A House Divided Against Itself: An 1860 Election Timeline

[Gentleman Johnny]

So the rebles get organized. I wonder how many will face treason trials at the end?

You're assuming they lose. Which, they probably will. Most TLs like this on this site almost always have the Union victorious. Perhaps this TL will surprise, or perhaps not. I guess we'll have to see.

 

[TheRockofChickamauga]

So the rebles get organized. I wonder how many will face treason trials at the end?

Like @Gentleman Johnny said below

You're assuming they lose. Which, they probably will. Most TLs like this on this site almost always have the Union victorious. Perhaps this TL will surprise, or perhaps not. I guess we'll have to see.

That being said...

Spoiler

I'm not going to tip my hand to the ultimate result quite yet!

 

[TheRockofChickamauga]

1st Confederate States Congress

Senate: 22 Independents

President of the Senate: Albert G. Brown (I-MS)
Senate President pro tempore: John Slidell (I-LA)

Alabama
1. Clement C. Clay (I) (1865-)
2. Thomas H. Watts (I) (1865-)

Arkansas
1. Augustus H. Garland (I) (1865-)
2. Thomas C. Hindman (I) (1865-)

Florida
2. David L. Yulee (I) (1865-)
3. James M. Baker (I) (1865-)

Georgia
2. Robert Toombs (I) (1865-)
3. Martin J. Crawford (I) (1865-)

Louisiana
1. John Slidell (I) (1865-)
3. Judah P. Benjamin (I) (1865-)

Mississippi
1. Lucius Q.C. Lamar (I) (1865-)
3. Josiah A.P. Campbell (I) (1865-)

North Carolina
1. Abraham W. Venable (I) (1865-)
2. Thomas H. Ruffin (I) (1865-)

South Carolina
1. James L. Orr (I) (1865-)
3. Robert Rhett Sr. (I) (1865-)

Tennessee
2. George W. Jones (I) (1865-)
3. William T. Avery (I) (1865-)

Texas
1. Louis T. Wigfall (I) (1865-)
3. Guy M. Bryan (I) (1865-)

Virginia
1. Robert M.T. Hunter (I) (1865-)
2. George W. Randolph (I) (1865-)

House: 58 Independents

Speaker of the House: Charles M. Conrad (I-LA)
Chair, Ways and Means Committee: Thomas S. Bocock (I-VA)
Chair, Foreign Affairs Committee: Jabez L.M. Curry (I-AL)
Chair, Military Affairs Committee: Charles Clark (I-MS)

 

[dcharles]

You mean 1865, right?

 

[TheRockofChickamauga]

You mean 1865, right?

Yes

The ever-present risk of "copy and paste".

 

[Odinson]

Yes

The ever-present risk of "copy and paste".

Happens to the best of us. In one of my timelines, I discovered that my Google Doc didn't notice a very clear error, so what was originally supposed to be simple, American English, came out looking like Welsh after one or two pints.

 

[Ironshark]

well james mason



this is interesting





my guess is davis gets command in the Mississippi as he wanted?

 

[TheRockofChickamauga]

well james mason



this is interesting





my guess is davis gets command in the Mississippi as he wanted?

I'm kind of surprised that Mason is not used more in ATLs as CSA president. Then again, depending on their alternate circumstances, Virginia might not secede early enough (or at all) to allow him the opportunity.

As for Davis, I'll keep his future prospects under wraps for now

Spoiler

Partially due to me not having them 100% solidified yet in my mind...

 

[TheRockofChickamauga]

XLVII: Civil War Commences

Having made their escape from the Mexican authorities and destroyed their town of Soulé, Walker and his 500 compatriots had no where to go but forward. In their case, there was no forward but Nicaragua. Since Walker's first expedition there, the nation had been enjoying a period of relative political stability under the leadership of the man who had driven him out: Tomás Martínez Guerrero. Leader of the Conservative Party, his time in the presidency had marked a time of normalization and economic recovery after previously turbulent times. Popular for this with the both the public and his party, he had managed to secure an unconstitutional second term for the presidency in 1863. Although technically duly elected, his opponents balked at his trampling of civil laws of the nation, none more so than Máximo Jerez Tellería, leader of the Democratic Party. The past of Jerez, and his party at large, was messy, to say the least. It had been his party, with him at the helm, that had invited Walker to undertake his first filibuster in 1855. Although he subsequently cut ties with Walker when the walls began to close in (even temporarily allying with Martínez to restore home rule), the entire fiasco had marred his party's image in the public's eye, to say the least.

