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Wow. That was nasty.
 
RGB: The battle it raged on, though dead and dying men
Lay thick all o'er the ground, on the hill and on the glen;
And from their deadly wounds, the blood ran like a rill;
Such were the mournful sights that I saw on Shiloh Hill.

Lafayette53:Thank you! The US has a series of third parties that pop up and dissapear almost as quickly. The 1850's have the American Party, or the Know-Nothing Party. I don't remember if that particular party is coded in or if I just went in and changed the name of the party, but either way it was a surprise. It can be difficult to get the 3rd parties to take over (until the Republican Party) but, thanks to whatever choices I made with the opinion sliding items, the 3rd party jumped up and took a bite out of me.

Vincent Julien: Yes, yes it was.
 
IIRC, the American Party is in the vanilla version of the game.
 
The Bloody Hills
--

Bragg’s defeat was an expensive one. The 10,000 men lost could not easily replaced. Nevertheless, President Brown wanted action. Lee’s constant victories in Maryland left the door open for campaigns in Western Virginia. Bragg was sent 40,000 men, and ordered to leave the Army of Tennessee under the command of Hardee. Bragg, and the new Army of Western Virginia, were to march on the newly independent state of Virginia. Meanwhile, in the North, General Jackson was to take advantage of Confederate control over Cumberland and march on Western Virginia from the north. The primary objective was to disrupt the coal and mineral transfer between Western Virginia and the Ohio-Pennsylvania factories.

Jackson, having taken 20,000 men around the border, marched south towards Charleston. Jackson was an intently religious man, who believed in the sanctity of the Constitution. In his mind, enemies of the Constitution (and by proxy, the CSA, who was fighting to save the Constitution) were enemies of God and deserved no quarter. As he made his way down through Western Virginia, he destroyed everything in his path. His march was not a riotous one, as pillage was almost non-existent. In its place was the cold, calculated destruction that would come to be synonymous with his campaigns. Fields were burnt, mines were destroyed and depots blown.

General_Thomas_Jackson.jpg

Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, or to the North; Thomas “Burnt Earth” Jackson

Despite the distance of his march, Jackson reached Charleston well before Bragg, who had to march through the Southern mountain passes to reach the city. Union defenders, led by Erasmus Darwin Keyes made Bragg’s march a series of bloody skirmishes as he marched north. Keyes bled Bragg, who lost nearly 2,000 men in a series of minor skirmishes along the New River. Bragg left the small town of Blacksburg, Virginia and marched along the river up towards Charleston. The New River was a tributary of the Kanawha river, which was controlled completely by Union troops. Using the river, Keyes fled before the Confederates could ever engage. Eventually the Union government sent Keyes 35,000 men to meet up with the 10,000 he already had, and he was ordered to make a stand against Confederate forces.

Bragg was finally stopped at Beckley, where he ordered his lines drawn up and prepared for battle. Beckley sat about 37 miles south of Charleston, where Jackson was rapidly approaching, so Keyes had to be quick. Bragg and Keyes engaged on the edge of Stephen’s Lake, just west of Beckley. Keyes positioned General Joseph King Fenno Mansfield with the majority of the artillery on Harper Height. Mansfield was an old man, but steady enough. From his position he could sweep the entire lowlands with fire. Meanwhile Keyes and General Alfred Pleasonton took the rest of the Army and prepared to march around the river and engage Bragg.

Bragg meanwhile positioned his army to counter the assault. Bragg’s main line would assault Harper Heights to take the high ground and then turn on the flank and drive Keyes back. Evander McIvor Law, who had fought at Shiloh was to command the Confederate defenses alongside the river. Beside him was General James Longstreet who had been sent West with Bragg’s reinforcements. It was Longstreet who made the crucial decision, turning this battle for the Confederacy. These two were ordered to hold the Union army at all costs while Bragg stormed the heights. Stephens Lake was to guard their flank while the Union army wedged its way forward.

