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#21
July 13th, 2012, 05:13 AM
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Awesome TL! I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens around the election of 1860!
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Read The Phantoms of the Seventh to find out what happens when Custer gets a tank! Comments and Constructive Criticism much appreciated! 
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#22
July 13th, 2012, 12:55 PM
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Smashing!!!
This TL is amazingly believable and entertaining. You are doing a great job.
One thing I've always wondered, and perhaps you could answer it. Hoiw could John Brown and company be tried for treason to the state of Virginia? IIRC, they weren't citizens of Virginia!
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#23
July 14th, 2012, 12:34 AM
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Any idea when the next update will be?
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#25
July 14th, 2012, 03:50 AM
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Its a case of soil sovereignty in contrast to popular sovereignty. The Commonwealth considered Brown a US citizen because he was a citizen of Virginia.
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#26
July 16th, 2012, 01:54 AM
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Well back from a Crazy weekend so I figure I'd check this over as I start to assemble the next update (Finally
 ). I can promise one is coming but experience has taught me never to actually say when. That depends on how well my JSTOR and Shelby Foote readings go. The election of 1860 is a bit complex, and I haven't made the job of plotting it out any easier.Quote:
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I'm also debating how long it should be, I'm considering trying to knock out the whole election in one or maybe two posts, rather then the several I had originally intended. Move on to the shooting and all that. Quote:
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#27
July 16th, 2012, 01:58 AM
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Oh I missed this one, sorry.
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Also worth mentioning here for readers: I just did a minor edit on the Second update, around footnote 12. Canon now has Davis only promising specific posts to Chase, Fremont, and Seward in the Cabinet.
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#28
August 6th, 2012, 01:00 AM
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BUMP!!!BUMP!!
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"The choices of one shape the futures of all"
"Even the smallest decision can change the course of the future and enforce radical change"
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#29
August 8th, 2012, 08:04 PM
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Sorry for the delay folks.
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#31
August 9th, 2012, 08:03 AM
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Just found this TL and I am very impressed, it looks like you put lots of research and effort into this. With the Constitutional Union Party maybe gaining a few more votes then OTL (not sure if it will be a lot considering what you said earlier) and a separate Democrat ticket, we're going to see more vote splitting since the South will either go Democrat or Constitutional Party while the North will be split more often.
I hope to see more.
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#32
August 29th, 2012, 02:41 AM
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I have to admit I can't be certain that the Civil War will be bloodier or not, but I can promise its going to be very, very different. Quote:
You mention Vote splitting and you're right it was a big thing in 1860, for one thing Virginia wouldn't have Gone Constitutional Unionist if Douglas and Breckenridge had not been fighting each other. Not looking this up on Wikipedia at the moment, but I recall it being a very small vote lead there for Bell. A second impact of vote splitting was the attempt to stop it. More then half a million votes were cast in the election for the "Anti-Republican Fusion" which was a collection of both Democratic Parties and the Constitutional Unionists, agreeing to mixed slates of Electors in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and promising to vote for the overall winner nationally. They came close to winning in New York and won New Jersey, though as Lincoln won, he got some of those electors, while the others stayed with the North and voted Douglas. Of course, Fusion isn't possible or really sought for by the national leaders here.
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#33
August 29th, 2012, 02:43 AM
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And... long overdue, here's the next update. As always, comments and criticisms are welcome. Yell at me about whatever you want guys. And if I have any points wrong, I'd look into them, especially as there are such contradictory standpoints in Civil War History.
