God Save These American States

[Virginia Liberal]

Counter Moves

August 1844 Christophe Beauvilliers and his army of 150,000 men and 20 batteries of artillery march east. They along with another smaller force were moving to counter the Italian invasion of Southern France. What news had escaped the Italian held zone was not good the defenders of Nice were barely hanging on thanks to a supply line kept open by the French Navy however the navy had lost its main fleet base in the Mederatrian Sea and was being forced to work from ports in Spain. His men had been pulled off of the siege lines around Cherbourg all and all Beauvilliers thought that this was the better way to fight a war out in the open not huddled in the trenches.

August 15,1844: General Lombardi watched the french army deployed in front of him. The two armies were equal in number or close enough he had 130,000 infantry while the French had somewhere around 150,000 Infantry but he had more artillery and most importantly he had the high ground here just north of Loyn. The French Commander had plenty of “gaul” he chuckled at his own joke. The man had committed to a frontal attack on the Italian position with the height advantage.

General Beauvilliers watched as his Infantry began what appeared to be a suicidal attack on the Italian positions on the heights supported by his Artillery. He knew that he was ordering many of these brave young men to their deaths but he had to sell his feint attack to the Italians. He let his men bleed for four long hours until he was as certain as he could be that he had Lombardi's full attention. At 1700h he sprung his real attack. Two divisions of cavalry and three divisions of Infantry east of the Saone River on the rather weak Italian defenses there.

General Victor Dodge commander of the Italian right flank stared out of his defenses as the massive French attack bore down on his men. He had just four divisions three in line one in reserve to hold off this onslaught. He had already sent word to General Lombardi. All he could do now was react. Already his Artillery was hitting the charging French blowing gaps in their lines however the french simply closed ranks and kept coming. The cavalry where already at his trenches however the horse men found trenches and Abbatis hard to trample over and the horsemen were suffering heavy losses as they broke off and tried to withdraw. Which impeded the Infantry assault.

1835h. General Beauvilliers was ecstatic he was now on his Left flank. His men had drove the Italians back into the city of Loyn itself fight block by block as they pull back on to the peninsula in the city center. More importantly they had moved their reserve into the city to shore up their failing right flank. Meaning that his men had finally gained a foothold on the ridge line north of the city. The battle was in his favor now he just had to hold on.

1950h. General Lombardi met with his commanders, the battle had turned against them in a bad way. After a long night of discussion they decided to pull back south east. Slowly throughout the night the Italian army would pull back though the city to the southeast. In the morning the last two divisions in the line fought a rear guard action while the artillery with drea before exiting the battlefield around 1300h. Had the French cavalry not been mauled the day before they could have chased down the retreating Italians; yet as it is they were forced to let them go.

In Paris the battle of Loyns would be celebrated as a great victory proof of God's favor for the French people. The fact that the Italians still most of France east of the Rhone River was played down. Then word would reach the capital about the battle of the Ligurian Sea putting a damper on the Celebrations.

The Battle of the Ligurian Sea

For Admiral Alexandre Ferdinand Parseval-Deschenes of the French Mederterain Fleet he had to drive the Italian navy back to Italy and keep the supply lines to Nice open. To so this he had assembled his entire force, on the open seas the "La Royal" was holding the English at bay now it was his turn to put the upstart Italians in their place.

At Its new base in Genoa Admiral Andrea Balotelli had the Northern Fleet ready to begin the blockade of Nice and cut off that city's last supply line. When word reached him from Spanish loyalist that the French Fleet was sailing in mass. This news changed things instead he had his ships and men ready to do battle with the enemy fleet.

On August 18,1844 the Italian Imperial Navy's Northern Fleet consisting of 24 ships of the line 34 frigates 13 Corvettes, 37 sloops and 56 smaller ships would engage the French Mederterain Fleet consisting of 18 ships of the line 22 frigates, 23 Corvettes, 34 sloops and 44 smaller ships met in the Ligurian Sea about 10 miles off the coast of Nice.

The battle began classically enough the two fleets formed lines and began their deadly dual. Deschenes found it odd that the Italians had an inferior fleet to his; he was only facing 12 ships of the line. Still the Italians fought fiercely however by 1450h the french numbers were telling. Five of the Italian liners had been knocked out of the fight and two more out right sunk. Then the look outs spotted sails coming from the west. When he looked thought his glass he saw italian flags flying from their mast.

Admiral Balotelli looked on with a grim smirk. His maneuver had taken longer to pull off than he had planned on. And his 1st division had paid the price for it from the looks of it but now he was on course to bracket the french fleet between the two parts of his fleet. Three hours late the battle was over the battered French fleet had limped away to the southwest. The French Mederterain fleet had been beaten in but the Italians had paid a high price for their victory. But they held the seas around Nice meaning that the city was now cut off fully from supply.

 

[Virginia Liberal]

Just a quick note. Noticed today that it's almost been a whole year (2/25/21 will be a year exactly) that I have been working on the Bloody Decade story arc. I'm not sure if it will make it to that date before the war ends but would be cool.

 

[Virginia Liberal]

Stalemate: the Northern New York and the western New York theaters.

The spring and summer had been quite outside of New England. Along the Niagara River General Knox had probed the British defenses and decided not to try and advance for fear of the the Earl of Ontario hoodwinking him line he had the American Commanders in the war of 1805. It was during this Quiet War that a Federal Private named Oliver Muhammad would pen the poem "All Quiet Along the Niagara" to his wife back in Ohio. He was inspired after the death of his friend Christopher Jackson while on Picket duty the day before. His wife Aynur Muhammad would set the poem to sheet music and create one of the most popular songs to come out of the war in the Federal Republic of America.

It was to the north however that the biggest missed opportunity of the war would occur. General Alexander Hamilton Jr. Was the commander of the First Army tasked with preventing a British march down the Hudson. However like his father Hamilton had an aggressive streak in him. In June he learned of the Quebecois mutiny and he started planning an offensive to take advantage of this. Yet several members of his staff were against this and quietly got word back to Hamilton's enemies in the war department. In the last week of June General Jubal Street arrived with orders to Secretary of War Thomas G. Garfield for Hamilton to surrender command and to report to Ellis Island New York City to assume command of the harbor defenses there. Hamilton protested as did his Brother and their allies in the Federalist party but for the time Hamilton was forced to return to New York City. Street would continue the defensive posture and the chance for a march to Quebec City was missed. This incident would also create a rift in the Federalist Party between the Hamilton's and Garfield’s backers.

General Alexander Hamilton Jr. and General Jubal Street

The Taylor's Offensive.

By August it was clear that the New English offensive spirit had dissipated with Wellesley pulling his Army back across the Connecticut River in mid July.

