"Murdoch's Niagara" or "Sharp Practice on the Six Mile Creek"

Recently I've been reluctant to do any blog posts because I'd rather spend the time painting, but tonight Dave and I started a game of Sharp Practice that's been such rip roaring jolly good fun that I thought that I needed to record it. No real narrative, just some slightly out of focus pics.

It's 1814 and Major Rockford of the nth American Infantry is leading a rag tag bunch of rebel ingrates on a  mission with various loosely defined random objectives in keeping with United States policy into His Majesty's loyal province of Upper Canada. He is  assisted in the command of his three infantry groups by Sergeant Columbo, whilst a small group of Regular Riflemen is led by Captain Monk and another group of frontier militia skirmishers is commanded by Captain Castle.

In command of a hastily put together force hoping to keep this particular small patch of the "True North" strong and free  is Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Brackenreid, assisted by the brilliant young Captain William Murdoch. He also has three groups of infantry from the ?th foot, together with a detachment from the regiment's light company led by Sergeant Henry Higgins and some very lost Voltigeurs Canadiens commanded by Sergeant George Crabtree. Brackenreid also has a light artillery piece crewed by militia gunners.

Where we left it tonight: 

The ungrateful colonist infantry has deployed in column and headed to take up position by the fence near the centre of the picture. Cousin Jonathon also made good use of his mobile deployment point to deploy his militia skirmishers and riflemen forwards to the wood at the top of the picture and the rail fence at the road junction. The militia have already caused some discomfort to Brackenreid's infantry with the proud Yorkshireman almost coming to grief as musket balls whizzed past his head causing casualties in the ranks. Fortunately Captain Murdoch's unflappable demeanour steadied the men as the Colonel's attentions had to turn elsewhere when Sergeant Crabtree was wounded by the American Rifles, reducing his command ability to zero!

The light company and the militia trade shots from the cover of some small woods. 

Voltigeurs Canadiens and American Rifles exchange quite effective shots near the road junction. The incapacitated Sergeant Crabtree points in a random direction through the musket smoke as he  tries to maintain an air of authority whilst his head aches worse than after a night out at Murphy's pub.

Brackenreid leads from the front whilst the gallant Captain Murdoch steadies the troops. The Militia Artillery moves up in support.

Ungrateful colonials rely on bizarrely painted haversacks to help keep in order as they deploy from the road.

To be continued..........................................