into the ally looking to finish things, but were met by both robbers and mercilessly gunned down.

However matters took another turn and Bob Dalton tried to get into the ally from a nearby building having made his way back to the horses with money taken from the First National Bank, but failed to hear the warning shouted by his brothers as John Kloehr took careful aim with his Winchester and shot poor Bob in the chest, mortally wounding him as he fell into the stable yard.

Grat Dalton mounts up and immediately draws fire from Marshal Connelly

The killing of Bob decided matters for Grat and Emmet as the latter ran for the horses, mounted up and spurred his mount out of town, unscathed and with money in hand.

Marshal Connelly was up from his position on the wall taking careful aim with his rifle.

Grat Dalton was soon behind his brother and mounted up but failed to get his horse moving before Marshal Connelly was up from his position on the wall taking careful aim with his rifle. A hit, but where, the die rolled and Dalton took the shot to his head, grazing his scalp as his hat flew high, and needing no further incentive as he ducked low against his mount's neck he galloped clear of town also clutching his ill-gotten gains.

Left to right: Bill Power; Bob Dalton; Grat Dalton, Dick Broadwell killed during the actual raid on Coffeyville and posed for the obligatory grim memento-mori.

Game end, and it was time to tally the cash from the Coffeyville Raid. Grat and Emmett had got away with $23,000 taken from the Condon Bank, however both Bob Dalton and Dick Broadwell had been killed carrying the balance from the First National Bank, leaving the surviving gang members $2,000 short of their retirement pot.

Thus our game was declared a draw with over four townsfolk killed in the gun battle, but two robbers killed in return and Grat Dalton escaping with a dangerous head wound $2,000 out of pocket.

We thoroughly enjoyed 'What a Cowboy!' which produced a fast flowing narrative to our game with lots of laughs and drama as history was recreated on the table.

Thanks to Chas, Steve M. and of course Vince for a great day of Old West action, and a very nice game to end 2025 on.

More anon.

JJ

JJ's Wargames Year End Review, 2025 and The Plan for the New Year Ahead, 2026.

 

Well I don't know about you, but I'm not quite sure where that year went! I know it seems to be a truism that the older one gets, time seems to speed up anyway, from very young childhood when the odd hour in the back seat of the car could seem interminable, prompting the usual exclamation of 'are we there yet?' from my younger sister and me, to now when the days seem to simply fly by.

The last age-of-sail models completed in 2025 saw this pair of French brigs added to the Trafalgar collection in April, using some rather fine 3D printed hulls from Henry Turner to better represent these two vessels in my Trafalgar 220 project for 2025.

Not only that but when you get to a certain age you start to realise that you likely have more yesterdays than tomorrows so you'd better get on with things while you can still see straight and the dribbling isn't thinning the paint too much. 

'the plan changes on first contact with the enemy'.
At the start of the year I posted my completed Enterprise class frigate using a 3D print from Simon Mann, and building up plans to commence the Nile Collection. However four years exposure to super glue putting multiple ship models together, fully rigged had finally irritated my nasal passages enough to convince me that now was a good time for a change of plan. So in April 'The World got Turned Upside Down' with the recommenced work on the American War of Independence collection in anticipation of the 250th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence in 2026.

The other aspect of the planning I tend to do, so as to avoid reeling of another year and thinking that there goes another opportunity to indulge the passion in this particular theme and collection, or to play that certain battle scenario that I'd always said I wanted to do, always based on the maxim;

'fail to plan, plan to fail', 

However, having a plan is all very well but it is important to remember and to keep in mind the other truism and indeed military maxim that should be emblazoned on the heart of every historical wargamer; 

'the plan changes on first contact with the enemy'.

So it seems that these themes seemed to have influenced my past year, and I find myself looking back to my previous Year End Review with a bit of a rye smile, in that the plan certainly changed, and with good reason, but also very much with an eye on 'the better get on with it' theme that I touched on in that review when looking at other projects I had in mind, still to be completed but at the time still very much on the back-burner.

Vince's arquebusiers built in February 2025 made a refreshing change from rigging 1:700 ships, together with a more colourful change of palette, that and relearning old skills of painting 28mm figures.

Four years of age-of-sail ship building and exposure to super glue fumes was causing my nose irritation and that, and the pleasure I had in putting together a unit of Arquebusiers for my mate Vince for a planned Pavia refight, convinced me that 2025 required a new theme despite the plan to build a Battle of the Nile collection of models, hence in April of this year my AWI collection returned front and centre as my new project, ready to get some battles run in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence in 2026.

The Trafalgar 220 project got a great warm-up game at Exeter Legionary in May as the Trafalgar collection took centre stage for 2025, to culminate in a two day anniversary game with the NWS at Yeovilton in October. This was the first time we used Far Distant Ships with over seventy models on the table and the rules worked marvellously for this size of game.

Of course I still had some important age of sail games I wanted to run, this year being the 220th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, and I was enjoying working up David Manley's Far Distant Ships (FDS) Fleet Battle rules that we used successfully in 2024 to run the Battle of Camperdown. 

The culmination of the Trafalgar 220 project with a two day anniversary game with the NWS at Yeovilton in October. Great fun, and a fitting way to honour the Immortal Memory.

The fun with ships continued throughout 2025 with my good friend Captain Steve introducing me and I suspect many others to the delights of yet more age-of-sail fun with his series of games recreating the Anglo-Dutch Wars using his glorious collection of 1:1200 Langton models and a fitting tribute in the year that Rod Langton, who had a great influence on my own hobby, retired from trading. Thank you Rod for your contribution to the hobby of historical wargaming and age of sail gaming in particular.

Captain Steve's marvellous collection of Anglo-Dutch Wars 1:1200 Langton models, featured regularly in 2025 and received great feedback with his series of AAR's and fleet reviews.

My year with the ships concluded in November when the Devon Wargames Group and friends gathered at the Fleet Air Arm Museum for a weekend of wargaming and socialising, and during which I ran the Battle of Cape Finisterre 1805 otherwise known as Calder's Action, again using Far Distant Ships.

Battle of Cape Finisterre 1805 otherwise known as Calder's Action played at the FAA Yeovilton in November with the DWG and friends.

So for the foreseeable the ships will step back from my focus for the next few years as I turn my attention to 'The World Turned Upside Down’, but I'm rather hoping to indulge the itch every now and then, perhaps with a bit of Anglo-Dutch fun with Steve, and some small ship actions that I have a mind to work through, with the collection of frigates and brigs completed too date, more anon.

Perhaps one of the most enjoyable highlights of 2025 for me was a project long in the planning that reached a successful conclusion in March as the carpet went down and the new furnishings went in to my refurbished wargames room.

My oasis of contemplation and planning with books and figure collections close at hand to inspire other collections and projects.

My room is an oasis of contemplation and planning with books and figure collections close at hand to inspire other collections and projects, and I intend to feature more games in it in the forthcoming months with friends.

The Portuguese capital, Lisbon, provided the first port of call this year, a place I had longed to visit in the wake of my Talavera and Peninsular War project a few years previously and a wonderful venue for history buffs.

Another theme of the blog that also inspires my hobby and I hope entertains others is the occasional little and big trips as JJ's goes on Tour to various places and explore a bit of history along with the other delights of cuisine, culture and scenery that new places have to offer.

A glorious model of the Portuguese 44-gun Principe da Beira, built in 1774 on display in the Lisbon Maritime Museum.

In February Carolyn and I got a bit of winter sun and flew down to Lisbon for a few days before catching a train north to Porto.

Lisbon saw JJ's maintain the maritime theme as Carolyn and I got onto the water of the River Tagus to see Lisbon from a different angle and absorb more of her historic waterfront.

Portugal is a lovely country to visit and we have always enjoyed ourselves on previous visits, with this trip enabling me to tick off some really important historic venues along the way as well as enjoying the odd piece of Piri Piri Chicken.

Porto was one of the venues we weren't able to include in the big 2019 tour of Peninsular Battle sites, and given that the Crossing of the Douro was a major game I had worked on previously, I was really keen to see the place and how close our tabletop fight had captured the layout of the town.

Travelling up the river on a repurposed port-wine barge and past the monastery to see the actual beach from where the 3rd (buffs) set off to take possession of the seminary on the opposite bank was a real thrill.

'More than half the Buffs had passed, and the Seminary was beginning to be adequately manned . . . '
One of our several refights of the Battle of Porto back in 2014, and eleven years later I got to see the real thing.

