The Scheldt Campaign from Hollandspiele on Vassal.

It was back in February last year that I last posted about the pleasures of playing boardgames with my pal Steve M. on Vassal when I was 'waxing lyrical ' about the Hollandspiele game Campaign of Nations by John Theissen, link below.

JJ's Wargames: Campaign of Nations from Hollandspiele on Vassal.

Since then our regular weekly gatherings on a Monday night, laptops to hand, have continued with adventures fighting the Burma Campaign of 1944-45 with Nemesis Burma 1944 from Legion Games, and various AWI battles and campaigns from GMT that included Saratoga and Germantown, and the series of block/campaign games from Worthington Games, Trenton, New York and Saratoga.

Time on other projects has not permitted my usual posting about these activities, as I have sought to maintain a weekly post here on the blog whilst focussing on my AWI collection, and frankly much has been written about these games and there pros and cons for me to add not much more other than to say that Steve and I enjoyed all of them with perhaps for me the standout choices being Worthington's New York game and Legion's Burma one, which produced some great drama during our play and seemed to model the themes really well.

However I felt prompted to compose this post, because every now and then a game comes along that really captures the imagination, very often by taking a completely different approach to presenting an era, battle or campaign by challenging players to play a familiar type of game in a completely new and enjoyable way, and recreating a key factor that is reflected in the historical record that makes it stand out from other games.

Which leads me to typing a few comments about 'The Scheldt Campaign', another game from Hollandspiele, of which I have a few from this company, and who seem to excel in producing games that are rather unique, with this one, ‘The Scheldt Campaign’, by Brian Train, and map art by Ilya Kudriashov, a good example.

I have quite a few WWII games covering the land-war in NW Europe in 1944-45, but I had not played a game covering this particular campaign in the autumn and early winter of 1944, as the Allied breakout from Normandy started to coalesce along the approaches to the German border, the weather worsened, and a realisation that things would not be over by Christmas sunk in, but with the need to shorten the Allied supply lines from the Normandy ports and beaches becoming an imperative, as thoughts turned to an invasion of the German homeland in the following year.

Although Antwerp, a major deep-water port, was liberated on September 3rd, 1944, German forces, with heavy emplaced coastal guns, backed up with mines in the coastal waters controlled the Scheldt estuary, preventing Allied ships from reaching the port, and securing Antwerp was recognised to be essential to maintain logistical support for the Allied armies advancing toward Germany, as other ports were too distant to efficiently supply the front lines

The battle to clear the Scheldt approaches took place from 2nd October to 8th November 1944, with initial attacks beginning in mid-September but meeting limited success due to well-fortified German positions, flooded terrain, and muddy conditions. The Germans employed effective delaying tactics, including flooding the Scheldt estuary, which slowed the Allied advance, that saw the Canadians conducting amphibious assaults, crossing obstacles, and fighting over open ground under heavy fire.

A view of the German defences on the Walcheren Causeway, as brilliantly portrayed in The Forgotten Battle, a 2020 Dutch war drama film directed by Matthijs van Heijningen Jr., that depicted the Battle of the Scheldt in 1944.

The operation was led by the First Canadian Army, under the acting command of Lieutenant-General Guy Simonds, with the army including the 2nd and 3rd Canadian Infantry Divisions, the 4th Canadian Armoured Division, the 1st British Corps, and the 1st Polish Armoured Division, along with smaller contingents of American, Belgian, and Dutch troops.

The Battle of the Scheldt is considered one of the most gruelling campaigns of World War II due to the difficult terrain, strong German defences, and high casualty rates, that saw Allied forces suffer approximately 20,873 casualties, including 6,367 Canadians; whilst the First Canadian Army captured over 41,000 German prisoners, and despite the heavy losses, the Allies successfully cleared the Scheldt, allowing the port of Antwerp to be used for supply operations. 

The first convoy would unload on the 28th November 1944, and between November 1944 and April 1945, 2.5 million tons of supplies were delivered through Antwerp.