Seeing this Lieutenant General Taylor sought permission from Williamsburg and Montpelier for an offensive. This permission was granted at the end of the month and Taylor's Commonwealth Army of New England while two divisions of Vermont Troops took over the defense of New Haven. Taylor used the mountainous terrain to mask his movement as he marched his men north to Brattleboro before crossing the River then he marched south along the march the Commonwealth soldiers encountered only light Militia units until they reached Springfield.

At Springfield Taylor's men ran into two New English Divisions under the Command of Major General Attlee Farmer. Farmer had moved his two divisions here after receiving reports of a Commonwealth army advancing north on the east side of the river. At 0700h on September 3rd the two armies began the Battle of Claremont. Farmer had 20,000 men and 15 field guns to Taylor's 75,000 men, 36 field Guns and 12 Horse guns. The battle lasted just five hours before the New English withdrew to the East in good order.

Wellesley, now alerted to the Danger, started moving his Army north toward the advancing Commonwealth column. The two armies would meet at the Village of New Windsor on the banks of the Scantic river. The battle would begin at 1300h on Sept 4th. Both armies deployed into a classic line of battle. Taylor held to the defensive as the battle started setting a gap in his line to entice the New English to attack into the teeth of his revolving rifles. To his credit Wellesley didn’t bite instead using his artillery to pound at the Commonwealth line, while skirmishers from both sides exchanged fire. Frustrated Taylor would move a reserve division to his right flank and launch an attack on the New English Left flank at 1730h. This attack would eventually succeed in forcing the New English flank to give at 1855h only to run into a reformed line where it stalled out at 1905h. Sensing an opening Wellesley now launched his own attack on the Commonwealth center which still had that open gap between two divisions. This attack would run into a bloody wall of led just as he had feared it would earlier in the day. As the sun set both sides were ready to fight again until Wellesley’s cavalry brought him word that the Federal Army had crossed the river and would be arriving on the field during the night. That was enough for Wellesley to order his men back to Mansfield where he could check a move on either New London or Boston and also hopefully gain reinforcements to keep him from being out numbers two to one.

 

[Master Xion]

Hey @Virginia Liberal , I think you forgot to threadmark the last one.

 

[Virginia Liberal]

Hey @Virginia Liberal , I think you forgot to threadmark the last one.

oops thanks. Its fixed now.

 

[Virginia Liberal]

All quiet along the Niagara, they say,
Except now and then a stray picket
Is shot as he walks on his beat to and fro,
By a rifleman hid in the thicket.
‘Tis nothing, a private or two now and then
Will not count in the news of the battle;
Not an officer lost, only one of the men,
Moaning out all alone the death rattle.
“All quiet along the Niagara tonight!”

All quiet along the Niagara tonight,
where the soldiers lie peacefully dreaming,
and their tents in the rays of the clear autumn moon,
and the light of the camp fires are gleaming;
there’s only the sound of the lone sentry’s tread,
as he tramps for the rock to the fountain,
and thinks of the two on the low trundle bed,
far away in the cot on the mountain.
“All quiet along the Niagara tonight!”

His musket falls slack – his face dark and grim,
grows gentle with memories tender,
as he mutters a pray’r for the children asleep,
and their Mother – “may heaven defend her!”
The moon seems to shine as brightly as then –
that night when a love yet unspoken
leap’d up to his lips and when low murmur’d vows
were pledg’d to be ever unbroken.
“All quiet along the Niagara tonight!”

Then drawing his sleeve roughly over his eye
He dashes off tears that are welling,
And gathers his gun closer up to its place
As if to keep down the heart-swelling.
He passes the fountain, the blasted pine tree
The footstep is lagging and weary;
Yet onward he goes, through the broad belt of light,
Toward the shades of the forest so dreary.
“All quiet along the Niagara tonight!”

Hark! Was it the night wind that rustled the leaves,
Was it moonlight so wondrously flashing?
It looks like a rifle — “Ah! Mary, good-bye!”
And the lifeblood is ebbing and splashing.
All quiet along the Niagara tonight,
No sound save the rush of the river;
While soft falls the dew on the face of the dead –
The picket’s off duty forever.
“All quiet along the Niagara tonight!”

 

[Virginia Liberal]

The March to Providence

Following the battle of New Windsor the Allied American commanders decided to take offensive action. Both the Vermont Expeditionary Force and the Commonwealth Army of New England as well as the Vermont 3rd Army would advance east. The objective of the campaign would be the Cities of New London and Providence in the hope of liberating the States of Connecticut and Rhode Island. To do this the VEA would March on Providence,thile the Vermont 3rd Army marched on New London. Meanwhile the Commonwealth Army of New England would advance north toward Worcester Massachusetts. With three arrows advancing at the same time the New English would be unable to Concentrate on any one column. The advances would begin on September 28th.

In Mansfield Wellesley started receiving reports of a multi pronged advance coming out of Manchester as the hours passed his scouts brought back worse and worse information. Three strong column heading in three different directions the Vermont column was heading south most likely towards New London, the Federals were heading due east, he guessed they were heading toward Providence but they might swing around his Army and turn north toward Boston. Then there was the Commonwealth Column heading northeast straight toward Boston. Unwilling to risk the Capital he chose to move his army to Worcester where he could block either threat to Boston. The 5,000man Garrisons in Providence and New London would be sacrificed if need be.

September 25th

The battle of New London began with the Vermont Artillery bombarding the defenses to the north of the city. This bombardment lasted for just two hours before Major General Ernest Thatcher sent his three divisions of Infantry into take the city. The New English soldiers fought bravely for two hours against six times their number before the survivors managed to retreat to the north east. Brigadier Samuel Harris would lead his men to link up with the rest of the army around Boston two weeks later. The Royal Government of the State of Connecticut would flee the town on a New English cutter only to be captured by the CWS Flounder a 14 gun Brig and returned to the city so that they could surrender the State of Connecticut to the Vermont Forces under General Thatcher. At seven AM on September 26,1844 the Government of the State of Connecticut surrendered to the Armed Forces of the Republic of Vermont, and their Allies.

September 26th

While the State of Connecticut was surrendering to the forces of the Republic of Vermont. To the east Lieutenant General Ronald Staunton and his 65,000 VEA were approaching the defenses of the former capital of Rhode Island. Providence was garrisoned by 5,000 men in seven forts backed up by large numbers of both field and heavy artillery, the New English Commander Brigadier General Victor Ford chose not to fight outnumbered eleven to one. Instead he and his staff met the Federals six miles away from the city’s defenses under the flag of truce. Ford offered to present the city as a free city and evacuate his men. He even offered not to spike the heavy artillery in the forts and leave it intact if the Federals agreed to peacefully allow him to withdraw his men and 50 of the 150 field gun batteries (this is all he had the horses to pull) from the defenses. After a few minutes of thought Staunton agreed and gave the New English Commander 24 hours to evacuate his men and as many field guns as he could. In the end Ford was only able to withdraw 45 batteries of field guns in that time frame. At Noon on September 27,1844 the Federal Army’s Vermont Expeditionary Force marched into the city of Providence without firing a shot.