BattleofBeckley.jpg

The Battle of Beckley

The Union charge shattered itself on the Confederate lines, while Mansfield poured shot into the marching Confederates under Bragg. It was a hard fight up the hill, and the Confederates suffered significant casualties. Meanwhile Bragg ordered what cavalry he had to flank the heights and harass Manfield’s left. When Manfield saw his soldiers firing into the woods, he feared they were firing into the Union baggage train. “You are firing on our own men!” he was heard to shout, but shortly thereafter he was slain by a Confederate sharp shooter. The loss of Mansfield caused general disarray, and allowed Bragg to take the hill. Most of the Union troops fled, but they lost 20 cannon to Confederate hands. Bragg turned the cannon and fired at the retreating Union forces.

Meanwhile Longstreet and Law held a battered line against the Union assault. When news reached General Keyes of Mansfield’s defeat, he ordered a retreat. Longstreet, sensing the momentum in swing, ordered his men to leave their defenses and chase the Union army. The sight of charging Confederate forces sent the US army back in shambles. Longstreets impetuous counter charge drove the Union forces off the field entire. When the Confederate army regrouped, nothing stood between it and Charleston, where Jackson’s army waited. In all the Confederates had lost 3,234 men, to the Union 8,943 and 20 cannon. When Keyes found Charleston cut off by Jackson, he fled west, into the wilderness towards the Ohio River. On the way, he lost another 10,000 men to desertion and disease. Keyes was removed from command, and West Virginia was once again in Southern Hands.
 
Hurrah for the glorious armies of Dixie! :D
 
Humbling the giant, one battle at a time...
 
As in real life - the South can manage victories out East. The West though is wide open.
 
Jackson, having taken 20,000 men around the border, marched south towards Charleston. Jackson was an intently religious man, who believed in the sanctity of the Constitution. In his mind, enemies of the Constitution (and by proxy, the CSA, who was fighting to save the Constitution) were enemies of God and deserved no quarter. As he made his way down through Western Virginia, he destroyed everything in his path. His march was not a riotous one, as pillage was almost non-existent. In its place was the cold, calculated destruction that would come to be synonymous with his campaigns. Fields were burnt, mines were destroyed and depots blown.


Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, or to the North; Thomas “Burnt Earth” Jackson

Boo! Hiss! Come on USA, teach that Jesus Freak a lesson!

Just kidding :rolleyes:
 
Vincent Julien:They are the badguys! :)

RGB: Well, a few victories do not a war win. Humbled I may be, but down and out I'm certainly not.

stnylan: The West finally gets a bit more attention in this next update.

Sandino: Welcome aboard! Hopefully senor Jackson will get a comeupence shortly.
 
Oh I'm pretty sure your victory is inevitable but at least they made a good show of it.
 
Estonianzulu said:
Vincent Julien:They are the badguys! :)

I thought we were the badguys. :confused: :p
 
The Big Easy
--

The East was deadlocked, with Confederate forces gaining victories but Union reinforcements holding them from absolute success. Tennessee had stalled after the disastrous battle of Shiloh, and little fighting had occurred since. US forces in Texas were busing pushing the Mexicans back across the Rio Grande, and had little resources to spend battling the Cherokee raiders who rode out of the Indian Territory. The few divisions of Confederate troops in the West were busing holding back the Army of the Missouri, or trying desperately to rally support in Kansas and Nebraska. Confederate General William Barksdale led a small army North towards Colorado, hoping to rally support. His plan went awry when his men were cut off and had to fight their way back through enemy territory.

The time seemed ripe for a bold move to tilt the balance of power. That move would come from a surprising sector. General Sheridan, who had failed to do much of anything at the Battle of Leesburg, was recalled to Washington after a series of unsuccessful skirmishes with Confederate forces along the Potomac. Sheridan was tasked with seizing forts along the Southern coast of the CSA. He made his primary targets those near the Mississippi River. His first victory came in June of 1867 when he capture Fort Jackson and then Fort St. Philip after a 12 day siege. Sheridan, upon capturing the fort, called for reinforcements. He had a mind to invade and capture the state of Louisiana. Upon discovering that the Confederates could only muster 30,000 men, mostly ill trained militia, the Federal leadership sent Sheridan 25,000 extra men (with his 12,000) to begin the capture of the state.

