Jest of Pennsic XLI

By Baron Malcolm Alberic^RRE

A Jest of Pennsic XLI
Pennsic XLI from an Engineer’s Viewpoint

The story you are about to read is true, only the background was changed to protect the dream.

Summer AS XLVII It was mid-summer and I had just arrived at the Dreiburgen Light Horse’s Midrealm outpost in the Shire of Narrental with a company of Dreiburgen engineers. The intent was to inspect, resupply, conduct repairs, and perform maintenance on this outpost which lay so far from the borders of Caid. We were also there to confirm the reports that a season of drought was threatening the annual grain harvest that allowed the outpost to sustain itself.

We had not been garrisoned at the outpost a week when a letter from the Crown reached us. It seemed that the kingdom of Æthelmearc was in trouble. The kingdoms of the Middle and the East had formed an alliance and were applying undue pressure to the small kingdom wedged between them. Knowing that Æthelmearc could not stand against such a powerful alliance their king had put out a call across the Known World seeking allies of their own.

A summit meeting was being called at a keep near Coopers Lake just inside the Æthelmearc border. This would either be the site of a great peace negotiation or a very bloody battle. His majesty Patrick believing the cause of his Æthelmearc cousins to be just, was on his way with a column of Caidan troops, and a small contingent had been had been dispatched in advance to establish a royal encampment in anticipation of the King’s arrival.

In time of war there are two items that monarchs primarily look to their engineers for, Tents and Artillery. His majesty having been advised of the Dreiburgen Corps of Engineers presence deep within the Midrealm, was calling on us to secure all the guns, powder and shot at our disposal, rendezvous with the advanced unit at Coopers Lake, and help them establish a camp. The letter went on to advise me that Baroness Robynne the Grey, my wife and seneschal to his majesty, was riding in the king’s column; this was not just a mission of duty, it was also personal.

I gave orders to secure the artillery and load the necessary wagons to leave at first light. The journey to Æthelmearc was marked by bad weather — thunderstorms and heavy rain plagued us most of the way. We arrived to find the grounds around Coopers Lake in complete chaos. At least 3,000 troops of many different monarchs had already arrived, and conditions had been complicated by the bad weather and lighting that had struck some of the camps. I am not a superstitious man, but the lighting did seem to be a bad omen.

The Honorable Lord Egill the Loomwright, having been trading in the area, was the first Caidan on site. He secured the land for the encampment (his wife The Honorable Danair al-Attarah submitting the necessary writs) and held it until The Honorable Lord William Walworth de Durham and his wife The Honorable Lady Una Logan arrived with the advanced unit. Once I located the camp I reported to her ladyship, who was serving as the king’s campmaster, and conferred with her as to how the Dreiburgen Corps could help her organize and setup the area.

The next week was filled with construction activity as thousands of troops and their followers arrived from all over the Known World. Tents were raised, trenches dug, kitchens planned, ovens built, and water brought into camp. I am proud to say that the Dreiburgen engineers can rival old Rome when it comes to plumbing. All was in readiness and I was inspecting the guns when the king’s column arrived.

The day of the summit arrived, and I have never seen so many kings and queens gathered in one place. Every known kingdom was represented if not by monarch then by ambassador, but peace was not going to win the day. I watched as the conference quickly broke down and threat of war fell upon us like the rain on the roof above our heads.

It was not long before kings and warlords started declaring their allegiances and outside mercenaries were negotiating terms. I took measure of each declaration and a knot began to tie in my stomach. Atlantia was siding with Æthelmearc, but many of the surrounding kings and warlords were declaring to support the interests of the Middle and East. Some of the far distance kingdoms that could only offer a few token brigades were pledging to the Æthelmearc-Atlantia alliance, and only a couple of kings abstained when asked which side they would support.

At this point fighting the Mid-East coalition would be like taking on a large empire, and in comparison our alliance was barely a rabble; if our rabble alliance was to succeeded we would need to secure pledges of support from the non-aligned kings. The conference disbanded, and when there was a break in the rain we marched with our king back to camp, our voices raised in song in the hope of raising our hearts.

