Skirmish at Jackson's Tavern: Texas Revolution Battle Report

Mexican Cavalry column flanks the town, but not without taking fire from

Crockett's Tennesseeans.

                What's the best thing a historical wargamer can hear?  "Dad, can we play that game with the soldiers and the buildings?"  The answer, "Thank you God, they want to do something that doesn't involve the Wii!"  Enter the fictitious battle of Jackson's Tavern: 1835.   Small engagements took place across the border throughout the life span of the Republic, but...my son loves to play with his Davy Crockett figure (Probably has to do with the fact that his modifiers make him almost god-like).  This game was based off a watered down (for 7 and 11 year olds) version of a set of rules I had been writing...but actually, the watered down rules play far better. (With simple morale checks, such as if you lose 25% of a unit it must fall back by one movement (5 inches for Infantry).

Mexican standoff at Jackson's Tavern.

       The Texian forces consisted of a company of Tenneseeans under Col Crockett, Texian milita, two 6 pdr cannon and one General.  Points would be awarded for the capturing of standards, Generals and Cannon.  The Mexicans consisted of two companies of infantry, a squadron of light dragoons and one General.

Mexican advance on the hamlet of  Jackson's Tavern

        My sons each commanded a wing of the Texian army and my plan was to attack their front with my infantry, while the cavalry squadron rolled up the flank and seized the artillery.  Sadly, my 7-year old made excellent initiative rolls and I made poor troop quality rolls (roll 1d6 to determine troop reliability:  militia, regular, or veteran).

Mexican center company takes fire, but assault's Jackson's Tavern, where

Crockett's Tenneseeans are barricaded.

    The center company assaulted the tavern, where Crockett's Tenneseeans were barricaded.  Four Mexicans were dropped by rifle fire outside the tavern, but still managed to make it inside.  Having killed him a bear at the age of three, David and his comrades were able to push the Mexicans back outside and the had to hand combat resulted in the rout of my center company.

Interior of Jackson's Tavern.  The soldados enter, but only one comes out.

            Meanwhile, my right flank moved on the Texian left, avoiding any serious hits from the 6 pdr battery, for the moment.  The shifted from company into line and assaulted the Texians at the stone wall.

Mexican Company in column.

         They quickly pushed back the militia from the wall to the dog trot cabin and took up a firing position at the stone wall. 

The Mexican company looking into the muzzles of two 6 pdrs of Los Piratas.

 
      We traded shots between the Dog Trot and the stone wall and then my dragoons appeared on the right flank of the Texian battery.  While their ranks were thinned by acurate rifle fire, courtesy of the "Gentlemen from the Cane Break", they still posed a problem for the exposed battery.   Unfortunately, the Tavern was no longer threatened by the Mexican infantry and my eldest son had the presence of mind to pivot his gun towards the squadron and deploy his Tennesseeans on their flank.

All that remains of the Mexican Dragoons after grape shot and flanking

fire from Crockett's company.

         The dragoons disappeared in a cloud of grapeshot and rifle balls and only four emerged to charge into the guns.  This, not before the left gun belched flame into my company at the stone wall, and the Texian Militia charged from the dog trot cabin.  The result was yet another broken unit.

         

The broken company retreats with the colors.

           My ragged dragoons and decimated companies were forced to straggle back, having lost and infantry standard and a cavalry pennant, not to mention my general with the Mexican reserve (who was unhorsed on an abortive counter-attack.  So, simpler is better regarding the rules.  The boys get bored if there are too many morale checks or modifiers.  We kept it simple with modifiers based on troop quality and "heroic characters", like Colonel Crockett.  All in all, a great game, I like losing as long as I'm playing with my boys.

Progress on the Centralista Army of Operations: Fusileros, Dragoons, Perry Carlists, Buildings and Conquest Sauk y Fox



Mexican Regular Dragoons (Regimental Honours)



      Finally making some progress on the Centralista Army of Operations...and some other distractions.  The Cavalry (Batalion Tampico) is done, except for flocking and a squadron base.  I had to repaint the shabraques to the correct green bound in white (that I found to be appropriate after further research-which as it turns out these dragoons should be in French-made Dragoon helmets, probably not bear-crested Tarletons...oh well)




Jimenez, Matamoros, Toluca, and Tres Villas Bns (Converted Austrians)



      These soldados still require flocking, but are the Fusileros of what will be the Jimenez, Matamoros, Toluca, and Tres Villas Battalions.   I converted some for the command (the Color Sergeant and Drummer)...but need more, so I have been waiting on an order from The War Store...which arrived last week.

Perry Bros Carlist Wars Royalist Command and British Riflemen...excellente!

      What I ordered were Perry Bros Carlist Wars Loyalist Command and British Riflemen, which you may wonder what these have to do with the Army of Operations.  Well, the Perry figures are amazingly detailed and well cast-little cleanup required.  With the exception of two figures, the poses are very dynamic and will fit well with the Fusileros advancing.  The Royalists, with a little blade and putty work, look very similar to the Mexican Permanente and Activo uniforms of 1835-36. The same goes for the Riflemen, who with additional work are very close to their Baker wielding counterparts, the Mexican Cazadores (Flank Companies).  So all I really need to purchase to complete the Army is Artillery and a Command/Staff unit.

Adobe building, primed and ready for painting

      This building I started to add to the current adobes I've built either for the battle of Bexar or another unnamed action south of the Colorado River. The walls are foam board covered with sand and the columns, stairs and balcony are blue styrofoam insulation.  Floors are flagstone (mat board) It still needs paint and interior accents (I've made shutters, paintings, etc.)

What have the Sauk to do with Santa Anna...absolutely nothing. 
Mission Creep!

      While waiting for the sand and priming to dry on the Royalists-Come-Centralistas, I started working on some Sauk by Conquest.  Why?  A.  They're incredible.  Highly recommend their figures, which makes me want to build up a warband now.  Mission creep!  B.  My six-year-old is painting a section of Roger's Rangers.  So much for staying in the 1830's...

On the Painting Table...

The garage workbench...its been below 20 deg F out there...

      So right now on the bench I have the remainder of my Mexican Infantry (converted from Austrian Infantry).  I shaved off the tall hackle plume and replaced with a small lead projectile from a dove shot load-perfect pom-pom.  There are also mounted Texas Rangers, the rest of the Mexican Lancers (Regulars), and a mule train that I bought at a small shop in Honolulu while on a business trip last spring.

Texas Rangers and Mexican Infantry

Texas Rangers

       I am also trying to complete the mule train (back) and the Mexican Light Cavalry Lancers (Front).
Slowly, but surely.

The Unfinished Tavern

        This building has been on the bench for a while now.  I'm going to use Plastic Wood for the chinking between the logs, as I have for the other log structures I've made (cabin, dogtrot, blockhouse). I plan on modeling some other details for this as well (barrels, food, etc).  The stone is just styrofoam insulation panels-the blue sheets from the hardware store.  Floor stones are just painted matboard.  This one will have a second level, just a loft with some beds.  The finished tavern is going to be the terrain for a "Barfight" scenario between James Bowie's Volunteers and a rival gang.