"Losses at Paoli, 1777" Topic

On September 20, 1777, Anthony Wayne's force was surprised by Charles Grey's British brigade. The British advanced without flints in their muskets, using only cold steel. Wayne's force was routed. The British didn't fire a shot. I have heard folks opine that bayonet fights caused mostly fatalities, few wounds. Here's a documented example of cold steel wounds and fatalities.

American losses: 53 killed, 113 wounded, 71 captured.
British losses: 4 killed, 7 wounded.

British losses may have included gunfire, since Wayne's troops did not have their flints removed before the action.

As for American losses, the ratio of 1-2 ratio of dead to wounded is higher than in many fights but way short of most wounds being fatal, even if some of the wounded died later.

I recently read an account of an American at Monmouth being bayoneted in the arm. He grabbed the bayonet with both hands and wrestled to keep the redcoat from running him through. An officer called the redcoat back to the ranks and the American was eventually able to have his surrender accepted.

I have visited the battle site. Although I am sure it is much changed, there is s lot of woodland about. That should make it easier to sneak up? ideal fora short sharp advance Perhaps 100yards?

martin

It was a night action. Wayne's troops weren't on the alert.

Yes, it was a night action, and the area was wooded. A Pennsylvania all-rife battalion was the first encountered, and they had no bayonets. Much slower to reload a rifle as well.

GdeP

I wonder how I would game that? The British could never fire and the Americans start unloaded and asleep.
Plus, if your rules make the British test to charge, it would be unhistoric.
Hmmmm…..

Having given it some thought while on a conference call….. there is really no way to game it.
I really hate victory conditions like "Don't get as many of your men killed as happened in real life" or "If it took the British twice as long to kill all your men as in real life…"
Those are stupid conditions.

"Massacres" are inherently un-gameable. With the exception of the Wyoming Massacre of course. The last game the Patriots won!

Have had dinner many times in the building where the British planned the attack – now called the General Warren Inn. Great food, very period feel to it. The owner will often give a history lecture about it if you ask.

I could be there in a half a hour, never went. Yes I.m ashamed.
Have written one of these dayx when I'm working in the area Iwill stop.

Don't think I'd want to play this one. But it does back up my belief that not every bayonet thrust was through the torso and fatal, despite Hollywood melees.

Wayne's Pennsylvanians weren't asleep. Wayne had received warning of the British approach and his troops were forming up to march out of the forest clearing where they had been camped. Their withdrawal was hampered by a broken down gun carriage and fences flanking the column. The men were also sheltering their firelocks and cartouche boxes under their coats to protect their ammunition from the autumn drizzle that was falling that night.

The British, having swept aside the American piquets posted in the woods, caught Wayne's column in the right rear. Major General Grey had ordered his troops to remove their flints, but Major John Maitland, whose 2nd Light Infantry battalion headed the attack, demurred. He guaranteed that there would be no premature firing and his battalion advanced with flints in place.

There was no massacre. There is evidence of some American wounded surviving wounds from multiple attackers but no more than one might expect from the chaos of a night attack that resulted in a rout. The British cleared through the position in three successive waves- (2nd LI Bn, 44th; 42nd RHR) and despite a reasonable wish not to leave any active enemy in their rear, 71 wounded prisoners were taken, a detail which contradicts accusations that American wounded were refused quarter or dispatched. How many American wounded later died appears not to have been recorded, but only 55 bodies were found in the vicinity.

Thomas McGuire's 'The Paoli Massacre' is an excellent study of the incident. The title refers to American accusations following the action, rather than his opinion of British conduct.

McGuire is a "must read" for both this battle, and the Philly campaign in general (the 2 volume work). As 42Flanker points out, Wayne's division was in two brigade formations, each unit facing south in a column two men wide (apparently so they could face in either direction when push came to shove). I need to re-read McGuire, as I can't quite work out who was still in the tents when the British attacked – unless it was men from the formed units running for cover, or possibly to the woods to the north of the camp.

As far as I can see, the only "massacres" worthy of the name were Tappan (where at least one British LI officer ordered his men to kill wounded prisoners) and "Pyle's Hacking Match" – which the Rebels cunningly named after the victim to distract attention.

As Winston correctly points out, two essentials to game the battle are (1) accepting the Americans can only "try to not do as badly" and (2) the British have to charge any and every opposing unit without testing. I've been working on a British Grenadier scenario for this, and the game simply did not work when my failure to roll dice sufficient to get the British to bayonet charge anyone (now in its 8th year, just one less than the rules themselves!) inevitably kicked in.

Other rules include dicing for breaking down the fences, and again for artillery/wagons trying to cross them; activating Wayne's infantry to face left and try to confront the "red storm" coming from that side of the table; and the position of woods and fences, which affected the action.