Historically, the battle was divided into three operations: Operation SWITCHBACK to eliminate the forces in the Breskens Pocket, Operation VITALITY to move north from Antwerp and advance up the narrow isthmus of South Beveland; and Operation INFATUATE to eliminate the remaining German forces on Walcheren Island.

The map below shows the setup for the historical scenario, with Steve playing the Germans and 'Yours Truly' the Allies, and we have just completed the first move, as the Canadian 3rd Infantry and 4th Armoured Divisions, start to move against the Breskens Pocket, bottom left of the map

A snapshot of our game at the end of Turn one using Vassal.

The Breskens pocket was held by the 64th Division commanded by General Knut Eberding, an infantryman with extensive experience on the Eastern Front who was regarded as an expert in defensive warfare.

Map of the Breskens Pocket.
As a kid, I spent several family holidays in Knocke-sur-Mer, a lovely seaside resort, and well remember the many German gun emplacements positioned along the beach front that were the remains of the vaunted Atlantic Wall.

When the 15th Army had retreated from the Pas-de-Calais region of France across the Low Countries in September 1944, an enormous number of guns and ammunition ended up in the Breskens Pocket, including one hundred 20 mm anti-aircraft guns, which were used as a sort of "super-heavy machine gun", 23 heavy 88 mm flak guns, 455 light machine guns and 97 mortars.

'Bulge 20' by Joseph Miranda

As Steve and I got stuck into mastering the mechanics of this game, it became quite obvious to the both of us that this was not just another WWII regimental/battalion level hex game that we were very familiar with, using as it does the Staff Card system (Staff Markers in this game), adapted from the game 'Bulge 20' by Joseph Miranda, a system designed to not allow players to move and fight every unit every turn, as is often the case in other wargames, forcing them to choose what they want to do, and where, and how to support it.

The Staff Markers are named according to typical modern military staff sections (slightly modified for the game):

• G-1 Administration (assignment and organization of forces)
• G-2 Intelligence (about enemy strengths and intentions)
• G-3 Operations (tactical moves and combat)
• G-4 Logistics (strategic moves, combat support, etc.)

Each player has a C2 Level which represents the maximum number of Staff markers he may have in his hand at any one time: the Allied Player – 7; the German Player – 4; the difference reflecting organisational challenges faced by a German army forced to retreat rapidly from Normandy; they then select their hand of Staff Markers from those in the Available Pile during the Planning Phase at the end of their Player Turn.

Starting with the Allied player, the Staff Markers are played one at a time during a player’s Preparation or Operations Phase in any order desired, with its action performed, before the next Staff Marker is played, and so on. Sometimes (e.g. during a battle) Staff Markers may be played simultaneously, and when a marker has been played, it is usually returned to the Available Pile.

The halfway stage, Turn 16, of our game, with the Breskens Pocket cleared and the British 49th Division poised to press the offensive towards the Walcheren causeway (centre right), as the Canadian 2nd Division alongside the US 104th Infantry Division, and 1st Polish Armoured Division threaten the city of Tilburg, (top right).

The key concept behind this unique way of playing is, since the Germans select Staff Markers during their Planning Phase, the enemy (Allies, who move first in each turn of play) has an entire turn to perform Actions with their markers, thereby possibly rendering German choices redundant, reflecting very real staff planning issues at this level; whilst also, as we soon discovered seriously limiting what both forces could do from one turn to another, despite often needing to do a lot at any given time, and being forced to prioritise the staff work on a given attack, to move forces rapidly to an important area, or to bring in replacements instead of doing that big attack.

Additionally, as the German player moves second, it soon became obvious to me that committing all my staff markers to my play left me with nothing in hand to respond to Steve's play, and so an additional issue is presented to the Allied player, whether to hold back the occasional G2, ensuring a defender fires first or a G4 to provide artillery or air support to an Allied defence responding to a sudden German counterattack. Decision options, don't you just love them!

