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Greetings: It was another interesting Free Flow Tactical and an experience that I soon will not forget. The heat was unbearable. Our brave troops and distaff survived the event and the ferocious assault of the Illinois Air Force (mosquitoes), which lasted from 6:00 PM to 3:00 AM the next morning. There was blood and bodies (of dead mosquitoes) everywhere. Oh the horror! Finally, Saturday dawned and the fun began. When your mind is engaged you forget the inconveniences. The numbers were a little lower than last year, but with Ticonderoga fresh in our minds and Fortress Louisburg coming on us fast, they took their toll. It was nice to see distaff as well as cavalry and artillery this year. I hope to see a French gun crew there next year. The use of artillery and cavalry was exciting. Seeing Horse, Foot and Gun being used at the same time and in play is what SYW is all about. This use of Horse, Foot, and Gun has also brought about the need for some sit down time at the February meeting to discuss the rules of engagement. There were 44 combatants in total, with I believe about 12 or more distaff, for a total of 56. The British had 24 in the field, with 1 Horse, 2 cannons and 1 swivel. The French had 20 (2 Rangers helped boost this number) in the field, including 3 Native Americans and 1 Horse. The British units involved included the Royal Artillery (both detachments 1 & 2), the 1st Royals (St. Louis), the 40th (me), the 42nd RHR (Sterling's Co.), Haverhill Militia (the 1st Foot Co.) and Haverhill Troop of Horse. The French included the Guyenne Regt, the Fort de Chartres Marines (visitors), the Holy Family, Milice de Ste. Philippe (Welcome Aboard as they just joined SYW!), Jeremy Biggs, Dean Evans and Jesse Rosner. If I have left someone out please forgive me and please let me know who you are so I can change the records. You can reach me via private message on the SYW forum. With the rising of the sun on Saturday, so did the temperature. It was, I believe around 10 a.m. when we finally began burning powder. Both sides picked very defendable base camps. The heat index as I was told by Chester, the Park Ranger, was 100 plus. You could feel the heat pouring out of the ground. After both sides made several attempts to probe the defenses, the heat took its toll. At around 12 Noon, a cease fire was called after 3 members of the French forces became ill. We took the time out to take care for these individuals, not to take a lunch break as was thought by some. In fact one member had us concerned for about an hour. The other two individuals left the site to recuperate. Finally, we were able to get a little cooler and some food in our bellies. After much discussion it was decided that with the heat index as high as it was, that we would go down to Fort Kaskaskia and burn some powder. The French were in the Fort and the British pressed an attack. The 1st Royals pressed an attack in a perfect line for about 100 yards. It was great to see. Their drilling the week before has really paid off; my compliments to Adam, Geoff and the 1st Royals. The Militia with the 2 ensigns from the 1st, held the left flank. It is very unfortunate; Ensign Delaney was removed from the sole of his shoe in this action. It was mentioned though, that his sister was behind him with the canon, could it be, surely not. Speaking of this, Sam Delaney did a great job commanding the Galloper since Roy was unable to make the trip down to the Fort. I was really proud of all the Artillery and their crews. The French held their ground and we decided to assault the Fort with our survivors. We made a gallant charge, but no one was left standing. The public and park staff loved to see the action at the Fort. Many asked if we could come back in the future and do something at the Fort. When we finally got back to camp and were cooling down, the brewing thunderstorm hit and really cooled us down. The rest of the afternoon was a rain out and dinner was next point of action. Again, the evening potluck was a hit. It was really nice to sit down as a SYW family, both French and British, to share. It really gives us a chance to get to know one another. We spend so much time doing what we do, that we don't get to know the guy next to us. After dinner some of us visited and watched the sun, which came back out, go down over the Mississippi River valley below. The others spent time drying out from the rain and the sweat as others decided that they needed to get into a cooler environment for the evening. After a much nicer, free of the Illinois Air Force, cooler evening, we began the next day. It was decided that we would go back to the Free Flow Tactical with a time limit. Both sides took a considerable hit on their numbers, so it was felt that the time limit would work better. The French took the field at around 9:30 a.m., with the action to begin at 10:00. The British were to take a defensive position with the French’s goal to take our position. The casualties were to check in with Max. The winner would be determined by who held the best position in the field and who took fewest causalities. The French made several attempts to capture the gun emplacement, but to no avail. The French had a mounted scout that kept our troops quite busy. Finally, a well directed cannon blast from the swivel gun, in front of the judge, gave us fresh horse meat for the evening meal (for visitors that don't know, just kidding). Finally the horn sounded promptly at 11:00 and the battle was ended. Max announced that the British were victorious and after taking a group photo (Hi Ed!) we quickly made it back to camp. Everyone hurried to change their clothes and to break camp. Despite the conditions, I believe we had a very successful Free Flow Tactical. Even though we had to cut the activities short, I think all went home with tired but happy grins on their faces. I would like to thank Max for hosting us at Fort Kaskaskia and all his work. I would also like to thank Adam for his efforts. Also, I would like to thank Chester and the Fort Kaskaskia Park staff for all that they did. The grounds had taken a beating from the rain weeks prior, but were a great site. Even though we encountered heat, ticks, mosquitoes and an occasional Copperhead (Adam, it’s a snake, not a southern sympathizer) the other encounters were great. The site of the deer running across the field and the turkey hen in the woods were all bonuses. But most of all time spent with friends is always a great experience no matter what. Thanks to all those that were involved and helped make this a success. Brian WilsonPresident, Seven Years War, Inc. |
Ed Delaney is safely ensconced in the Land of Cheese (Wisconsin) after returning from his second tour of duty in Iraq courtesy of the U.S. Government. Ed will be returning home to the "Show-Me" state (Missouri) in a couple of weeks to be reunited with family and friends. We're glad to have the Commander of the 1st Royals home safe and sound. Huzah!
It is with sadness that we announce the loss of one of the SYW family, Colleen Gilbert.