Worcester Ma

To the North Taylor’s Commonwealth Army of New England or Taylors’ CANE as it would become known in the press encountered Wellesley’s Southern army once more on the hills around the city of Worcester. The battle would begin with Taylors Army deploying into battle lines starting at 0900h and the first short being exchanged around that time. Taylor allowed his skirmishers to engage with the New English troops while his cavalry scouted the enemy’s positions. Taylor was not in a rush here; he was here to occupy the enemy army while the other two armies performed their objectives to the south. He would begin his attack at 1400h after receiving detailed reports on the New English troop positions and artillery emplacements. The attack would center on the New English right flank while also engaging their Center. He planned to make it look like he was planning on pushing the New English out of their positions to the north in a movie that would allow him to open the path to the gates of Boston. Taylor hoped that the Wellesley would overreact to this and weaken his left to the point where Taylor might encircle the New English and turn what was a feint into a coup-de-grace. However, the New English didn’t bite; instead Wellesley deployed two reserve divisions of Infantry that had forced marched from Boston to reinforce his army. The battle of Worcester would continue for the rest of the afternoon and throughout the evening. Taylor was not gonna throw good men away for no reason especially once word reached him about the success to the south around sundown. After dark fell he would pull his army out of line and march south to the village of Sturbridge. When Dawn broke on September 27th Wellesley would note that his army had won a victory at Worcester but it had cost the Crown Republic the state of Connecticut in the process.

September 31,1844

The soldiers defending the massive complex called Fort Green Rock awoke on the last day of September to find the New English Northern Army gone. General Childs had pulled his men out of line the night before and started marching east by south east. His army would arrive in Concord N.H. in the late evening hours of October 2,1844. He would leave his army there and take a train to Boston for a meeting of the Senior staff of the Royal New English Army, Duchess Victoria and the Prime Minister.

Boston

The Emergency War meeting was held in the War Room at Bunker Hill Palace on October 3,1844. The Government of New England could not believe that the war had gone so badly for them; however this did sell the story that it was the Vermonters who were the bad guys who started the war or else how could they have been so ready for it and done so well after the Royalist kicked them out of the rest of New England back in the Civil War. There was some good news however the British Relief force of 100,000 men stationed in Halifax as well as 60,000 Quebecois troops were being sent via Railroad to Boston to aid the New English forces. Duchess Victoria hoped that this would be enough to stabilize the front if not turn the tide; she also promised to ask her cousin King Richard IV for more troops to support the fighting here in North America. The war was not over yet, even if the Republicans and their American allies might believe otherwise.

Montpelier

The Congress of the Republic of Vermont met in an emergency session following the gains that had taken place in the previous month. In this session much debate was held on what they should do now or if they should do anything. There were four camps; the first one wanted to recognize the states of East Connecticut and Rhode Island now. The Second wanted to restore Rhode Island and merge what was left of Connecticut into West Connecticut. The Third wanted to make the territory east of the Connecticut River the state of Rhode Island while West Connecticut simply became Connecticut. And the Fourth wanted to push all of this off until after the war was over. In the end after days of debating it was decided to recognize the former states of Connecticut (east of the river) and Rhode Island as the Provisional State of Rhode Island pending the completion of a State Constitution and the election of a state government. The Rhode Island Restoration Act was passed on October 10,1844.

 

[Virginia Liberal]

The Battle of Block Island

While the land action was turning against them the New English Royal Navy decided to sally forth and try to give the people of New England some hope. On October 5th the fleet consisting of 34 ships of the line 45 frigates, 34 sloops and numerous smaller ships left Boston Harbor sailing south. News of this quickly reached Allied ears and the Commonwealth and Federal Navies put their plans into action.

The CASN’s Atlantic Fleet consisting of 36 ships of the line 20 frigates, 15 Corvettes, 28 sloops, and 26 smaller ships Commanded by Admiral of the Fleet Jacob McVey himself along with the Federal Navy’s Battle Squadron consisting of 9 ships of the line 12 frigates and 18 sloops were sailing off the New English Coast when its picket ships spotted a series of 8 green rockets being fired by a fishing boat off of Nantucket Island. This was a prearranged signal with resistance fighters within what was Rhode Island. The CASN swung out to see and strengthened its pickets closer to shore. To the South The Federal Navy’s Iron Fleet consisting of 10 Ironsides class Ironclad Sloops, and the unarmored but Iron hulled sloops FNS Holder and FNS Ranger was lurking in the Long Island Sound when reports reached them that the Royal New English Navy was at sea. Aboard his flagship the FNS Ironsides Rear Admiral Lawerence Griswald ordered his fleet into action, If word had reached him then the battle was close at hand.

October 7th

Rear Admiral Regenald Banter of his Majesty's New English Royal Navy stood on his flagship HMNES William Franklin watching the fleet sailing at his ships from the East flying Commonwealth and Federal flags. He wondered how the devil they got there, it didn’t matter soon they wanted battle he would give it to them. Like most New English soldiers and sailors were tired of the disdain that the Southerners heaped upon New England for abandoning their precious Republicanism and returning to the King, he gave the order to beat quarters and prepare for battle.

The two fleets met off the coast of Block Island at 1300h on October 7th. They were equal enough The New English had more Steam powered ships than the American’s did but their choice to keep to traditional tactics limited their usefulness. The battle would sway back and forth for three six hours. The most important fact of this part of the battle was that the American fleet was able to steer the New English fleet in a southwesterly course heading toward Long Island Sound.

Admiral Banter had taken personal command of the HMNES William Franklin after her captain had been killed by an exploding shell. He didn’t like that his fleet was being driven toward the Long Island Sound as the Americans were not allowing him to turn out to sea. He made the decision to make a turn west towards land then turn back north. The Americans would still be trapping him to the coast but he wouldn’t be heading towards a dead end. He would begin his turn at 1800h. This turn took the battle into the Block Island Sound and managed to seperate the New English Fleet from the Americans who had missed the turn. Just as Banter was issuing orders for damage reports the looks out spotted smoke coming just off of the Northern Point of Fisher’s Island.

FNS Ironsides

Admiral Griswald felt the thrum of the Ironsides three steam engines hammering away under decks unlike sailing ships steamships had a heart beat as if they were living things. The New English commander had for some reason taken his fleet into Block Island Sound now his ships were having to charge full steam ahead to catch up to them not sealing off the entrance to the Long Island sound.

