I am personally shocked an appalled at the way General Monroe treated those colonials, and yes we're moving through the slow winter turns now, will be able to continue posting soon.
-
We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
"Pyrrhic Victories"
Monckton survives the surprise (kinda) counter attack! I believe he won because I was able to put him in a defensive stance. However this victory comes with the lose of a regular regiment (element) and alerts me to a dire need... reinforcements!
I look to remedy this situation quickly. Unfortunately Monckton has decided to camp out and lick his wounds in enemy territory. I fear another French attack may crush this beat up force. (Shakes fist at lazy Monckton)
Out in the Ohio'ish front...
A small victory for Braddock, still doesn't come close to making up for his disappointing time in the Americas. The hit is nice and the 5 hits during the French retreat should cause him to pause his raiding for a little. (I hope)
Near Lake Chaplain...
Shirley has a small victory over a small war band and asserts his dominance of Crown Point for now. Need to get him some supplies I think.
Winslow has built Fort Oswego and has been ordered to build a depot for future expeditions into Canada/Niagara
Chief Sangrecha did not engage the French at Niagara, but chose to retreat instead. I give him one final assualt order on Fort Lebouf in hopes of delaying French supply. Also in this shot, you can see the outpost of Painted Post has been stolen illegally by French puppet natives. I will have to start delaying these loses or the VP will be harder to overcome later in the war.
Bradstreet organizes some pre modern Corp of Engineers, they have been ordered to go to Oswego to start building bateaux there.
Back down towards Braddock, I have ordered the separation of Braddock and Washington as I feel the expedition has been an outright failure. Washington will move with the colonial force to New York and await further orders/keep reamed out for being a part of the pathetic expedition. Braddock will remain inside Baltimore to recover some cohesion re fit and await the arrival of some much needed guns and supply. I think he will be moving those assets further north towards Albany or perhaps Halifax so they can be used properly. (Maybe Louisburg??)
I think that about does it for October. I'm kind of excited to go back over this years maneuvers to see what I could have done better and to hash out new plans with my commanders in the field!
Monckton survives the surprise (kinda) counter attack! I believe he won because I was able to put him in a defensive stance. However this victory comes with the lose of a regular regiment (element) and alerts me to a dire need... reinforcements!
I look to remedy this situation quickly. Unfortunately Monckton has decided to camp out and lick his wounds in enemy territory. I fear another French attack may crush this beat up force. (Shakes fist at lazy Monckton)
Out in the Ohio'ish front...
A small victory for Braddock, still doesn't come close to making up for his disappointing time in the Americas. The hit is nice and the 5 hits during the French retreat should cause him to pause his raiding for a little. (I hope)
Near Lake Chaplain...
Shirley has a small victory over a small war band and asserts his dominance of Crown Point for now. Need to get him some supplies I think.
Winslow has built Fort Oswego and has been ordered to build a depot for future expeditions into Canada/Niagara
Chief Sangrecha did not engage the French at Niagara, but chose to retreat instead. I give him one final assualt order on Fort Lebouf in hopes of delaying French supply. Also in this shot, you can see the outpost of Painted Post has been stolen illegally by French puppet natives. I will have to start delaying these loses or the VP will be harder to overcome later in the war.
Bradstreet organizes some pre modern Corp of Engineers, they have been ordered to go to Oswego to start building bateaux there.
Back down towards Braddock, I have ordered the separation of Braddock and Washington as I feel the expedition has been an outright failure. Washington will move with the colonial force to New York and await further orders/keep reamed out for being a part of the pathetic expedition. Braddock will remain inside Baltimore to recover some cohesion re fit and await the arrival of some much needed guns and supply. I think he will be moving those assets further north towards Albany or perhaps Halifax so they can be used properly. (Maybe Louisburg??)
I think that about does it for October. I'm kind of excited to go back over this years maneuvers to see what I could have done better and to hash out new plans with my commanders in the field!
November 1755
"M is for Militia..."
Monckton, with his failure to take Grandpre, will now besiege it in the winter until he takes it! (I don;t know if I will follow through with this but can't tell Monckton that or he may get complacent again.)
Chief tries one last shot at Lebouf but doesn't make a meaningful attack and then took his natives and wintered.
I notice a possibly sneaky French regiment floating in the water possibly learning how to swim? I send my Boston fleet to investigate and possibly throw some bricks at them to help.
Braddock and Washington head to Philly and New York respectfully after a horrendous campaign season. Great job!
Shirley takes a tough lose in Crown Point, worse is his ability to organize a retreat. 21 hits is in excusable.
Lyman is ordered to hold Fort William Henry, he will defend the outside of the fort, while Monroe will hold the inside. Shirley will retreat and winter in Albany, he has a few months to lick his wounds and come up with a better plan because marching right up to Crown Point and twiddling his thumbs didn't work to well for him. Meanwhile Bradstreet has a day to get to Fort Oswego where a new supply depot has been built. I'm hoping there is enough supply to winter both units here.
Lastly another supply is ordered and will help Monckton winter siege in Grandpre!
"M is for Militia..."
Monckton, with his failure to take Grandpre, will now besiege it in the winter until he takes it! (I don;t know if I will follow through with this but can't tell Monckton that or he may get complacent again.)
Chief tries one last shot at Lebouf but doesn't make a meaningful attack and then took his natives and wintered.
I notice a possibly sneaky French regiment floating in the water possibly learning how to swim? I send my Boston fleet to investigate and possibly throw some bricks at them to help.
Braddock and Washington head to Philly and New York respectfully after a horrendous campaign season. Great job!
Shirley takes a tough lose in Crown Point, worse is his ability to organize a retreat. 21 hits is in excusable.
Lyman is ordered to hold Fort William Henry, he will defend the outside of the fort, while Monroe will hold the inside. Shirley will retreat and winter in Albany, he has a few months to lick his wounds and come up with a better plan because marching right up to Crown Point and twiddling his thumbs didn't work to well for him. Meanwhile Bradstreet has a day to get to Fort Oswego where a new supply depot has been built. I'm hoping there is enough supply to winter both units here.
Lastly another supply is ordered and will help Monckton winter siege in Grandpre!
November 1755
An army marches on its stomach, and the French army is no exception
General Order 735
"My orders to all commanders, reform your columns and press the attack."
- General Chivaud
News reaches the capital of another French victory in the great lakes corridor, as Chevy chooses to pursue Shirley despite the weather
An army marches on its stomach, and the French army is no exception
General Order 735
"My orders to all commanders, reform your columns and press the attack."
- General Chivaud
News reaches the capital of another French victory in the great lakes corridor, as Chevy chooses to pursue Shirley despite the weather
December 1755
"That Bloody Acre"
Monckton continues his freezing siege. I feel this is a good punishment, and I have sent him some Christmas gifts. Mostly blankets and warmer coats so he can sit out in that field longer. I'm sure by now he wishes he took that fort earlier!
Shirley force bleeds in the snow again, this time losing whole elements. He leaves a red trail all the way back to Albany where he begins to tell the tale of the Devil among the French troops. I'm glad he got a whooping, since King George's War about 8 years ago he has been clamoring to bring the might of the British Empire on the Canadians. Maybe this will teach him to respect his enemy and motivate him to lead his men better.
A shot of Shirley's battered colonial force.
Now I face a dilemma. If I leave Lyman's force in the fort with Monroe, I think they will surrender and I will be in a much more unstable condition on this front. Montcalm hasn't even shown up yet and I will have lost the only decent fort before Albany. I do see that the French force is severely weakened. I know my opponent is very aggressive but I feel he is very happy with Shirley's defeat and will try and pull back. I decide to order Monroe, Lyman, and all men inside and outside the fort to defend the outside of the fort. If the French attack and overwhelm them they can at least try to fall back in the winter. This could be a seriously bad month for the British. What ever happened to just wintering like normal gentlemen.
Braddock hangs out in Philly and seems to be just about fully ready for a new campaign...but will he stay in the America's, or get chastised back in England for his failure in the wilderness. Washington is almost back in New York where he will refit and get ready for a new campaign season.
"That Bloody Acre"
Monckton continues his freezing siege. I feel this is a good punishment, and I have sent him some Christmas gifts. Mostly blankets and warmer coats so he can sit out in that field longer. I'm sure by now he wishes he took that fort earlier!
Shirley force bleeds in the snow again, this time losing whole elements. He leaves a red trail all the way back to Albany where he begins to tell the tale of the Devil among the French troops. I'm glad he got a whooping, since King George's War about 8 years ago he has been clamoring to bring the might of the British Empire on the Canadians. Maybe this will teach him to respect his enemy and motivate him to lead his men better.
A shot of Shirley's battered colonial force.