Along with the Germans occupying well fortified defensive terrain, this prioritising of activity offsets the advantage the Allied player has in force strength, activation priority and his multiple Staff choices, in that the game is limited to 32 turns, with each game turn representing an indefinite period of time, from one to two days, and with that clock ticking away, forcing some very careful considerations on what is a 'must do' over the 'nice to do' activities, or the weighing up of several 'must do's' and settling on what you think is going to progress the Allied cause the best.

I think the concept of friction in war, translated to our hobby of historical wargaming, be that on the tabletop or in a boardgame setting, is perhaps one of the great divides in the hobby that groups one set of players versus another, similar to competitive gaming and those enjoying the intellectual stimulation, win or lose.

There is no wrong or right way of enjoying the hobby, but the preference, in my experience, can readily determine if you will enjoy a particular game or not, and cards on the table, in case you hadn't guessed, I'm certainly a lover of friction, forcing me to deal with the situation presented, potentially not how I would have liked it, and with absolutely no interest in competitive gaming whatsoever.

Map of troops at Walcheren Island

Intellectually, I want my game to simulate 'historical reality' as closely as possible with the decision points presented, and as we know real-life commanders don't get to choose how things are, they only get to influence a given situation to their best ability, but then 'Fortuna' takes over from there, and then they get to influence the situation she presents.

Thus the terrible terrain, Polder, Flooded Fields, German Heavy Fortifications, turn this game into a real slog for the Allied player, just as it was historically, except no one got killed in our game; whilst the Germans have to soak up the casualties, whilst dishing out as much hurt as they can, attempt the odd counterattack here and there when the opportunity presents, then build road-blocks with speed-bump battalions to help tick the clock down, as the Allies are forced to clear them out the way, whilst also trying to figure out a way to unhinge their defence.

At the half way stage, I think I was doing quite well, and I hadn't turned to bringing in unhistorical forces, which is an option, and the combat dice were definitely favouring the Allies as the 'Dead Pool' on the illustrations would indicate.

That was when thing's started to go sideways, as a key attack on Woensdrecht, at the neck of the peninsula leading to the Walcheren causeway, didn't go to plan, allowing a German withdrawal, rather than wiping them out as planned with copious artillery and air support thrown in; followed by Steve managing to 'go firm' on Walcheren Island despite Allied bombing that caused massive flooding but only took out one of the four coastal batteries, and a Special Service landing force that took out another but could not press matters without other Allied troops coming to their aid.

In the end I threw the towel in on Turn 30 with no prospect of clearing Walcheren, which had the German's sitting on a marginal victory as my Canadian 4th Infantry Brigade managed to capture Rosendaal that turn, but with the key rule that if  just one of the two German gun batteries on Walcheren Island was still intact by turn 32, then the result awards the German player with an Impressive Victory - well played Steve.

This game is not perfect, but then not many are, and we thought the supply and LOC might be modelled better, but that really is a small quibble for a game we both enjoyed, and I felt really captured the nature of this hard fought campaign at the end of 1944.

The Scheldt Campaign – Hollandspiele
The Scheldt Campaign - Hollandspiele | Wargame Vault

It is still available as a printed game from Hollandspiele, and also in a print and play version via Wargame Vault, links above, and of course, the module in the Vassal library can readily facilitate play.

Oh and if you've never used Vassal to play boardgames, then I can highly recommend the platform. Steve and I have been using the system on our personal laptops for a number of years now without a hitch, and it is regularly updated and the modules for games are of an excellent standard, so I've added a link where you can download the system and access the games library.

Vassal

A final note, was this very fitting tribute in the rules;

Designer's Dedication: to the Canadian Scottish Regiment,

which earned three battle honours in this campaign: "The

Scheldt", "LEOPOLD CANAL", and "Breskens Pocket".

Lest we forget.

JJ

The World Turned Upside Down - 8th Virginia Continental Regiment.