HMNES Royal Pine

The Royal Pine was a 94 gun ship of the line and the head of the New English 3rd Division, at the end of the Royalist line of battle. As Commodore William Holstine watched he knew that his ships were not going to be able to out base the Federal ships steaming at them from the west. So he gave the order for the 3rd Division to make a turn to cross the oncoming ship’s bow crossing their T and letting them feel the full effect of the New English steal. Twenty minutes later the third division had completed the turn however the Federal fleet was not even trying to turn instead they were forming a line steaming straight at the 3rd Divisions line of battle. It was with more than a little fear in his voice that Holstine gave the order to open fire. His dismay he watched his ships first broadside bounce off the hulls of the on coming Federalist ships.

Block Island sound

Still the ships came on each ships targeting a ship in his line with the exception of the larger two who turn off and began to exchange broadsides with the New English warships. The Iron monsters swelled as they closed in finally at almost point blank range the New English ships opened up in a final broadside. The Iron monsters had suffered damage by now, their masts were shot away, their funnels were pitted or shot still they came on not returning a shot till they slammed into the side of the New English their Iron ram bows plowing into the large men of war below the water line. The Federal ships now began to reverse with all the might of their steam engine pulling them free of the New English ships before the socked New English sailors and marines could attempt to board. Several lost their rams in this process, and one the FNS Buffalo would be boarded. The Buffalo would see a fierce fight on her decks between New English Marines and sailors and their Federal counterparts before the Federals were able to secure the ship. As the Federals pulled away and slowly made the turn to come to line and began to broadside the now crippled 3rd Division. By the time the sun set the third division would slide below the waves.

October 8th.

Dawn broke on October 8th to show the battered New England Royal Navy limping back into Boston harbor. In addition to the 25 ships of the 3rd Division all lost five ships of the line had been lost for a total of 15 ships and 6 more were crippled being towed in by other ships. 14 frigates were sunk and many more were crippled. And the smaller ships fared little better. The men were the biggest thing they had seen the 3rd division get wipped off the the waves by ships that their shot bounced off of. Moral was in the gutter.

That same sunlight showed the American Navies entering New York Harbor triumphant. Many ships were damaged, the CASN had lost 5 ships of the line and 10 frigates, and 5 Corvettes. But it was still ready for more action. The Federal Navy had suffered damage too of the ships in the battle all were damaged, 5 had lost their rams and had taken on water the Iron Fleet would be out of service for a while. But none had been lost and moral was high.

 

[Virginia Liberal]

Battle of Boston

By the middle of the month of October the American Allies had moved their forces in to positions to begin the assault on Boston . Taylor had swung his men north of the city cutting the Railroads to the north and northwest of the city. General Thatcher had brought his 3rd Army up to take Taylor’s place due west of the city, while General Stuanton and the Federal VEA had occupied Plymouth and were advancing to the north. Inside the City the 120,000 New English soldiers had been joined by the 100,000 British regulars, this meant that the British forces would have the advantage in numbers for the battle even if the Americans had the moral advantage. October 21,1844 the Battle of Boston began with the 3rd Army reinforced with an additional two divisions from Vermont and the two divisions of the Maryland Negro Legionthat had recently arrived from Maryland. Attacking the New English on the Newton in a. Attempt to get a bridge head across the Charles River. While Taylor attacked from the North at Stoneham, and the Federals out of the south at Weymouth.

Battle of Weymouth

When General Staunton and the Federal VEA attacked the New English defenses at Weymouth they did encounter New English soldiers. These were not the defeated common soldiers however what the VEA ran into was the three divisions of the Duchess' Own Bunker Hill Guards, comprising the most loyal Reunionist soldiers(1). The Attack would begin at 0830h and the battle would carry on though two days until reinforcements were brought up on October 24th and the VEC was forced to withdraw. The battle of Weymouth is famous for the first use of a machine gun in warfare, when the Pine Tree Guards used seven Grinder Guns (2). Developed by gun smith Ambrose Grinder, these machine gun fired .58 caliber cartridges. Standard paper cartridges were loaded into re-usable metal tubes. A separate percussion cap was fitted to a nipple at the rear of this tube, effectively creating a centerfire cartridge, and the loaded tubes were placed into a funnel shaped hopper, which gave the weapon its "coffee mill" appearance. Like Taylor’s action to the north the battle of Weymouth cost the VEC a high price in lives with 1,500 killed and 2,500 wounded. The New English lost 1,300 killed and 1,800 wounded. However, unlike in the north here the New English did not yield one inch of ground.

A Grinder Gun on display in the Imperial War museum in London

Pine Tree Guardsmen pose with their Grinder Guns following the battle of Weymouth


Battle of Stoneham

Taylor and the CANE attacked the defenses at Stoneham at first light however they soon realized that they were fighting British Regulars not New English soldiers. The battle became a bloody brawl fought more with the Bayonet, Axe, and Knife than rifle volley. Once more the McKnight rifles proved worth their weight in gold and gave the Commonwealth soldiers a big advantage in the ten hour long battle. Allowing them to drive the British defenders out of their earth works by the time the sun set the Commonwealth soldiers held the defenses and the village behind them. However Taylor had paid a butcher bill he had lost close to 3,500 men killed and 5,000 men wounded. The British lost 1,300 killed and 2,600 wounded, with 600 captured.

Battle of Newton

The battle of Newton was different from the other two battles that form the battle Boston. That is because it was at Newton that General Maxwell Barkley the Second Corps of the British 5th Army along with the 13th and 16th Corps of the Royal New English Army planned to trap as much of the Vermont 3rd Army as possible. To do this he made the center section of his line weak hoping that the Vermont soldiers would break though there. When the battle began just before dawn on October 21st. Thatcher’s men did exactly what Barkley wanted them to do. They blew through his center and penetrated all the way to the banks of the Charles River. Before the British and New English flanks started to encircle them. Disaster was narrowly averted by the Vermont Cavalry’s almost suicidal charge as dusk fell preventing the two Flanking attacks from uniting and forming a pocket. The battle would continue well into the night as the Vermonters fought to escape the pocket while the British and and New English fought to close the pocket. Sometime around 0300h they would manage to link up their flank attacks trapping 15,000 men along the river bank. The rest of the Vermont 3rd army would fall back to Worchester and regroup. By Noon on October 22nd the exhausted men trapped in the pocket would surrender, amongst them was a dying Major General Thatcher who had been too wounded to try and escape, he would die two days later on October 24,1844. The Vermont 3rd army had been reduced by a third.

