Time for another go at For King & Parliament, and the fifth scenario in my North Wessex campaign: Bisham Abbey.

After the last clash at Burchett’s Green, both sides have withdrawn to regroup and reform.

With “Little John” Boulters remaining in command whilst his father still recovers from wounds received at Widbrooke Common, the Royalists are bolstered by the return of the troops from Maidenhythe, hitherto sequestered by the King in Oxford. The Roundheads also receive reinforcements in the shape of a brigade of mercenary Scots troops under Colonel Macintosh MacLeod, and Sir Christopher (overall commander) is finally persuaded to lead from the back rather than the front!

The Royalists are ready to move first: marching north towards Marlowe. The Parliamentarians are ready for them, however, blocking their path just north of Bisham Abbey, a monastery-turned-manor-house that sits on the banks of the Thames.

The Sides

The Royalist army, ably commanded by my friend John, consisted of four brigades. On the right was Col. Stafferton’s brigade of horse (two units of Swedish horse); to their left was Col. Spencer’s brigade of foot (the Cookham Militia, three battalia); to their left was Col. Sir William Ray’s brigade of foot (two standard battalia - the Maidenhythe Foot - and the Oxford Musketeers, a commanded shot battalia); and finally, on the far left, was Gen. Derrick’s brigade of horse (three units of Swedish horse).

The Royalist commander ponders his plans

The Parliamentarians, with Yours Truly in command, consisted of only three brigades. The Cavalerie, on the right, were led by Col. Hurst, and consisted of three squadrons of Dutch horse. Next to them, in the centre, were Gen. Nelson’s three battalia of infantry supported by the guns of Littler’s Battery. Finally, on the left, were the three battalia of mercenary pike under Col. MacLeod. A Forlorn Hope was positioned in the small hamlet of Bisham, mid-way between the battle lines.

MacLeod’s Scots in the dawn light. Well, we started at 9am, which is pretty dawn-like for a Sunday!

The Best Laid Plans…

My plan was to pivot on the mercenary Scots, sending my horse forward as quickly as possible to smash through his lighter Swedish-types and then curl around the rear of the Royalist army. I would give up the distant hedge on the left, but take the nearer hedge in the centre.

As this was only John’s second game of FK&P, his plan was to advance generally across his entire front and see what happened when the enemy was encountered!

The Game

Hoping to conceal my intentions, the Scots advanced forward a square, halting just out of musket range from the hedge

My horse move forward rapidly, but are forced into the bottleneck of the road through Bisham

My infantry in the centre also moved forward slowly

Unlike the Royalist infantry in the centre, who advanced forward smartly

This is the far hedge, opposite the Scots and, as predicted, rapidly infested with Royalists!

An overview of the opening stages of the battle.

A massive cavalry clash on the right. My right hand unit is in trouble.

The red Meeples indicate veteran units.

The Royalists jump the hedge and advance towards the waiting Scots.

(insert your own Scottish imprecations)

The left hand unit of Parliamentarian Dutch horse (the 3rd Grey's Cavalerie) burst through the Royalist horse as planned and line up to roll up the Royalist back line

A close up of this (decisive) move!

Meanwhile, a general melee breaks out on the left. The Scots initially get the worst of it.

3rd Grey's Cavalerie smash through the Royalist horse and the Royalist artillery. The plan is working.

Unfortunately, there is more Royalist horse. These are Francis' horse flank charging the 3rd Cavalerie. What a lot of attack cards!

Another overview.

The tide starts to tun in favour of the Scots

Sir Christopher himself leads Sunnybank's foot into a position where it is firing into the flanks of the Royalist troops in front of the Scots

Whilst the 1st Maidenhythe Foot attempts to hold off two battalia of enemy pike

Jenner's guns proved largely useless! The Royalist guns managed to seriously wound Sir William Ray. Lucky Sir Christopher was available to take charge!

Some bits of the initial cavalry clash were still carrying on.

3rd Cavalerie survived the enemy flank charge and turned to face their attackers.

The End

The Parliamentarian coup de grace was administered by Sunnybank’s commanded shot and the Scottish mercenaries. Between them they utterly destroyed the Royalist 2nd Foot Brigade (the Maidenhythe Foot and Oxford Musketeers) which, added to the coins lost when the Royalist horse and artillery evaporated under the tender ministrations of Grey’s Cavalerie, finally emptied the King’s coffers!

In the end, my plan had worked, albeit with several road bumps on the way. I lost three of my command stands, and would have been gradually overwhelmed if it hadn’t been for the extraordinary fight shown by the 3rd Grey’s Cavalerie (the only non-veteran unit in the brigade, obviously). They turned the tide of the battle, with the Scots then digging in their heels and refusing to be broken.

All in all, another great game of FK&P!