Nevertheless, Jerez did have a validly constitutional complaint at the turn of events. Due to Martínez's ineligibility, the presidency should have passed on to him as a result of his second place finish. When Martínez refused to transfer power and instead continued to hold to the powers of the presidency, Jerez saw in his eyes that he had little option to revolt against his undemocratic seizure of power. Jerez, however, was merely a politician (of the less popular party, no less) while Martínez was one of the most distinguished generals within Nicaragua. By 1864, he and his thoroughly defeated men were struggling to avoid the government forces of Martínez. As the Democratic revolt gasped for its last breathes of life, Jerez was confronted with the ultimate predicament. He had received word that Walker and a force that could turn the tide of the war were located nearby in Yucatan Peninsula. Facing the imminent destruction of his army and cause, Jerez decided to make a deal with the devil, sending a letter to Walker imploring him to once more return to Nicaragua and take command over the Democratic forces.

Intermittent Allies and Enemies: Martínez and Jerez
​

It was with this promise of new adventure (and power) in hand, along with the opportunity to redeem himself, that Walker and his filibusters set sail once more for Nicaragua. Quiet in their efforts, Martínez's soldiers were unaware of their journey until they had landed once more on Nicaragua's shores and united with the remnants of Jerez's command. Walker brought with him 500 men, who were divided into divisions under Charles F. Henningsen, Chatham R. Wheat, and Birkett D. Fry (all veterans of the last Nicaraguan filibuster). Adding to this number were Jerez and his remaining 100 guerrillas who had managed to escape Martínez. Although their 600 man number paled in comparison to the vast armies of Europe or the United States of America, they were facing only around 1,000 soldiers under Martínez. Further evening the odds were the better equipment available to the filibusters. Either side had a chance at ultimate victory, and thus the battles began in earnest.

After managing to land unmolested at Greytown and uniting his forces with Jerez, Walker began to march his men northwest to conquer the cities of Granada, León, and the capital of Managua. It was as the expedition began in this endeavor that Martínez finally began to receive reports of the development. Stunned by the rapid expansion of the Democratic army, he initially refused to believe accounts that Walker was at their helm. Only as they were closing in to the three cities and Walker began sending proclamations in his name that Martínez finally accepted that the dreaded filibuster had returned. Realizing that Granada, a city traditionally sympathetic to the Democratic cause, was the weakest of his three bastions, Martínez would effectively abandon it to the enemy. Instead, he would concentrate his forces in the defense of León and Managua.

By August 15, 1864, Walker and his men had reached the gates of Granada. Hoping to continue the impact of his surprise and not sure if to expect a siege or at least resistance from Granada that would lessen that effect, Walker would dispatch 300 of his men under Henningsen and Jerez to continue the march onto León while he focused on securing Granada. Due to the retreat of Martínez and the political sympathies of the city, Walker would find very little struggle at all in capturing the city. The León column, meanwhile, would find much more trouble for his efforts. Tensions were already high between the 200 foreign filibusters and 100 native Nicaraguans who composed it, and they only grew worse due to a command struggle between Henningsen and Jerez, both claiming overall command of the secondary expedition. Jerez had been officially cited by Walker as his second-in-command, but Henningsen's superior numbers in the column and their distrust, to say the least, of Jerez muddied his authority.

Ultimately, the dispute would lead to the slowing down that Walker feared would come. As the filibusters and natives bickered, Martínez and his soldiers were working hard to fortify the city of León, which was much more aligned with their cause. Having left 500 soldiers in the capital of Managua and 100 scattered as garrisons throughout the country, Martínez was personally leading the 400 man contingent in their defense of León. By the time Henningsen and Jerez arrived on August 30, the Conservative forces were more than ready for the assault. Any chance of victory for the Democratic-filibuster forces were squandered by a lack of coordination. Doubtful of the natives' courage, Henningsen informed Jerez that he would not join the assault until they had already begun the action to ensure they would not abandon his filibusters. Frustrated but with little leverage, Jerez accepted the terms and on August 31 led his ragged band against the prepared works. They were slaughtered by the massed fire of 400 enemies across open ground, with Henningsen only moving his men forward in support once Jerez's reached the trench line. By that point, the morale of the Democrats was very nearly shattered, and a rally personally led by Martínez drove them from the battlefield. Turning now to face the filibusters, a brutal slogging match occurred between the better-armed filibusters versus the numerically superior Conservatives. Once Henningsen found his troops unable to secure a foothold in the trenches, however, he would order a withdrawal, ending the Battle of León.