Now I face a dilemma. If I leave Lyman's force in the fort with Monroe, I think they will surrender and I will be in a much more unstable condition on this front. Montcalm hasn't even shown up yet and I will have lost the only decent fort before Albany. I do see that the French force is severely weakened. I know my opponent is very aggressive but I feel he is very happy with Shirley's defeat and will try and pull back. I decide to order Monroe, Lyman, and all men inside and outside the fort to defend the outside of the fort. If the French attack and overwhelm them they can at least try to fall back in the winter. This could be a seriously bad month for the British. What ever happened to just wintering like normal gentlemen.
Braddock hangs out in Philly and seems to be just about fully ready for a new campaign...but will he stay in the America's, or get chastised back in England for his failure in the wilderness. Washington is almost back in New York where he will refit and get ready for a new campaign season.
1755 "Who Wants to be King?!(of Canada)"
So this is my first attempt at a year round up. I'm going to try my best to keep it uniform throughout the war. What I want to accomplish with this is to go over my commanders, what they did, who they fought, what battles they fought and what the outcome was. I'm going to go over my strategy for the year, what went well and what didn't. Finally I'll lay out a rough draft of future campaigns and postures, and also what I expect of my commanders. One thing I will do differently next year is to take starting and ending year troops amounts in each army. **(Note after name of force(m=men h=horses=canon) *(Battle standings like in sports. See Braddock combat) ***(K/D..My deaths v. his)
To start I will try to keep it in order of rank. At the end of each leaders bio, I will rate my happiness with them on a scale of 1-5 (5 being the best).
-Major General Edward Braddock
April 1755
General Braddock in April is the Commander in Chief of Forces North America. Seniority 1
Starting Force: Braddock's Expeditionary Force (2361m,292h,12c)** led by Gen. Braddock, Col. Thomas Dunbar, and colonial Col. George Washington.
Consisting of:
48th and 44th Regiments of Foote
Bn. Virginia Regiment
NY Ind. Company
Maryland Provincials
Stewart's VA Light Calvary
Virginia Rangers
2nd Royal Artillery
Naval Guns and Supply
Campaign Goal for '55: Fail
Braddock's goal was to ultimately take Fort Duquesne. In game terms, playing true to history (house rule), this mission is almost impossible. Braddock's column is just too slow and the French have plenty of men to take out Fort Cumberland which is a good stopping point for the expedition. His secondary goal was to protect Fort Cumberland and in this regard he failed miserably. The French took their time in attacking that fort but Braddock was still too slow in his advance and got bogged down by smaller French forces. I give him a out-right fail in this category.
Lets see how he did in combat.
Mid May 1755- "The Battle of Peckod" Braddock v. Captain Jacobs (Defeat)
Just south of Fort Cumberland, during one of Braddock's successful forced marches, the column was fell upon by a much smaller native force led by Captain Jacobs. I don't fault Braddock for the loss really, but I was extremly unhappy with his retreat. I'm guessing the 15 hits during the retreat was from harrassing native forces. (116-184)***
Late August 1755- "The Battle of 1st Shananda" Braddock v. Claude Picaudy de Contracoeur (Victory)
On Braddock's second attempt to get to Fort Cumberland, he meets a young French commander on the field. Hoping to redeem himself, his much larger force inflicts many more loses than he took. Unfortunately he was not able to take the field and it goes down as a stalemate, but since it was the end of the month and he wasn't going to advance much further I'm marking this as a win. If he hadn't taken the field early and the month it would have given him a loss instead. (112-574)
Early September 1755- "The Battle of 2nd Shananda" Braddock v. Contracoeur (Victory)
Braddock sent the Virginia Rangers out to scout for the remaining French troops that got away during the previous battle. The rangers succeeded in seeking out the beat up French elements. 1/3 of the French force is KIA, but Claude was able to get most of the rest of his men out in good order (5 hits on retreat). This was a good mop up in Shananda, but overall very small towards the goal of taking Fort Duquesne. In fact Braddock's third goal was to save Fort Allen, but he missed this as well. (135-307)
After the failed campaign, Braddock's Expedition was split up and ordered to winter early.
Goals: Capture Fort Duquesne (Fail)
Defend Fort Cumberland (Fail)
Defend Fort Allen (Fail)
Record: 2-1
K/D: 363-1,065 (2.9 ave.) with 15 MIA (hits on retreat)
He ranks 1 (worst) in my happiness with him.
General Braddock's orders for this years campaign will be more in line with reinforcement of Albany and the Lake Chaplain theatre.