The next morning the threat of war was in the air; it was so thick it could be cut with a knife. There was much to be done and none of us from Caid were sure who was going to make the first move or exactly when that would be. With a sense of urgency I spent the day moving and readying the baronial guns with the alliance emplacements at the top of Mount Eislinn. That evening at dinner I conferred with some of the archery commanders about long range tactics. That was when I learned of our first defeat.

The Honorable Lord Cristofanus Castellani reported that during a planning meeting with the alliance’s general of archers, they were approached by the captains of two non aligned archery companies and asked what incentives would be given to them to join our cause. The general, instead of welcoming them with open arms, insulted them and then told them that he might consider using them in the reserve ranks. The two company commanders left angry and were last seen heading in the direction of the Midrealm camps. The fight had not even started and due to an idiot general we were already down two companies of archers. After dinner I spent the rest of the evening rolling cartridges and trying not to let the men see the worry in my face.

It was eight o’clock in the morning when the alarm was sounded in the form of a single cannon shot from the top of Mount Eislinn. Mid-East troops were on the move and we had less than an hour to arm and stand ready. By nine o’clock we were on the hill, guns loaded and primed, linstocks smoking, and the enemy advancing. We had carefully surveyed the area and knew the range of every contour and landmark. We waited as their army approached: ADVANCE LINSTOCKS! came the command. The front line of their advance crossed into our extreme range: HAVE A CARE! the general called and we swung our linstocks to within inches of the prime. The central body of their force moved passed our extreme range marker: GIVE FIRE! and all the matches in the first battery touched prime. The war had begun.

Their advance slowed as they closed ranks to fill the holes we had blown in their line. The order was given for the second battery to fire and they stopped advancing. The alliance had mustered in a bad position, our line was at the base of the hill with their back to the wall of an old keep which restricted their movement and could trap them. That tactical mistake was further compounded by the fact that the alliance line was holding position. By letting the Mid-East line advance, the alliance commanders had placed their men in a defensive position. It does not take genius to know that an offensive position carries a greater chance of success.

I think the only thing that saved us that first day was the fact that the Mid- East line did not seem to want to commit to the battle. I do not know if it was fear of our guns or just incompetent generals, but their line seemed to hold for hours and they would send out small units to harass our line. These units were so small they were not worth wasting our powder on. This went on and on and we would occasionally fire our batteries, but we were being sent mixed signals from the battlefield commanders. The whole engagement from our vantage point looked like two rosters in a barnyard bobbing their heads defiantly at each other, occasionally flapping their wings and feigning a strike, but not really committing to the fight.

Finally the Mid-East line moved in and our batteries went to work, but much of the day was gone and the sun was sinking low. It was not long before banners of truce were raised and both sides went to work collecting their dead and wounded before the last light of the day faded.

Back in camp a very tired looking King Patrick returned with his men. Removing his helmet, he looked around at his officers gathered in the common tent and demanded without expecting an answer, “What is it with these local commanders? They seem to enjoy just standing in the sun!” He then made a few more disparaging remarks about tactics and retired to his tent.

With sun’s ascent the next morning came the Mid-East’s second advance. They were more committed to the fight this time, but fortunately at the emplacements we were receiving better signals from the battlefield commanders this time. Their line advanced. The command to fire was given to the first battery, and the battle raged. The calls went back and forth overlapping in waves: Guns clear! Guns loaded! Guns primed! First battery fire! Second battery fire! All batteries fire! This went on throughout the morning. From our vantage point it was obvious the battle was not going well for the alliance. As one member of our gun crew said, “They are just getting spanked down there.” “Enough talk, load your guns”, I ordered in reply.

At that moment a messenger dispatched from The Honorable Cecilia Medici came riding up. Brigades of Midrealm soldiers were flanking the line and moving on the eastern slope of Mount Eislinn under our guns. I took out my spyglass and examined the situation. That part of the line was supposed to be protected by two brigades, the Crown Prince of Æthelmearc with his foot men and an entire brigade of Atlantian archers. I could see the Prince of Æthelmearc and his men but as I scanned the slope I did not see near enough archers. Turning to the messenger I asked in earnest, “Where are the Atlantian archers?” “We do not know” he replied “all we have covering His Highness is two companies of Caidan archers, Her Ladyship Cecilia calls for your aid!”

