alternatehistory.com

11 August

Troop landings take place in and around Charleston, using the threat of the British ships now able to go where they wish in the harbour to make the landings go more smoothly. The process takes most of the morning, and by noon about twelve thousand troops are ashore.
In the face of potential naval gunnery, the Charleston (and hence South Carolina) government has evacuated northwards, joining up with the SC militia to the north of the city itself. Many of the residents also do so, though a large number elect to remain in their homes - and are somewhat dismayed to discover that the British follow an old principle of theirs, which is that slaves belonging to an enemy are to be freed essentially at will.
(There are, indeed, some concerns over whether there is space on the transports to take all the freed slaves.)


News of this liberationism reaches the South Carolina militia at about half past two, and the reaction is very angry indeed. With the exception of the regiments shredded by the 67th (most of whom have gone home anyway) morale is high and the commanders assemble plans for a battle to defeat the British and make it impossible for them to hold Charleston.


The HMS Caledonia, carrying an armament of 68 pounders and 110 pounders (with her planned Somerset guns unavailable) puts in at Gosport in Virginia for a courtesy call.
This underlines the current British position on the Confederacy - which is, essentially, that it is not their fault as a whole that South Carolina is being so terrible.


In Kyoto, an emissary of the Shogun explains to the volcanically angry Maitland that he was honour-bound to attack by his Emperor. As the attack has failed, however, he wishes to apologize and to make restitution both for earlier and recent incidents.
The price demanded in compensation is a little eye-watering, and one which Iemochi considers would be intolerable to the Japanese people to simply pay - however, the wreckage in Kyoto harbour has given him an idea.
Having heard tales of the recent Trent War, he formally offers to purchase a Zodiac class ironclad - a class of ship he is aware the British are likely to have too many of - for a substantial markup on the original purchase price.

Reports suggest that Maitland came close to bursting out laughing at this point.
Taking the offer under advisement, he decides that it would perhaps be appropriate for him to head back to the United Kingdom and deliver his report in person - it is already late for his return, indeed his inheritance of the Earldom of Lauderdale is some months old and were it not for the Japanese crisis coming on the heels of the Trent crisis he would already be back in England.