"How often were redoubts used in the AWI?" Topic

This is a follow up to an earlier thread I posted. By extension were redoubts used much in the French and Indian War? Thanks for your information.

They were by the French in the Battle of Beauport. My apologies if you already knew this.

No I am woefully uninformed which is why I am seeking the collective wisdom of the TMP group. I have a bunch of 28 mm terrain pieces left over from the sale of my ECW colletion. I really like these terrain pieces and want to find another conflict/era in which they would get some use. Instead of going for another Pike and Shot era I was looking more into the Horse and Musket era. There had been suggestions on the other thread about the War of Spanish Succession, War of Austrian Succession, or the AWI or French and Indian. I suppose War of 1812 could be another area to consider. This is just making queries and thinking of future possibilities down the way. So any and all information is welcome.

Definitely a feature of the Saratoga battles, Yorktown and Red bank, off the top of my head.

They were frequently found at battles in the South. They were quick and easy to build. Name a battle at a town and there were more than likely redoubtable or some level of field fortification there.
Spanish operations against Baton Rouge, mobile, pensacola All had re doubts. The British counter attack at the Indian village near mobile had them. Savannah had many.
In the British campaign against Carolina redoubts were found. Several battles envied in the encirclement of Charleston contained them. During the backwoods civil war in South Carolina they were the primary fortification type. They were found at Augusta during the attack on it.
Iirc, Arnold ran across a few during his raid On va. Yorktown has been mentioned. There are more, no ask book on the battles mention some in the north and south.

Novak was auto corrected to no ask. Frustrating

French and Indian: British built one at La Belle Famille when they held off the relief attempt of Fort Niagara.

AWI: Yanks built one at Bunker Hill. The British stormed it at great cost on their third try.

Baum had one (poorly sited) at Bennington. It was overrun by Stark's militia.

Pulaski died attempting to storm one at Savannah.

Are there any plans/designs available for AWI redoubts ?
I have a stock of gabions, and want to create some resin scenery pieces

Guess you can call Old 96 a redoubt but it was a star fort.

I know there is a book of F&IW fortifications, a scholarly tome, not just an Osprey. Don't know if there is similar for the AWI.

The F&IW one is for the Pensylvania territories iirc. I'll have a rummage on my shelves and try to post the details.

"By extension were redoubts used much in the French and Indian War?"

It depends on what you mean by redoubts? Short answer is, kind of. The F&I was largely a war of sieges o fixed positions. If you could get your guns there, dig your works, you likely would win. If you consider the works redoubts, yes.

Forbes built a series of forts, some of which were little more than redoubts.

I don't think the works at La Belle Famille amounted to much more than hasty works – no time.

Quebec certainly had its share of works around the area, and a lot of raiding too.

But again, it depends on what type of works you are thinking.

If we substitute "earthworks" for "redoubts" the picture becomes a little clearer. European armies were trained to throw up earthworks to defend key points on battlefields – they were by no means confined to sieges. A quick look at any detailed map of the Yorktown defences (and the van Blaremberghe paintings "the siege" and "the surrender") will show all manner of earthworks, mainly square in shape, but occasionally with more sides – eg Redoubt 9 – together with smaller examples such as fleches that would cover the head of a ravine, or the side of a steep slope (where the curvature of the ground would allow enemy troops to creep up to, or around, the main work on the crest).

The British were very good at constructing earthworks, as were the Continentals later on in the war – especially after French engineers had arrived from Europe and begun a programme of instruction. Forts in the western and southern theatres tended to be reinforced stockades of varying styles which combined wood and earth defences – Fort Ninety Six is a prime example. In the north, earthworks might surround one or more log cabins, or a log blockhouse/watchtower might be built in the centre of a redoubt.

Washington frequently protected his army with large earthwork camps – Whitemarsh, Valley Forge and Morristown are examples – and of course the British did the same around Philadelphia. These would have included any number of redoubts, either as strongpoints along the line of entrenchments, or as advance posts to "trigger" warnings of enemy attacks, or protect key terrain features (eg bridges or crossroads). The action at Boundbrook in April 1777 is an example of an attack on such a position.

Two items that might be of tangential interest:-

"New York's Forts in the Revolution" (1980) – Robert B Roberts.

link

There was an earthwork thrown up to defend the bridge
at the Moore's Creek battle – it was not stoutly
defended by the Tory militia. Don't know if it would
qualify as a 'redoubt'.

Redoubts came in all sizes. There was a relatively small one captured by the Americans in Meig's raid, and another
captured at Paulus Hook. (AWI)

It was Breed's Hill that was fortified, not Bunker Hill.

Right, knew that. But the battle goes down as Bunker Hill even though all the fighting was over Breed's.

Thanks gents lots of great information. What I have in 28 mm is the old Forgeworld earthworks/redoubt which is a wonderfully detailed model with duck boards and I think about two sections for a gun placement. Then I have several variants of the also well done Battle Field Terrain Concepts small and large redoubts or earthworks which does appear to be a better description, thanks to Supercilius Maximus for that clarification. Each of the BTC models are set up with a single gun placement area or place for musket armed troops to fire. I also have a pair of small square reboubts with gabions that I think might be made by Hovel Miniatures. I won them in a raffle at Southern Front a long while back. The Forgeworld redoubts also has gabions sculpted in.

Of course I know these could be used for a wide range of periods. As I mentioned I originally got them for my 28 mm ECW games. Now that collection has departed I want to use these for something else. This may be the excuse to finally collect and do the AWI in 28 mm or perhaps take the plunge into War of 1812. While it might be cool to go with one of the more Continental periods such as the War of Spanish Succession I am kind of overwhelmed by the scope of those 18th Century conflicts while I have a good foundation in terms of basic knowledge and access to resources in regards more American conflicts. Also from a painting of uniform perspective you do not get into as vast an array of uniform types. That is something that has always stumped my attempts to collect and game Napoleonics. I did a painting project for a friend once for his 15 mm Napplenonics for a Waterloo game he wanted to run. I painted pretty much all of the various British forces including Highlanders and I was determined I did not want to attempt this in my chosen scale of 28mm.

Another reason I focusing more on the Horse and Musket era, while I love the era of Pike and Shot I want this project, whenever I do decide to go forth with it to be more limited in troop types. For Horse and Musket you have,… well Horse and Musket, and cannon of course. Yes there are variations within these units, flank companies, grenadiers, dragoons, etc. With that information now in hand what are your collective thoughts? Would you go with doing the AWI, French and Indian, or War of 1812? Or advocate one of the Continental periods. Have fun.

Paulus Hook was more of a fort, iirc. Cool battle.

Did anyone mention the forts on the Delaware? Morris has a great chapter on that. Brits couldn't feed their army in Philadelphia until they opened the river.

In general, the Americans, whether Continentals or militia, liked to be behind something when they fought. As who does not, but this was noted as an ESPECIALLY American trait.

Here is cool image from a war game blog.

Here is the link to the blog some cool stuff here.

link