---
- Brigadier General Robert Monckton
April 1755
General Monckton is the commanding officer of Forces Nova Scotia. Seniority 7
Starting Force: Army of Nova Scotia (1901m,100h,13c) led by Gen. Monckton and colonial Col. Charles Lawrence
Consisting of:
47th, 45th, and 40th Regiments of Foote
Nova Scotia Loyalists
Nova Scotia Artillery
Supply
Campaign Goals for '55: Achieved
Monckton's goal was to ultimately take and hold Grandpre in 1755. From a black and white military stand point he succeeded in this goal. From a political and personal stand point however he practically failed. The French commander did not receive appropriate reinforcements from Fort Louisburg to really tip the tide in their favor so I believe Monckton could and should have taken Grandpre much earlier than he did. On the other side of the argument, this tardiness may have also helped him in that the French did not focus much attention over in this theatre until it was too late. He secondary goal was to take the French forces out of this theatre through combat. I do fear that this will not be Monckton last battle in Grandpre unless some help arrives from the King.
Combat:
Mid May 1755 "1st Battle of Fort Beausejour" Monckton v. Beausejour Garrison (Defeat) (No commander) (Zeke can name the captain)
Monckton had been ordered to march to Fort Lawrence in early April. From there he would refit and march again to assault and take Fort Beausejour and the town of Grandpre. The fort was mildly defended but had not been assigned a garrison commander so Monckton had every right to believe he would be able to beat the garrison captain and deal a early blow to French prestige. However his refitted and organized army quickly became demoralized and disorganized once the fighting commenced. The battle wasn't a great one with both sides losing considerable men for this theatre. But the retreat will go down as one of the worst in British history. 19 hits went missing during their hasty scramble away from the fort. I solely blame Monckton for this. (344-435)
Early August 1755 "2nd Battle of Fort Beausejour" Monckton v. Beausejour Garrison (Victory) (no commander)(maybe prize by Zeke for first commenter?)
After his hasty retreat Monckton fell back to Fort Lawrence and tried to recover his men. Fort Lawrence was not a great spot for that as supply was a little low, so I'll blame myself on that (he doesn't have to know that though). After two months of refitting his is ordered back to just attack the fort. This time instead of charging straight on, he surrounds and bombards the fort with his cannon and is extremely effective. He wins the day with more patience but still receives a few loses of his own. He continues the siege through the month. (319-589)
Early September 1755 "3rd Battle of Fort Beausejour" Monckton v. Charles Deschamps de Boishebert et de Raffetot (Victory)
We finally see the French commander in Acadia and he looks ready to fight. Monckton faces this new enemy while maintaining his siege on the fort. I believe he was in a defensive posture after securing his seige camp and therefore was able to beat Deschamps as he was bogged down in the swamps surrounding the encampment. Impressive victory but lost a very costly British line element. (135-338)
Late December 1755 "4th Battle of Fort Beausejour" Monckton v. Deschamps (Victory)
By early December the fort garrison had surrendered and Monckton had finally achieved his goal of capturing both the fort and town. But just as he was preparing to settle in for the brutal Acadian winter, Charles Deschamps tried one more desperation attack through the frozen swamps. The defense was much easier as Deschamps men were more disorganized and his native forces were begging to go home. Deschamps made a hasty winter retreat back to Saint Jean, but only after losing two native elements. (131-512)
All in all not the worst campaign season, but a frustrating one that took longer than it should have. I think I was mostly upset with that horrible retreat he made, but completing his main task put him higher on my happiness chart than I really want to admit.
Goals: Capture Grandre (Achieved)
Cripple French Rival Deschamps (Partial)
Record: 3-1
K/D: 929-1874 (1.9) 19 MIA (hits on retreat)
Ill give him a 3 for now, too many casualties and MIA men. If Braddock hadn't tanked this season this rank would be lower.
---
Governor Sir William Shirley
April 1755
Governor Shirley is the current governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay. Seniority 4
Starting Force: Army of the Mohawk (3663m,64h) (Kind of mixed because William Johnson's column gets absorbed) led by Gov. Shirley, Maj. Gen. William Johnson, Lt. Col. James Mercer.
Consisting of:
NJ Blues
50th, 51st Regiments of Foote
2nd, 3rd, Massachusetts
2nd Connecticut
Rhode Island Provincials
Mohawk Scouts
Supply
Campaign Goals 55': Achieved
The Governor's goals in '55 was ultimately keep the Mohawk Valley and Oswego waterfront clear of French troops. The war hadn't yet started in earnest and this was his most basic mission throughout his time in Massachusetts Bay. Shirley had a very solid colonial force at his disposal but also had to split his forces a little between Albany, Fort Edward, North Lake Chaplain, and Oswego. With this spread out force, he took quite a beating but in the end, I believe did enough damage to the French by enticing them to attack in the winter, to help secure the Lakes and Albany for the foreseeable future.
