Sharp Practice: The Battle for White's Plantation

November last year was the 241st anniversary of the Battle for White's Plantation, which was a complete coincidence in our playing it as a Sharp Practice game down BIG that month. Taking the scenario from the Swamp Fox supplement, Jenny and I took on the roles of rebels Major Horry and Captain Lenud, whilst Phil and Andy took command of the loyalists Captain 'Otterskin' Lewis and Lieutenant O'Mally who were defending the plantation. As both sides were 100% militia forces the game had more of a civil war feel to it than a rebellion against the Crown one.

The Loyalist forces had six numbered deployment points for where their forces start from (representing the Loyalist Georgetown Regiment butchering the cattle around the plantation). Unfortunately for the Loyalists Phil managed to roll such that the bulk of the Georgetown Militia were almost as far from the plantation house (where the Loyalist officers were, 'entertaining' the lady of the house) as the rebels would be when they entered the table...

The first Rebels arrived at the plantation, a group of Militia skirmishers from the Kingstree Regiment commanded by Captain McCottry...

Followed by two groups of Kingstree Regiment Veteran Militia commanded by Major Horry, who advanced straight up the main road towards the plantation house - and the two wagons the Rebels had been tasked with capturing.

Spotting the Rebel force Lieutenant O'Mally put down his lemonade and ordered his group of Militia skirmishers forward to engage the enemy...

They moved forward and opened fire on the advancing Kingstree militia...

Killing one and inflicting Shock on both Rebel groups.

Meanwhile Captain Lenud arrived with two more group of the Kingstree Veteran militia and they marched resolutely forward...

Shadowed by a group of Rebel Militia skirmishers on their left commanded by Captain McCauley.

Captain McCottry's men pushed through the woods and opened fire on a group of leaderless Georgetown militia to their front...

The Loyalists took a substantial amount of Shock...

And decided that discretion was the better part of valour and ran for the cover offered by the second rail fence line - receiving much scorn and abuse from a nearby farm woman!

Meanwhile McCauley's skirmishers employed hit and run tactics against a group of Loyalist skirmishers to their front...

Whilst McCottry's pushed his men up to the first fence line and ordered them to fire on the retreating Loyalists...

Who lost a man and were forced to fall back having taken double Shock from being hit in the rear. The farmer's wife is not impressed...

With the success of their skirmishers, the Rebel Kingstree regiment pushed forward...

Whilst the battered Georgetown militia, now under the command of Sergeant Clencher turned to face the enemy.

On the Rebel left McCauley's men engaged the enemy skirmishers hiding behind the rail fence to their front...

As Captain Lenud's veterans swung to face the enemy skirmishers on their left and 'Presented' their muskets...

Despite losing one man to Loyalist skirmisher fire, the Kingstree militia poured a devastating volley into the two groups of enemy skirmishers to their front.

Killing several and heaping Shock on the survivors.

Major Horry pushed his men on, coming under fire from another group of Loyalist skirmishers commanded by Sergeant Royale, but not suffering any ill effects.

Lenud's men fired another volley at the skirmishers to their front...

Causing one group to flee the field of battle.

With the Rebels marching resolutely towards the plantation house and the wagons, the situation was starting to look grim for 'Otterskin' and the loyalist Georgetown Regiment.

Despite being targeted by Sergeant Clencher's and Sergeant Royale's men, Major Horry's Kingstree Regiment continued to advance.

To their left, a final round of musket fire from Captain Lenud's veterans saw Lieutenant O'Mally fall to the ground dead.

With two groups of the Georgetown Regiment still to make any meaningful progress to the sound of battle, things were now looking dire for the Loyalists with their right flank now running for the hills and their left under fire from Major Horry's Veteran militiamen.

At last Captain 'Otterskin' Lewis managed to persuade some of the Georgetown Militia to move towards the enemy...

Whilst Sergeant Royale's skirmishers continued to fire at the Rebels...

Even Sergeant Clencher managed to get his Shocked group into some semblance of use. Could an improbable victory be seized by Phil and Andy?

That looked less likely after a volley from Horry's veterans smashed into Royale's skirmishers wounding the militia Sergeant and killing all but one his men (who bravely stood firm).

'Otterskin's' militia opened fire on McCauley's Rebel skirmishers...

But to no effect.

Sergeant Clencher ordered his men to fire at Horry's two groups of Veteran Militia...

But again to no effect - and for their troubles they received a volley back from the Rebels.

Now under fire from McCauley's skirmishers as well as Horry's Veteran Militia, it was not much longer before the sole survivor of Royale's Loyalist skirmishers broke, though nobly he dragged his wounded Sergeant with him as he fled.

One group of the 'late to the party' Georgetown Militia attempted to sneak around the plantation house, but received a volley of musket fire for their trouble from Captain Lenud's veterans.

Whilst Major Horry's men fired once more into Sergeant Clencher's small band...

Inflicting more casualties and Shock...

Causing them to fall back with the disparaging abuse of the farm woman ringing in their ears!

'Otterksin' and one group of Georgetown Militia attempted to beat back the advancing Rebel skirmishers...

And although they killed a Rebel (only the second to fall in the battle so far), the Kingstree skirmishers forced the Loyalist militia to fall back with the loss three men and excess Shock.

McCottry's men advanced swiftly and secured one of the wagons whilst a detached group of Lenud's veterans secured the second. All that had to do now to secure victory was drag them back to the Rebel deployment point...

Unless it was a 'chapter end' in which case possession of the wagons alone would hand the Rebels the win. 

With Tiffin pulled out as the first chit the next turn this is exactly what happened. Major Horry and the Kingstree Militia were victorious and Captain 'Otterskin' Lewis fled White's Plantation well and truly defeated.

Well Jenny and I enjoyed that game, Phil and Andy less so! 

The poor deployment roll for the Georgetown Militia groups certainly caused them major issues, especially with the main formation almost as far from the plantation house as the Rebels, and with a rail fence to cross. That coupled with their leaders starting in the house limiting the ability to activate their units, victory was always going to be hard for the Loyalists to achieve.

In an interesting historical parallel the Rebels won the action in 1780 and, just as in our game, for the loss of two men killed.