[Forum Game] - World in Revolution: 1861

To the King of Prussia

I am currently passing reforms to give more autonomy to the region. Also I am moving my army out of Sleischwig-Holstein to lower the tension there.

For ages, only Danish people have been allowed to vote and buy property. But in my reforms, the german minority will be allowed to vote in local government and allowed to buy private property. They will also have a representative in parliament.

I hope these reforms appease the German minority because they are people of the Kingdom. I, Harald, King of Denmark, recognize all minorities in Denmark and swear to give rights to them all if they so wish for them peacefully and kindly.

The Commanding Generals of all the Union Armies in the West had all thought of their main strategy's, along with some coaxing from President Lincoln. General Sherman was already on his way, marching through Tennessee, by the time Generals Grant and Sheridan devised their strategy. General Grant was going to attack the Confederate Army of Trans-Mississippi in Arkansas, and hopefully push them out of that state and regain control of it. General Sheridan was going to go upriver and try to take out the Vicksburg Garrison.

General Grant set out on July 4th, 1862, invading the State of Arkansas, his goal to try and rout the Confederate Army down into Louisiana where Sheridan could deal with them after taking of Vicksburg. The strategy, both men thought, was perfect. Aided with Gunboats and Ironclads from the Union Navy, they believed there was no way this plan could fail, and foolishly decided not to make any contingency plans.

General Grant's plan was simple. Invade the interior of Arkansas, and constantly drive the Confederate's back, wearing them down more and more, until they broke, ran, and left the state. The first Battle of this invasion was nothing more than a cavalry battle 20 miles outside of Little Rock, but it was a devastating defeat for the Union, where the Confederates not only cut off their supply lines temporarily, but allowed the Confederates to capture a massive amount of Union supplies, hampering Grant's movement. This gave enough time for the defending Confederates to enact earthworks and trenches outside Little Rock, along a small river aptly called Stone River.

When Grant finally reached the Confederate line on July 30th, he was faced with an impressive set of fortifications. Understanding he needed to break them down, he sent wave after wave after wave of Union men at the line. The Confederates fought back fiercely, unwavering, and trying their best to defend their position. Of course, given their impressive defensive line, the Confederates didn't have to try very hard. Regiment after Regiment of the Union Army slammed into the Cannon and the Muskets of the Grey and the Butternut. General Grant, against his will, faced a near coup of his general Staff if he didn't call off the attack. Regrettably, he pulled away from Little Rock and back towards the Mississippi River. [-4,000 Regulars from the USA. -10,000 Conscripts from the USA. -1,000 Regulars from the CSA. -2,000 Conscripts from the CSA.]

Responsible for the deaths of Thousands, General Grant was distraught. He felt he could win the battle. He had underestimated the amount of Confederate cannons, as well as the strength of their fortifications. He knew he had only been able to knock out a few thousand Confederate soldiers from battle, but the official tally of Union dead, around 14,104 men, sent Grant spiraling into depression. With it, he started to heavily drink any type of alcohol he could find.


General Ulysses S. Grant died of Alcohol poisoning on August 30th, 1862, sending the Army of Mississippi into turmoil. The general staff argued with themselves on who should succeed Grant, but news of his death spread like wildfire through the army, and then to the Confederate Army. Desertions, on the Union side, rapidly spiked up, to the point where whole Regiments simply up and left the Army. [-2,000 Conscripts from the USA. General Grant permanently removed from service.]

The Confederate Army received news of General Grant's death, and immediately set out on foot to try and remove the Army of the Mississippi from Arkansas. At William's Point, Arkansas, the Confederate Army of Trans-Mississippi slammed into the disorganized Army of the Mississippi, resulting in a complete rout in the first hour. Thousands of Union soldiers were captured by the advancing Confederates as they struggled to cross the Mississippi River without the help of the Union Navy. [-6,000 Conscripts from the USA. -1,000 Conscripts from the CSA.]

When the Union Navy finally did arrive to try and help the crossing, they found ragged men in Union uniform. Taking them on board, they were surprised when these men starting shooting at them, and taking control of the ships. Astounded, many of them simply surrendered, and turned the largest Union Fleet on the Mississippi, two ironclads, three ironclad gunboats, and two steamers, over to the Confederate Forces. [-4 Small Ships from the USA. +4 Small ships to the CSA.]

With both the Union and the Confederate Armies across the Mississippi, the Confederates didn't relent in the pressure they were forcing on the Union Army. Stationed in Memphis, Tennessee, the Union army tried its best to organize, but with the general staff still arguing over a General, they wired the President in Philadelphia what to do, but Confederate Cavalry had already cut the telegraph lines, leaving the Army exposed. President Lincoln still didn't know of General Grant's death, and had expected to hear some news on the theater, knowing that General Sherman had just captured Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The 2nd Battle of Memphis was a quick ordeal. The vastly scattered and clumped together Union Army posed no real opposition for the Confederates. Most commanders broke and ran when they saw and heard the Confederates, whooping the Rebel yell as they ran towards the city. A few regiments tried to hold their ground, but with out any real support, they were easily crushed. Yet another lopsided victory for the Confederacy drove the Army of the Mississippi over the river into Missouri upriver at New Madrid. Here, they felt, they could find some time to reorganize and consolidate control over the men. In the frenzy, they had left nearly everything behind, making this Union Army the worst equipped, and the worst fed. At this point in time, most, if not all, the Confederate armies were in a better shape than the Army of the Mississippi. [-6,000 Conscripts from the USA. -1,000 Conscripts from the CSA.]


Down south of the River, along the same time General Grant first attacked Little Rock, the Union Army of Louisiana started to move upriver, with the intent of trying to take Vicksburg. Marching against no real opposition, they reached the outskirts of Vicksburg on August 2nd, 1862. Knowing that they could simply lay siege to the city, and it would eventually surrender, they set up a ring on the Eastern potion of the city, preventing supplies from getting to the Confederate defenders.