Combat:
Early Sept. 1755 "Skirmish of Crown Point" Shirley v. French Indian war party (Victory)
Scouts had reported seeing what appeared to be a sizable war party moving down the west side of Lake Chaplain in August. Shirley was quick to move his Albany force to show these Canadians that this was British territory. The skirmish was over before the French knew what hit them. Shirley showed why he was made Governor of these lands. (41-184)
Early October 1755 "1st Battle of Crown Point" Shirley v. Chevalier de Regaud (Defeat)
By October, Shirley's main force had been camped out along Lake Chaplian at Crown Point. His main objective was to oversee the construction of Fort William Henry. Regaud fell upon his forces while a winter storm had rolled in and made a daring attack that completely caught Shirley off guard. With the horrible conditions, Shirley's retreat was in shambles and lost 21 hits as a result! de Regaud would be a thorn in the Governor's side. (615-307)
Mid November 1755 "1st Battle of Fort William Henry" Shirley v. de Rigaud (Defeat)
After the completion of Fort William Henry, Shirley remained north of Albany to defend the area before the winter truly sent in. Not thinking his rival would attempt another winter attack, Shirley again was caught off guard when de Regaud attacked the fort! This was one of the worst battles in recent history, but would not be the last as the war turned hot in earnest. (902-179)
After reviewing these reports, I realize just how bad Shirley's campaign season was as it pertains to combat itself. Even with extensive loses however I do believe Shirley caused a lot of mayhem with the French. de Regaud may think he was successful, but his forces are now left in the middle of the wilderness without much supply and no where to winter quickly. I believe his forces will be in much worse shape then mine when the new campaign starts.
Goals: Defend Albany (Achieved)
Defend Mohawk River Valley (Partial)
Cripple French Regional Force (Partial) I will call Shirley's immense loses almost brilliant if French forces are as weakened as I think they could be.
Record: 1-2
K/D: 1558-670 (0.43) 21+ MIA
Rank 4 happiness.
Well that does it for the recap. The smaller forces and commanders won't get any love here, including Sangrecha, but as I get more efficient at writing this I hope i can be even more detailed. Here's to 1756!!
So this is my first attempt at a year round up. I'm going to try my best to keep it uniform throughout the war. What I want to accomplish with this is to go over my commanders, what they did, who they fought, what battles they fought and what the outcome was. I'm going to go over my strategy for the year, what went well and what didn't. Finally I'll lay out a rough draft of future campaigns and postures, and also what I expect of my commanders. One thing I will do differently next year is to take starting and ending year troops amounts in each army. **(Note after name of force(m=men h=horses=canon) *(Battle standings like in sports. See Braddock combat) ***(K/D..My deaths v. his)
To start I will try to keep it in order of rank. At the end of each leaders bio, I will rate my happiness with them on a scale of 1-5 (5 being the best).
-Major General Edward Braddock
April 1755
General Braddock in April is the Commander in Chief of Forces North America. Seniority 1
Starting Force: Braddock's Expeditionary Force (2361m,292h,12c)** led by Gen. Braddock, Col. Thomas Dunbar, and colonial Col. George Washington.
Consisting of:
48th and 44th Regiments of Foote
Bn. Virginia Regiment
NY Ind. Company
Maryland Provincials
Stewart's VA Light Calvary
Virginia Rangers
2nd Royal Artillery
Naval Guns and Supply
Campaign Goal for '55: Fail
Braddock's goal was to ultimately take Fort Duquesne. In game terms, playing true to history (house rule), this mission is almost impossible. Braddock's column is just too slow and the French have plenty of men to take out Fort Cumberland which is a good stopping point for the expedition. His secondary goal was to protect Fort Cumberland and in this regard he failed miserably. The French took their time in attacking that fort but Braddock was still too slow in his advance and got bogged down by smaller French forces. I give him a out-right fail in this category.
Lets see how he did in combat.