Part III: The Open Season Campaign While the election heated up, drama occurred elsewhere in the world. In Mexico, Juarez’ reformers pushed towards the end of their conflict in Mexico to create a Liberal government. In China the Taiping Rebellion continued. Shanghai was threatened and Henry A Burgevine, a Franco-American Sailor, mercenary and businessmen, led a Qing-allied force the Shanghai Foreign Arms Corp in a series of brilliant battles around that port city, saving it from being overrun by the Taiping fanatics . Frederick Townsend Ward, a Massachusetts Yankee merchant-cum-filibuster had sought the command, but then an unfortunately timed wounding occurred while he served as the Executive Officer on the gunboat Confucius, flagship of the Shanghai Pirate Suppression Bureau fleet. As his service was not helping the family business in Asia, Ward’s brother, sent his oft-renegade brother aboard a freighter heading right back to San Fransisco [1]. South of Juarez in Mexico another “Yanqui” (Though he would have opposed the term) was having another adventure fighting without the US Flag to his back. William Walker, the “King of the Filibusters” and once self-declared President of Nicaragua, had returned to Central America to carve another nation out for himself. This time the target was Honduras, where British settlers on the Bay Islands had sought his help in taking over the country, so they wouldn’t be brought under legal, local control. Walker’s departure from New Orleans had been with much fanfare, the radicalized Southerners seeing him off, hoping that he could create a new ally to the South, where Slavery would be reintroduced, white settlement would flourish, either as redoubt against abolition, or as a new Slave state to counterbalance a Free Kansas. Walker’s arrival in Honduras was much less enthusiastic. Landing on the mainland he immediately met stiff resistance. To Central America, Walker’s invasions were a focalizing point. They had not fought for their independence like the Mexicans or Colombians or Argentines had, they had simply kicked the Spanish out and secured their freedom based on Madrid’s war-weariness. But the threat of Walker, after his dictatorial rule in Nicaragua, was something that ignited that first, bright fire of nationalism that comes with an Independence war. While Walker’s force grew at a trickle, as Mercenaries and Southern Filibusters came in. Honduras received volunteers from across that region from Colombia Panama to Guatemala [2]. Holed up in Trujillo, Walker eventually began to realize that his plan was a failure. Heavy skirmishing erupted outside of the city and pressure built. Further problems erupted when word came that Captain Nowell Salmon, of the Royal Navy was on the way to arrest Walker. Upon hearing of this, Walker immediately surrendered himself, once more to the United States Navy, and headed back to New Orleans for, again, trial for violating the neutrality act. With that, the Honduran filibuster collapsed with several men caught and executed by the Latin American forces, with more others escaped back to New Orleans and Havana [3]. Back in New Orleans, Walker would quickly be found not guilty by a Federal Court and let go, returning to the publishing and lecture circuits that proved to be so popular for him in a south militarizing for conflict. -------------------- Back in the United States, the campaign was lurching forward. Its worth mentioning here that Mid 19th Century politics had a few interesting trends in it. One of these was “Marching Corps”, what we would consider in the modern era to be a Paramilitary Wing. Their work was mostly marching in parades. The Republican organization called “The Wide Awakes” in 1860 making a reputation for precision marching maneuvers at night with large torches. Other work often included recruitment for the party, and service as security to Republican figures, party events, and as muscle to secure “fair” access at the voting stations. Such organizations had risen and fallen off over the years, having been part of the Jacksonian Democrats, Anti-Masons, Know-Nothings, Free-Soilers, and the 1856 Republicans. But in 1860 the existence of the Republican organization was enough to incite panic in the hearts of the Southern body politic. It was not long after the first reports of Wide Awake Marches in the great northern cities that the Southern (Official) Democrats began to form their own legions. Below the Mason-Dixon they were often simply rebranded official and unofficial militias. In the north they were smaller, focused on cities like Philadelphia, St. Louis and New York, and the cities of the Old Northwest, where those Democratic elements that had not joined with Douglas felt under siege. These groups were less organized nationally, and used many names but the most common one was from the South, which would serve as a label for all of them, “Minute Men” [4]. With Republicans and the Southern Democrats surrounding them, this in turn forced the creation of such organizations for the Northern Democrats, with the “Douglas Invincibles”. Last on the ball were the Constitutional Unionists who produced across the South the “Young Hickories” [5]. In all cases the organizations were decentralized, loyal to a hilt and empowered by their ideals to serve as “Political Police” for their respective parties. Of course with the ideology of the Minute Men it was only a matter of time before their role as as Political Police meant that they would become an organization went on the offensive to ‘Solidify the South’. -------------------- The political fallout of the conventions increased election drama almost as much as nightly torch marches did. The biggest flap of them all was unsuprisingly in the biggest, intact party, the Republicans. And the issue was all about Lincoln’s Vice Presidential nominee, Nathaniel P Banks. The problem was Banks’ past association with the American Party, and the fact that one of the core constituencies in the Republican Party, which were absolutely critical across the “Republican Heartland”, German Immigrants. They had started to arrive in the US several years before, after the disastrous Revolution of 1848, the Liberals who had failed begain to leave en mass for the “Home of the Free”, seeking for themselves the Democracy and reforms they had sought in their homelands. But it was bad timing for immigrants, because at the same time, that these often Middle Class or Urban workers were coming, a poorer folk were also arriving in New York, Boston, and Philidelphia, the Irish, fleeing famine and their own oppression. And in reaction to the arrival of these poor, illiterate, Catholics, parts of the American population had responded poorly. The first “Wide Awakes” had been mobs of this American element, what we have come to know as the “Know Nothings.” For all the differences between the 48ers and the Irish, the treatment was the same, threats, isolation and a political front against all Immigrants. But as has already been noted, the Know-Nothings had failed, faded away, along with the Whigs who had embraced them. It had been this which had helped propell the Germans into the arms of the new Republican Party. It was this memory that threatened to turn them now against it. The GOP had played its hand carefully in regards to Banks, he had never run for any post as solely an American Party candidate, he had delivered next to nothing for them in regards to immigrant restrictions, he had been a supporter of Fremont in 1856. But the problem remained. The one saving Grace was that it was not as if the Germans had anywhere else to go. Except they did. The Douglas Party realized early on in their campaign that the Germans were a vote to be taken. While the Previous Democratic party was far too tarred by Slavery, the Tammany Conventions well covered rejection, and embracing of a stance that was reminiscent to the old Free Soil Party, which years ago the Germans had supported. Slowly but surely, a drift begain to take place and Douglas gained support from the constituency [6]. In response to this the Republicans began a major shake up. The ticket could not be changed, but party dynamics could. Since the convention Salmon P Chase, the leading Ex-Democrat in the Party had been riding high, hoping to set things up where he could be the man in control of Lincoln, whom he would use as a puppet and shield so that he would be more than ready to be the next President in 1864. But it was Chase’s wing of the Party, made up of Ex-Democrats many of whom had been Know-Nothings before joining the Republicans, that had begun to cause this crisis. Now was when former New York Governor William Seward begain to regain lost ground. His support by radicals (which was lukewarm after the convention) and moderates was harnessed in a mass national campaign. Stump speakers like Carl Schurz were pulled out of the Old Northwest and sent to the Cities, speaking time and again in German for support. Seward men from New England to California rushed to the Republican banner and fought hard for the party, aiming at their own supporters just as much as they fought hard against the opposition. The impact of such could not be made certain though, as both the Republicans and Douglas fought for the swing voters. -------------------- Douglas meanwhile, besides trying to woo cautious German voters, had his own fights to win. The official nature of the Southern Democrats and his machine support had allowed for many Northern Democrats to turn against him and support Cobb and yet others had declared for Houston. While Tammany Hall assured Douglas that such breakaways would not be able to win large amounts of votes, vote splitting was feared. In spite of the statements made at the Tammany Convention calls were then made by some elements in the party, such as Fernando Wood, the mayor of New York, for fusion ticket with the Constitutional Unionists and Southern Democrats [7]. Instead Douglas rejected this and begain what some