• We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
RGB: Oddly enough I was more worried about the Mexicans.

stnylan: Texas was a huge coup. Not loosing all the manpower of Austin to the Confederates gave me a nice clop of soldiers to unleash upon the South.

Vincent Julien: No, nothing unusual has happened in the timeline thus far, things are exactly how they should be ;)
 
Estonianzulu said:
Vincent Julien: No, nothing unusual has happened in the timeline thus far, things are exactly how they should be ;)

:D
 
The Great Betrayal
--

General Pope, whose 40,000 men were marching into the heart of the United States of Central America, received word of the secession on June 1st, 1866. His army was mainly comprised of 1 regiment from Louisiana and a slew of commanders and soldiers from Virginia. Only the 1st Wisconsin brigade and the whole of the 5th Division were of completely Northern supply. Even his second in command, Pierre Gustave Toutant de Beauregard was Southern by birth. Pope knew that releasing this information may split his army in two. A captain in the 2nd Cavalry, George Armstrong Custer, was tasked with keeping the message. But when he was assaulted by young Georgian officer, the truth was uncovered.

Pope suddenly had a mass mutiny on his hands. Nearly 30,000 men turned on him and drove him back out to the sea. Unfortunately for Colonel Beauregard, the US Navy was still loyal. Pope turned to make a stand, hoping to shatter Confederate moral. The result was the disastrous battle of Ocotal. Pope was humiliated by Beauregard, who turned to find the USCA’s army reformed on his rear. Both US armies were routed. Pope was able to escape onto the US fleet, but Beauregard did not have that same choice. Pope allowed any surrendering Confederates to board as prisoners, but Beauregard and many thousands of Confederate loyalists refused. Captain Custer volunteered to stay behind to hunt down and capture Beauregard and bring an end to his fighting strength. Custer and his “Wolverines” remained behind while the fleet sailed for home.

pgt_beauregard_sm.jpg

The Confederate Brigand, Colonel P.G.T. Beauregard

Meanwhile on US Soil, the war was not going well. The Mexicans had crossed into Southern California and into the lands on the Western fringes of Texas. A division of Confederate sympathizers rose up in South Texas and took to plundering the countryside and driving out many Unionists, hoping to proclaim the state for the Confederacy. Louis Trezevant Wigfall and his men were greeted by many, especially those outside Austin. The city itself called upon Washington to send aid. Meanwhile Indian raids increased in Minnesota, draining precious resources and stopping General McClellan from returning from the west by rail.

General Meade’s attempts to march on Richmond, the heart of what little industrial power the Confederates controlled, all failed. His first attempted culminated in the Battle of Manassas, which was really no more than a skirmish. It did succeed in driving Meade back across the Potomac. He was forced to find a crossing somewhere else. The result was the Battle of Harrison Island, or the Battle of Leesburg. Union forces, probing along the river, finally found a decent crossing in Loudon County, Virginia, and sought to make a drive into the state over the ford at Harrison Island. Lee, knowing he could delay the Union army significantly and win time for new forces to be raised, rushed to meet him.

Lee sent Jubal Early, another Virginian, on ahead. His men set up defenses to the far north of Harrison Island, where the river began to turn east. General Thomas Jackson was ordered up the middle to hold his men on and across Harrison Island. Last but not least, General John Bell Hood guarded the far southern flank. Meade sent his men straight into the fray, despite open fire from the bluffs beyond the river. From within the city Confederate shells pounded the lines of Meade’s own division as well as General Grant’s. To the North, General Philip Sheridan was ordered to test the lines of Early and attempt a crossing, and to the south, General William Buel Franklin was ordered to fient an attack on the flank and then aid the push against Jackson.

The initial push drove much of Jackson’s forward men back, but he rallied on the far bank and held the line solid against overwhelming numbers. Here he earned the famous moniker of “Stonewall” for his stand against Grant and Meade. When Sheridan arrived at Early’s position, he found the defenses far too solid. He left some men to engage but removed most of his lines to act as a reserve, to await orders from Meade, these orders never came. Finally on the Left flank of the Union lines, General Franklin was delayed in his feint, and so broke the plan and turned too quickly to aid Meade.

When Franklin abandoned the flank, General Hood was able to sweep around the Union lines. The sight of Confederate troops near the rear sent Sheridan’s men forward slowly. They managed to drive the Confederate troops off, but Meade’s attack was ruined, and the Union army withdrew. The heavy fire of Confederate cannon on the Union center was costly, as was the battle between Stonewall and Meade. In the end the Union army had to abandon Leesburg for the time and return to Washington to regroup. It was a costly defeat which saved the Confederate heartland from Union invasion. The war was on in earnest.

BattleofHarrisonIsland.jpg

Battle of Harrison Island
 
Go go gadget warfare!

Nice to see that this won't be a short war. :cool:
 
Excitement!

I see that Jackson is notable in this timeline as well....
 
First blood to the South indeed - silly me I had forgotten entirely about Mexico! Could make things more interesting.
 
Vincent Julien: Perhaps, perhaps not. I was very lucky in delaying the war, and the fact that 1/2 the rebel divisions were in South America at the time of the war really hurt them.

RGB:I've got to give the Southerners some love, I may be a Damn Yankee, but I've lived in the Old Dominion enough to have some love.

stnylan:Could, but luckily for me its the mid 1860's, a bad time for Mexico.
 
Battle for the Old Line State
--

After the bloody battle of Harrison Island, the US army slunk back to Washington to find another crossing. The US armies in Maryland where split into three forces. One was to maintain the defenses of Washington and sortie out to strike if the Confederate army fell back. A second was to hold Lee at Leesburg (the city named after his family), and the third was to march west towards Cumberland to secure the Baltimore & Ohio railroad junction in the city. Meade was tasked with the men station in Washington, and was still nominally in command of all Union forces in Maryland. General Pope, now returned from Central America, was given command of the Union forces at Leesburg; and General McClellan, whose forces had driven through Indian held Minnesota, now took command of the IV Army (the 3rd in Maryland) in Cumberland.

Maryland.jpg


The Lee-Pope standoff did not last long. Lee’s scouts reported to him of the movement of the IV Army west towards Cumberland. Lee knew that if McClellan, an ambitious man, saw the weakness in Confederate lines, he would attack. Lee then had to make a decision. If he abandoned Leesburg entirely, then the road to Fredericksburg, and then Richmond, would be wide open. However, leaving the Union army unscathed in Cumberland would leave the Shenandoah Valley open to raids, which would cost Virginia sorely. Lee had to be in two places at once. Lee’s plan was bold, but in the end paid off.

Lee ordered Jackson to hold Leesburg and keep the Union army at bay. Wade Hampton III, a cavalry commander, was ordered to take the CS cavalry South-East, and relieve some of the men who were guarding the crossings near Washington. Hampton was to allow Meade to cross, and harass him if he did. Meade’s force was significantly smaller than Popes, and far less ready for combat. A smart cavalry commander could easily devastate a Union march. Meade fell quickly into the trap, and tried to march south, at the urging of President Clark, against Fredericksburg. The result was a badly bloodied nose for Meade, who limped back to Washington.

Lee, with half his army still, quickly marched on McClellan. Lee was correct, when McClellan discovered how week General Longstreet’s army was, he made moves to attack it. Luckily for Lee, McClellan was an overly cautious commander. He move too slowly to take advantage of his size, and was caught unaware when Lee arrived. General Hood took half of Lee’s force around a southern bend in the river to strike at McClellan’s flank, and the Union force was forced to fall back to Cumberland proper, leaving Longstreet in control of the river. However, Lee could not leave Longstreet many men, as Pope was already marching against Jackson. Lee left Hood’s division with Longstreet, who was ordered to fall back to Petersburg and meet up with Confederate defenders in Western Virginia.

BattleofCumberland.jpg


Lee meanwhile marched his army back to Leesburg to bolster Jackson’s strength. Pope, realizing the numbers were no longer in his favor, backed off and abandoned Leesburg crossing. Having defeated Union attempts to cross into Virginia, Lee now called for an offensive into Maryland. Lee believed the Confederate armies could strike a blow to the Union and bring in foreign support for the war. His target was Hagerstown, and then onto Frederick. Both cities could supply Confederate armies with men and munitions before they marched out. Eventually Lee wanted to assault Washington itself and end the war in one fell stroke.

