Cavalry After Action Report
Brattonsville 2007
by Dan Murphy

My Lord,

Please allow me to report on two recent incidents in the backcountry. As per your orders we arrived at the hamlet of Brattonsville on the morning of 14th and immediately sent our scouts forward to find the gin house. Thinking they may have come into trouble, we soon followed only to find that they had admirably completed their mission and requisitioned forage for our mounts. We quickly formed a picket at the gin house, and then took the gin road into the hamlet proper. Brattonsville is a tidy frontier crossroads of four or five clapboard houses and surrounding fields yet the locals are largely Irish and typically inbreed, poor tempered and easily given to drink. We therefore tried recruiting several, without any luck, and now have no doubt that they are in league with the Godless rebels that seem to thrive like fleas on a heel hound in this part of his Majesty's country. While scouting through the fields we found Captain Huck and received our orders. By his leave, we continued our scout and retired to the wagon train where we took heavy fortification.

That afternoon Capt. Huck led us to one of the main residences where a saucy Irish wench impudently refused to give the good Capt. any useful information regarding a rebel force known to be operating in the area. We retired back toward the Gin house and picketed our horses in the welcoming shade of a stand of trees beside a narrow lane. This quiet respite was soon shattered by the sharp crack of musketry and in no time we bounded on to our gallant steeds only to find ourselves surrounded by rebels on all sides. The Capt. took us out into the field that we might better maneuver. We charged a large force of rebels deployed along a stout rail fence. A hail of rifle fire met our charge and we had no choice but to fall back. The Capt. waved us forward again and we manfully redoubled our efforts but the stout pine rails were well set and could not be cut through with even the greatest exertion. Here we received an exceedingly hot fire and the gallant Capt Huck was fatally wounded. I then ordered the men to withdraw and we managed a daring escape just seconds before our position was entirely overrun. We drowned out sorrows heavily that night and gave the good Capt. a heartfelt wake with copiously strong fortification at Fort Rumanade. We later encountered a drunken Irishmen who is purported to have singlehandedly defeated a possessed chigger woman from a distant plantation.

The following afternoon we found ourselves back in the field despite the loss of our Capt. and one of our Williamsburg dragoons. We were soon tasked with escorting a foraging expedition but the wagon broke down and Col. Carter left a company of light infantry with the wagon while we continued on to Fort Watson. We'd no sooner arrived at the Fort when word arrived that the Light infantry was under severe attack by the rebels. We charged straight away and drove off a party of rebels, cutting down a great many and pinning the remainder against one of the many fences crisscrossing the nearby fields. We reformed and took a second party of rebels in their flank, driving them from the field and into a nearby wood. We then retired back to Fort Watson where to our surprise the rebels made a surprisingly bold assault on our position. Our infantry poured volley after volley onto the rebel ranks, shattering their attack and leaving their bodies strewn across the field like cordwood. With their attack now all but spent we charged the rebels and drove them off in a rout.

While this in no way makes up for the loss of Capt. Huck I can assure your lordship that any surviving rebels in this part of the King's country will soon be coming into sign loyalty oaths. If I may be so bold I would like to direct your Lordship's attention to the men of my command. At all times they were unceasingly brave, never failing in their duty and our scouting corps performed brilliantly.

I remain your most humble and obedient servant,
Lt I. P. Freely

His Majesty's Provincial Bunny Brigade (P.B.B.) Yours,