by Paul LaFontaine, 22 February 2026
Two players participated in this Battlefield Decisions Kriegsspiel. The scenario was a historical battle which was the last one fought during the American War of Independence. The British attempted to secure the southern region by sallying forth from Charleston to defeat the Continental forces in the area. Rebelsqurl commanded the Americans, Lewis++ commanded the British.
All players and umpire had physical sets at their locations and the umpire reports were images using visual pointers allowing the players to keep the situation on their own maps. The game was conducted on the base map versus a historical map, with the same command problems and order of battle handed to each team. Players reported this technique was successful.
Rebelsqurl was victorious, fighting off multiple attacks with a combination of militia and line units that exhausted the British force.
The Problem
The British were fighting in the woods which offset their ability to employ their superior ability to melee. The Americans had to offset their less capable militia units, which comprised half their force.
American (Blue) Briefing
After six years of war, the struggle has entered its decisive phase. The enemy, strong in supply at its base but stretched along an increasingly long line of communications, has finally marched out to force a conclusion and break your hold on the region. In response, you have summoned your most trusted commanders. Each has arrived with a company at his back, and together you now stand assembled for a final confrontation that will determine supremacy. The field is set, the lines are drawn, and what follows will decide the outcome of the entire contest.
You are to deploy southeast of the blue line, where there runs a creek at low ebb. This creek is fully crossable and does not constitute an obstacle. The river to east is large and is an obstacle. The enemy is approaching from the northeast .
most images can click to enlarge
Your OOB:
This is another of a series of Kriegsspiel AARs very similar to the events in our Wargame HQ at the Origins Game Fair. You can find the original article here.
Your 1st and second battalions are line infantry, 2 regular companies each of 200. Your 3rd and 4th battalions are militia, unable to attack and withstand heavy contact. Your artillery is a battery of 6 LB guns and your cavalry a squadron of dragoons, 100 saddles.
British (Red) Briefing
After six years of war, the campaign has reached its decisive moment. You hold a strong, well-supplied base on the coast, but the enemy continues to threaten your lifeline inland, striking at the routes that sustain your position and influence across the region. To secure lasting control, this force must be met and defeated. The enemy has drawn in all available strength for a final effort. You have done the same. Both sides now stand concentrated and ready, and the coming confrontation will determine who holds the region and who yields it. You are to deploy north of the red line and must clear the Blue force from the woods all the way to the Lauten-Neuenhafen line:
Your OOB:
Two regiments of five companies of line infantry each, one militia company, one cavalry squadron (irregular) and one battery of 6lb guns.
0900
Lewis++ deployed his first regiment to the east (1) in the woods on the high ground and positioned his second regiment to the west (2), pushing his cavalry and militia forward as a screening force. Rebelsqurl formed his 1st, 2nd, and 3rd regiments (3) along the front line with two battalions forward and one held back, while keeping his 4th regiment in reserve (4). He dispatched his cavalry east toward Neuhafen (5) to secure that approach and prevent any unexpected movement from that direction.
1000
Lewis++ shifted his 2nd regiment onto the reverse slope of the high ground (1) to keep it screened while bringing it closer to the action, and his 1st regiment remained in position. Rebelsqurl also adjusted, pulling his cavalry back up the road (2)to scout for the enemy militia forces that had been spotted in the trees while his main force remained in position (3)
1100
Lewis++ pulled his 2nd regiment back (1) while holding the hill to his south with militia and cavalry (3). He spreads his 1st regiment through the trees (2) and pushes it south to make contact, where it encounters American cavalry and disperses it quickly. Rebelsqurl ’s forces began to spread out (4) in response to reports of enemy contact in the woods.
1200
Lewis++ receives reports of enemy movement along the road north of Louthen and shifts his 2nd Brigade into position to guard that flank (1). His 1st Brigade maintains contact and becomes engaged in a firefight with the 2nd and 3rd regiments of Rebelsqurl l’s force (2). The American 2nd Brigade, a line regiment, stands and continues the fight, while the 3rd, being militia, pulls back after contact. British cavalry charge down the hill toward the American guns (3) but were repulsed by their fire. The Americans designate the 1st Regiment as the new reserve (4).
1300
The British guns open fire into the treeline, striking the American 4th Regiment (1), which uses the woods for cover. The fighting in the east continues as Lewis++ orders his brigade to maintain contact. The American 1st Regiment comes forward but was repulsed (2). Lewis++ then orders the cavalry to attack the guns again (3), and this time both the guns and the defending cavalry were driven from the field.
