Historical Background
After the capture of Fort Beausejour in June 1755, British troops and colonial militia began rounding up Acadians and destroying their settlements. While some surrendered, other Acadians joined forces with the local Mi’kmaq and Maliseet Indians in resistance of British deportation.
On September 4, 1755, a detachment of nearly 200 soldiers commanded by Joseph Frye, made their way to the settlements in and around the Village-des-Blanchard (modern day Hillsborough, New Brunswick). When John Indicot despatched his men to torch the village church of Petitcodiac, one hundred marines, Acadian militiamen and indigenous allies commanded by the French lieutenant Charles Deschamps de Boishébert, sprung an ambush. The British retreated behind some dykes and waited for the remainder of the force commanded by Frye. After a hard fight of three hours, the British, disorganized and having suffered heavy losses, had to withdraw.
Twenty two British were killed and another 6 were wounded; Ranger Joseph Gorham among them.
The French victory enabled more than 200 Acadian families from the three rivers – the Chipoudy, the Petitcodiac and the Memramcook – to escape deportation. Before the fall of 1758, and despite a number of attempts, the British were unable to succeed in destroying the Acadian villages located upstream from the Petitcodiac River. Joseph Broussard dit Beausoleil was the leader of the Acadian resistance in the region, where he multiplied the attacks against the British. But the Acadian refugees around him remained in utter destitution. The fall of Louisbourg (July 1758) and especially that of Quebec (September 1759) ruined the last hopes of the Acadian leader, who eventually surrendered to the British authorities. Yet it was the same Beausoleil who, released in 1763, later guided the first Acadians to Louisiana.
The stage is set. The battle lines are drawn and you are in command. The rest is history?
Battle Notes
French Army
• Commander: Boishébert
• 5 Command cards & 3 Combat cards
• Move First
British Army
• Commander: Frye
• (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. A Combat card may not be played until you hold 4 Command cards.
Victory
6 Victory Banners
Special Rules
- The three buildings and one church are collectively worth one temporary victory banner for the French when none have been burned. When at least one building has been burned the French lose the temporary victory banner.
- British gain one permanent victory banner for each building/church that is burned.
- The Petitcodiac river is impassable, but the hexes directly in front of the river are considered the board edge for purposes of a British leader retreat and the ‘Call Forward Reserves’ combat card.
- The stone walls represent dykes. In addition to functioning as stone walls, they also stop retreats (similar to lone friendly leaders).
- Indian “War Cry” is in effect.
- French militia may move one hex and battle or two hexes and not battle.
- A Forest hex does not stop movement.
- Retreat two hexes per flag. - A lone non-Indian leader may never end it’s movement with an Indian unit.