Aftermath

Following the Battle of Boston the American Armies would begin to pull back. Taylor would link up with the Vermont 3rd Army now under the command of Major General Daniel Childress at Worcester while the VEC would fall back to Providence. In Boston the British and New English forces had staved off the fall of the Capital of the Crown Republic of New England, found there Victory soured by the news of the defeat the Royal New English Navy had suffered at Block Island. Instead of pursuing the defeated American Armies chose to resupply the demoralized New English forces.

1. Think Nazi Waffen SS without the eugenics based genocide.
2. Grinder Guns are the OTL Coffee mill Guns developed in the civil war. the description comes from Wikipedia

 

[Virginia Liberal]

So today marks the 5th Birthday of God Save These American States.

The next chapter will take us back to the Mexican Front

As always comments, Concerns, Ideas are always welcome. If you have a name you would like to see in this story feel free to let me know if there is something you would like a chapter done on also feel free to let me know

I hope all of you who have read and or subscribed to this form over the years enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it.

 

[Virginia Liberal]

The Tamaulipas Campaign

Following the Surrender of Santa Anna The Commonwealth Army of the Trans Mississippi marched on the city of Port Isabella and captured Mexico’s northern most naval base. Then they continued south pushing past the garrison at the city of Matamoros as they Crossed the Rio Grande. Randolph’s objective was twofold: he aimed to take the port city of Tampico and Ciudad Victoria the capital of the province of Tamaulipas. Randolph hoped that if he could take and hold them both that maybe just maybe the CAS could advance the border south of the Rio Grande. However his army of the Trans Mississippi was down to just 75,000 men at this point. Whether or not he could accomplish this or not Randolph didn’t know but his men were eager to be across the river and taking the war to Mexico.

Randolph’s first test would come on October 17,1844 when his men would come across a force of 30,000 Mexican Infantry supported by two batteries of field guns dug in along the hills south of the town of San Fernando along the San Fernando River. The battle of San Fernando would begin at 1300h when Randolph’s men shook out of column and into the battle formation. Looking to keep casualties to a minimum so he used his superior numbers and most importantly cavalry. This gave him the advantage of mobility, which allowed the Commonwealth soldiers to easily get around the Mexican’s flanks forcing them to withdraw after just three hours of battle. San Fernando would be followed by the battle of Taberna de la Serpiente Verde (the Green Snake Tavern) two days later on October 19,1844. This time the Mexican Defenders were able to use the terrain to delay Randolph’s advance for a full day before having to withdraw. Instead of withdrawing to the west they chose to withdraw to the south moving to reinforce the defenders of Tampico. Seeing this Randolph detached George Burns’ Georgia Division and a Brigade of South Carolinian Infantry and 3 batteries of field guns to advance on Ciudad Victoria. Burns was to capture and hold the city if at all possible but not to risk his force by attacking a superior enemy; while the rest of the Army marched on Tampico.

October 25,1844 Burns and his men arrived at the Capital of Tamaulipas to find the city undefended. The Provincial Government buildings were empty with the Governor and the Provincial assembly having fled to the town of Tula in the western part of the state. Burns had his men start fortifying the pass to the west of the city while the South Carolinians secured the pass south of the city. The rest Division would deploy in and around the city while Burns would set up his headquarters in the Governor's Palace.

One week later on October 31, 1844 the Randolph's main army would run into the 4th Imperial Army commanded by Major General Ferdinand Juan Valdez. The 4th Imperial Army was tasked with the defense of the port of Tampico. To do this it had a standing force of four divisions of Infantry, one division of cavalry 24 batteries of field guns and over 54 batteries of heavy artillery in the forts around the city. Added to this was the 3 divisions that had retreated from San Fernando. Valdez had moved the bulk of his force west to the Ridge line just east of the village of Esteros. There with 5 divisions of infantry ,a brigade of cavalry and 12 batteries so field guns he began building trenches along the ridge. Valdez also deployed a division of infantry, a brigade of cavalry and 6 batteries of artillery north to the banks of the Tiger river across from the village of Morón where the ferries for the river crossing were kept.

Randolph’s attack would begin at 1400h on October 31st. It started with a feint at the Mexican left flank by the 1st Ozark Dragoon Brigade and the 4th Louisiana Cavalry Brigades, along with the 38th North Carolina Infantry Division and the 138th South Carolinian Infantry Brigade. These attacks were simply a distraction and by 1600h they had bogged down and were forming a line across from the Mexican Earthworks. While that attack was ongoing Randolph sent his main punch at the Mexican Right flank on the top of the ridge. Three Divisions the 13th Georgia Infantry Division, the 75th Virginia Infantry Division, and the 3rd Florida Infantry Divisions struck the Mexican Right flank. The battle would be fought on both ends throughout the rest of the day however as darkness fell neither could claim victory.
When the morning of November 1st dawned the battle or the ridge would resume Randolph had pulled various brigades taken from across the line together overnight to create a light division (about 8,000 men). Led by a young Brigadier General Howard Garnes Pickett of Virginia, Randolph planned on using this division to punch through the Mexican Center and hopefully unravel the Mexican positions. To aid in this the Light Division would be joined by the 1st Ozark Dragoons Brigade for this attack that had been dubbed Pickett's Charge by one of Randolph’s staff.

The attack would begin at 0900h after large artillery bombardments on both flanks were ordered to pull the Mexicans attention to their flanks. The Mexican’s center had been untouched yesterday so the means that Pickett and his patchwork division were attacking were fresh and in good earthworks they were able to pour lead into the Commonwealth attack. Pickett's charge was not a traditional charge like was seen in earlier wars. No the Commonwealth soldiers and commanders had been in the process of doing away with those tactics when the war began. No Pickett's men advanced by taking turns, one company firing while the other advanced the leap frog tactics allowed them to mitigate the high amount of Mexican lead that was being thrown around. Once they made it to the Mexican trenches it became a melee.

The Commonwealth Soldiers fought well but at the end of the day they were just short on numbers to be able to punch through and by 1200h the Mexicans had gathered a reserve together and were able to force the Commonwealth soldiers to withdraw. Following the repulsion of Pickett’s charge Randolph would hold position for the rest of the day after he and Valdez agreed to a Cease fire to care for the wounded. On the Morning of November 2nd Randolph and the Commonwealth Army of the Trans Mississippi would withdraw from Esteros. They would march north to the small village of Villa Manuel where they would encamp and take up defensive positions for any possible Mexican counter attack. Valdez however much he might want to could not follow up on his victory as his force was tied to the defense of the City of Tampico. He would leave 25,000 men and 4 batteries of artillery at Esteros and march the rest of his men back to the city.

Randolph may have not been able to secure Tampico right here and now but he and his men controlled the Northeastern 1/3 of the state of Tamaulipas. As he began the long process of politicking for reinforcements, Randolph also reached out to the Commonwealth Navy's Gulf Fleet maybe a joint operation would be possible to take the city of Tampico. In particular he sent several letters to newly promoted Major General Winfield Scott commander of the newly form CASN Marine Corps.