The 8th Virginia Regiment was authorised in December 1775 and organised between February and April 1776 at Suffolk Court House, Virginia, as one of eight rifle-equipped provincial regiments raised by the Commonwealth of Virginia to bolster frontier defences and support the patriot cause.

Recruited primarily from eight western counties—Berkeley, Frederick, Dunmore (now Shenandoah, contributing two companies), Hampshire, Culpeper, Augusta (three companies), and Fincastle—the regiment comprised ten companies of riflemen drawn from a diverse ethnic mix of German-Americans, Scotch-Irish, English settlers, and others, earning it the nickname "German Battalion" or "German Regiment" due to its significant German-speaking population and officers.

Peter Muhlenberg as a major general, painted years after the war. 

He never commanded as a major general.

In January 1776, Peter Muhlenberg, Abraham Bowman, and Peter Helphenstine were appointed colonel, lieutenant colonel, and major.

Adopted into Continental service on May 25th, 1776 (retroactive to that date), it initially served in the Southern Department, including the Chesapeake Campaign against British forces near Norfolk and the Battle of Sullivan's Island in June 1776, where nine of its companies helped repel a Royal Navy assault on Charleston Harbour, followed by a failed expedition to East Florida later that year that resulted in significant casualties from disease, primarily malaria.

The area of operations for the 8th Virginia Provincial Regiment during the Chesapeake Campaign February to May 1776

During the Chesapeake Campaign, from February to May, six or seven of the regiment’s companies participated in operations to oppose Lord Dunmore, the royal governor who was raiding coastal plantations and collecting an army of escaped slaves and indentured servants.

Major-General Charles Lee, commanding the Southern Department, responded to news of British troops landing in the Carolinas by taking the 8th Virginia south, stating that the regiment was the best equipped in the Virginia Provincial Line. However as the regiment was still a provincial one, many men objected to service outside of Virginia, and many deserted. Nine of the regiment’s ten companies were at Charleston for the Battle of Sullivan’s Island, June 28th, 1776, and about five companies (535 men) were engaged in combat on the north end of the island, blocking British infantry from crossing from Long Island

The regiment celebrated the Declaration of Independence at Charleston on August 5th, 1776, before Lee then took the regiment south on an expedition to attack St. Augustine in British East Florida, with over 100 men left at Charleston sick with malaria. 

Seriously ill, Major Helphenstine resigned and went home to Virginia, and the expedition halted at Sunbury, Georgia, by which time most of the remainder were sick, and in the end a significant number of 8th Virginia men died of malaria at Charleston and Sunbury.

Whilst the bulk of the regiment was in the south, detached elements went north to fight in the New York and New Jersey campaigns, including the Battles of White Plains, Trenton, Princeton, and the Forage War of winter 1777.

Captain William Croghan, led his West Augusta Company,
plus new recruits who arrived after the 8th Virginia moved south,
to join the Main Army in the North. He was promoted to major on May 16th, 1778.

​Captain William Croghan’s West Augusta Company arrived at Williamsburg after the regiment’s departure south, and a detachment was formed of this company, three groups of new recruits, and stragglers from other companies. Croghan’s Detachment served with the 1st Virginia Regiment until the spring of 1777, with the Detachment marching north to reinforce Washington in August 1776.

The 1st Virginia were then brigaded under Brig. Gen. William Alexander, Lord Stirling, and participated in the Battle of White Plains (October 28th, 1776) and the Battle of Trenton (December 26th, 1776). 

The Death of General Mercer at the Battle of Princeton, January 3rd, 1777 - John Trumbull

Dramatically reduced in number from illness and injury, Stirling’s brigade was combined under Gen. Hugh Mercer for the Battle of Assunpink Creek (January 2nd, 1777) and the Battle of Princeton (January 3rd, 1777), with Stirling being ill and absent from these battles, and would see General Mercer mortally wounded at Princeton. Only about six men from 140 originally assigned to Croghan’s Detachment were fit for duty at Princeton. During the 1777 Morristown Encampment, these men recuperated, and were inoculated for smallpox, and later engaged in the Forage War (winter 1777).

The Forage War was a partisan campaign consisting of numerous small skirmishes that took place in New Jersey between January and March 1777, following the battles of Trenton and Princeton. The British army was initially deployed from posts as far north as Hackensack to New Brunswick, with a garrison, numbering about 10,000, concentrated between New Brunswick and Amboy, together with a sizable contingent farther north, from Elizabethtown to Paulus Hook. General Washington established his headquarters at Morristown, separated from the coast by the Watchung Mountains, a series of low ridges, with him establishing forward outposts to the east and south of these ridges that served not only as a defensive bulwark against potential British incursions across the hills, but also as launch points for raids.

The 8th Virginia was reorganized on November 1st, 1777, as part of a broader Continental Army reorganisation, to consist of eight companies that certainly helped to address the problems of attrition from disease, desertion, and combat suffered in the previous twelve months, and the regiment transferred to the Main Army in January 1777, when Muhlenberg was promoted to brigadier general and, in the following March, Colonel Abraham Bowman took command of the unit.

In mid-June 1777 General Howe marched most of his army into central New Jersey in an attempt to lure Washington's Army to where it might be better attacked than its defensive position in the Watchung Mountains at Middlebrook Camp. 

When Washington refused to abandon his position, Howe returned to Amboy on June 22nd, whilst Washington's forward divisions, including that of Lord Stirling, shadowed the British movement, whilst he moved his main army out of the hills to Quibbletown.

Detail of a 1777 map depicting part of north-eastern New Jersey, showing the approximate movements of British and American forces that led to the Battle of Short Hills, June 26th 1777.

It was then that Howe seized the opportunity and on June 26th marched out of Amboy with two columns of troops, the first under Cornwallis, and the second under Vaughan, in an attempt to destroy Stirling's force and draw out Washington to come to his aid and force a battle with Washington off the high ground.

The Battle of Short Hills, June 26th 1777.
A map drawn by the Hessian officer Friedrich Adam Julius von Wangenheim showing the battle positions as he witnessed them.

Stirling's command, numbering about 2,500, comprised William Maxwell's New Jersey brigade, Thomas Conway's Pennsylvania brigade, Daniel Morgan's Corps of Riflemen and Ottendorf's Corps, commanded by Charles Armand. 

Morgan's command of around 350 men included riflemen of his own regiment, the 11th Virginia, , the 12th Virginia, and Captain Darke leading those from the 8th Virginia Regiment

A clearer interpretation of the Battle of Short Hills, June 26th 1777, courtesy of Atlas of the Battles and Campaigns of the American Revolution 1775-1783, recently reviewed here on JJ's.
JJ's Wargames: Atlas of the Battles and Campaigns of the American Revolution 1775-1783 - David C. Bonk & George Anderson.

Howe's march resulted in a skirmish with Lord Stirling's troops and eventually a pitched battle in Scotch Plains, during which Stirling's outnumbered force retreated, to join Washington, alerted to the British movement, who had by then retreated back to his fortified camp in the hills at Middlebrook, avoiding a major confrontation and preserving his army.

The casualties at Short Hills, amounted to the Americans losing 12 killed, 50 wounded, and 50 missing/captured, and British approximately 70 killed or wounded.

On July 29th, Washington received confirmation that Howe had departed New York and was sailing south, and on the 30th the British fleet fleet was seen at the mouth of the Delaware Bay, before further reports on August 23rd, confirmed that Howe’s fleet was anchored in the Chesapeake Bay, with the British landing at Head of Elk, Maryland, on August 25th, 1777, effectively starting the campaign to capture Philadelphia.

Morgan's riflemen were sent north to support operations to oppose the British offensive towards Albany under General John Burgoyne, leaving the Main Army in mid August 1777, but Captain Darke didn't leave with them, instead leading about 40 men detached to Brig. Gen. William Maxwell’s Light Infantry and part of Stephen's Division of picked men. 