SheridansMarch.jpg

Sheridan’s March through Louisiana

Sheridan, upon receiving these reinforcements, marched North, up the many rivers of Louisiana. His first step was New Orleans. The Mayor of New Orleans, John T. Monroe (one of the few American Party politicians still around) called upon all men in the city and its neighbors to arm themselves. He emptied all the nearby forts and took command of the rag tag army himself. Needless to say the battle was scarcely a challenge for Sheridan’s battle hardened men. After a ten minute barrage, the Confederate lines broke and fled, those few units who held were mowed down by superior US firepower and eventually surrendered. Sheridan released his prisoners and marched north, hoping to catch Monroe before he could escape.

Monroe ran beyond confederate defenses at Baton Rouge. Fearing for his city, the Mayor of Baton Rouge, and the commanding Confederate General, General Robert Ransom decided to abandon the city and make a defensive stand further north. Sheridan caught with them at New Roads, just north of Baton Rouge. The result was another Union victory as Confederate forces were too exhausted to hold the field. Heavy rains delayed Sheridan, and it took him two weeks to finally reach the reformed Confederate lines. General Ransom had been reinforced by another 10,000 men under General William Mahone. Ransom and Mahone drew up their forces to hold Sheridan at the heavily swampy town of Marksville. The Confederates now had a slight numerical advantage, but their men were low on morale and ill equipped to handle the Union army.

BattleofMarksville.jpg

The Battle of Marksville

Sheridan arranged most of his men directly in the line of Confederate defenses. Meanwhile ¼ of his army was to accompany General Winfield Scott Hancock to the East, where they would use a series of pontoons to cross the lakes and swamps and get around behind the Confederate lines. Sheridan’s advance was slow and cautious, to avoid heavy casualties. General Robert Allen’s division reached the Confederate lines first, but was repelled with heavy casualties. The sight of Union forces so close sent General Ransom into a panic. He ordered a withdrawal from his position to aid the Confederate wall. This allowed Hancock to cross unmolested. When General William Whedbee Kirkland saw Ransom falling back, he took it as a command, and ordered his own division to fall back.

With half the Confederate army in retreat, Sheridan ordered another charge, and his men reached, and breached the walls. Casualties on both sides were significant, but the Confederate lines broke and fled. The Union had won the field at the cost of 6,590 casualties. The Confederates had lost 5,490, as well as thousands of weapons and a great supply of ammunition which was being housed in Alexandria. The Confederate army under Mahone reformed and tried to hold back the Union forces at the battles of Many and Mansfield, but on both occasions Sheridan was able to sweep the Confederates aside. Sheridan’s offensive finally ran out of steam at the battle of Shreveport, where the CS armies finally held firm. However, the state, by that time, was lost. By the start of November 1867, Louisiana became the first Confederate state to fall to the Union. Mahone and Ransom retreated north into Arkansas before being ordered to come East. The tide had started to turn.
 
Yes, the West looks increasingly open.
 
Nice. I was waiting for you to finally expolit their weakness in the West.
 
The Battle of Washington
--

Lee received news of the fall of Louisiana and the invasion of Alabama with trepidation. Suddenly the Confederate heartland was under assault. Lee knew that unless the United States was knocked back, and the European enemies of the US convinced to join in, the Confederacy was doomed. Lee, along with former US President Patterson (who had moved to Virginia after being removed from office) called for an attack on US positions in Maryland. The idea had new merit, because the pacified Eastern front allowed the US to focus on a new push into Tennessee.

Lee was ordered to attempt an attack on Washington itself. Lee expressed his worries about American fortifications in the city, but his fears were overruled. President Brown and the war department felt that a push against Washington, and a victory anywhere near the city would result in Confederate gains and recognition. Lee was worried about the potential trapping of his army against the Sea. He instead wanted to march past Washington into Pennsylvania. This would force the Union to chase him, and he could chose the ground on which he made his stand. Lee was overruled.

