Cavaliers and Roundheads Episode 5 Skirmish at the Old Mill Ford

November 8th, 1642.  Captain Hewitt had heard that not all the supplies had been recovered from the Royalist camp at Edgecote.  Of particular note were two large barrels of powder and several hundred lengths of match cord that had been stashed in a small barn.  He decided to dispatch Sargent Osbury and Mable banks with a few men to gather the supplies and bring them to Banbury Castle to add to the garrison's stock.  

The supplies were easy enough to find and after loading up the supplies on donkeys and an oxcart they headed back towards Banbury with the intention of crossing the river Cherwell at Cropredy Bridge. As they approached the town they saw a gentleman riding towards them at full gallop.  The man brought his horse to a stop and demanded to know who the Royalist were for.  Charles replied "For the King!"  "Then you should know that Cropredy Bridge is being held by at least 30 Parliamentary militia.  I've just barely escaped from there myself." replied the man.  At that the gentleman spurred his horse on and disappeared down the road.  

Mable spotted a wooded ravine about a hundred yards off the road so the Royalist party decided to hide there until they could decide what to do.  As they were discussing their options a farmer heading towards the town seemed to have spotted them so they decided to move south along the river to look for a fording.  

 

They found a ford about a half mile south of the bridge near an old ruin that looked to be some kind of mill.  Mable scouted ahead and didn't discover any problems so they decided to chance a river crossing.  Sargent Gryffon and three musketeers took up a position on a hill overlooking the ford while the rest crossed with the supplies.   

Things were going well until suddenly two troops of Parliamentary soldiers sprung from their hiding places. One group was hiding among the trees on the opposite bank and another among the ruin.  

 

One of Sargent Gryffon's musketeers was shot down in the first exchange as the Roundheads advanced on their position.  

Sargent Osbury, Plunket, and Towne were caught in the open crossing the river.  Towne was hit but only lightly wounded.  The Royalist returned fire but had little success against their enemies well covered positions.  

One of the Parliamentarians advancing up the hill was shot down by Gryffon's men but they still had an almost two to one advantage.  

 

Charles spurred his horse onto the bank and charged one of the Roundhead musketeers running him down with his charger.  He discharged his pistol and wounded another.  Two of the enemy retreated up the hill.  

Continuing his charge Charles cuts down another trooper but he is shot by his companion.  The wound is not serious however.  

Towne is able to reach the opposite bank and reload.  He then shoots another enemy trooper killing the man instantly.  

Mable Banks abandons the oxcart and moves to aid the musketeers holding the hill.  She fires her crossbow at one of the trooper hitting him but not seriously.  The trooper turns to fire at her but misses.  Sargent Gryffon makes a desperate charge down the hill wielding his partisan and wounding one of the enemy musketeers.  

  

After finishing off the Parliamentarians on the hill Sargent Osbury charges down the hill at the others.  Plunket makes it to the bank and both he and Towne take down another Roundhead.  Plunket is however shot down himself.  

After cutting down two foes Sargent Gryffon is knocked out of action by enemy musket fire. Things are looking bad for the Royalist on the hill.  

  

Mable Banks falls back as one of the Roundheads chases her wounding her lightly in an exchange.  Eventually he gives up the chase and returns to his fellows.  

The last three Parliamentary militia men manage to take up the rest of the Royalist musketeers on the hill but not before all three were wounded.  

Charles runs down the last of the Parliamentarians on his side of the river.  Towne manages to staunch Plunkets wounds saving his comrade.  After securing the Western bank Charles turned and charged back across the river on his horse.  Towne turned and drew a bead on of of the Parliamentarians who had retreated into the ruin.  Despite the cover and range he shot the man dead.    

 

Mable Banks and Sargent Osbury killed the trooper that had been chasing her the moved to engage the last of the enemy.  The man threw down his musket and surrendered.  

After tending to the wounded amazingly only one of the Royalist had been killed.  One of the other Parliamentarians had only been knocked unconscious so with their two prisoners they set off towards Banbury.  

When they arrived and told Captian Hewitt of the Parliamentarian forces at Cropredy Bridge the Captian was quite concerned.  "We'll have to deal with them soon of they will become a thorn in our supply lines" he said.  

Notes:  I've just received an order of Swashbucklers from Brigade Games which is good because I'm running out of ideas on how to keep using my small 17th century collection.  I have a much larger order in route from Warlord Games including their English Civil War starter army so I can do some much bigger skirmishes. Level progression in the campaign is going fairly slowly but that is fine by us.  D&D characters can get pretty powerful for historic games even when they don't have magic.  So far it's working fairly well though.