Historical Background
In February 1755 Major-General Edward Braddock arrived in Virginia with the objective of taking Fort Duquesne. He soon discovered that a young Virginian lieutenant-colonel named Washington knew the wilderness country and took him on his staff as an aide. With two regiments of British infantry, the 44th and 48th, and Provincial troops, he marched for Fort Duquesne.
Progress was slow through the forest country and for his final push Braddock left one-third of his force behind to bring up the supply train while pressing forward with almost 1,500 men. Gates led the vanguard, followed by the road builders and then Braddock himself leading the flying column’s main body. Braddock had no doubt that his approach was known, and his troops marched with flags unfurled and a band playing the “Grenadiers’ March”.
Intending to ambush the British as they crossed the Monongahela, French Captain Beaujeu realized he was too late. But he reacted quickly and sent his force of nearly 900 – mostly Indians, along with Canadian Militia and French Regulars – into the woods on both sides of the road. They fanned out behind trees in a “half-moon” formation.
About 1 p.m., an Indian war cry broke out and the French and Indians began firing. The surprised British slowly began advancing up the road, stopping every few yards to kneel in ranks and fire volleys, routing the Canadian Militia and many of the French regulars, who headed back to Fort Duquesne. Beaujeu and all the Indians, stayed and began firing at the easily targeted Redcoats. Beaujeu was killed, yet the Indians’ continued their withering fire unabated.
Gates unleashed grapeshot from the two 6-pounders, but the elusive Indians were impossible for the gunners to target. Slowly and steadily, the Indians began to push the British back down the road. Hearing the firing, Braddock raced to the front of the column, where he found his troops in a near panic while the Colonial militiamen, who were well-versed in Indian fighting tactics, moved into the trees and fought the Indians on their own terms. British regulars, however, remained in the open and were now were firing wildly and a number of the militia and some British officers and soldiers were killed by “friendly fire.”
But the deadliest fire continued to come from the ever-elusive Indians, who targeted British officers. Braddock charged through his scattered and demoralized troops trying to organize and rally them with little success. Gates’ vanguard by now had collapsed into the road-building detachment, who then collapsed into the main body. More Colonials took to the trees as the British regulars – running out of ammunition and rummaging the bodies of the dead and wounded for more – stayed in the road.
The fighting raged on for three hours as the Indians slipped through the trees on both sides of the British who were huddling in the open trying to keep formation and return fire. Braddock, whose horse had been shot from under him, was attempting to mount another when he was mortally wounded. With Washington’s help, the general was carried to the rear and any semblance of a British orderly withdrawal evaporated. Panicked, men dropped their muskets and tried to get back across the Monongahela while hundreds of Indians wielding tomahawks and knives swarmed over them.
When the Indians stopped to scalp and plunder the dead and dying, Washington halted and regrouped some of the fleeing troops – bringing a semblance of order and forming a rear guard. He then brought up medical supplies and wagons to move the wounded and started the long retreat back to Fort Cumberland. The British had lost 456 men killed outright (including 63 of 89 officers killed or wounded) and another 422 wounded – 878 men out of the flying column’s total of 1,466. In comparison, French and Indian casualties were very light, probably no more than 30 killed and 60 wounded.
The stage is set. The battle lines are drawn and you are in command. The rest is history?
Battle Notes
French Army
• Commander: Beaujeu
• 5 Command cards & 3 Combat cards
• Move First
British Army
• Commander: Braddock
• (3) 4 Command cards & 2 Combat cards. British start with 3 Command cards. Draw two cards after first Command card is played. Command is increased to 4.
Victory
6 Victory Banners
Special Rules
- Opening Volley is in effect, starting with the French.
- British may not play a Combat card until they hold 4 Command cards.
- British gain one permanent victory banner for each unit that starts and exits the road hex on the left. Lone leaders and scouts do not count.
- French gain one permanent victory banner only when both Supply wagon units are eliminated.
- Indian Deception is in effect.
- Indian War Cry is in effect for French-allied Indians only.
- Indians cannot ignore flags from artillery for any reason other than ‘Retire and Rally’.
- The Monongahela river is impassable except at the Ford (outlined in blue).
- French Militia
- Indian Warriors
- Indian Scout
- Indian War Cry
- Indian Deception
- Supply Wagons
- Opening Volley
- Note: The British Indian Scout is never considered a full-stength unit and can never be more than one block.