Pressing the Attack

After successfully halting the Red Army's advance, The King of the Five Rivers ordered his army to press into the Red Kingdom.  The fleeing red army was caught mustering just outside of a hillside town near a strategic ridge.  Since the last battle, the Red Army was able to replace a unit of dragoons lost in the previous battle.  Their army remained somewhat bruised.  Two regiments of regular foot were unable to replenish their losses and the third regular regiment was dissolved after immense losses.  The Army of the Five Rivers did not suffer near as significant casualties, but one cavalry regiment and one regiment of foot continued the campaign significantly under manned.

Town in Red Kingdom, just south of the foothills

The Red Army's recruitment efforts were in vain as their newly reformed dragoon unit's column would not be participating in this battle.  The Army of the Five Rivers fielded the same columns from the previous battle, hoping to repeat their success.

Red Army's Order of Battle

Army of Five Rivers's Order of Battle

The Rivermen descended through the foothills to meet the Red Army who have decided to defend the town with infantry and use their superior number of guns to batter the Rivermen as they come out of the hills.  Meanwhile, the Army of the Five Rivers has decided to take up defensive positions on the far hill, with their artillery able to bombard the Red Army's left flank.

Positions at the end of turn 2

The opening salvos of artillery proved generally ineffective for both sides, despite the Rivermen's general putting his battery in a better position.  Enticed by the prospect of charging an irregular infantry unit, the Red cavalry swept wide into the Rivermen's exposed left flank.  

Positions at the end of turn 3

Poorer tribes of the Five Rivers generally organize their troops into Highlander units, choosing to emphasize individual marksmanship over drilled maneuver.  Shooting from the forests, one Highlander band took pot shots at the Red Army's general, to no effect.  Seeing the Red infantry advancing and fearing a cavalry charge, the other Highlander band retreated to the safety of a nearby wood.

Positions at the end of turn 4

The Red Army's artillery continued to be ineffective against the Rivermen's artillery positioned on the far hill, but the Rivermen's artillery shelled the dismounted dragoon unit on the Red Army's left flank.  The far left flank of the Rivermen line advanced and fired a fatal volley to the dragoons as they threw down their muskets and fled.  The Rivermen line also caused panic and disorder in the regiment of horse on the hill, while the forward highlander band was able to cause disorder in the regiment of foot with the Red general attached. After sustaining a downhill cavalry charge, the highlanders were forced out of the forest by a determined militia.  While distracted by the action in the center-right, the general of the Army of the Five Rivers failed to notice a regiment of horse swinging towards his right flank. 

Positions at the end of turn 5

As the bloody day wore on, the Rivermen's artillery on the hill continued to batter the Red Army.  The battery fired on the only remaining regiment of Red foot.  A cannonball bounced through the line, striking the enemy general in the chest.  The regiment panicked and fled the field, carrying their general's body on the back of his horse.  In a fit of rage, and attempting to regain the initiative, the cavalry in the Rivermen's flank charged a regiment of foot from the rear, causing a retreat away from the cavalry and towards the Red lines.  Seeing the panicking regulars advance towards their position, the town's militia fire a crippling volley as the regulars turn and run.  Seeing the panic in the Red Army at the loss of his counterpart, the Rivermen general orders a general advance of his remaining line infantry.  The regiment on the far right squares up on the successful Red cavalry. Their volley causes the cavalry line to fall to disorder and ride out of range.  

Positions at the end of turn 6

The battery defending the right side of what remained of the Red finally saw some success as it fired and enfilading volley at the right-most regiment of the Rivermen line.  The Rivermen's apparently invincible artillery survived a rear charge from a regiment of foot, but did become disordered.

Positions at the end of turn 7

Both batteries continued to be effective as the forwardmost highland band was forced to retreat from the woods and the regiment of horse, sent to bolster the militia, sustained significant casualties.  Having kept the cavalry in reserve, The fresh Rivermen cavalry delivered a fatal charge to the flagging enemy cavalry.  Seeing their cavalry flee, the remnants of the Red Army turned and ran downriver towards their capitol.