The Battle of León
​

By the final count, 14 Democrats had been killed with an additional 27 wounded and captured. The filibusters, meanwhile, suffered 7 killed and 16 wounded (who had been evacuated prior to the retreat to avoid their capture). Taken together, they suffered 21 killed and 43 wounded, in contrast to the 12 dead and 28 wounded of the Conservatives. With the strength of his contingent of Democrats nearly sliced in half following the engagement, Jerez lost any authority he had previously had, with Henningsen left as the undisputed leader of the column during their retreat to Walker. Outraged at the debacle, Walker seriously considered the possibility of having Jerez assassinated, even going so far as to broach the topic with his senior officers, but decided against it in order to keep the remains of the Democrats in his camp. In spite of the defeat at León, the "gray-eyed man of destiny" saw opportunity. With his position in Granada secure, he could afford to leave the city with a minimal garrison. If he moved quick enough and arrived before Martínez could return, Walker could have a numerical advantage (or at least parity) in an assault on Managua. Thus, Walker would leave the disgraced Jerez and his remnants of his Democratic command to garrison Granada as he and his armies purely consisting of filibusters moved to seize control of Nicaragua's capital. Thus, a race was initiated to see which side, Conservatives or filibusters, could manage to win control over the capital.

 

[SilentSpaniard]

Nice update! Interesting developments, Walker-related shenanigans.

XLVII: Civil War Commences

XLVII: "You thought it was a chapter about the American Civil War... But it was me, a chapter about the Nicaraguan Civil War!"

Only as they were closing in to the three cities and Walker began sending proclamations in his name that Martínez finally accepted that the dreaded filibuster had returned.

Martínez: "Dread Pirate Roberts Walker strikes again!"

Henningsen informed Jerez that he would not join the assault until they had already begun the action to ensure they would not abandon his filibusters.

Henningsen: "Wait! It could be dangerous... You go first!"

 

[TheRockofChickamauga]

Nice update! Interesting developments, Walker-related shenanigans.


XLVII: "You thought it was a chapter about the American Civil War... But it was me, a chapter about the Nicaraguan Civil War!"


Martínez: "Dread Pirate Roberts Walker strikes again!"


Henningsen: "Wait! It could be dangerous... You go first!"

I figured I should get back to Walker, and didn't want to break up the flow of any Civil War updates. The ability for misdirection only adds to the fun .

 

[Atlas of Independence]

Got around to finally reading all of the timeline so far, and wow, amazing work!

 

[TheRockofChickamauga]

Got around to finally reading all of the timeline so far, and wow, amazing work!

Thank you! I saw some interesting things in your own test thread, so I look to your eventual work as well.

 

[Atlas of Independence]

Thank you! I saw some interesting things in your own test thread, so I look to your eventual work as well.

I just released the first chapter of my timeline here actually!

 

[TheRockofChickamauga]

I just released the first chapter of my timeline here actually!

Just read through it and really interesting premise. I would recommend it to any who has enjoyed this TL to go read it.

 

[TheRockofChickamauga]

XLVIII: March on Managua

In order to march from Granada to Managua, Walker's filibusters faced an approximately 26 mile trek, as opposed to the approximately 83 miles separating Martínez from his capital. Walker calculated, and counted on, there being a window of around a week between when he arrived at Managua and when Martínez would be able to arrive and overwhelmingly outnumber him. Thus, as he departed with his 500 man army on September 7, Walker knew his only viable chance at success would come with defeating the 500 man garrison currently in Managua and then holding a defensive posture to throw back Martínez's 400. This was to be no easy feat, however. Even from the outset, the task proved to be quite the challenge for Walker. His men had no artillery pieces with which to attack Managua, while the defenders of the city boasted a pair in their defenses. Furthermore, Walker expected to have arrived at Managua by September 9, with Martínez only finding out of his movements by his arrival. Instead, Walker would arrive on September 10, with Martínez having heard about his actions on September 8, to which he promptly began to mobilize his men for their own march on Managua.

Facing equal odds numerically and holding an advantage in terms of quality of light arms if not artillery, Walker decided he must assault rather than siege the city. The ever looming threat of the arrival of Martínez played into his calculations as well. Therefore, he separated his three divisions of filibusters into three assault columns. The main column would come from the south, led by Walker and Wheat, while diversionary columns under Henningsen and Fry assaulted from the west and east of the city. The commander of Managua's defenses, Fernando Guzmán Solórzano, had anticipated this positioning and concentrated his troops accordingly. His two artillery pieces were located in the main southward avenue, while his soldiers occupied hidden positions inside buildings and behind corners and walls. When Walker's men finally appeared into view on September 11, Guzmán was ready and personally pulled the lanyard on the opening artillery shot of the battle before returning to his headquarters to direct it. The Battle of Managua had begun.