The city of Tampico

 

[Virginia Liberal]

Nice December 21,1844

The City had never truly been ready for a siege, things were manageable until the Italians drove the French Navy from the Mederaterrain Sea and started a very effective Blockade of the city’s port. Had been the signing of a death warrant for everyone in the city, and by the start of winter the city was starving. It should surprise few then when on December 21,1844 the City garrison surrendered to the Italians. The importance of the Fall of Nice cannot be understated. By capturing the port intact the Italians had secured an open supply line that didn’t rely on the passes through the mountains.

North Africa December 25,1844

As 1844 drew to its end in North Africa the Italian Campaign would climax on Christmas day when the Italian Army of Tunis would storm the defenses and the beleaguered French Defenders of the Port of Oran. After two days of fighting the French soldiers with their positions over run would be forced to surrender. With the Fall of Oran the last French Army in North Africa was taken off of the map; all that was left was for the Italians to mop up any hold out French garrisons to become the master of North Africa.

Naples, Italian Empire.

The Fall of Nice and Oran would embolden Napoleon II and actually give him hopes of gaining some territory on the western side of the Alps, and all of Algeria. This even as overall support for the war amongst the Italian People was waning. As 1844 became 1845 and the war weariness started to show on the Italian Home Front.,the Second War of Spanish Succession was entering its third year. Within the halls of the Italian Assembly and Senate there were many who were looking for a possible end to the fighting; after all the reason for the War, to protect Spanish Independence had already been lost with the collapse of the Government of the Kingdom of Spain, and its surrender to France.

Throughout December and January there was much back and forth in the Italian Government over whether or not to begin peace talks with the French. The camp to continue the war found it increasingly hard to justify continued hostilities with France. They held all of the objectives that had been mapped out at the start, save Spanish Independence. And help a good chunk of Southeastern France they could trade to ensure they got what they wanted out of any potential treaty. Finally at the end of January the Imperial cabinet agreed to inform their allies in London that they would approach Paris about a peace treaty at the end of February, unless London found ample incentives for them to continue the War.

London,England

Across the English Channel there were similar talks going on. The war had not gone as planned, in Europe or North America. Only in India, and of course on the seas had Britain been victorious. However there was no appetite to end the war just yet. This was held even after word of Italy's plans to seek peace with France and her allies.

This did change the British view on how to fight the war. An additional 350,000 men (330,000 infantry and 20,000 cavalry) are to be sent to the Duke of Mann to bring his command up to 475,000 men with more field guns and Heavy Artillery batteries to match, more than enough to hold Cherbourg. And another 80,000 infantry, 40,000 cavalry, 45 batteries of Field guns and 15 batteries of Horse Artillery would be sent to Gibraltar, bringing the Duke of Norfolk's army up to 175,000 men. Along with Instructions to Norfolk to plan an offensive to seize the port city of Cadiz as well as Seville and if possible Malaga, it was time to reopen the Iberian front.

Also it was decided to remind the Swedish who they picked a fight with. The Royal Navy was given the task of preparing the way for an invasion of Denmark in the fall when more troops were available. Britain would restore the Nation of Denmark to the Map of Europe as a Dominion of the British Empire. Word was sent for a division of cavalry to be sent to Australia from India to capture the Swedish colony on the Northern coast.

Then there were the Americans to deal with. The Royal Navy was tasked to send additional ships to the American theater. The reports of Iron Monsters flying the flag of the Federal Republic of America were dismissed as the New English covering up their incompetence. However no additional troops were to be sent as they were needed in Europe.

Mexico City, Empire of Mexico.

The war was not going to plan either in the North. The column from Alto California was still making its way east the March proving more difficult than planned at best they would be in a position to strike the Americans in New Mexico come the spring. Then there were the Americans that had crossed the Rio Grande and engaging the 4th Army around Tampico. No Mexican Armies operated north of the River anymore.

The South brought better news. After fighting a major battle at Tegucigalpa in which neither side had been able to claim victory even if the Rebels had had to abandon the city which served as their capital afterwards. This had however driven the hardliners in the Rebellion leadership out of positions of power, and allowed the moderate to take over. This had led to the Choluteca Accords that were signed on October 5, 1844. In these Accords the Rebels agreed to lay down their arms and end hostilities against the Empire of Mexico. In exchange Emperor Cristobal I would recognize the Grand Duchy of Mesoamerica as an autonomous part of the Mexican Empire. With it's own parliament that would handle the Dutchy's domestic affairs, and tax policies as long as they met the required income quotas set by the Imperial Government. With the Rebellion settled the Imperial Army would head north at the start of January 1845 to help drive the Americans back across the river.

Domestically and politically the Empire was doing ok. The populus was more behind the war effort now that the Empire had been invaded than it had been before when Imperial armies had been driving on New Orleans. The creation of the Grand Duchy of Mesoamerica had riled up the imperialist of the Imperial Eagle party's supporters but most of the people thought that maybe just maybe the constant rebellions would be over and done with.

 

[Virginia Liberal]

The Prague Conference of 1845

The French would agree to peace talks between them and the Italians. Louis XVII was tired of the war as were the Majority of the French people. So on March 11, 1845 the French Foreign minister Lucien Bonnel, Marshall Achille Dufour General in Chief of the Royal Army and Xavier Charles Louis de Bourbon the Duke of Berry and the king's youngest brother would travel to Prague the capital of the Czech Republic who had agreed to mediate the peace talks. There they would meet with Giorgio Victor Napoleon Bonaparte, Duke of Corsica, the Foreign minister of the Italian Empire, Consul Ermanno Bonaparte, and Marshall Sacco.

To say that these talks were tense would be the understatement of the year. The Italians may have tired of the conflict but they had not forgotten the fates of Francisco and his daughter who was a Bonaparte though her mother, or Marius Bonaparte. Of the three sent to negotiate only Ermanno Bonaparte was actually looking to create a viable peace treaty, Giorgio Bonaparte was against any peace treaty that didn’t see Spain liberated whether the Spanish wanted it or not. While Marshall Sacco was indifferent on the subject; he was ok with ending the war as long as any treaty reflected the success of the Italian fighting men. After the first week of negotiation had ended the President Augustýn Vykopal of the Czech Republic commented to an aide that “ These talks are a waste of my time. The Italians Insist on the French recognizing their gains in the Mediterranean and North Africa while the French refuse to admit that they have lost most of the major battles in this war.”