Brigadier General Maxwell's Temporary Light Infantry Battalion 

(Three divisions provided picked men for this battalion, about 200 men each)

Greene's Division Division - men from the 1st and 2nd Virginia brigades

Wayne's (Lincoln's) Division - men from the 1st and 2nd Pennsylvania brigades

Stephen's Division - men from the 3rd and 4th Virginia brigades

Darke's detachment  would see action at the Battle of Cooch’s Bridge (September 3, 1777), supported only by militia.

During the Philadelphia campaign, the 8th Virginia was assigned to the 4th Virginia Brigade of Charles Scott, and the regiment would be heavily engaged at Brandywine and Germantown in the late summer and autumn of 1777.

Brigadier General Charles Scott

commanded the 4th Virginia Brigade in the 1777 campaign

4th Virginia Brigade: Brigadier General Charles Scott (Strength's as at the Battle of Brandywine)
4th Virginia Regiment (314 all ranks)
8th Virginia Regiment (157 all ranks)
12th Virginia Regiment (117 all ranks)
Grayson's Additional Continental Regiment (100 all ranks)
Patton's Additional Continental Regiment (124 all ranks)

At the Battle of Brandywine on September 11th, 1777 Maxwell's temporary light infantry battalion, skirmished extensively on the American left flank, before crossing Brandywine Creek to harass British and Hessian forces for several hours while exposed to enemy fire. 

Brigadier General William Maxwell's temporary light infantry battalion, skirmished extensively on the American left flank, eventually crossing Brandywine Creek to oppose British and Hessian forces. 

The main body of the regiment, 157 men, all ranks, under Colonel Bowman, held defensive lines as part of Scott's brigade, attempting to block General William Howe's flanking manoeuvre, though the Continentals ultimately retreated after heavy fighting.

The main body of the 8th Virginia Regiment, 157 men, all ranks, under Colonel Bowman, held the right of Washington's line on high ground above Birmingham Meeting House as part of Scott's 4th Virginia Brigade.

The regiment's involvement continued at the Battle of Germantown on October 4th, 1777, where Scott's brigade advanced on the British right flank as part of Washington's surprise attack on the Philadelphia garrison. 

Thick morning fog caused severe disorientation, leading to friendly fire incidents; elements of the 8th Virginia exchanged volleys with Anthony Wayne's Pennsylvania brigade, mistaking them for the enemy in the chaos. 

Major William Darke, recently promoted, led a forward detachment into the mist and was captured along with several officers and men during the initial assault. 

William Darke, portrait by Frederick Kemmelmeyer, circa 1790-1800. 

Captain and then Major Darke was a key personality in the 8th Virginia Regiment, 

first leading the rifle detachment under Colonel Daniel Morgan, 

and then the picked men who joined Brig. Gen. William Maxwell’s Light Infantry, 

later becoming a militia general after the war.

Despite early gains, the fog-induced confusion contributed to the American retreat, after which the regiment fell back with the rest of the army to take up winter quarters at Valley Forge. Lt. Col. John Markham was later cashiered for refusing orders to advance amid the disorder, and Stephen was relieved of command for misconduct, after evidence surfaced that he was intoxicated during the battle.

Encamped in the Muhlenberg Brigade sector, the regiment endured extreme hardships, including shortages of food, clothing, and shelter, with many soldiers furloughed or discharged as three-year terms ended by early 1778.

Under the instruction of Inspector General Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, who arrived in February 1778, members of the 8th Virginia participated in intensive training to standardise drill, manoeuvrers, and bayonet use, transforming the army's discipline and effectiveness.

By June 1778, with enlistments expired and recruits slow to arrive, the 8th Virginia was consolidated into the temporary 4th–8th–12th Virginia Regiment under Colonel James Wood, and Lt. Col. John Neville (of the 4th) and this combined unit joined the Monmouth Campaign, pursuing General Henry Clinton's British army as it evacuated Philadelphia. 