However, General Sheridan had a brilliant strategy. He would call upon the aide of the Union Fleet stationed at New Orleans to sail upriver to cut off the last supply line, which came over the river from the west. Unknown to him, the newly captured Confederate fleet was steaming down stream to defend Vicksburg as the Union Navy steamed up to destroy it.

The Battle of Vicksburg was a naval and land battle, taking place at the same time. The naval aspect took place when the Union Navy tried to blockade the port at Vicksburg, while exchanging fire with the shore batteries. The day almost seemed to be won for the navy, until the Confederate gunners scored a direct hit on the USS Maribelle, sending a shell through her funnel, into her engine compartment, where it exploded, and ripped the ironclad ship to pieces. [-1 Small Ships from the USA.]

Then, the Confederate fleet, with the flagship CSS Arkansas, steamed into view from upriver. The first shot from the Arkansas grazed off a Union gunboat, ricocheted off and slammed into a Union regiment on the side of the river, killing all of them. The ensuring battle of fierce, with the half the Union fleet being sunk, simply overpowered by both the Confederate navy and the Confederate shore batteries. [-5 Small ships from the USA.]


Sensing the dread of defeat, General Sheridan ordered his men to assault Vicksburg, his orders, "Take it all ALL COSTS!" was sent out to his entire command, and actions against Vicksburg started almost exactly when the last two ships of the Union fleet were sent to the bottom of the Mississippi. Well armed, well entrenched, and well fed Confederate soldiers stood their ground. Unrelenting, the first day of Battle ended with nothing but a Union slaughter against the Confederate defenses. [-2,000 Conscripts from the USA. -1,000 Conscripts from the CSA.]

The next day, all the Confederate Fleet, besides the CSS Arkansas, had left for downriver, to do untold damage to the small Union garrison and fleet left in New Orleans. The Arkansas mostly stayed to the left or right of the city, shelling the Union troops when she could, and preventing any rafts from crossing the river to siege the city. She was also instrumental in helping supplies cross into the city, bolstering the Confederate defenses. General Sheridan finally had a plan after yet another day of heavy Union Casualties, he was going to blow the defenses of Vicksburg right out from under the Confederate defenders. [-2,500 conscripts from the CSA. -5,000 Conscripts from the USA.]

Tunneling all through the night and into the morning, the Union Army planted 320 kegs of Gunpowder, totaling around 8,000 pounds, inside this mine underneath the Confederate defenses. While it was most of their powder, they were sure this would destroy the Confederates and win the battle for them.

This was not the case. In the morning of August 20th, 1862, the huge explosion ripped through the Confederate defenses, creating a massive crater in its place, killing many of the Confederates stationed there.


This was Sheridan's opportunity to strike, sending in as many men as he could, they charged into the crater, only to find that they found the opposing wall to high to climb up. Leaving them trapped inside the massive hole, and unable to move as more men ran into the hole. The dark and foggy air, black and red from the explosion, shielded any view of the battle from General Sheridan, and also caused the Union Army to try and push forward.

The Confederates, realizing this amazing occasion, started to mercilessly fire down upon the Union Army, comments such as "Damn fools dug their own graves!", "It's a turkey shoot!", "Send them Yanks straight to hell!", and "They're trapped in their own damn crater! Whole plan backfired on 'em!" rang throughout the Confederate defenders, as cannons and muskets levied down into the crater, ripping the Union Army to shreds. The battle only lasted an hour until General Sheridan realized something was very wrong, all the Confederate flags in the distance remained where they were, Old Glory was not being raised above Vicksburg, worried, he asked his aides to give him the information on what was happening. Riding away, they came back quickly with the grim news. The entire Union force was trapped inside the crater, with the Confederates ruthlessly massacring them.

Horrified, General Sheridan immediately called for the retreat, and set off for New Orleans once again, thinking it was the only safe place for his army. At the end of the day, the casualties were massive. Never before seen in this war. This was simply, the most lopsided battle in the entire war so far, and the bloodiest. [-5,000 Conscripts from the CSA. -15,000 Conscripts from the USA.]


General Sheridan was to find no comfort in New Orleans either. Coming to the outskirts, he noticed the Confederate flag waving over the city, along with the Confederate fleet steaming upriver, seeming to want to search him out. Defeated, without supplies and any hope of survival, General Sheridan ordered all regiments to wave the White Flag of surrender. The terrified and destroyed Army of Louisiana walked into New Orleans, surrendering to the five thousand strong Confederate Garrison on Sepetember 18th, 1862. [-28,000 Conscripts from the USA.]

The Trans-Mississippi Campaign was a resounding failure for the Union. Although General Sherman was poised to enter into Georgia, the Trans-Mississippi Theatre would forever hamper and hinder the Union. New Orleans was once again lost to the Confederates. The Union Fleet on the Mississippi was nonexistent, and for the rest of 1862, the Confederate Army and Navy held complete dominance of the Mississippi River from New Orleans, Louisiana, to New Madrid, Missouri. Upon hearing this news, President Lincoln was distraught, he was faced with trying to find a leader for the Army of the Mississippi, as well as what to do with General Sherman, who was practically all alone on the outskirts of Atlanta. If he captured it, he would have to hold it and make sure his supply lines stayed open.

Many thanks. I always feel the Trans-Mississippi Theatre is under represented in ANY Alternate History, as well as in real life. I felt I needed to give it a resounding cheer.

Well the only border states left to secede are Delaware and Missouri. Missouri still has a Union Army in it. But Delaware... That's a different story. The nearest Army is in Philadelphia.