The Second Battle of Chippawa; October 18th, 1814
What if Izard did not cancel the attack on Fort Chippawa?
View of the Cook’s Mills Battlefield. This is a real but smaller battle that happened after Izard cancelled the attack on Fort Chippawa. The Americans sent a brigade to reconnoiter and burn grain, British and Canadians fought with the Americans here. Both sides claimed victory; it was in effect a draw.
The same area as our “What if?”
Fort Chippawa; from the Niagara River and above.
Niagara Timeline 1814
July 5th; Battle of Chippawa
-First US Victory against a similar number of British
July 25th; Battle of Lundy's Lane
-The largest battle of the war so far ends in a draw
August 4th to September 21st; The Seige of Fort Erie
-The Bloodiest battlefield in Canada; the British besiege a slightly smaller American force. Both sides suffer huge losses; but the British lose substantially more. After the Americans receive a large amount of reinforcements Drummond retires to the North Bank of the Chippawa and fortifies his position.
September 10th; HMS St. Lawrence is Launched on Lake Ontario
-at 110 guns, it gives the British absolute dominance of the lake
October 5th; Major General George Izard's Right (First) Division reaches the Niagara and joins with Major General Jacob Brown's division.
-The more senior but cautious Izard is in overall command
October 13th and 14th; Izard pushes North
- the Northern army numbers 5500 regulars and 800 NY militia. The depleted British, await this new force on the Northern bank of the Chippawa. They are now outnumbered
October 15th and 16th; Artillery Duel at Fort Chippawa
-To end the stalemate, Brown proposes Izard's division ford the Chippawa at it's shallower Western end while Brown's Division keeps them pinned at Fort Chippawa. Izard agrees and the attack is prepared. As the First Division prepares to March Izard cancels the attack. Brown is furious at the indecisive Izard.
"What If..." Izard did not cancel the attack?
October 19th; Battle of Cook's Mills
-One brigade of Americans burns the British grain supplies in the area after a short battle with some light troops
The American Army
American Army Special Rules
1. Linear Tactics; Line units in the same brigade have to have the same formation except to go around terrain and other units.
2. Buck and Ball; American Regulars used “Buck and Ball”; a round shot with 3 buck shots, they get +1 to hit at close range.
3. Chosen Men; Up to 12 men maybe deployed as Chosen Men (Rifles). They roll 2D6 per 4 figures. They can form part of the skirmish screen or operate independently. They do not need to stay within 18 inches of close order units. This unit has a range of 17 inches.
American Order of Battle
Overall Command; Major General George Izard (Average)
First / Right Division
-3500 Regulars, 500 NY Militia
First Brigade (124)
Brigadier General Daniel Bissel (Average)
5th x315 =30 (Line)
+1 to shooting at close range
14th x320 =30 (Line)
+1 to shooting at close range
15th x396 =36 (Veteran)
+1 morale
Can refuse a flank
+1 to shooting at close range
16thx339 =30 (Veteran)
+1 morale
Can refuse a flank
+1 to shooting at close range
Skirmishers =12 (Veteran)
*Entire formation can skirmish
Archer's Battery x5 6 pounders, 1 howitzer =4X6 Pounders (Veteran)
+1 morale
*Artillery Commander Deployed (Archer)
Second Brigade (154)
Brigadier General Thomas Smith (Average)
4th x 444 =48 (Line)
+1 to shooting at close range
*Fought at the battle of Tippecanoe
10th x258=24 (Line)
+1 to shooting at close range
12th x425 =40 (Line)
+1 to shooting at close range
17th x319 =30 (Line)
+1 to shooting at close range
Skirmishers =12 (Line)
*Entire formation can skirmish
Foot Artillery =2x12 Pounders (Veteran)
+1 morale
Cavalry (44)
Lieutenant Colonel Abraham Eustis
2nd Light Dragoons x270 =24 (Line)
3rd New York Hussars x85 =10 (Second Line)
(plus Rochester Volunteer Dragoons x26)
-1 morale
-1 melee
8th New York Light Dragoons x90=10 (Second Line)
(plus Rochester Volunteer Dragoons x20)
-1 morale
-1 melee
3rd and 4th Brigades (from Second Division); Light / Militia (84)
Commander; Colonel James Gibson (Average)
Light Artillery (Light Infantry) x352 =36 (Line)
Up to 50% can deploy as skirmishers
NY Militia x36 (Second Line)
-1 morale
Round down half casualties (at long range only)
Detached(Average Command)
1st Rifles X12 (Veteran)
*Chosen Men; They roll 2D6 per 4 figures. They can form part of the skirmish screen or operate independently. They do not need to stay within 18 inches of close order units. This unit has a range of 17 inches.
