March or Die

The British commander, Lord Howe, wishes to traverse the wilderness as quickly as possible.  He is quite prepared for an ambush but intends to plough through accepting casualties as the inevitable price of moving forward, Should the foe attempt to contest his passage he expects them to block the head of the column and accordingly his advance guard is formed of grenadiers and rangers backed by British regulars.  Fire-power should force the pass. He had expected Indian allies but for some inscrutable reason they have declined to accompany him.

The French plan is simple, they intend to rake the marching column from cover until it approaches a pre prepared killing ground blocked with abatis, there the entire, if small, French force, will regroup under captain Dumas and inflict deadly punishment. 

The column moves out with Roger’s Rangers scouting well ahead but close enough to receive rapid support if necessary.  There seems to be some confusion among the provincials to the rear.  Seemingly nothing stirs in the woods.

The rangers have encountered a steep narrow ridge running across the trail, it’s surmountable but it will delay each unit in turn as men scrabble up it.

Firing breaks out on the flanks of the grenadiers, first one, then another soldier drops.  The stoic grenadiers keep going forward scrambling through the difficult going.  Rogers Rangers have now cleared the ridge, and the rest of the column moves as if one body though the rearmost unit of provincials is now significantly behind its fellows.

More shots ring out at the head of the column but the rangers dive for cover and no one is hit.

The Indians are heard but not seen and another grenadier falls, the unit now at half strength continues to advance.  More soon.