THE BATTLE OF HOOK'S FARM 3

Category: The Battle Of Hook's Farm

So far, and a little vaingloriously, the general. Let me now shrug my
shoulders and shake him off, and go over this battle he describes a
little more exactly with the help of the photographs. The battle is a
small, compact game of the Fight-to-a-Finish type, and it was arranged
as simply as possible in order to permit of a full and exact
explanation.

Figure 1 shows the country of the battlefield put out; on the right is
the church, on the left (near the centre of the plate) is the farm.
In the hollow between the two is a small outbuilding. Directly behind
the farm in the line of vision is another outbuilding. This is more
distinctly seen in other photographs. Behind, the chalk back line is
clear. Red has won the toss, both for the choice of a side and, after
making that choice, for first move, and his force is already put out
upon the back line. For the sake of picturesqueness, the men are not put
exactly on the line, but each will have his next move measured from that
line. Red has broken his force into two, a fatal error, as we shall
see, in view of the wide space of open ground between the farm and the
church. He has 1 gun, 5 cavalry, and 13 infantry on his left, who are
evidently to take up a strong position by the church and enfilade Blue's
position; Red's right, of 2 guns, 20 cavalry, and 37 infantry aim at the
seizure of the farm.

Figure 2 is a near view of Blue's side, with his force put down. He has
grasped the strategic mistake of Red, and is going to fling every man at
the farm. His right, of 5 cavalry and 16 infantry, will get up as soon
as possible to the woods near the centre of the field (whence the fire
of their gun will be able to cut off the two portions of Red's force
from each other), and then, leaving the gun there with sufficient men
to serve it, the rest of this party will push on to co-operate with the
main force of their comrades in the inevitable scrimmage for the farm.

Figure 3 shows the fight after Red and Blue have both made their first
move. It is taken from Red's side. Red has not as yet realised the
danger of his position. His left gun struggles into position to the
left of the church, his centre and right push for the farm. Blue's five
cavalry on his left have already galloped forward into a favourable
position to open fire at the next move--they are a little hidden in the
picture by the church; the sixteen infantry follow hard, and his main
force makes straight for the farm.

Figure 4 shows the affair developing rapidly. Red's cavalry on his right
have taken his two guns well forward into a position to sweep either
side of the farm, and his left gun is now well placed to pound Blue's
infantry centre. His infantry continue to press forward, but Blue, for
his second move, has already opened fire from the woods with his right
gun, and killed three of Red's men. His infantry have now come up to
serve this gun, and the cavalry who brought it into position at the
first move have now left it to them in order to gallop over to join the
force attacking the farm. Undismayed by Red's guns, Blue has brought his
other two guns and his men as close to the farm as they can go. His
leftmost gun stares Red's in the face, and prevents any effective fire,
his middle gun faces Red's middle gun. Some of his cavalry are exposed
to the right of the farm, but most are completely covered now by the
farm from Red's fire. Red has now to move. The nature of his position is
becoming apparent to him. His right gun is ineffective, his left and his
centre guns cannot kill more than seven or eight men between them; and
at the next move, unless he can silence them, Blue's guns will be mowing
his exposed cavalry down from the security of the farm. He is in a fix.
How is he to get out of it? His cavalry are slightly outnumbered, but he
decides to do as much execution as he can with his own guns, charge the
Blue guns before him, and then bring up his infantry to save the
situation.


Next: THE BATTLE OF HOOK'S FARM 4

Previous: THE BATTLE OF HOOK'S FARM 2

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