The back and forth would continue though March and into April. With the spring campaign season starting Sacco was moving into the continuation of the war camp with Giorgio Bonaparte and even Ermanno Bonaparte was losing hope in reaching a deal. The Italians had reached Three non negotiable points for any treaty.
1) French acknowledgement of the Italian Annexation of the Kingdom of Sardinia,
2) French acknowledgement of the Italian Annexation of the Island of Corsica, and Algeria.
3) French an official apology from King Louis XVII and the French government for the Assination of King Francis of Spain and Princess of Astoria Élisabeth Louise de Bourbon.
4) an indemnity payment to the Italian Imperial Family for the deaths of Princess of Astoria Élisabeth Louise de Bourbon, and Marius Napoleon Bonaparte, as well as the Return of Gilberto Emanuel Facile Bonaparte to the Italian Imperial Family.
When it came to the occupied lands west of the Alps the Italians were willing to return it to the French if they accepted the aforementioned terms of the treaty.

For their part the French were willing to agree with the first and second Italian demands. They however refused to admit that they ordered the assignation of King Francisco and his daughter and for all intents and purposes Marius Bonaparte died in battle as good as he got. And the French were damned if they were gonna let Gilberto Emanuel Facile Bonaparte and allow the establishment of a pretender to the Spanish throne though any future children he might have. Instead the French offered to pay reparations of up to one milling gold louis over the course of 30 years in return for the Italians pulling back across the Alps

Finally by April 24,1845 Sacco and Giorgio had had enough the spring campaign season was right around the corner they informed Ermanno Bonaparte that if the a solution to the Impasse had not been reached by the end of April that they would return to Italy and let the soldiers in the field settle the Issue. In desperation Emmanno wired his cousin Napoleon II, however the reply that he received from the emperor one line GILBERTO MUST BE RETURNED NAPOLEON. STOP. With this one sentence the Prague Conference fell apart. Emmanno would continue to work for a peace deal however on April 28th Marshall left the talks to Return to Turin where his headquarters was, in his place he left his aide de camp Colonel Poldi Moretti. On May 1st Giorgio Bonaparte and Colonel Moretti along with a sullen Emmanno Bonaparte departed Prague on a southbound train having failed to reach a peace deal. The War would continue.

 

[Virginia Liberal]

Williamsburg, CGD

Bolivia has not been added to the flags yet will come after the war(s) are completed.


The past year has seen nothing but good things for the Commonwealth of American States. They had successfully ended the Colombian War with a Victory securing massive amounts of new territory for the Commonwealth. Elsewhere Commonwealth armies had driven the Mexicans and the Louisianian Traitors south of the Rio Grande, to top that off Commonwealth forces had crossed the river and invaded the Mexican Province of Tamaulipas, taking its capital and were engaging Mexican forces around the Port City of Tampaco.

Meanwhile, in New England General Taylor’’s Commonwealth Army of New England had proved vital to the fall offensive that saw the war taken to the very gates of the Royalist Harlott city known as Boston. Then to top it off on December 27,1844 Brigadier General Alexander McGreggor and the 7th East Carolinian Infantry Brigade managed to capture Freetown the capital of the British Sierra Leone colony.

However, despite all the Victories the morale on the home front continues to sag. In the Fall of 1844 the songs Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier and When Johnny Comes Marching Home would both sweep across the CAS as the population dealt with the losses that the country had dealt with since the start of the war in 1841. This added ever growing pressure for the political leaders to find ways to end these conflicts. As the Spring of 1845 neared it was hoped that the Prague Conference would provide a back door for a more General peace conference however when it collapsed at the end of April the hopes that the wars were ending before the spring died with it and with heavy hearts and ever growing graveyards the people of the C.A.S. hunkered down for another year of war, hoping that maybe just maybe 1845 would be the year that lead to a peace deal in 1846. To try and alleviate some of these woes several states chose alternate recruiting methods to meet the recruitment calls for the upcoming campaign seasons. Virginia and Maryland would choose to fulfill their yearly recruitment quota by raising more Colored Divisions. Even North Carolina who had not yet passed an emancipation act would pass the Buffalo Soldiers Act of 1845; this act allowed the State Government to purchase two divisions worth of male slaves with enough funds to raise a third should the need arise to serve in the Army of North Carolina. These slave soldiers were to be paid three dollars a month (1) and be granted their freedom upon the end of the war. The Buffalo Soldiers Act was filed as a war time measure meaning that upon the end of hostility it would become inactive.

The war was also starting to take a toll on the Commonwealth’s Economy. The Economy of the richest states in the Commonwealth; South Carolina, Georgia and Louisiana depended upon trade with Europe. But with the Commonwealth and the British Empire now at war the seas were no longer safe for C.A.S goods to sail to non hostile ports meaning that as the war continued warehouses started emptying of European Goods and filling with cotton that could not be shipped across the ocean. Those ships that did attempt the voyage found themselves captured or sunk six times out of ten. All of these meant that the Cotton states were facing a recession if the war continued, for an extended period of time. To help stall a general recession, industries in Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina began buying as much cotton from the cotton states as they could; however with markets limited to the C.A.S. and the Federal Republic of America there was only so much that they could do. What this did do was strengthen the manufacturing economy of those states and keep manufactured goods on the store shelves throughout the Commonwealth which kept civilian morale from falling even faster. Still for Chancellor Harrison the writing on the wall was clear the Commonwealth was staring a recession in the face within two years at the current rate, he could only hope that thanks to the actions of the industrializing states it might be a mild one.

(1) A white private in the Army of North Carolina makes 11 dollars a month. While the 11 dollars a month was fairly common across the C.A.S with only Virginia paying slightly more at 11.50 dollars a month. Virginia and Maryland paid their Colored troops 5 dollars a month.

 

[Virginia Liberal]

Farmville Gets a Railroad

Since the start of the railroad revolution the small town of Farmville Virginia has sought a rail connection of it's own. In the early 1830s there was hope that the to be constructed Southside Railroad connecting Petersburg to Lynchburg could be persuaded to run its line via the central Virginia town. However the Southside Railroad went under before the first track was laid so farmville had to start over (1). The Richmond and Southern Railway entertained the idea of constructing the Southside RR's route from Burkeville to Farmville but the idea of bridging the Appomattox River and after the James River and Kanawha RR bought the R&S these plans were shelved permanently. However there was one Railroad left in the area the Chesapeake and Allegheny RR's low grade line from Norfolk to Salem ran to the south of Farmville though Abilene Va. Finally Farmville found a Railroad willing to build tracks to the town. Beginning in 1839 the C&A would construct a branch line From Meherrin Va to Farmville with stations at Redd Shop, Worsham, and Kingsville in addition to Farmville. Despite the wars of the 1840s the line would open with only minor delays in 1848.