WesternCampaigns.jpg


So, in November of 1867, the Army of Northern Virginia crossed into Maryland. Meade, who was still in command of the divisions based around Washington, went into a panic. He had the capital evacuated as the Confederate guns began pounding US forts. Meade, deciding to take the battle to the enemy, ordered General Pope to join him and drive Lee back into Virginia. Pope, abandoning Leesburg, marched east with haste. The battle was to pit 65,000 Union men, against 49,000 Confederates.

Lee, upon learning that the Union army was moving, halted. He saw no reason to tire his army out to rush and meet the US army, when it was coming to him. Lee positioned himself North of Cotting Lake, a lake formed by the Potomac river. Lee, in a bold move, decided to straddle the river. With the time he had to prepare, he ordered the bridges blown, except for three, and positioned his forces at those three bridges. Meanwhile he secured the southern high ground and waited for the Union army to arrive. Richard S. Ewell was ordered to defend the far side of the river and hold his ground against whatever Union assault came. He held the river and was tasked with ensuring no Union army crossed it.

BattleofCottingLake.jpg


Meade arrived and immediately attacked. He knew his numbers far outweighed the Confederate’s. He ordered General Franklin and General Pope to move forward and assault confederate positions. Franklins’ men rushed into the Confederate defenses with great aplomb. Such was the strength of their charge that the Confederate lines under George Pickett and Jubal Early began to waver. Pope’s men had a harder time of it. Pope began marching south towards Lee under heavy fire from Lee’s position. Pope himself was shot from his horse and injured. As he was taken from the field, his men lost heart and fled. Lee, seeing the entire flank begin to crumble, charged, the retreat became a rout. Franklin, worried that his men would be struck in the flank, turned much of his army. He then marched east across an open field of North-South fire to reach the retreating forces of Pope. His march, though costly, brought him to the Union right just in time to stop the bleeding and defend the retreating men.

Meanwhile General Grant was issued orders to take the Northern most bridge at any cost. Even under heavy fire his men preformed well and managed to seize the bridge. General Ewell was unable to press Grant back, but Meade ordered his retreat nonetheless. Rather than just leave the bridge intact, Grant detonated gunpowder and sunk it, trapping Ewell beyond the river for a time. Instead of trying to ford the river, Ewell marched south to reinforce Early and Pickett. His men, many unscathed, then crossed with Early and Pickett and drove into the thinning lines of Franklin’s forces.

BattleofCottingLake2.jpg


With Franklin thus engaged, Lee took on the weakened forces of Pope and the newly arrived men under Meade. With his cannons in support from the higher ground, Lee pounded the Union lines, and the already damaged units fled. It only took one final push to drive the Union forces from the field. Grant was able to delay, at heavy cost, the Confederate pursuit, so the Union army was able to escape north. However, the Union soldiers were hounded by Confederate cavalry. The sight of sabers sent the broken army into a full rout, back across the Maryland border. Soon the number of men who threw down their rifles and fled, outnumbered those still brave enough to fight.

The wounded General Pope was taken prisoner as his wagon was abandoned. Soon, Washington D.C. suffered the same fate. Union troops fled past the city, and the sight of thousands of fleeing soldiers drove many within the forts near the city to flight. Washington was open to Lee, who marched his bruised Army across the river and into the city, only needing to swat a few points of resistance away. Lee prevented his men from pillaging, but did permit a Confederate flag to fly from the White House. On Christmas Day, 1866, Confederate President Albert G. Brown held a ball in celebration in the White House, both a British General and a French politician were in attendance.
 
I did not expect that. Not good for the north.
 
This does not indeed bode well for the North. Were it not for the loss of the capital, the North might have gained the upper hand were it not for the loss of morale following the loss of the Capitol.
 
That's. Terrible.

And the Brits and French are now more likely to side with the Confeds.
 
The North is, how you say, buggered.