Monmouth Maps from the Book "Fatal Sunday"
Monmouth Maps from the Book Fatal Sunday - Friends of Monmouth Battlefield

Positioned near the vanguard, the former 8th Virginia elements engaged in minor skirmishes and pursuit actions leading to the Battle of Monmouth on June 28th, 1778, where they supported the main assault after initial setbacks under Major General Charles Lee, part of Scott's Brigade then under the command of Colonel William Greyson, helping to stalemate the British withdrawal in intense heat.

Monmouth Maps from the Book "Fatal Sunday"
Monmouth Maps from the Book Fatal Sunday - Friends of Monmouth Battlefield

Remnants of the original 8th Virginia Regiment, which had merged into the 4th Virginia Regiment in September 1778, along with personnel from the short-lived new 8th Virginia (reorganized from the former 12th Virginia Regiment and consolidated into the 4th on May 12th, 1779), contributed to southern defences following the British capture of Savannah in late 1778 and their advances into Georgia and South Carolina. 

On May 12th, 1779, the consolidated 4th Virginia Regiment was assigned to the Southern Department under Major General Benjamin Lincoln. Additionally, veterans and new recruits intended for Virginia line regiments, formed part of Brigadier General Charles Scott's levies totalling about 1,300 men drawn from various Virginia regiments that marched south starting in mid-1779 to support Lincoln's army.

Throughout 1779, elements of Scott's levies engaged in skirmishes in Georgia, repelling British and Loyalist incursions near Savannah as part of joint Franco-American operations, and participating in the siege of Savannah from September to October, where they suffered heavy losses during the failed assault on the Spring Hill Redoubt, with 13 killed and 51 wounded out of 166 engaged. Disease, harsh conditions, and desertions plagued these detachments during their southern march and operations, reducing their ranks significantly before reaching allied lines.

Map of the Siege of Savannah and the Attack on 9th October 1779 - map by John Fawkes

By early 1780, as British General Sir Henry Clinton shifted focus to Charleston, remnants associated with the former 8th—now within the 4th Virginia Regiment and Scott's levies—integrated into the reinforced defences alongside Brigadier General William Woodford's brigade of Virginia regiments (2nd, 3rd, and 6th). Scott's detachments marched approximately 800 miles from Virginia to join Lincoln's army in March, assigned to key positions in the earthworks.

Map of the Siege of Charleston; April and May 1780  -  map by John Fawkes

The Siege of Charleston ended on 12th May 1780 with Benjamin Lincoln's surrender, and at least 2,650 American Continentals were captured in addition to militiamen.

The 8th Virginia Continental Regiment would be formally dissolved on January 1st 1783 with most troops mustered out between June and November 1783.

My 8th Virginia Continental Regiment is composed of Perry Miniatures plastic Continental Infantry, and carry a Colour from the Flags of War range, and the unit finished off with a set of low profile sabot bases from Supreme Littleness Designs.

They are depicted as they might have looked after their reorganisation in 1777, with one source suggesting the issue of French supplied blue coats with white turnbacks, and predominantly musket armed, but with some of the rifle armed elements modelled with the figures in hunting shirts, and at strength before sickness and desertions took effect.

I have modelled them as a 16-figure regiment, about 320 men, but as the history shows this is generous indeed, as the regiment barely mustered 200 men for much of its service as a Continental regiment, and so my 8th Virginia will likely be representing a combined battalion for much of its time on table, as many Virginia regiments, such as the 12th Regiment that served alongside the 8th in the 4th Virginia Brigade, were in a similar state

To complete the look, I have a drummer kitted out in a captured British yellow faced drummers coat and an extra officer alongside the Lieutenant Colonel, sword drawn, to represent Captain William Darke with fusil under arm, ready to lead a detachment of picked men and rifles.

Next up the focus returns to the British collection as work concludes on my First Composite Battalion of Grenadiers.

More anon

JJ