Chris in Hamilton (Canada)
Active member
anywhere in the world, where would it be? Whether its an old battlefield, a beach, or even a park. No restrictions and no cost considerations. Where would your dream spot be?
Had a hard time deciding myself but Lundy's Lane won out. This battle took place on an area about the size of a football field.
A bit of info taken from the Friends of Lundy's Lane home page;
On the afternoon of July 25, 1814, Lieutenant-General Gordon Drummond, with about 2,000 British, Canadian and Native troops, engaged an invading American army. The two forces were almost evenly matched in size, but the U.S. troops, under Generals Jacob Brown and Winfield Scott, had recently been victorious at Chippawa.
The British had established a line along a dusty cart track bordered by a grassy verge and trees. They placed their guns in an arc in the Cemetery. The US troops attacked across open fields with waist-high crops and chest-high split rail fences. They were cut down by the British artillery as they first emerged from the chestnut woods.
There were subsequent assaults as night fell. Eventually the US troops captured the guns, bayonetting the British artillerymen as they struggled to reload. The British tried to recapture the guns. Darkness had fallen, yet the fight continued on.
"The rest of that night was a murderous nightmare . . ."
Archaeologist Ron Williamson
The nighttime battle raged in the oppressive summer heat. The smoke of the guns was not moving out. The men could only see by musket flash and rockets. They met, in hand to hand combat, over fences and graves. Amidst the roar of the guns and the crackle of muskets, desperate men unable to tell friend from foe fired upon their own troops. In the heat and humidity, so close that their musket flashes overlapped, the two armies fought to a standstill.
After midnight, the U.S. forces retreated. Their supply lines were overextended, and they had lost too many men to hold the hilltop. Both sides were exhausted and had suffered heavy losses - - about 800 men from each were killed, wounded, or taken prisoner. The Americans took one British gun, but the others were left to the British. The British troops slumped to the ground and slept on the hillside in utter exhaustion.
Although each side claimed victory, the Americans had failed to dislodge General Drummond from his position. As they retreated the next day, the Americans crossed the bridge at Chippawa and then burned it behind them to prevent being immediately followed. They also torched Bridgewater Mills (at the site of the present-day Dufferin Islands.) Thus ended the offensive in Upper Canada.
The field was left in the hands of the British-Canadian forces, who had the onerous duty of cleaning up the battlefield. Pits were dug to house the bodies, and funeral pyres were lit. Christopher Buchner is said to have fought in his own fields and watched his fence rails being used for the funeral pyres.
Bit more here if you want
http://www.napoleonicminiatureswargame.com/lundyslane.html
So lets here, where would you go?
GH, Chris
Had a hard time deciding myself but Lundy's Lane won out. This battle took place on an area about the size of a football field.
A bit of info taken from the Friends of Lundy's Lane home page;
On the afternoon of July 25, 1814, Lieutenant-General Gordon Drummond, with about 2,000 British, Canadian and Native troops, engaged an invading American army. The two forces were almost evenly matched in size, but the U.S. troops, under Generals Jacob Brown and Winfield Scott, had recently been victorious at Chippawa.
The British had established a line along a dusty cart track bordered by a grassy verge and trees. They placed their guns in an arc in the Cemetery. The US troops attacked across open fields with waist-high crops and chest-high split rail fences. They were cut down by the British artillery as they first emerged from the chestnut woods.
There were subsequent assaults as night fell. Eventually the US troops captured the guns, bayonetting the British artillerymen as they struggled to reload. The British tried to recapture the guns. Darkness had fallen, yet the fight continued on.
"The rest of that night was a murderous nightmare . . ."
Archaeologist Ron Williamson
The nighttime battle raged in the oppressive summer heat. The smoke of the guns was not moving out. The men could only see by musket flash and rockets. They met, in hand to hand combat, over fences and graves. Amidst the roar of the guns and the crackle of muskets, desperate men unable to tell friend from foe fired upon their own troops. In the heat and humidity, so close that their musket flashes overlapped, the two armies fought to a standstill.
After midnight, the U.S. forces retreated. Their supply lines were overextended, and they had lost too many men to hold the hilltop. Both sides were exhausted and had suffered heavy losses - - about 800 men from each were killed, wounded, or taken prisoner. The Americans took one British gun, but the others were left to the British. The British troops slumped to the ground and slept on the hillside in utter exhaustion.
Although each side claimed victory, the Americans had failed to dislodge General Drummond from his position. As they retreated the next day, the Americans crossed the bridge at Chippawa and then burned it behind them to prevent being immediately followed. They also torched Bridgewater Mills (at the site of the present-day Dufferin Islands.) Thus ended the offensive in Upper Canada.
The field was left in the hands of the British-Canadian forces, who had the onerous duty of cleaning up the battlefield. Pits were dug to house the bodies, and funeral pyres were lit. Christopher Buchner is said to have fought in his own fields and watched his fence rails being used for the funeral pyres.
Bit more here if you want
http://www.napoleonicminiatureswargame.com/lundyslane.html
So lets here, where would you go?
GH, Chris
uke: