Historical Background
In early August, rebel forces under the command of General Sullivan crossed onto Aquidneck Island to effect a joint siege of Newport along with newly arrived French forces. But when the French commander, Admiral Comte d’Estaing, got information that an English fleet was enroute to the area, he boarded the French Infantry and Marines that were to help Sullivan and put to sea so as not to be bottled up in Narragansett Bay. Both fleets were subsequently badly scattered by a massive storm that blew up and neither were a factor in the coming battle.
Sullivan realized that with only 7,000 men, only a third of whom were reliable Continentals, he could not carry the works at Newport alone. On the night of 28 August he retreated the bulk of his army some 10 miles north to strong positions anchored off of a strong redoubt on Butt’s Hill. His aim was to protect a crossing point just to the northeast so he could get his men off Aquidneck Island entirely.
Early on 29 August, British officers noted that the American tents that had ringed Newport had been struck and that Sullivan’s rear guard could be seen retreating up the two main roads. British overall commander, Major General Pigot, saw an opportunity to crush the rebels before they could get off the island. He ordered the bulk of his German mercenary units up The West Road with orders to harass and probe the rebels.
British units under Brigadier Francis Smith (of Lexington and Concord infamy ) would advance up the East Road. A small unit of about 150 rifle armed Hessian Chasseurs (or Jagers) hurried up the west road and skirmished with American light infantry units posted to hold them up. On the East Road, the flank companies (light infantry and Grenadiers) of the 38thand 54th Regiments did the same.
By mid morning, the 1st and 2nd Anspach Regiments were on the northern slope of Turkey Hill looking across a valley at the main Patriot line about a mile away. The British had achieved the same goal and were on the slope of Quaker Hill pressing the American advance guard under Livingston. Hessian General Von Lossberg saw his allies locked in a pitched battle and marched off his Von Huyn Regiment to the northeast to take the Americans in flank and get into their rear.
The American commander, Livingston, had been reinforced by units from the main line and was confident he was about to break the Grenadiers and Light Bobs in front of him. But a courier sent by General Sullivan warned him that Von Huyn was about to flank him and ordered him to withdraw immediately.
This he did, tho reluctantly as he had originally thought the blue clad Hessians were other Americans coming to help him.
Livingston’s light troops retreated into the main line as the British harassed them with cannon fire.
Back on the west road, the Hessians, along with the green coated Kings American Regiment loyalists, assaulted the small Durfey Hill under cover of cannon fire from Royal Navy ships just to the west in Narragansett Bay. Ensconced in what was known as The Artillery Redoubt on the south slope, the predominantly black soldiers of the 1st Rhode Island Regiment put up fierce resistance and managed to beat off two assaults.
When things looked a bit unsure, Sullivan ordered another Continental Regiment forward from the main line to augment the Rhode Islanders.
The Hessians had been promised naval gunfire support for a third attempt on the redoubt, but the Americans pushed the ships out of range with artillery fire. The Chasseurs led one final attack, this time on the western flank, but the Continentals held firm. The exhausted Germans fell back to their positions on Turkey Hill as artillery from both sides traded fire.
British General Pigot, a veteran of the costly victory at Bunker Hill, had plenty of reserves, but decided he didn’t want to take on the rebels in their fixed positions. General Sullivan was urged by General Nathaniel Greene to throw in more units and further punish the British, but decided it would be folly to risk losing more men. The battle thus ended as a draw but the British could claim victory as they held the field and, a few days later, the island, when Sullivan successfully crossed his troops to the mainland.
The stage is set. The battle lines are drawn and you are in command. The rest is history?
Empty Board
Battle Notes
Continental Army
• Commander: Sullivan
• 5 Command Cards & 5 Combat Cards
British Army
• Commander: Pigot
• 5 Command Cards & 4 Combat Cards
• Move first
Victory
5 Victory Banners
Special Rules
- Opening Cannonade rules are in effect.
- Narragansett Bay is represented by stream hex tiles in the northwest map area and is impassable. The Sakonnet River is represented by stream hex tiles in the southeast map area and is also impassable.
- The east/west stream is fordable.
- The Continental Player gains one temporary victory banner if he occupies the Artillery Redoubt field works hex at the start of his turn (and thus starts the game with one victory banner).
- The Artillery Redoubt hill field works hex and Butt’s Hill Redoubt hilltop camp hex are worth one temporary victory banner each to the British player for as long as he occupies either.
- Hedge hexes are treated the same as wood fence hexes.
- Some units begin the game under- strength with the number of blocks indicated by the circled number. These units cannot gain more blocks than they start the game with and are never considered to be at full strength.
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