(1) OTL Farmville did indeed bribe the Southside Railroad to rout its tracks though the town instead of taking the low grade rout though nearby Abilene the N&W of which the Southside RR became a part would build a belt line around Farmville along this route in the 1950's.
(2) The Chesapeake and Allegheny run on the OTL Virginian Railroad's trackbed but currently stops at Salem Va.

 

[Gentleman Johnny]

The wars the CAS have gone through have been absolutely devastating. I fear for what ramifications are sure to come. How much longer than the populace stomach never ending war before national unrest boils over? I suppose this has been tempered by the CAS seeing success, but still...

 

[Virginia Liberal]

For the longest time now the CAS has. Been relying on its cotton exports to fund so much of its government and national defense (Navy and Marine Corps) now when the World is in. Fire that falls apart. Honestly the CAS is much better off for domestic industry than the OTL south was. But with the Cali Gold Going to Mexico the Americans of all three countries are poorer than OTL. But yes @gentlemen Jonny is right. The CAS is economically on a time crunch now. There wont be much in the way of civil unrest as long as the war track stays in their favor, but politically the more hawkish parties are gonna be hurting come the next round of elections, Harrison and the rest of the CMDP leaders are realizing this as these wars drag on and on.

Next up will be the FRA update.

 

[Virginia Liberal]

Hamilton, FD

In the Federal Republic of America 1844 was viewed with a sense of triumph. Over the course of the year the soldiers and sailors of the Federal Armed Forces had pushed the Invading Indians and their British masters out of the States of Mississippi, Ohio, and Erie. As the year ended the Royalist forces held only toe holds on American soil namely New Istanbul and Toledo.

In New England the Vermont Expeditionary Army had along with forces of the Vermonter Army and the Commonwealth Army of New England had pushed the New English lap dogs out of what had been the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island. Then the men of the VEA along with their allies had marched to the very gates of Boston before the New English and those damned able Grinder Guns had forced them to turn back. Still the VEC was encamped in the City of Providence, and the war in the Northeast was being fought on New English soil not Vermonter soil.

In January Samuel Colt was able to present what would become the American Answer for the Grinder Gun the Colt Rotary Gun. The Rotary Gun operation centered on a cyclic multi-barrel design which facilitated cooling and synchronized the firing-reloading sequence. As the hand wheel is cranked, the barrels rotate clockwise and each barrel sequentially loads a single round of cartridge from a top-mounted magazine, fires off the shot when it reaches a set position (usually at 4 o'clock), then ejects the spent casing out of the left side at the bottom, after which the barrel is empty and allowed to cool until rotated back to the top position and gravity-fed another new round. This configuration eliminated the need for a single reciprocating bolt design and allowed higher rates of fire to be achieved without the barrels overheating quickly.(1) The Colt Rotary Gun would be adopted by all American Block nations by the end of 1845 however the only nation of the block to use them in battle would be the FRA.

Even on the seas the Federal Navy had struck blows for victory over the Royalist and their lap dogs in Boston. The new Ironsides class of warships had proven how deadly they were in the battle of Block Island Sound, where the Federal Navy’s Iron Fleet had destroyed a good portion of the New English Royal Navy. The Fleets on the Great Lakes had gone out hunting but had been unable to find their British counterparts before the autumn storms made the lakes unsafe for seafaring.

If the war news was great and the home front news was good the political news was bad. It had begun back in the spring with Secretary of War Thomas G. Garfield had had Alexander Hamilton Jr removed from his command of the 1st Army and placed in charge of the defenses of New York Harbor. Garfield, a native of Buffalo, differed from the Hamilton's and other “Eastern Federalists” on what the party should be focusing on politically. To Garfield this war was a waist of time the Country should get over this lament for the territory lost by the old Unites States of America, why cry after something that the Federal Republic of America never owned. To Garfield and his “Western Federalist” they should end the war today status quo antebellum and get back to turning the Federal Republic of America into an Industrial powerhouse and let the rest of the world even the other American republics burn. However it should be noted that even though Garfield called his followers “Western Federalist” most of them came from New Jersey, Delaware and western Pennsylvania not the actual western states; those states were solidly in the Hamilton camp.

This split in the Federalist Party would come to a head in the Fall of 1844 with the New York Governor’s election. Garfield had announced in July just a month after he had removed Alexander Hamilton Jr from command that he was going to seek the party's Nomination for Governor of New York. Hamilton would resign his commission in the Federal Army to challenge Garfield for the Federalist Party’s nomination for the Governor's race. For Garfield, Hamilton challenging him was a political death sentence, outside of the Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse areas Garfield had almost no name recognition, and needed the full weight of the party to get him elected. In the Party’s convention that August Hamilton won the Nomination by a landslide. Yet the Slighted Garfield not realizing he was sleeping in the bed he had made for himself broke with the party. His supporters would Run a separate Federalist Campaign for Governor. When April 8th rolled around the split Federalist ticket would see the Federalist lose the Governorship of the State of New York for the first time since Arron Burr had held the Seat. The American Whig Candidate Daniel Edward Pennington had carried the day.

Following the loss of the Governorship Garfield would suffer a second more painful slight was Van Burren would place Alexander Hamilton Jr. Garfield’s spot as Secretary of War. Shunned and slight Thomas Garfield and his followers would fully break with the Federalist Party and form the Federal Republican Party. While only three sitting Senators left the Federalist Party to Join Garfield’s new party it was enough to reduce the Federalist majority to a single seat, and the Consul’s vote.

New York Governor's Race
American Whig Daniel Edward Pennington 42%
Federalist Alexander Hamilton Jr. 32%
Federalist Thomas G. Garfield 21%
American Party Grover Vaughn 5%

State	Federalist	Federal Republican	American Whig	American Party
New York	2	1	0	0
New Jersey	0	1	1	1
Pennsylvania	0	0	2	1
Delaware	1	1	1	0
Erie	2	0	1	0
Ohio	2	0	1	0
Mississippi	1	0	1	1
Totals	8	3	7	3

Van Buren’s cabinet as of April 25, 1845
Secretary of State::Benjamin Bernard Bassett (Fed-Del)
Secretary of War: Alexander Hamilton Jr (Fed-Ny)
The Secretary of the Treasury Osmand Vedat Tansel (Fed-Ms)
The Secretary of Industry: Ebenezer J. Pettus (American Whig-Pa)
The Consul of the Senate: Richard S. Sherman (Fed-Oh)

1. From the Wikipedia entry for the Gatling Gun

 

[Virginia Liberal]

Would anyone like to see a winter update on a nation not done already before I move on into the spring ?

 

[Gentleman Johnny]

Could we perhaps get a look at the inside of Royalist New England? I wonder what their thought process is and what plans they may have for the war. Outside of that, maybe Brazil and/or Australia. Also, if Vermont wins the war and presumably annexes New England, will they reform the United States of New England or will they just be a super big Vermont?