Mid May 1755- "The Battle of Peckod" Braddock v. Captain Jacobs (Defeat)
Just south of Fort Cumberland, during one of Braddock's successful forced marches, the column was fell upon by a much smaller native force led by Captain Jacobs. I don't fault Braddock for the loss really, but I was extremly unhappy with his retreat. I'm guessing the 15 hits during the retreat was from harrassing native forces. (116-184)***
Late August 1755- "The Battle of 1st Shananda" Braddock v. Claude Picaudy de Contracoeur (Victory)
On Braddock's second attempt to get to Fort Cumberland, he meets a young French commander on the field. Hoping to redeem himself, his much larger force inflicts many more loses than he took. Unfortunately he was not able to take the field and it goes down as a stalemate, but since it was the end of the month and he wasn't going to advance much further I'm marking this as a win. If he hadn't taken the field early and the month it would have given him a loss instead. (112-574)
Early September 1755- "The Battle of 2nd Shananda" Braddock v. Contracoeur (Victory)
Braddock sent the Virginia Rangers out to scout for the remaining French troops that got away during the previous battle. The rangers succeeded in seeking out the beat up French elements. 1/3 of the French force is KIA, but Claude was able to get most of the rest of his men out in good order (5 hits on retreat). This was a good mop up in Shananda, but overall very small towards the goal of taking Fort Duquesne. In fact Braddock's third goal was to save Fort Allen, but he missed this as well. (135-307)
After the failed campaign, Braddock's Expedition was split up and ordered to winter early.
Goals: Capture Fort Duquesne (Fail)
Defend Fort Cumberland (Fail)
Defend Fort Allen (Fail)
Record: 2-1
K/D: 363-1,065 (2.9 ave.) with 15 MIA (hits on retreat)
He ranks 1 (worst) in my happiness with him.
General Braddock's orders for this years campaign will be more in line with reinforcement of Albany and the Lake Chaplain theatre.
---
- Brigadier General Robert Monckton
April 1755
General Monckton is the commanding officer of Forces Nova Scotia. Seniority 7
Starting Force: Army of Nova Scotia (1901m,100h,13c) led by Gen. Monckton and colonial Col. Charles Lawrence
Consisting of:
47th, 45th, and 40th Regiments of Foote
Nova Scotia Loyalists
Nova Scotia Artillery
Supply
Campaign Goals for '55: Achieved
Monckton's goal was to ultimately take and hold Grandpre in 1755. From a black and white military stand point he succeeded in this goal. From a political and personal stand point however he practically failed. The French commander did not receive appropriate reinforcements from Fort Louisburg to really tip the tide in their favor so I believe Monckton could and should have taken Grandpre much earlier than he did. On the other side of the argument, this tardiness may have also helped him in that the French did not focus much attention over in this theatre until it was too late. He secondary goal was to take the French forces out of this theatre through combat. I do fear that this will not be Monckton last battle in Grandpre unless some help arrives from the King.
Combat:
Mid May 1755 "1st Battle of Fort Beausejour" Monckton v. Beausejour Garrison (Defeat) (No commander) (Zeke can name the captain)
Monckton had been ordered to march to Fort Lawrence in early April. From there he would refit and march again to assault and take Fort Beausejour and the town of Grandpre. The fort was mildly defended but had not been assigned a garrison commander so Monckton had every right to believe he would be able to beat the garrison captain and deal a early blow to French prestige. However his refitted and organized army quickly became demoralized and disorganized once the fighting commenced. The battle wasn't a great one with both sides losing considerable men for this theatre. But the retreat will go down as one of the worst in British history. 19 hits went missing during their hasty scramble away from the fort. I solely blame Monckton for this. (344-435)
Early August 1755 "2nd Battle of Fort Beausejour" Monckton v. Beausejour Garrison (Victory) (no commander)(maybe prize by Zeke for first commenter?)
After his hasty retreat Monckton fell back to Fort Lawrence and tried to recover his men. Fort Lawrence was not a great spot for that as supply was a little low, so I'll blame myself on that (he doesn't have to know that though). After two months of refitting his is ordered back to just attack the fort. This time instead of charging straight on, he surrounds and bombards the fort with his cannon and is extremely effective. He wins the day with more patience but still receives a few loses of his own. He continues the siege through the month. (319-589)
Early September 1755 "3rd Battle of Fort Beausejour" Monckton v. Charles Deschamps de Boishebert et de Raffetot (Victory)
We finally see the French commander in Acadia and he looks ready to fight. Monckton faces this new enemy while maintaining his siege on the fort. I believe he was in a defensive posture after securing his seige camp and therefore was able to beat Deschamps as he was bogged down in the swamps surrounding the encampment. Impressive victory but lost a very costly British line element. (135-338)
Late December 1755 "4th Battle of Fort Beausejour" Monckton v. Deschamps (Victory)
By early December the fort garrison had surrendered and Monckton had finally achieved his goal of capturing both the fort and town. But just as he was preparing to settle in for the brutal Acadian winter, Charles Deschamps tried one more desperation attack through the frozen swamps. The defense was much easier as Deschamps men were more disorganized and his native forces were begging to go home. Deschamps made a hasty winter retreat back to Saint Jean, but only after losing two native elements. (131-512)
All in all not the worst campaign season, but a frustrating one that took longer than it should have. I think I was mostly upset with that horrible retreat he made, but completing his main task put him higher on my happiness chart than I really want to admit.