There was no time to move the guns, and if His Highness and Her Ladyship did not receive aid soon they would be lost and so would the artillery. I gave the order to my gunners to abandon their posts and gather hand weapons, spears, axes, knifes even shovels, anything that could be thrown into battle, and we charged down the slope and into the fray.

The engagement was long, hot and humid in the afternoon under the Æthelmearc sun. I gleaned and threw many spears, and bludgeoned those rats with hand axes; the fighting was fierce and exhausting. Three hours passed — the Midrelm force was decimated and in full rout, this small victory was ours. His Royal Highness thanked us. I saluted Her Ladyship Cecilia, and led my gunners back up the hill.

The sun was low in the west, and before long the Mid-East line retreated and the evening’s truce flags again arose against the coming of night. With the only activity on the battlefield being that of those who were tending to the dead and wounded, I assigned the night’s watch duty and ordered those not on watch to get a meal and some sleep.

For some reason I was uneasy, and assigned myself to one of the watches. My gut instinct was right, for in the darkness made gray by the light of the moon and stars I saw shadows moving slowly. I turned to the alliance’s watch commander and he asked me what I thought. “I think it looks like a company of Mid-East soldiers with the idea of taking out the watch and spiking our guns”, I carefully answered, “but maybe I am just paranoid.” He agreed with my assessment, or perhaps it was with my paranoia, but no matter, a plan was hatched.

We sent one man down the slope to confirm if friend or foe and to let us know when they were in position. His signal would be a bird call; our actions would be based upon which bird call we heard. We then ordered the crews to re-angle a number of the guns for a down slope shot as quickly and quietly as possible. With the number men on watch duty we only reset enough guns to half crew each one. Once the guns were reset, breach plugs and touch hole covers were removed and the guns were primed. Matches were lit carefully so as not to let any new light be seen from the slope below and that just in time, for we heard the signal that indicated an enemy was in position!

The men had been ordered upon hearing the signal to fire the guns in succession from the east end of the line to the west end and then immediately to clear and reload. We did this because it was the same order in which we reset the guns, and we did not know if there would be enough time to set them all.

I watched as down the line each gun fired; mine was on the end and the last to fire. I brushed a burning ember from my neck as my crewman wormed out the remains of the spent cartridge. Withdrawing the wormer and grabbing the sponge, my crewman made to swab the barrel as I placed my thumb over the touch hole. I tried to peer down the slope, but between the darkness and the smoke I could see nothing. “Clear!” my partner called. I passed him the next cartridge; he put it in the breach and shoved it down with the ramrod. “Loaded!” he called. I pulled the cap of my power horn and poured a small pile over the touch hole. “Primed!” I called and I caped the horn and reached for my linstock. Blowing on the match ember until it was a bright amber, I then cried “Ready!” Upon hearing that cry, the commander called back “HAVE A CARE”, and in unison we swung our linstocks into position. “GIVE FIRE!” Every match touched every prime and together gave forth a tremendous report.

As the smoke cleared I could see many torches springing to light in the camps below accompanied by the faint cries of alarm. I looked down the slope and could see the shadows that had been creeping were now running… in the opposite direction, and there were not quite as many as there had been before. The next watch shift arrived and we were relived. Being in much need of sleep, we departed the emplacements with haste and fell to our beds.

Dawn brought yet another day, and the fighting was heavy and brutal. An attempt to flank our line from the west had moved the main body of the fight into the woods behind our position, thus forcing us to move many of the guns down to a knoll on the northwest slope. We fired into the woods again and again, the report of the guns resounded on the trees and rung in our ears. I believe we took down more soldiers with falling branches and toppling trees than those who fell to direct fire.