consider the first modern presidential campaign. In violation of 80+ years of tradition he undertook a national speaking tour, crossing the nation in a private rail car, just as he had in the 1858 Senate campaign against Lincoln, provided by his friend, supporter and vice-president and chief engineer of the Illinois Central Railroad, George B McClellan [8]. Douglas traveled across the Union, north and south in an attempt to rally support, with much being said in the papers about his support from the Irish in New York and Charleston. -------------------- In the South, the Minute Men were the most remembered portion of the Cobb campaign. The speakers were the usual sort, the Fire-eaters mixed in spoke as they had for every election in recent memory, in the north, Official Democrats campaigned about corruption and the dangers of a collapsed Union, just as they had spoken in every recent election. But the Minute Men... they were something new. For the first time a Paramilitary wing was being used to intimidate and lash out against Political opposition. In Texas, brawls and duels begain to occur over the Cobb vs Houston argument, in Mississippi old Whigs saw their houses ransacked and businesses battered by stone and bottle, in Charleston a unit of Minute Men marched into the Irish district and fought a pitched brawl against the Pro-Douglas paddies. The old men of the Constitutional Union party refused to retaliate, though on occasion the Douglasmen of the south did. By mid-summer the Young Hickories, the Constitutional Union wing was guarding rallies with clubs, bowie knives and the occasional pistol. Blood and lives were being lost in the name of an American election. In New York City, the two Democratic factions fought each other, as the murder rate in the Five Points rose, for control over the instruments of Tammany power. .Across the South, as fears of a “Private Northern Army” marching down and finishing John Brown’s work rose, there would be between 150 and 200 lynchings, of Irishmen, slaves, freedmen, accused abolitionists, and Constitutional Unionists [9], no one was brought to trial across the South for a single one. The Minutemen were shown in many political cartoons as men with blood on their hands, meeting Democrats in the halls of power. But the worst single instance of organized violence during the Campaign was yet to come. -------------------- Maryland was as far South as Republican power went. While there were GOP voters in Virginia, Kentucky and Missouri, many who felt there was no presence of the Party below the actual Mason-Dixon line. But in Baltimore, and Annapolis, alongside massive Pro-Cobb populations were Liberal minded Germans, there were more in Frederick. There was also a very large number of Constitutional Unionists across the whole of the state, Douglas Democrats meanwhile were few in number, but present. In Mid-July, as the summer heat rose, so did the political tensions. And when Wide Awakes from across the whole state went on a march in front of the State Capitol those tensions exploded. A mob of Maryland Gangs, the “Plug Uglies” [10] and Minutmen attacked the protest, with Clubs, knives, and guns. The Wide-Awakes responded with their own pistols and clubs and with that, the tinderbox in Maryland ignited. Minutemen across the state moved on all three of the other parties. While Republicans were few in number, their combined strength almost entirely deployed in the Annapolis march, but the Douglas and Houston men were better prepared. As Republicans fled from the riot in downtown Annapolis, Minute Men began to attack Douglas Invincibles and Young Hickories in the city too, and it took only the first few reports to reach Baltimore before an even worse riot broke out there. Douglas Democrats and Republicans there, agreed to try and attack Minutemen clubs before they could move against them, of course, Cobb’s people were thinking the same thing, meaning large mobs were at once in the streets of the city, attacking each other in all quarters. In both cities soon fires were raging, caused by political arson and shooting. The Mayors of both cities moved only to protect those whom supported the official Democratic ticket, and to punish men of the other parties. Lynchings began to occur, the telegraphs were cut and the city soon seemed to be in Anarchy. State Governor Thomas H Hicks called up the militia to secure the state capital, both city halls, and the Naval Academy, but pushed no further. Telegraphs having been cut, communication was slow, but no order to push into the riots ever came. Hicks was content to wait, while also sending messages to Washington about the need for something to be done, so long as he didn’t have to do it [11]. While Hicks didn’t want to do anything that might damage his popularity, he had underestimated James Buchanan’s abilities to also not act. Instead, Buchanan sent a message to New York, where Winfield Scott had maintained the Headquarters of the United States Army for some years [12] asking for the General to do as he saw fit. When it finally arrived, Scott did just that. The 300 pound, 72 year old acted surprisingly quick. Troops forts along the Eastern Seaboard were ordered to Philadelphia, where he would personally meet them. The provisional force was equipped from the Harpers Ferry Arsenal. Governor William F Packer of Pennsylvania, offered his own militia to aid the movement, Scott respectfully declined but did deploy Pennsylvanians along the state border, as a reserve. What he did take was the Commander of the Philadelphia Militia, General Robert Patterson, veteran of the War of 1812 and the Mexican-War. Patterson was the officer North of Baltimore that Scott trusted most, and one of the few in the East with command experience of more than a company of troops. Thus, Scott provisionally reinstated Patterson’s commission and placed him in command of the “Emergency Brigade”. With that command decision made the “Brigade” marched South. In the 4 days it took to organize, much of Annapolis and Baltimore had burned, at least 100 people were killed and many times that wounded in both cities [13]. But by the arrival of the US Army, and the Maryland militia that Patterson had taken command of, the riots had mostly petered out. A few barrages of musket fire later and the last remnants of looters and paramilitaries broke. As Militia remained in the city, Patterson then moved on and the next day did the same in Annapolis. In both cities martial law was declared and what some would consider the first blood of the Civil War had been shed [14]. While Patterson had brought about peace, the numbers were rather clear, Republicans in Maryland were basically eradicated, as were Douglas Democrats, as survivors in both movements backed away from the campaign or left the state. The Minutemen had achived their goal, and broken the opposition in the state. While there would be no attacks on Constitutional Union meetings any time soon, their defeat in the streetfights only strengthened the Cobb camp in the state. -------------------- [1] IOTL the SFAC eventually suffered a series of defeats, before it was reorganized into the Ever-Victorious Army which helped bring an end to the decade’s long Civil War. Ward had been in command at the time, until his death in 1862. Incidentally he had seen a good deal of combat in China before the formation of either of those armies, while serving in the SPSB, a Sino-American funded force that sought to keep the Yangtze approaches clear of Taiping and renegade buccaneers. [2] Walker’s expedition didn’t last long enough IRL for this to happen, though there were immediate cries for such support to be sent. [3] The US Navy was trying to arrive on scene to arrest Walker IOTL. Unfortunately for the pirate, the Royal Navy got him first and handed him over to the people he had tried to conquer. And thus Walker is buried down in Central America, and not Memphis. [4] Due to fears that the Wide Awakes, a “Private Northern Army” would march South at any moment to destroy Southern society. It also was popular with the northern wings (Where there wasn’t the Fusion Ticket experiment) who felt besieged themselves, by Republicans and Douglas Democrats. [5] IOTL “Young Hickories” were another name for the Democratic organizations. As far as I’ve been able to ascertain I don’t think the Constitutional Unionists had their own Marching Wing. That makes a good deal of sense considering the party appealed to the Whiggish elements of the South, which of course had collapsed more than a decade ago. Its a party of older men, and older men don’t buy uniforms too easily to march in the dark after a full day at work. But under this kind of pressure, and with a more radical Southern Democratic party, they can grown and can form such an organization. They’ll have to too, considering... [6] The Free Soil Party of course had worked with elements of the Democratic Party thoughout their history, having been the descendants of the “Barnburner” Faction. German votes had helped establish a coalition of Democrats and Free Soilers that had controlled Congress in the mid 1850’s for a time. Its easy after Douglases rejection of Dredd Scott for such analogies to be made as the Free Soilers were never the most Whiggish kind of folks. [7] This is IOTL, and IOTL it was done, In New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania the election options were the Republicans and the Anti-Republican Fusion Ticket In New York they lost by 50,000 votes, and Fusion won in New Jersey. The means of having such a ticket, with the three parties working together was that the Electoral Votes were pledged to go to the winner of the National Election overall, therefor, if they would allow Douglas or Breckinridge to win they’d go to either man. Of course, this meant that ironically, when Lincoln won, he got several New Jersey votes by delegates following the letter of the agreement. Three of the delegates felt that was not the nature of the deal, and