Goals: Capture Grandre (Achieved)
Cripple French Rival Deschamps (Partial)
Record: 3-1
K/D: 929-1874 (1.9) 19 MIA (hits on retreat)
Ill give him a 3 for now, too many casualties and MIA men. If Braddock hadn't tanked this season this rank would be lower.
---
Governor Sir William Shirley
April 1755
Governor Shirley is the current governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay. Seniority 4
Starting Force: Army of the Mohawk (3663m,64h) (Kind of mixed because William Johnson's column gets absorbed) led by Gov. Shirley, Maj. Gen. William Johnson, Lt. Col. James Mercer.
Consisting of:
NJ Blues
50th, 51st Regiments of Foote
2nd, 3rd, Massachusetts
2nd Connecticut
Rhode Island Provincials
Mohawk Scouts
Supply
Campaign Goals 55': Achieved
The Governor's goals in '55 was ultimately keep the Mohawk Valley and Oswego waterfront clear of French troops. The war hadn't yet started in earnest and this was his most basic mission throughout his time in Massachusetts Bay. Shirley had a very solid colonial force at his disposal but also had to split his forces a little between Albany, Fort Edward, North Lake Chaplain, and Oswego. With this spread out force, he took quite a beating but in the end, I believe did enough damage to the French by enticing them to attack in the winter, to help secure the Lakes and Albany for the foreseeable future.
Combat:
Early Sept. 1755 "Skirmish of Crown Point" Shirley v. French Indian war party (Victory)
Scouts had reported seeing what appeared to be a sizable war party moving down the west side of Lake Chaplain in August. Shirley was quick to move his Albany force to show these Canadians that this was British territory. The skirmish was over before the French knew what hit them. Shirley showed why he was made Governor of these lands. (41-184)
Early October 1755 "1st Battle of Crown Point" Shirley v. Chevalier de Regaud (Defeat)
By October, Shirley's main force had been camped out along Lake Chaplian at Crown Point. His main objective was to oversee the construction of Fort William Henry. Regaud fell upon his forces while a winter storm had rolled in and made a daring attack that completely caught Shirley off guard. With the horrible conditions, Shirley's retreat was in shambles and lost 21 hits as a result! de Regaud would be a thorn in the Governor's side. (615-307)
Mid November 1755 "1st Battle of Fort William Henry" Shirley v. de Rigaud (Defeat)
After the completion of Fort William Henry, Shirley remained north of Albany to defend the area before the winter truly sent in. Not thinking his rival would attempt another winter attack, Shirley again was caught off guard when de Regaud attacked the fort! This was one of the worst battles in recent history, but would not be the last as the war turned hot in earnest. (902-179)
After reviewing these reports, I realize just how bad Shirley's campaign season was as it pertains to combat itself. Even with extensive loses however I do believe Shirley caused a lot of mayhem with the French. de Regaud may think he was successful, but his forces are now left in the middle of the wilderness without much supply and no where to winter quickly. I believe his forces will be in much worse shape then mine when the new campaign starts.
Goals: Defend Albany (Achieved)
Defend Mohawk River Valley (Partial)
Cripple French Regional Force (Partial) I will call Shirley's immense loses almost brilliant if French forces are as weakened as I think they could be.
Record: 1-2
K/D: 1558-670 (0.43) 21+ MIA
Rank 4 happiness.
Well that does it for the recap. The smaller forces and commanders won't get any love here, including Sangrecha, but as I get more efficient at writing this I hope i can be even more detailed. Here's to 1756!!
I actually failed to realize that the fort here was under French control, as I assumed a British garrison remained inside.. I have a history of not reading the log thoroughly enough, but I think this was a big enough mistake to cure me of it. Regardless, Chevaud is able to pull back, meet with his wagons, snatch up some tasty supplies and head back towards the fort to winter or er... enjoy the spring weather I suppose:
Boo Sir Charles booooo! Not all of us Frenchies have such a taste for winter combat I suppose:
Boo Sir Charles booooo! Not all of us Frenchies have such a taste for winter combat I suppose:
As the war rages in continental Europe, I'd like to take a moment to review the war as it currently stands for the colonies.
