A Bridge Too Few - bridges and river crossings

Startling as it may seem, TFSmith manages to take the relatively niche topic of crossing a river and foul it up in new and interesting ways.





1) The Niagara (narrowest point 1500 feet, as wide as 8000 feet at some crossing points)


During the initial American offensive into Canada on May 1, TFSmith informs us that the British (really Canadian, as there are no British individuals present) have assigned a "mixed garrison of regulars and service militia" to the destruction of the Suspension Bridge and the Lewiston Pedestrian bridge. This is their only role, and they are on the western (Canadian) side of the river to do this (along with having had well over a month to prepare).

However, the Americans "mask" the bridge with militia and cross by boat. It is later mentioned that the suspension bridge is being "replaced", but we are not actually told that the demolition took place; in any case, the Americans easily cross the river in small boats "at multiple points" starting at 1:30 am - supported by gunboats, and with such alacrity that the Americans get 16,000 men and seven batteries across the river (complete with wagons and horses, including two regiments of cavalry) by the middle of the day.
The lesson here is that small boats can easily cross a river by night when they have control of it via gunboats.



2) The St Lawrence (narrowest point 2000 feet)


In early sections, Canadian notables call the plan to blow the Great Victoria Bridge "mad" - in spite of how it is an excellent plan to protect Montreal. The St Lawrence is totally unfordable and the British would have gunboats on the river by the time the Americans could reach it; with no bridge and facing an opposed crossing, the Union forces would be stymied for a considerable length of time.
In the event, the bridge is blown - but this does not actually help. Heintzelmann's forces somehow manage to cross a deep river without benefit of naval support or bridge.
The lesson here is that improvised small boats (or the ability to walk on water) can cross a large river in a hurry even if the enemy has control of it.



3) The Presumpscot (typical width 150 feet)


In a later chapter, the British land a force at Yarmouth to the north of Portland. We are explicitly told that the British have managed to decoy away most of the defenders.
With only a small "home guard" force present on that first day, we are also told explicitly that if the British had managed to cross the river on that day they would have been victorious. However, instead of pressing their advantage, the British simply stop for the night and allow the Union to move reinforcements into position.

This is very odd in light of the previous two examples, as the Presumpscot is a river narrow enough and shallow enough to ford (unlike either the Niagara or the St Lawrence) and as the British are explicitly described as having gunboats present on the river (as well as small boats, which they use to cross the next day). One might think that this would create an environment in which the British could cross the river, press their attack, and be victorious - especially as their previous operation in Maine, a few miles away, also failed due to reinforcements moved into place overnight.
But perhaps the most outrageous thing relates to bridges.
We are told regularly (including after the landing) that the Grand Trunk rail line is in full operation. It is used to move troops up to Augusta the day before, for example.
However, this tells us something important - that the Grand Trunk rail bridge over the Presumpscot is intact.
At no point is this bridge (which is roughly at the position of the British left flank) mentioned, and with less than two thousand "home guard" militia covering a front of four or five miles it is at least plausible that the bridge would not be successfully demolished.


Such are rivers in the world of Burnished Rows of Steel. The Americans make flawless river crossings of nearly a mile by night in small boats, or against an enemy in possession of the far bank in force; the British fail to cross a fordable river with a bridge on it when they have access to the boats of an entire fleet.
Perhaps the British are all vampires.