The Perfect Captain

"The men I have here, tho' always ready to obey my orders, are so debilitated and worn down by unconqerable drunkeness that neither the fear of punishment, the love of fame or the honour of their Country can animate them to extra-ordinary exertions".

-Captain Charles Roberts, 10th Royal Veterans

What are these rules like?
Well, I'll tell you. This system is based on morale as most of our rules are for other periods. We have tried to faithfully reproduce the qualities of every unit that fought along the Canadian border. Not just one morale number is given- the units react to each type of situation differently, depending on the circumstances. Some troops are afraid of Indians, others, artillery. Some take being flanked worse than others. On top of all this, units have a motivation value that drops as things start to go bad. Fighting qualities vary also, from some units being better shots to others being demons with a bayonet! Included in the rules are blockhouses, entrenchments and boat assaults to test your men in any action of the war.

What's special about cousin jonathan?
We've tried to include every leader of significance in the game, and made them an important element. Each leader has NINE characteristics that affect play. Some are so timid that they are best left guarding the baggage. Some are desperate for glory and interpret caution as cowardice. Some so self willed that they won't obey orders and cause other commanders on the tabletop to suffer also.

Perhaps the best part of the game is its ease of play. Charts are easy to read and there is one for every situation, so no reading through lists of modifiers that don't apply. Every phase of the game is made to be understood at a glance, speeding up play significantly, while giving you the feel of the details of the period. The rules themselves are made to form into a professional quality booklet that lasts.

What is the scale?
The Scale we use for Cousin Jonathan is One Inch = 25 yards, and each turn is about five minutes of actual time. This is of course very rough, but provides a framework for scenarios that should prove helpful. As far as basing is concerned, it doesn't really make much difference as long as both sides use the same. We use one inch by 1/2 inch stands for infantry, and one inch square for cavalry and guns.

These rules are meant to play out battles of the War of 1812, and as such, are for relatively small scale actions. Battles ranged from less than 1000 men present, such as Beaver Dams in 1813, to 6000 at Lundy's Lane in 1814. Even bigger battles were fought along the coast of the US involving large armies landed by the British for major expeditions. The troop scale may vary therefore, but 10-20 men per figure should suffice. Unit sizes varied wildly, regimental strengths ideally at 600 men, but rarely ever achieved. Perhaps in future a detailed study of the armies involved will be added to this page, but until then, I have included a bibliography which should prove helpful, along with some links to some quality sites with the background of the period.

Is this related to John Bull or Obstinate Beyond Description?
Of course! Every troop type in CJ is present in JB, with simple conversions available. Both of these systems are integrated into our campaign game (Obstinate Beyond Description)

Also, battlefield, uniform, and historic site books printed by:

The Old Fort Niagara Society:

Uniforms and Equipment of the United States Forces in the War Of 1812

War Along the Niagara

The Niagara Historical Society:

The Battle of Queenston Heights

The Battle of Fort George

The Battle of Lundy's Lane

Osprey Books:

The American War, 1812-1814
Wellington's Army

Mackinac State Parks Society:

The British Army at Mackinac

Old Fort York National Historical Site:

The Battle of York

Fort Wellington National Historic Site