I'd also like to go over how my various leaders have performed in their respectful theaters of operation:
-Sir Charles
Charles is definitively NOT in charge, I'm not sure what I expected out of him seeing as
he doesn't even hold actual military rank. Is he even a Sir? Who is this guy?
The garrison at Grand Pre put up a spirited defense, however his failed relief attempts
left much to be desired.
-Mr. Bo-Ju
I was personally left wondering what he has been Bo-Doing all year near Ft. Niagara. I certainly approve of his aggressive scorched earth tactics. However, I wish he could have made some more decisive engagements. I'm hopeful for him in the coming year, and overall approve. 7 out of 10.
-The Dynamic Duo - Claudio and Francois
Raids in the Cumberland, the repelling of Braddock's initial expedition, and the destruction of both forts have made me very proud of these 2. I cannot confirm if the Cumberland Valley even exists anymore after these two's exploits. Very satisfactory, and I hope to see more of the same as their pool of native recruits increase.
-Sir Chevalier de Rigaud, "The Winter Soldier"
I hold this man in very high rigaud after this year's offensive. He managed the impossible not once, not twice! But three times. I am actually afraid of what will happen if I put French regulars at this man's disposal. I never hear Chevy complaining like my other commanders, he just gets out there and delivers. With the arrival of Montcalm on the horizon, I am very excited to have 2 very capable commanders ready to operate on the continent.
Overall, I am satisfied with the current state of New France. The fall of Grand Pre was a setback for sure, mostly because I expected more success from those counter-attack and relief attempts. Also the construction of Fort Oswego is something that I will have to concern myself with in the campaign year moving forward.
Things that have me feeling positive are the burning down of forts in the Cumberland Valley. I think we are causing a very fair amount of destruction, though I will certainly try not to take so many casualties in the future, I feel it's the price you sometimes have to pay in being aggressive. Also in the far north near Halifax, the natives managing to burn down that fort/town, I can't remember the name of it. Destruction of native villages and conversions of others near Fort Oswego also bode well. Chevaud's winter campaign was definitely the biggest success of the year, and I feel that it sets things up nicely for this coming campaign season.
I'd also like to go over how my various leaders have performed in their respectful theaters of operation:
-Sir Charles
Charles is definitively NOT in charge, I'm not sure what I expected out of him seeing as
he doesn't even hold actual military rank. Is he even a Sir? Who is this guy?
The garrison at Grand Pre put up a spirited defense, however his failed relief attempts
left much to be desired.
-Mr. Bo-Ju
I was personally left wondering what he has been Bo-Doing all year near Ft. Niagara. I certainly approve of his aggressive scorched earth tactics. However, I wish he could have made some more decisive engagements. I'm hopeful for him in the coming year, and overall approve. 7 out of 10.
-The Dynamic Duo - Claudio and Francois
Raids in the Cumberland, the repelling of Braddock's initial expedition, and the destruction of both forts have made me very proud of these 2. I cannot confirm if the Cumberland Valley even exists anymore after these two's exploits. Very satisfactory, and I hope to see more of the same as their pool of native recruits increase.
-Sir Chevalier de Rigaud, "The Winter Soldier"
I hold this man in very high rigaud after this year's offensive. He managed the impossible not once, not twice! But three times. I am actually afraid of what will happen if I put French regulars at this man's disposal. I never hear Chevy complaining like my other commanders, he just gets out there and delivers. With the arrival of Montcalm on the horizon, I am very excited to have 2 very capable commanders ready to operate on the continent.
Overall, I am satisfied with the current state of New France. The fall of Grand Pre was a setback for sure, mostly because I expected more success from those counter-attack and relief attempts. Also the construction of Fort Oswego is something that I will have to concern myself with in the campaign year moving forward.
Things that have me feeling positive are the burning down of forts in the Cumberland Valley. I think we are causing a very fair amount of destruction, though I will certainly try not to take so many casualties in the future, I feel it's the price you sometimes have to pay in being aggressive. Also in the far north near Halifax, the natives managing to burn down that fort/town, I can't remember the name of it. Destruction of native villages and conversions of others near Fort Oswego also bode well. Chevaud's winter campaign was definitely the biggest success of the year, and I feel that it sets things up nicely for this coming campaign season.
My opponent and I are still powering through the campaign season, and once it comes to a close we will be able to do our updates again. I aniticipate this happening within the next few days. However, during the slow winter we did manage our first ever victory of another sort:
