Prologue: To Build a Navy
Part 1: The Beginning
With the Civil War over, the People of the United States began to fill the vast tracts of land beyond the Mississippi River. As could be expected, wars were fought with the Indians there for control of their former hunting grounds. By 1882 the Indian wars had largely been won, save for the revolt of Pueblo Indians under the command of the War Chieftain Geronimo. When the uprising began in the southern areas of the Arizona Territory the United States army had no units in the area. The 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th cavalry were sent towards the area of the uprising as were the 10th, and13th infantry regiments from Sacramento. The cavalry however did not decide to wait for their friends in the infantry to arrive, so the attack went ahead under the command of the aging General Sheridan of Civil War fame. It did not take long to squash this uprising, and the Cavalry under Sheridan remained in the Arizona Territory.
It was about this time that I, Patrick Davey entered into the Department of the Navy, as part of the committee which would oversee our rearmament and reequipping of the US Fleet. As it was currently, the United States navy was made up of Civil War relics, we did not even possess any of the new Ironclads which were beginning to make a larger part of the European fleets. At about the time Sheridan was massacring the Pueblo uprising, we ordered the building and commissioning of Two New Battleships for the United States Navy. In addition to this, two modern cruisers were ordered to be built. Although only four ships in total, these would become the core of the future United States Fleet. The first of these Great Ships, the USS Maine was launched on December 23rd 1883. This was a great achievement, as it was the first ship of its kind on earth. The British Fleet at the time possessed only advanced Ironclads, and began their race to catch up.
The
USS Onondaga, one of the Fleet's decaying Monitor type Warships
You’re probably wondering a little about who I am. My Name is Patrick Davey, born in Ft. Wayne Indiana in 1848. I entered the Navy when I was 14, that is, during the civil war in 1862. I was there on board Admiral Farragut’s Flagship during the assault on Mobile Bay in 1864 when he shouted his famous line, “Damn the Torpedoes! Full Speed ahead!” After the Civil War ended, I stayed in the navy, and gradually worked my way up to being a Lieutenant. I became a captain onboard the Frigate Ossippee, an old Wooden relic that predated the civil war. It was a tedious job, and a job that helped me realize just what dire straits our Navy was in. I was enthralled when I was selected to the committee of Naval Armament, as I saw it as my chance to help improve my beloved fleet.
In 1885 we were relieved to find out that our armament program would be permitted to continue when the Republican party retained control of the government. The next several years passed quietly, however there began to be hints of what was to come.. Japan began to make several motions to the US government to buy Wake Island Atoll. Japan had spent the last several years establishing bases in numerous Pacific Islands. It became evident to us then that it would not take long before the interests of our two nations would bring us into conflict. Upon our requests, the foreign secretary of President Cleveland established a treaty with the British Empire granting vessels of the United States Navy safe passage into and out of their ports. With this move, we began to draw up plans for the formation of the United States Pacific/ Asiatic Fleet. Soon after this accord was drawn up, President Cleveland’s foreign secretary hammered out a deal with the British Empire for the Purchase of the Bahamas Islands. Which were purchased from the crown on July 27th, 1887, for 137,200 British Pounds. This move further strengthened our situation in the Caribbean.
The Caribbean became a flashpoint soon after when a military coup in the Dominican Republic overthrew the Government in Santo Domingo and established a military Dictatorship. Under the cover of the small, yet technologically advanced US Atlantic fleet, Units of the United States Marine corps embarked on a constabulary operation to the Dominican Republic. The small taskforce consisting of the Destroyer USS Albany and the Heavy Cruiser USS New York City arrived off Santo Domingo on September 30th, with the Marines under Colonel Butler landing the next day. Initially welcomed in Santo Domingo proper, the Marines ran into resistance in the outlying country from Irregular troops belonging to the Pro-Dictatorship warlords.
The only large coordinated attack launched by these rebel forces came later in February, when nearly 18,000 Warlord Forces attacked the main body of 3,000 Marines outside Santo Domingo. In a battle lasting two weeks, the Marines defeated the entire body of enemy forces while sustaining only 200 casualties of their own.
Guerrilla Warfare lasted here for several more weeks, and eventually the countryside was declared secure in late February of 1888. Democratic Elections were held soon after in Santo Domingo, and the Dominican Republic became a dependant of the United States.