As the battle moved in our direction we were forced to abandon the knoll. We barely had time to limber up the baronial guns and drag them out before our position was completely over run by a division of Tuchux. Our situation continued to deteriorate, and the alliance was losing troops and guns. Again we seemed to not have the cover of archers that we were promised. By the late afternoon the only thing that saved us from defeat was a thunder and hail storm with strong winds. Both armies were forced to withdraw and return to their camps only to find many tents and supplies destroyed.

That night after we had secured the camp from the storm damage I sat with The Honorable Lords Cristofanus Castellani and Paganus Grimlove, and from them I learned why the alliance archers had not been nearly as effective as they should have been.

It was that incompetent general again! Apparently an entire battalion of archers had gone missing; most likely they deserted, and considering the commanding general I could not blame them. Failing to realize he was a battalion short, this fool could not figure out why none of his tactics were working. During one morning’s muster he had even ordered all the commanders to provide him with a head count, but because he had not kept adequate records he still did not realize he was short of men. Having failed to recognize the shortage he did not deploy the companies he was holding in reserve. Had it not been for the effectiveness of the companies under Paganus’ and Cristofanus’ command the situation would have been far worse.

The next morning things looked bleak indeed. Fewer men answered the call to muster, and on the top of Mount Eislinn we were short many guns. Not only had we lost a fair number of guns and crew in the fight, but in the night more crews including the watch had deserted taking their guns with them.

The armies took to the field and the battle was joined one last time. Powder was low and I found myself having to break open cartridges that were rolled for guns other than our own. We fired and fired until there only enough powder left to give each gun one last charge. It was then that we decided to fire all the batteries in one last simultaneous volley and then prepare ourselves for hand to hand combat.

The guns resounded in their last report that echoed around the mountains. I dropped my linstock and drew my sword. I looked to the battlefield below. My only thought was “I wish I had my horse”, but as I finished that thought a curious sight caught my eye. The Mid-East line was backing off and their flag of truce was raised. The alliance flag was raised in acknowledgment and the monarchs were riding to the center of the field for a parlay.

A few minutes later they started moving towards the keep and we received the signal to stand down the guns. One of the crew looked at me and said with a wink “I don’t suppose we need to tell them that we’re out of powder?” I shook my head and gave the order to limber up the guns and haul them back to camp.

Back at camp I learned what had transpired. Their Middle and Eastern majesties had called for the parlay. Pointed out to his Æthelmearc Majesty the inevitably of defeat, they offered an end to the hostilities if he would agree to terms. The King of Æthelmearc knowing his duty to his people and his allies had agreed. Among the terms that had convinced his majesty to yield was that their Middle and Eastern majesties pledged to allow Æthelmearc to keep its sovereignty and allow safe passage home to their allies. Of the many other demands that were made by the victors, they would likely leave Æthelmearc little more than a doormat between the Middle and the East.  

In Caid camp our first concern was for our king. The Middle and East pledged safe passage, but we were still in foreign territory a long way from home. Having been allied with the losing side anything could happen. We quickly packed their majesties wagons, mustered our remaining troops, assembled the necessary supplies, and dispatched his majesties column for Caid before the Middle or the East could change their minds.

This left The Honorable Lord William Walworth de Durham, The Honorable Lady Una Logan, The Honorable Lord Egill the Loomwright, The Honorable Danair al Attarah, Her Excellency Robynne the Grey, and The Dreiburgen Corps to secure what was left behind. Having given many of our supplies to his majesties column those of us who remained were short and in need. Fortunately there is an old saying “After a battle there is more on the ground than bodies”. Between the death and desertion many of the surrounding camps were now abandon, and so evening scavenging teams were organized and sent out by His Lordship Egill.

Once the necessary supplies were secured we finished breaking down camp and packed for the long road home. I escorted the last caravan as far as I could, but then parted company, taking my engineers back to the Light Horse outpost to finish the mission we had started out on. As I returned to the outpost I reflected over Aethelmearc’s situation and doubted they would want to stay under the boots of the Mid-East coalition any longer than they had to. For that matter how long would the Mid-East coalition last? Times change and so do monarchs, and I doubt this conflict is over. As I look around this Dreiburgen Horse outpost the need for its existence and the importance of its expansion has never seemed greater.

In service to Caid,

Baron Malcolm Alberic.