Battle of Inverurie (23 December 1745) @ Historicon 2018

Historicon Preliminary Events List Entry

The key port of Aberdeen was in Jacobite hands, Duncan Forbes of Culloden and Lord Loudon gathered a small force of Hanoverian highlanders, led by the Skye chief, Macleod of Macleod, with Munros, Grants & Mackenzies. These forces converged at the royal burgh of Inverurie, on the main road to Aberdeen, only to be surprised late in the day by Lord Lewis Gordon, with a mixture of troops - his own regiment, impressed men, and some recently-landed French regulars - Irish Piquets. The second of our three 1745 Jacobite battles - between Hanoverian Highlanders and Jacobite Lowlanders!. 

Rules: Piquet Field of Battle 2

Figures: Front Rank Miniatures

The Layout

The Participants

The Jacobite gamers: Patrick, Erik and Jim. 

The Hanoverian gamers: Michelle and Scott






The Game


The Grants, Mackenzies and Munros (the "Mainland Highlanders") are in Inverurie ...

and the MacLeods are having a clan gathering just outside the town. The famous piper Donald Ban MacCrimmon is with the MacLeods, and in the game, his presence with a unit increased its resilience and close fighting capability

The Highlanders have been told that a Jacobite force is coming along the main highway from Aberdeen led by the Gordons, 

and followed by a largish command of local Inverurie militia ...









Local informants also indicate the presence of a flanking movement along the bye-ways on the other side of the Don, with recently-landed French regulars in the form of Irish Piquets, at the head of a few Angus militia

As the game begins, this news stirs the Highlanders to action, the MacLeods moving to intercept this flanking force



and the Mainland Highlanders move quickly to content the ford over he Don

but the Gordons reach the ford and deploy in the woods

Meanwhile the Irish Piquets lead the Angus volunteers across the ford by a (motte and) bailey mound,

The Macleods hurry towards them around the around the town cemetery, so the Piquets deploy onto that high ground

 and the following units conform to the Piquet's position

A vigorous firefight causes casualties on both sides. The MacLeods are pushed back, with some routing

but with a timely Leadership card and good dice rolling, the routing is halted

Now remember the Inverurie militia that was reported to be coming along the main road from Aberdeen behind the Gordons? Well the informants were incorrect; it turns out they were part of the flanking movement following the Irish Piquets along the bye-ways ,,,

.. the realisation of which gave confidence to the Mainland Highlanders to cross the ford

and engage the Gordons, some of whom were still in march column .. 

The Highlanders break through

and have 2 units attacking one such column in the rear and flank ..

but fail to destroy it, only managing to push it back out of the woods

Meanwhile, the Irish Piquets and Angus militia are off the high ground and contesting the cemetery

and the following Inverurie force .. er .. fails to move. Clearly the "impressment" of these forces is causing them to drag their feet ..

but another Move card for the Highlanders .. and still no movement ffrom the Inverurians. 

The battle rages in two completely isolated parts .. around the cemetery and in the woods across the Don

Now the Inverurie militia actually get across the ford, but still not near the action. The Piquets and Angus forces press again ..

and finally take the cemetery .. without the Inverurian's help

And even with the balanced fighting in the woods,



the Highlander's Army Morale Points were at zero, and the command soon failed an Army Morale test, so they dispersed, leaving the Jacobites victorious, as in the actual battle.

A typically exciting game throughout, as highlighted by a quote from Erik (who was in command of the reluctant Inverurie Militia): "I never fired a shot but I had the most fun I ever had playing a game!"