However, problems in the CSA would prevent him from ever achieving such a victory.

(Next Update: Politics in the South!)
 
Going somewhat historically so far...
 
Yes, good use of inspiration for those battles...

I take it things out West are not so much in the Rebels' favour?
 
Waiting patiently for the next update.
 
Interesting. Too bad those Southerners decided to rebel in the USCA, that would indeed tend to interfere with the mission there. I shall await the next update.
 
RGB: To an extent, soon you will see the crazy alt history rear its ugly head.

stnylan:Thank you sir! And no, the West is not quiet as wonderful as the east for everybody's favorite rebels.

Vincent Julien: Patience is a virtue, I'm full of vices :D

Alex Borhild:The revolt in the USCA was actually a blessing. It effectively an entire southern army was trapped out of the war.
 
The Grey House
--

George Davis, newly elected Senator from North Carolina, returned to his home state in favor of the secession of the Confederate States. By the end of 1866 he would be a chief designed in the political structure of Confederate government. Davis, and men like him, came home trumpeting the cause of states rights. They made sure that the Confederate Constitution, a document almost completely taken from its US counterpart, was altered just enough to rob the Federal Government of its teeth. He, and his followers, had enough strength to ensure that no Confederate president could do what President Patterson had, nor have the power of President Clark.

But Davis’ plan left the CSA vulnerable. This was something that men like Jefferson Davis, and Judah Philip Benjamin pointed out at the Confederate assembly. A central government with no power would easily be defeated by such a strong state as the Union. But their calls went unheeded. Davis was defeated in his run for the position of Confederate President, a job that instead went to Albert G. Brown, a much beloved Mississippian. Brown took the position, but with some reservations. He had never been the staunchest secessionist, but his rhetoric of states power and Southern improvements were well received. He came to office with plans for an extended public school system and more national universities. He loved education and learning, but was no man built for war.

Albert_Brown_s.jpg

Albert G. Brown, President of the Confederate States of America

Jackson Morton, of Florida was chosen to be his Vice President. Morton, a staunch pro-slavery politician, acted as the voice of the Slave-owning aristocracy of Virginia and the Carolinas. Howell Cobb, his secretary of state, emerged from the same school as Morton. However, his appointed appeased the state of Georgia, who felt that with its industrial and man power strength, it deserved some power in the new government. Allen T. Caperton was named secretary of War from Virginia and immediately set about establishing a Virginia-centric war policy. The capital of Richmond had to be protected, in his mind, especially since it housed the largest weapons factory (Tredgar) in the CSA.

It was Caperton who ensured that Lee had the men he needed to win the first leg of the Maryland campaign. This angered many out west, especially the so called “exiled” politicians of Texas, Missouri and Kentucky. These men, led by John Henninger Reagan (a brilliant Postmaster General) of Texas, believed that the Confederate States should focus primarily on the West, winning over the Border States and cutting the Union off from the huge man power reserves in Texas and Kentucky. This plan was unpopular, especially as Mexican forces crossed into South Texas and California. The general held belief was that Mexicans would join with Confederate troops and push North, forcing the Union to make peace.

reagan.jpg

John Henninger Reagan

The irony of the North being punished for his war was not lost on former President Patterson. Patterson, and others like John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky and even General Robert E. Lee called for an offensive into the North. After the victory at Cumberland, Patterson publicly called on the Southern armies to cross into Maryland and Pennsylvania to destroy rail junctions and disrupt Northern economics. Some even went so far as to call for conquest of Maryland. These men, called the “Grey Hawks” had more support in Congress than the “White Doves”, those men who called for reconciliation.

Chief among these “White Doves” was a Virginian John S. Carlile. Carlile was deathly opposed to Secession, especially of his native Virginia. Called a “Unionist”, he voted against the secession when he was called upon. When the state left the Union nonetheless, he refused to accept it. He and most of North-West Virginia declared themselves still loyal to the Union. Suddenly the secessionists had secession. This culminated in the creation of “West Virginia” which was admitted on emergency basis to the Union to serve as Virginia while the CSA existed.
 
Ugh, 5 pages of writing about one battle later, and my next update (2 updates in reality, too many images) are ready. I'll post them up tomorrow or Monday.

This is what happens when Im stuck in my office with nothing to do for 8 days of 8 hours straight.
 
While I am sure it is no fun for you, at least is allows us to enjoy the fruits of your boredom! ;)

So the Confederacy has problems beyond just the Union. Those internal quarrels sound nasty.
 
The Battle of Shiloh I
--

When Senator Carlisle fled Virginia for Washington D.C. he brought with him an entire new front to the war. The heavy mountain regions of western Virginia were not designed in such a way to provide easy combat, especially from Virginia. For soldiers of the Confederacy to cross into the new “state”, they needed to pass through the Blue Ridge Mountains into hostile country. Many of the mountain men felt foreigners when compared to the men who lived further east, and where willing to fight to keep the invaders out. Samuel Cooper, the highest ranking officer in the Confederate Army, was tasked to create a plan to “liberate” West Virginia.

Cooper turned this task over to Braxton Bragg. Bragg was a North Carolina soldier who had rose to fame during the early months of the war thanks to his strict discipline and attention to detail. Bragg was given command of the Army of Tennessee and ordered to drive into West Virginia. Bragg’s first task was repelling the Union forces that faced him. Across the field from Bragg was perhaps the greatest General of the war, Albert Sidney Johnston. Johnston was a Southerner, but when his adopted home of Texas had sided with the Union he accepted command under the Northern armies. Johnston was given command of the Army of the Ohio and ordered to pacify Kentucky and invade Tennessee.

This was no simple task. A series of daring raids by a Confederate cavalry officer, Nathan Bedford Forrest, set Johnston back seriously. Demands for men to be sent east depleted his army further. Elon J. Farnsworth was ordered to take his cavalry and root out Forrest. Although the Confederate cavalryman was never caught, his forces were hurt by the counter incursions of Farnsworth. Eventually Forrest and his men were forced back into Tennessee and Johnston earned a brief respite. Under heavy pressure from Washington, Johnston was forced to march south against Bragg.

Albert_Sidney_Johnston.jpg

Albert Sidney Johnston

The result was the unfortunate battle of Shiloh. Johnston’s invasion of Tennessee was well planned, but failed when it came to action. First Farnsworth rushed in to disrupt and delay. Johnston then ordered William T. Sherman to take a quarter of the Army and meet up with the small Army of the Missouri, which captured Union City and Dyersburg quickly. Sherman then marched towards Jackson, and threatened Memphis. At this point Bragg was forced to order General William Joseph Hardee to meet Sherman. When Bragg split his force, Johnston struck. Marching at blinding speed, Johnston marched against the city of Nashville. Bragg, realizing what had happened, marched to meet him.

They engaged outside Nashville, but the city fell to Union forces quickly and Bragg ordered his men to fall back and meet up with Hardee. In the meantime Bragg sent men to delay Sherman at Jackson before marching south. Sherman gave chase, not realizing how large a force had assembled before him. Johnston meanwhile was marching south across the open Tennessee country. When he captured the forts at Columbia, he was given access to the entire breadth of the state thanks to the rivers that ran through it. Johnston, realizing that Sherman would be overwhelmed and cut off, marched to his aid. The battle fell to the small town of Pittsburgh Landing, near the Shiloh Church.

Shiloh.gif


Confederate forces were using the river port of Pittsburgh Landing as a demarcation point. What few naval vessels they had were driving up the Tennessee to give support to Bragg as he made to push Sherman back from the river and back into Missouri. Meanwhile the men under Hardee would go north and slam into the Union flank. Sherman was trapped. If he fled, he would leave both forces to keep Johnston from taking the river. If he staid put, he was leaving himself open for a nasty beating while Johnston crossed the river.

Johnston knew this was the predicament and spurred his men on in hopes of reaching the battlefield before Sherman could be overwhelmed. Meanwhile he called for Rear Admiral William Radford to drive the Confederate naval forces back and take control of the river. Sherman decided not to wait for Confederate forces, and went on the offensive. Outnumbered 3:1, Sherman really had not chance of defeating the Confederate army on open ground, so he caught them by surprise. He drove Hardee’s men back immediately, and forced the Confederate army to form up closer to Pittsburgh Landing and the river. With the lines thus drawn, and Johnston’s forces hastily arriving from the rear, the battle began.

e0332be6-b36b-4618-a857-0e0973ded99d.jpg

The Bloodiest Day in American History

The first engagements of the battle where struck in favor of the Union, the rest of the battle on the ground would not go so smoothly. The battle on the river was another matter all together. The Confederate river boats were outdated and poorly commanded. When Rear Admiral Radford arrived, the Confederate forces were caught unaware. In a stunningly poor decision, the Confederate armada was positioned at the entrance to a break I the river. Although supported by a small gun emplacement on Diamond Island, the Confederate fleet was for the most part unprotected. When the Union fleet engaged, the battle quickly went against them.

Union gun ships came under heavy fire from the battery as they passed Crump’s Landing. Admiral Radford pressed on, driving his ships forward under the fire. The Confederates were caught off guard, and hit hard when the Union troops breached range. The C.S. Bayou City was sunk when its magazine was hit and exploded. This sent the Confederate fleet backwards in panic. The fleet split and went around Diamond Island on both ends, thus ending any supporting fire the two halves could give. The sight of the fleet fleeing caused the men on Diamond Island to spike their cannons and hide. The Union fleet gladly gave chase, pounding the Confederates as they fled. The fleet on the west bank suffered heavily, and eventually the C.S. Little Rebel, the C. S. Teaser, and the C. S. Patrick Henry would all be sunk (the Patrick Henry was scuttled by her crew as she ran aground.).

Shilohnavy.jpg

Red Lines= Confederate Naval Retreat
Blue Lines= Union Naval advance
Red Dots= Confederate Naval Losses.

While the Confederate Navy fled and the Union navy reformed to pepper the Confederate lines with artillery, Sherman began his attack. Sherman ordered General Ambrose Burnsides, who had been reassigned to command after the start of the war, to probe Confederate forces in the North and test their strength with the US IV. Meanwhile General William Hervey Lamme Wallace were ordered to make an assault across the Southern plains and drive the Confederates back away from Corinth Road and Shiloh Church. Sherman meanwhile was to command the center of the line and test the middle before swinging down to aid Wallace’s push. His primary objective was to drive the CS III back towards Pittsburgh Landing.

Image2.gif

“Virginians! Virginians! For your land - for your homes - for your sweethearts - for your wives - for Virginia! Forward... march!”- Lewis Addison Armistead

Facing off against them where 4 commanders. In the North Lafayette McLaws held the meeting of Owl and Snake Creek, and had an excellent defensive position. Unfortunately he had a very poor field of fire across the plain, and was relatively isolated. To his south Lewis Addison Armistead commanded the CS III. His men had been the slowest to respond to the surprise attack of Sherman. Armistead’s Virginians, though surprised, responded well. They formed up quickly to fight Sherman’s men on the plains east of Owl Creek. Guarding the southern flank was General Roswell S. Ripley, a Northerner who fought for the South (mostly for his wife, a South Carolinian who would leave him during the war). Ripley commanded the CS I, while General Evander McIvor Law held the CS V.

Sherman ordered the advance across all fronts. Burnsides engaged first, but Bragg didn’t bite, and ordered McLaws to hold his ground. McLaws men avoided much of the fighting, but returned very little of their own. Sherman’s men on the other hand, got into the thick of it very quickly. He advanced into Jones’ Field, under heavy fire from Confederate small arms and artillery positioned closer to Pittsburgh Landing. Nevertheless his aggression paid off and the Virginians were forced backwards, bloody step by bloody step. Armistead eventually made his stand at the edge of the Hamburg-Savannah Road, but by that time Sherman’s advance ran out of steam and the attack faltered and stopped. Only on the right could the Union take any ground. General Wallace’s men drove a dagger into the heart of the Confederate left and smashed them back. Ripley’s division crumbled and fled en masse to Pittsburgh Landing. Law’s troops made a more orderly retreat, falling back first to Davis’ Wheatfield and then beyond the Sunken Road. It was hear that the Confederates made a brutal stand. The battle for the Hornets’ Nest, as it came to be known, was the bloodiest fighting the world had ever seen. The orchard changed hands 5 times during the day, each time with ridiculous casualties. When General Wallace fell, the Union lines disintegrated into a rabble, and the fighting became even more muddled. By days’ end the field was covered in bodies from end-to-end.

ShilohShermansattac.jpg

Sherman’s Attack:
Union Commanders- I: Sherman, II: Wallace, III: Hooker, IV: Burnsides, X: A. S. Johnston
Confederate Commanders- I: Ripley, II: McLaws, III: Armistead, IV: Hardee V: Law, X: Bragg

The battle for the Hornets’ Nest continued on its own, while Sherman re-issued marching orders. He once again pressed into Armistead’s force, driving him back further into the Confederate defenses. Bragg, meanwhile held Hardee’s division in reserve, hoping to plug any holes and break any major Union assault. Likewise Hardee could be used to drive off any assault from A.S. Johnston’s Union army. Unfortunately for Bragg, he was outmaneuvered. General Joseph E. Hooker, in command of the III, had crossed in the North at Crump’s Landing. They now drove hard into the Confederate flank, hoping to spring Burnsides and let him loose on the Confederate rear. At the same time the fleet had returned and began ferrying Union troops, under heaving fire, across the Tennessee River to engage Confederate forces. Bragg had to make a choice.

The choice he made was to send Johnston’s division to deal with Hooker and hold off A.S. Johnston’s forces with the men who had fallen back from Ripley’s position. The tactic worked for a while. Burnsides and Hooker did not coordinate the assault, so Hooker’s men were caught in the open as the combined might of McLaws and Hardee descended on him. Casualties were high on both sides, but Hooker had to retire from the fight as his men began to falter. Burnsides rushed over the creek as the fighting took its turn against Hooker. Hardee engaged him as McLaws divisions pulled south to aid the slowly failing Virginians under Armistead. The Confederates drove the Union out of the Hornets’ Nest in the end, and had time to reassess. Those men of Ripleys who had remained with him now joined with General Armistead. However, General Law made a decision that is still a mystery to this day. As Union forces retreated before him, he marched his men south, back to the position he held at the start of the battle.

ShilohJohnstonArrives.jpg


The delay in pulling these men to defend against A.S. Johnston cost the Confederates a sure victory. Johnston was able to force his way onto the Confederate bank, even as Sherman’s men fell back. The battle came to an end with Bragg’s men abandoning the heights under pressure from Johnston. Now surrounded on 3 sides, Bragg ordered a retreat south. The US army was glad to let him go, as casualties and fatigue were both high. In the end the day went to the Union, but it was by no means a great victory. The Union lost 13,047 including General Wallace casualties and the Rebels lost 10,694. A.S. Johnston, deep in enemy territory, was forced to withdraw to Nashville and allow the Army of the Missouri and Sherman to go west back towards the border. It was a battle without any strategic gain for either side. In the end the Confederate forces had barely outnumbered the Union, but had been surprised and were fighting a 2-front battle. Johnston, bloodied, abandoned his plan to take Memphis and settled on control of Nasvhille, while Bragg retreated and gave birth to a new plan for Western Virginia.

His plan would lead to the bloodiest campaign of the war.
 
I disagree with part of that analysis - that battle has one very important strategic result: the union can afford to loose twice as many men, while the South would still rue the loss of half of what they suffered.
 
stnylan said:
I disagree with part of that analysis - that battle has one very important strategic result: the union can afford to loose twice as many men, while the South would still rue the loss of half of what they suffered.

Good point; I completely forgot to look into the more serious and unfortunate aspects of the manpower loss for the CSA.

Though I have to say, the most fun I've had has been with the use of Johnston for the Union.
 
That's one majorly bloody battle. And Stnylan is absolutely correct - you've got just so much more manpower.