The rearward facing wall of the Seminary and the slope behind up which the troops from Hill's brigade climbed from the river.

Across from the Seminary, and where our boat turned about to take us back to Villa Nova, the beach from which Hill's brigade boarded their barges to make the hazardous crossing to the Seminary can clearly be seen today below the hights of Avintes.

Hill's brigade, crossing the Douro, 12th May 1809.
'In a quarter of an hour the first vessel was over, and a subaltern and twenty-five men rushed up into the empty enclosure of the Seminary, and closed the big iron gate opening into the Vallongo road, which formed its only land-exit. The men from the other barges were just behind: they set themselves to lining the garden wall and to piling up wood and earth against it, in order to give themselves a standing-place from which they could fire over the coping.'

The travel fun continued with a proper summer break in Kefalonia and Ithaca during which I managed to get to visit the Homeric residence of King Odysseus as well as experiencing my first minor earthquake!

The view of the Ionian Sea from the Palace of Odysseus in Ithaca, identified in 2010, and likely looking from Penelope's former window

The year culminated with a long anticipated trip to Stockholm and Sweden in November to celebrate Carolyn's significant birthday and soak up a bit of Swedish culture that included a visit to the world famous Vasa Museum.

The Vasa Museum was a place I had long looked forward to visiting and surpassed 
all my expectations. Well up there with some of the best museums I have had the
pleasure of seeing.

Alongside the trips other adventures have continued to feature such as my regular calendar of show dates that this year included Partizan in May, Attack in July and Colours in September.

The Yarkshire Gamer presented Germantown at Partizan which given my current project work immediately grabbed my attention.

Bill Gaskin's Seven Year's War Game was a real treat at this year's Partizan

Steve L, Tom and Mr Steve enjoying the vista of Bill Gaskin's Seven Years War game at Partizan.

'By God sir, those really are regulars!'

This very nicely turned out Pacific Air War 1:700 participation game, seen at Attack in the summer, caught my eye.

An unexpected flypast of WWII warbirds coincided with our visit to Colours this year. A marvellous bonus to the day.

Dave Brown's Waterloo game was a real treat for the eye at this year's Colours show.

In April I laid out my plans to recommence work on my AWI collection that saw some of my previously produced units for my Mohawk Valley project get an upgrade to be included in The World Turned Upside Down project designed to look at fighting large and small battle scenarios from the American War up and down the thirteen colonies with a view towards producing games to coincide with the upcoming 250th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence next year.

My first upgraded unit were these generic brown uniformed Continentals showing off the low profile sabot bases from Supreme Littleness Designs and the battalion arrangements around three, four, five and six similarly sized sabots to easily flex units for different scenarios, sometimes carrying colours and other times not.

Since the first unit of Continentals, three units of militia, and another five units of Continentals have followed alongside British light infantry, and six battalions of British regulars to join my couple of guns, Hessian Jagers and six mounted officers with another unit of Continentals and British regulars to be showcased in the New Year. giving me a firm foundation of a collection as we head off into 2026.

The 35th Foot was one of my first new British regular regiments to join the collection and participated in my test battle, 'The Battle of Telegraph Hill' played at the DWG in June this year using Rise and Fight Again rules from Stand to Games.

The club game organised with my pal Jack was an opportunity to reacquaint myself with the delights of Rise and Fight Again (R&FA) as well as getting to envisage the kind of game I am hoping to produce with this collection.

 'The Battle of Telegraph Hill' played at the DWG in June this year using Rise and Fight Again rules from Stand to Games.

In addition to using R&FA I have also been in contact with Nigel Marsh, creator of Carnage & Glory II that Steve and I had so much fun with when playing the Talavera Peninsular War collection and I aim to get up to speed with the Seven Years War set that will also work for AWI.

Thanks to the help from Nigel Marsh to update my C&G II playing system from its last incarnation that I was using back in 2018 for my Talavera project, I'm really looking forward to getting the AWI version of the rules up and running in my future games for those of us who enjoy the amazing wargaming simulation C&G produces. If you are unfamiliar with the rules you will find fifty odd posts in my links in the right hand column demonstrating why I love playing Carnage and Glory.
Carnage and Glory II

The plan I started to layout in my post back in April has developed in the succeeding months since those first thoughts started to crystalise in my minds eye.

