The First Battle of New Orleans 23 December 1814

 We had our game simulation of the First Battle of New Orleans at my place on Saturday April 9th from 09:30 until about 16:00. The game utilized General de brigade rules at a 20:1 troop ratio with a growing and changing addendum. The later was changed slightly to insert a night effects table. Through my games I try to maintain the detailed historical accuracy of orders of battle, terrain, timings etc.; but trying not to be too prescriptive so as to give the player options to possibly change or at least affect the historical outcome.  Accordingly, in this first battle of New Orleans (historically there were three separate battles) , the British player has more than one option upon arriving on the Villiere Plantation on the Mississippi at midday. 

Strategic and Operational Background

Rather than regurgitating the historical background, I chose instead to include passages from "The Gulf Theatre" by Joseph F. Stoltz contained in the excellent book "The U.S. Army Campaigns of The War of 1812 by The Center of Military History". These passages provide a succinct encapsulation of the Strategic and Operational considerations leading up to the first battle of New Orleans.

The Theatre of Operations of the Gulf Campaign.

Map of the Operational Area depicting The Naval Battle of Lake Borgne, The River Assault on Fort St. Philip and the Three Battles of New Orleans.

Tactical area Map. Ref napoleon Series

TBC.

Orders of Battle Research

There is much detail on numbers, personalities, uniforms and numbers in the endnotes.

The Game - Tactical Background

As the British advanced elements spearheaded by the redoubtable Lieutenant-Colonel Thornton of Bladensburg fame and commanded by a peninsula veteran Major-General Keane, arrived undetected by the Americans at the Villiere plantation by the Mississippi river.  They were faced with option of resting their tired troops or pushing on to New Orleans, which was mere ten miles away. Vice-Admiral Cochrane, the fleet/mission commander and LtCol. Thornton wanted to push on while they still had the element of surprise. Nonetheless, Keane conservatively but understandably denied the advance and chose to rest his troops with a view to advancing to New Orleans at day break.

Accordingly for the game, the British players were given choices a few days before the game start. The following options were provided to the British players. 

British Scenario: December 23^rd 1814 Lacoste Plantation approximately 1330.

You are Major General Keane leading the advance elements of the British invasion whose target is the strategic city of New Orleans. Although the troops under your immediate command have travelled for over 36 hours via boats with little sleep, they are tired but in good spirits. Your advance Brigade is centered on the Villiere plantation with outposts stationed as far as the La Ronde plantation. Vice-Admiral Cochrane, the overall expedition commander is urging you press on the advance as New Orleans is less than 8 miles distant. However, as the senior army commander present you have authority over all land forces. Accordingly, your preference is to rest the troops for the night and press on next morning at first light, when you expect additional reinforcements of at least one full brigade. However, you are torn because your senior well respected field officer, LCol Thornton, also urges you to press on to New Orleans and catch the Americans by surprise as there are no indications of any American troops between the La Ronde plantation and New Orleans. So, what is your decision, stay and rest your troops or move towards New Orleans to surprise the Americans.

Option One: Immediately advance to the outskirts of New Orleans.
Advantages:
1.       Surprise, the enemy will not know the British invasion’s genuine line of advance and so will not have all his forces immediately at his disposal.
2.       Open field to engage the Americans that gives the British force significant formation, discipline, and firepower advantages.
Disadvantages:
1.       No reinforcements until well after dark (you will fight with the units you have).
2.       All British units will lose one firing factor to reflect their tiredness.

Option Two: Rest the troops in place and await reinforcements (Second Brigade) that are expected to arrive in the late evening and throughout the night. In the early morning move towards New Orleans.
Advantages:
1.       The troops will be rested and ready to engage the Americans at full strength.
2.       The army will be reinforced by the Second Brigade with additional artillery.
Disadvantages:
1.       The Americans will know where the British forces are (no element of surprise in fact they may surprise you).
2.       The Americans will be able gather additional forces and advance away from N.O. to engage.
3.       The Americans may take time to adopt a defensive stance by erecting temporary fortifications.

The British players, Paul and Bruce, chose Option One.

The Orders of Battle for the American and British armies.

Here is a map of the operational/tactical area. The landing area on Lake Borgne is shown as C with the route via Bayou Bienvenu, Bayou Mazant and Villere canal to the Villere Plantation at point A. If the British players had chosen Option Two the game would have started at the Villere Plantation. Instead they chose Option One, accepting the decrease of one grade in the morale/firing factor of each British unit, in order to push on to New Orleans. As a consequence a day light battle would take place at the Montreuil Plantation (point B) on the outskirts of their object, the city of New Orleans.

Tactical Map of Plantations east of New Orleans including the bayous and canals from lake Bourgne.

The Turn Sequence and Random Reinforcement Table

The Game of the First Battle of New Orleans 23 December 1814.

Looking roughly west to east towards the area of the British advance at the far end or top of the photo . The Montreuil Plantation is in the center of the field near the levee road with the levee and the Mississippi river further to the right along with the U.S.S. Carolina.

Looking west towards Fort Charles and New Orleans. The levee is to the left while the alligator infested swamp is off to the right. Intersecting the fields are fence lines and ditches that restrict movement (half turn for the ditch and half turn for the fence). To right of the plantation house are small garden plots and abandoned slave shacks.

Unfortunately Howard could not attend, so your truly filled in as the second American player as well as GM and photographer. So, regrettably the photos are not as comprehensive as they should be.

The game began at 16:00 with each turn representing 10 mins of time. With no wind the USS Schooner Carolina uses the strong Mississippi current to glide down river at 6" per turn rate. paralleling the Carolina on the levee is the company of US marines and to west the US Dragoons and the Louisiana Feliciana Dragoons.

At the eastern edge of the battlefield British units move up to the fence line near the Montreuil mansion, while the RHA rocket battery fires more unsuccessful volleys.

Meanwhile the American militia, with the regulars on their right flank line up behind the western fence line to face off against the 95th.  The Rifles are in skirmish formation in between the slave shacks. In the foreground an American artillery six pounder on top of the levee opens up on the British while Major Hind's Mississippi light dragoons advances down the levee road. On the river side of the levee militia cavalry also advance towards the British.

The light company of the US 7th Infantry exchange fire with British Infantry who are inside the mansion. The U.S. light company will get supporting fire from the Carolina's two six pounders and a twelve pounder. The light company of the 4th Foot over time are gradually eliminated in this US Joint attack.

Eric has been lucky with his rolls for American reinforcements from Governor Claiborne's command on the Gentilly Plain. He successfully rolls for all three of the potential Tennessee or Louisiana militia regiments, two of them on the first roll. So far 'Lady Luck' is definitely on the American side.

The British 4th Foot move up to cover the levee road approach near the plantation house while the 85th (mid photo) withdraw from the field to deal with a suspicious unit to the British rear area.

A big surprise to the rear of British Sappers and Miners on the levee road! Eric strikes lucky again. On the 17:30 turn (the first of only three opportunities) He rolls the required D6 -6 to secure the arrival of Colonel Declouet's 6th Louisiana Regiment from English Turn, which is down river from the Villere Plantation.

This unsuspected American intervention ultimately will prove decisive because it draws away one third of the British Brigade, halts the British advance and kills much needed time before the impending nightfall.

Jackson's polyglot American army meets its objective of securing and defending the planation's western fence line while the regulars protect the right flank by dominating the levee road with the help of the Carolina's guns. Jackson's overall plan is to let the British come to his line, where the defending militia can take advantage of defensive factor of the fence. Also, it takes a full turn from the edge of the ditch to cross both the ditch and fence, which will put a British attacking unit at a disadvantage.

Due to the surprise arrival of the 6th Louisiana and the surprising defeat of the Sappers and Miners by the 6th in a melee, the 95th withdraw behind the eastern plantation fence line, while the 85th L.I. march to the levee road to deal with the 6th L.A. Regiment. 

At 1740 the visibility drops to 36". This makes it more difficult for the Carolina to see British units in the open fields but it also reduces both sides artillery ranges of respective guns and rockets. More importantly, it is making less likely that the Brits' will be  able to achieve their victory goals. Over 2/3s of the game timeline is complete and it will get darker.

The 85th Light Infantry (mid photo) has recently routed the 6th Louisiana and is returning to field in a vain effort to reengage with the Americans.

As Bruce ponders his next move the Carolina fires on the 85th as its departs into the increasing darkness.

Meanwhile on the far side of the battlefield in the swamp, the Choctaws keep up their suppressing fire on the 95th. But who is keeping their hungry eye on the Choctaws?!

The game ended 1920 game time with onset of darkness and the Americans holding their position on the western fence line. As the British did not achieve any of their victory conditions and the Americans achieved one of theirs, the Americans were the declared victors of this  most varied and enjoyable game. 
Many thanks to Bruce, Paul and Eric for a great game. An extra thank you to Eric for the use of his terrain (particularly the Carolina and the alligators), which added much to look and texture of the battlefield layout.

I had intended to move onto the reconnaissance in force 27/28 December 1814 for the next game, which would require a change in some terrain. However, most of my fellow players thought that I should continue the game as is and like a quasi campaign. A great idea I thought, so, that is my intent. I am off to draw up some scenarios and options.