voted Douglas. [8] Yup, that happened. Both instances gave McClellan a very negative taste of Lincoln before he took command of the Army of the Potomac, his ego trip upon assuming command is what drove him to the ridiculous position he’s remembered for. IOTL anyway. [9] In reality probably 100-125 Blacks, free and slave, as well as supposed abolitionists met the fate during the election. Many Constitutional Unionists were threatened with a similar fate. [10] Plug Uglies were the gangs of the city that in 1861 plotted both to assassinate Lincoln as he came through the city, and who rioted against Union troops marching through in April as they moved to protect the Capital. [11] Hicks IOTL is the “Unionist” Governor who tried to force Lincoln to not send troops though Maryland and even ordered the state militia to burn all bridges between Baltimore and Pennsylvania. Later he became a Republican, and a Senator. Never showing any level of spine in his carrer. [12] The offices were in a house Bvt. Lt. Gen. Winfield Scott had bought himself, he lived next door and enjoyed hosting many a party in the office, while using West Point cadets as butlers, waiters and other such servants. He didn’t bring his Headquarters down to Washington until South Carolinian secession seemed imminent, in early December of 1860. [13] Numbers were taken from similar, citywide riots of the sort at the time, specificly the New York Draft Riot of 1863 where you do have similarly heavily armed mobs going after each other, and similar inaction by officials until the Army arose. I took the lowest number killed at that, and basically split it over two cities filled with armed mobs. As its purely hypothetical, I’m willing to accept different numbers. [14] Baltimore was not a city where riots were new though. While the Paramilitary conflict played a key role in this riot One has to remember that Baltimore had seen violent, murderous riots yearly since 1856 and the rise of the Know-Nothings in the city. Alot of the rage would have been built up over the years of such divisions, and the fall into anarchy of the city would allow current and long standing feuds to be brought to a head.
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Last edited by Japhy; August 29th, 2012 at 09:31 PM..
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#34
August 29th, 2012, 04:24 AM
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The next update is going to wrap up the election, and then we're going to start heading towards the Civil War. But if anyone wants supplemental stuff or has questions about what I've added tonight I'm fine working on it. I have a feeling I flew over things too quickly with this one.
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#35
August 29th, 2012, 05:50 AM
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This is fantastic man. You are really good at the political intrigues. Really good.
SO a chance for a maryland secession is possible if Lincoln still wins.
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"The choices of one shape the futures of all"
"Even the smallest decision can change the course of the future and enforce radical change"
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#36
August 29th, 2012, 09:19 AM
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What was the Patterson [12] supposed to say, I checked and you had nothing for it, other then that this was a fantastic update. Very chilling to see Cobb's lot slowly take over Maryland, it's a given that Cobb will lose but what will be interesting is whether it will be a Republican or Constitutional Unionist in power, which would warp the Civil War. The South may win but then again it would just collapse after a few years or the Civil War may have far far more casualties.
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#37
August 29th, 2012, 05:47 PM
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Great work so far, Japhy! Any approximate dates for these events?
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Last edited by Stolengood; August 29th, 2012 at 06:11 PM..
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#38
August 29th, 2012, 09:51 PM
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Breckenridge of course won Maryland, but yes, the Minutemen here are doing a much more broad sort of "enforcement" then they did IOTL, Baltimore-Annapolis though is representative of what they they will be willing to do enforcement wise across the South. And of course Baltimore Plug-Uglies were hideous gangs that caused all kinds of trouble (Riots yearly in Baltimore, "Franchise" Work of being hired out to go to cities all along the east coast to do political violence, and early Organized Crime) to make an engagement worse. Quote:
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#39
August 30th, 2012, 02:30 AM
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#40
August 30th, 2012, 02:37 AM
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