JJ's Wargames - New Work on my American War of Independence Collection.

In that post I very much saw the 16-figure, four base battalion/regiment being the core formation of the collection with the sabot basing arrangement facilitating flexing in and out of that arrangement for larger and smaller scale scenarios, an aspect that typifies battles in the AWI with forces ranging from the tens of thousands to the tens of hundreds.

That vision is still a core principle to my collection but I have started to work on a more variable battalion look for my big-battle set up of the 12-figure to 24-figure arrangement to cater for battalions of anything from 250 to 400 men plus.

I now have the complete set of British Grenadier Scenario books

I now have the complete set of British Grenadier Scenario books and it is interesting to see a similar evolution in them with the original book very much focussed on a 1:20 big battle scale and as the inclusion of smaller actions in later books became more common, 1:15, 1:10 and even 1:5 figure to men ratios crept in, to no detriment to the original rules and their concept.

Cornwallis's Attack as laid out on Jemima Fawr's Miniature Wargames Blog and providing inspiration for my own plan.
https://www.jemimafawr.co.uk/2025/06/05/the-battle-of-the-brandywine-1777-refight-again/

These scenario ideas will be games I intend to run on my table as stand alone scenarios as the collection develops to cater for them, with a focus at present on building the American and British units for the two Brandywine scenarios, Cornwallis's Attack and Knyphausen's Battle in time for a 250th anniversary game in 2027.

Most of my army is styled towards Howe's Philadelphia Campaign, but other specific look-units will follow for other theatres within the wider continent.

The look of my current forces are very much focussed towards Howe's Philadelphia Campaign and will cater for actions fought throughout the continent with a plan to develop additional forces for a more specific look such as the Saratoga and Mohawk campaigns and some specific units that will create a very 'Southern' look for actions fought in the Carolinas.

My visit to Colours in September 2025 allowed me to add to the terrain collection to be constructed in 2026.

Alongside the figure collection I have amassed a collection of buildings and terrain, mostly mdf offerings, but some resin ones that will need constructing in the coming months.

My ideas for developing a campaign system around the great boardgame Washington's War, is also developing alongside my new collection.

As well as stand-alone scenario games I am keen to develop my ideas with the boardgame Washington's War, which Steve and I have played to death and have never grown tired of, as every game seems to produce one very different from another, and we have both mused over transferring the battles it produces to the tabletop, with all the political and strategic narrative the game creates.

An example of my own army generator using ideas from The World Turned Upside Down, from Wargame Vault, but redesigned around Washington's War.

I have so far developed an army and commander generator based on the maximum 3:2 force structure outlined in my April post and have a battle-terrain generator in draft which I intend to adjust to accommodate my terrain collection as it grows.

The similarly named campaign system to my own current project is a ready to go AWI campaign game 
from Real Time Wargames and available on Wargames Vault.
Real Time Wargames

As an aside to my campaign aspirations, if you are of a similar mind, I recently discovered a really great campaign module for the AWI ready to play, that has provided ideas for my own efforts with Washington's War and is available in PDF from Wargames Vault.

The campaign map in The World Turned Upside Down can be printed in two A3 or four A4 sections, and the game comes complete with counters and campaign rules.

I'm really excited about my current core project and am looking forward to showcasing new units, terrain and games as and when the collection allows, whilst also continuing with the blog to present other wargames and history related stuff, alongside the occasional JJ's on Tour diversion, that I think you might find interesting.

Alongside my project work and the continuation of the blog, I'm also looking forward to more family time in the year ahead as I have become a Grandpa, to my granddaughter Robin, and have a family wedding to look forward to in May 2026. 

The Devon Wargames Group and friends at this year's Clotted Lard.

After having had the honour of forty-five years chairing the Devon Wargames Group, since its formation back in 1981, I have decided to step down at the end of April, and return to the 'back benches' as I reckon that amount of time is long-enough for anyone and with the club now boasting some forty odd members, a solid team of club officers leading the way, and with a good number of folks younger than me, with ideas of their own to develop, it's time for the club to explore new avenues in wargaming which I hope will be the future.

So one way or another I expect 2026 to be a year of great change and new horizons and I am very excited for the future.

I wish you all a very happy New Year in 2026, and as always, more anon.

JJ