Barry Hilton - This scenario is based around a little known incident which
in historical terms has been understandably eclipsed by the concurrent relief
of the siege of Derry . In wargaming terms it
lurks deep in the shadows beyond the battles at The Boyne and Aughrim.
It is particularly interesting because of its size and the
nature of the encounter which could be described as a running battle. I have chosen
to compile a brief historical background to place the scenario in context. My
sources for this were A Jacobite Narrative of the War in Ireland University College Cork England Boyne , Alan Sapherson’s William III at War in Scotland Ireland
Although broadly in agreement
these sources do conflict markedly on detail not only in the sequence of events
on the day but in the number and composition of the troops involved. Rather
than see this as a problem I have looked on it as an opportunity for
flexibility in terms of the Orders of Battle I offer for the scenarios. I was
working to a very tight deadline to finish this article and had originally
intended to bang it out in short order as a brief two page wargaming guideline
but the research element drew me deeper and deeper into the subject and proved
to be a very rewarding exercise in itself.
As at the time of writing I have
been unable to find any single body of text which draws together the various
elements contained herein or which attempts to analyse from a military
perspective, some of the anomalies in unit organisation. To that end, the
article may be able to claim some original thought and research which adds to a
deeper understanding of the battle.
