"How did Iroquois fight in the American Revolution?" Topic

I'm neck-deep in a 6mm project for wargaming the early northern campaigns of the AWI and coming up short on sources for how the Indian allies of the British and Americans fought during larger actions like Oriskany and Cherry Valley and the general guerilla warfare that went on throughout the northern frontier war.

Did they always fight extended, like skirmishers? Or in denser clumps, similar to the open order of the British? Did Brant's Volunteers fight differently, with any drill?

Or is this something we don't really know in detail? I'd love if anyone could recommend a good book that covers this topic.

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Gavin's book covers the warfare on the frontier. Now if I can just remember whom I leant my copy to. :-(

"Did they always fight extended, like skirmishers?"

Depends on your rules, but generally yes, they fought as what we would call skirmishers. They had no formations per se.

"Or in denser clumps, similar to the open order of the British?"

No, that was a regular formation. Indians made extensive use of cover, not exposing themselves generally unless the enemy was fleeing.

"Did Brant's Volunteers fight differently, with any drill?"

Not likely, they probably fought like the Indians they fielded with.

"How did Iroquois fight in the American Revolution?"

Very bravely … OK, I'll get me coat …

Thanks, historygamer. I'll be sure to check out that book. As a reenactor in the KRRNY it should have come to mind!

I suppose when I say 'like open order' I mean in terms of density. There's a difference between, say, fighting in six pace or wider extensions and putting a man or two behind every tree and piece of cover.

My assumption is that when present in larger numbers they did the later but I have nothing to go by.

I won't tell Reg or Gavin of your oversight. :-)

I think you are over analyzing how they fought. They were trained from youth to fight in irregular warfare. I don't think they thought in terms of, "Hey, I'm standing too close to the next guy." They did want they wanted, based on cover and plan. The overall loose plan was to flank and surround. Other than that….

Prior to the introduction of the firearm, the Iroquois were known for fighting in a tight wedge formation. Afterwards they began to adopt a more spread out style.

Mine are pretty much all going to be mounted as 2d class skirmishers for British Grenadier. Might do some 1st class, but I don't think they were known for their marksmanship.

Still trying to figure out what the basis of the melee bonus is, though.

Those are also questions I'm grappling with. I'm homebrewing some rules where I'm tentatively giving them average close combat abilities but a generous bonus in the woods. I'm also using blinds for their deployment so they can lay ambushes.

After the discussion above I'm probably going to base them at medium density (8-12 men per 2x4cm stand instead of my standard 16) and allow them to spread out.

"They scared the crap out of those they fought, and were raised from youth as HTH fighters."

That only works if the unit you are fighting is already broken.

Actually Indians were very hestitant to break from cover unless the enemy was fleeing or percieved to be fleeing – such as Braddock's Defeat, Bushy Run and Oriskany.

I don't know how you would use Indians with rules such as Anthropicus seems to be using. Back in the 1970s I used to do frontier AWI wargames. The figures were mounted individually, were less able to be controlled and were reliant on their "leaders". When Indians did choose to close, if they were not shot down on approach, they got a huge bonus in the HTH combat.