Light Artillery 2x6 Pounders (Line)
Total Forces
Infantry; 364
Cavalry; 44
Guns; 8
At Fort Chippawa
Second / Left Division
Command; Major General Jacob Brown (Average)
1st and 2nd Brigade; 2000 men
NY Militia; 300 men
The British Army
British Army Special Rules
1. British Infantry Shooting Bonus; British / Canadian infantry get +1 to shooting rolls when in line. Militia and Indians do not get this bonus.
British Order of Battle; Niagara 1814
Overall Command; Gordon Drummond (Average)
3600 Regulars, 300 Indians
First Brigade (144)
Colonel De Watteville (Average)
1st x 40(Veteran)
+1 morale
Can refuse a flank
+1 to shooting in line
82nd x40 (Line)
+1 to shooting in line
De Watteville x40 (Line)
+1 to shooting in line
*This unit was originally a Swiss unit by 1814, the majority were POWs
Combined Flank #2 x24 (Veteran)
+1 morale
Can refuse a flank
+1 to shooting in line
*Entire formation can skirmish
24 Pounder x2 (Veteran)
-count as 12 pounders but get an extra +1 for cannister
*Artillery Commander Deployed
Congreve Rockets x2 (Veteran)
Rocket Rules
-Range of 48 inches, must have line of sight, may fire overhead
Roll 2 D6
12 Direct and devastating hit. Six casualties. Consult double six table
11 – 9 Target unit lose 1 casulty and falters BUA’s set alight.
8-4 Miss
3 The nearest friendly unit to the rocket battery is hit by stray rockets and loses two casulties.
2 Rockets double back and strike ammunition. Rocket battery completely destroyed. (Rout)
Second Brigade (138)
Lt Col John Gordon (Average)
89th x40 (Veteran)
+1 morale
Can refuse a flank
+1 to shooting in line
100th x40 (Line)
+1 to shooting in line
8th x 40 (Veteran)
+1 morale
Can refuse a flank
+1 to shooting in line
Combined Flank #1 x18 (Veteran)
+1 morale
Can refuse a flank
+1 to shooting in line
*Entire formation can skirmish
6 pounder x3 (Line)
Light Brigade (108)
Lt Col Thomas Pearson (Excellent)
Glengarry LI x30 (Veteran)
+1 to shooting
Up to 50% can deploy as skirmishers
Incorporated Militia (Light) x24 (Line)
+1 to shooting
Up to 50% can deploy as skirmishers
Combined Flank Companies #3 x24 (Veteran)
+1 morale
Can refuse a flank
+1 to shooting in line
*Entire formation can skirmish
Indians x30 (Second Line)
Classed as an open order horde
Move up to half and fire
Can change direction freely
Cannot be unformed (they are already)
Move normally through difficult terrain
Can only charge the front of close order units if they are unformed or faltering
-2 open order modifier
May evade as skirmishers
Ignore brigade morale
If routed immediately disperse
0 Open order melee modifier
Fire as conscripts (-2_with just the front rank of figures
May deploy entirely as skirmishers; 2nd Rate Skirmishers (Roll 2D6 per 8 figures)
6 Pounder (Veteran)
Cavalry; Independent Unit (14)
(Average Command)
19th / Canadian LD x14 (Line)
Total Forces
Infantry 394
Cavalry 14
Artillery 8 Guns
Garrisons
Burlington; 41st x48 (Line)
Burlington; 103rd x36 (Line)
Fort George; Detachments
Fort Niagara; Detachments
Fort Chippawa;
97th x40 (Veteran)
6th x40 (Line)
Militia and Detachments x36 (Second Line)
Reinforcements Enroute from Kingston;
90th x40 (Veteran)
9 Pound Battery (Veteran)
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