1400
Lewis++ brings up his 2nd Regiment to demonstrate against the enemy flank (1) while directing his guns to fire steadily into the woods at the American 4th Regiment. In the east, the British 1st Brigade pushes forward again and makes contact with the American 2nd and 3rd (2). Continued firefights in the woods cause casualties on both sides, and the British 1st Brigade is beginning to weaken.
1500
The battle reaches its crescendo as Lewis++ orders the 2nd Brigade to attack down the slope into the flank of the American force (1). The attack succeeds and routes the 4th American Militia Regiment. In the east, Rebelsqurl orders all three of his regiments forward (2) against the British 1st Brigade. That brigade, worn down from fighting throughout the day, breaks under the pressure and routs, collapsing the eastern end of the British line.
1600 – END OF SCENARIO
Both Lewis++ and Rebelsqurl ordered their forces to break contact, withdraw, and reconsolidate. In the after-action review, Lewis++ reported that he believed more fighting remained and wanted his forces on firm footing for the next phase. Rebelsqurl reported that his units were exhausted, his militia had been driven from the field, and only two regiments of line remained intact. He judged his command to be at the limit of its endurance. The battle closed with the American force still in being. The British had been severely damaged and withdrew back toward Charleston, having failed to defeat the American forces in the region. The Americans secured a narrow victory, but it was sufficient to sustain their position in the South and conclude the campaign as it unfolded historically, with their forces remaining unbeaten in that theater.
Historical Outcome
The Battle of Eutaw Springs, fought on 8 September 1781, was the final major engagement of the Southern Campaign of the American Revolutionary War and marked the culmination of Major General Nathanael Greene’s effort to break British control in South Carolina. After abandoning the siege of Ninety Six and forcing Lord Rawdon to withdraw toward Charleston, Greene rested and reorganized his army before moving again against British forces under Colonel Alexander Stewart. Stewart had concentrated roughly 1,800–2,000 troops at Eutaw Springs, while Greene advanced with about 2,200 men, combining Continental regulars, militia, cavalry, and artillery. The encounter developed after American forces surprised British foraging parties, capturing several hundred men and compelling Stewart to deploy hastily near his camp.
Greene attacked in a layered formation, placing militia in the first line and Continental troops in successive lines behind them. The battle opened with artillery fire and a determined militia advance that, despite uneven performance, succeeded in engaging and wearing down the British line before yielding ground in an orderly passage of lines. North Carolina Continentals temporarily checked the British but were driven back by bayonet charges, after which Maryland and Virginia regulars advanced and forced the British into their camp. Fierce fighting followed around key strongpoints, particularly a fortified brick house that became the anchor of British resistance. American attempts to overrun these positions failed, and a counterattack wounded and captured Colonel William Washington, halting the American momentum.
Although Greene ordered a withdrawal late in the day, the battle inflicted heavy losses on the British and denied them a clear tactical victory. Stewart retreated toward Charleston the following day, abandoning wounded and destroying supplies, effectively conceding the interior of South Carolina to American control. Casualties were severe on both sides, with several hundred killed, wounded, or captured, and the British loss of manpower and initiative proved decisive. While Greene did not destroy Stewart’s army outright, Eutaw Springs confirmed the strategic success of the Southern Campaign by confining British forces to the coast and hastening the collapse of British authority in the Carolinas.
Conclusion
Both players handled the engagement with considerable skill. Lewis++ employed the two wings of his force effectively, and his careful shielding of the 2nd Brigade prevented the enemy from fully grasping and reacting to the broader situation. His one miscalculation was pressing the 1st Brigade in the east too hard, exhausting it before he could deliver a coordinated flank blow against the Americans with the fresh 1st Brigade. Rebelsqurl , much like the historical commanders, by using his militia to good effect early in the fight before their endurance gave out and they withdrew. They inflicted meaningful damage on the British, which contributed directly to the narrow American victory.
The game moved very smoothly with two skilled players, completing eight turns in 58 minutes for an average of about seven and a quarter minutes per turn. Both players had their maps and pieces in front of them, and the pointer system functioned well throughout. The Battlefield Decision Kriegsspiel pieces shown in the AAR photos proved effective.
This game carried an added dimension, as I had visited the Eutaw Springs battlefield the previous week with colleagues who share an interest in military history. We walked the ground and discussed the specifics of the casualties, the character of the fighting, and the logistical constraints that placed the British in a difficult position during the battle. That firsthand look at the terrain and conditions clearly informed my judgment while umpiring the game.
Special thanks to Rebelsqurl and Lewis++ for participating. Come next session and enjoy using your own set to play Krieggspiel. We’ll see you out there.
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