Despite facing the stiffest opposition, Walker's column was not halted. Ultimately, the pair of artillery pieces only managed to secure two hits into the charging filibusters. This was due in large part to the inexperience of their crews, many of whom had never even fired the pieces before. With their more accurate rifles, the filibusters quickly eliminated all the members of those artillery crews who did not flee for shelter, allowing them to close the distance without the threat of the use of grapeshot. It was once they had closed the distance, however, that their struggles began. In the house by house struggle, the advantage of their rifles were effectively negated and it became a haphazard mixture of unaimed rifle shots and panicked pistol rounds. Soon, all three of the filibuster columns found themselves in this struggle. Walker's hope for a quick single day battle collapsed along with the cohesion of battle. It was taking hours to secure only a few blocks of the city. As one filibuster noted, "The natives were like swarms of angered hornets, stinging and attacking us with a fiery vigor before temporarily returning to their hive." By the end of the day, the filibusters had managed to form a secure foothold, but they were also far from dislodging Guzmán and his men. Losses were high and neither side took prisoners. Walker even lost one of his lieutenants, Birkett D. Fry, who had been forced to retire to the rear when he was shot through the arm.

The Battle of Managua
​

As September 12 dawned and the fighting resumed, more bad news faced Walker and the filibusters. Martínez had drove his men forward following the news of Walker's movements, and was expected to arrive at Managua the following day. With this news, Walker became desperate to conquer the city before Martínez's arrival, and his actions reflected it. Previously, he had ordered his men to be careful with the infrastructure of the town that he foresaw as his future capital. Now, that calculation was completely abandoned. The filibusters were given charges of gunpowder which they could throw into occupied buildings as explosives. When this began draining their supply of powder too rapidly, Walker instructed his men to simply transition to burning buildings down. These measures, of course, were disastrous both for the city and its residents with dozens of innocent civilians killed or injured and hundreds of structures damaged or destroyed. They were to be brutally effective, however. By 5:00 PM, Walker and his filibusters had conquered all but the center of the city, where Guzmán and the last of the defenders were preparing for a last stand. Hoping to avoid this, Walker would send an aide, Parker H. French, to demand their surrender. Looking at the burning husk of Managua around him and the large number of civilians within their defenses, Guzmán believed he had no choice but to surrender. His men were allowed to depart to their homes, while he himself was held as Walker's prisoner (being related to Martínez via the latter's wife).

The Battle of Managua had been costly to both sides. By final count, Walker's filibusters had lost 37 men killed and 19 wounded, while the defenders had suffered 48 killed and 23 wounded before the surrender of the garrison. The battle's ratio of killed to wounded reflected the brutal nature of the combat, with both sides usually finishing off a wounded man when they could. These men were not even buried by the time of Martínez's arrival on September 13. With the surrender of Guzmán and the garrison, however, any chance of a vast numerical superiority had vanished. Even if he were to bring every soldier under his command to the city, Martínez knew the odds would be hardly improved. Further complicating the situation, many of the soldiers who were under his command were far from eager to be assaulting the city that held their family members. Rumors had circulated through the camps that Walker had rounded up the families of soldiers under Martínez's command and were preparing to execute them as soon as any battle began. Even Martínez was susceptible to these reports because of Guzmán's captivity. Faced with this, Martínez decided that diplomacy rather than warfare might be the optimal first step.

Therefore, Martínez sent out a soldier with a white flag to request a parley. Surprised, Walker dispatched French once more to treat with the native Nicaraguans. From this first meeting, French was informed that Martínez desired to speak with Walker in order to determine a final settlement to the conflict. Eventually, such a meeting was organized for September 20. Walker along with his chief of staff A.F. Rudler would meet with Martínez, and ultimately the two sides would form a remarkable settlement. Both recognized that they were hardly in a position to confidently dislodge the other from the country. Neither, however, was willing to back down or subordinate himself to the other. Eventually, a man lost to history would point out that the three strongest men in Nicaragua--Walker, Martínez, and Jerez--each controlled one of the three largest cities in Nicaragua. From this observation grew an idea of dividing Nicaragua into three fiefdoms. One would be based around Granada under Jerez, one based around León under Martínez, and one based around Managua under Walker. Each man would be given the title of "Governor" and together would form a triumvirate executive branch.

Underlying this discussion was a realization of the inherent instability of such a design, but both parties involved in the negotiations were eager to secure the time for restrengthening that even a brief pause would bring. As a result, both Walker and Martínez would sign the Treaty of Managua on September 31, 1864. Brought to Jerez the next day, he too would attach his signature to the document, bringing it into effect. The Period of the Three Fiefdoms had begun in Nicaragua, with each of the three governors constantly watching the others and calculating his own movements accordingly. Peace had once more returned to Nicaragua, but it was tenuous at best.

The Nicaraguan Triumvirate: Martínez, Walker, and Jerez​

 

[CountofDooku]

Because of a lack of time I don't comment often, but let me tell you, your updates here and from a few other each week truly make my weekend after long hard work at the animal shelter, as it gives me excellent chapters to read and relax by with good music, like I would otherwise only do with a good book

 

[Atlas of Independence]

Returned from a day long trip to be greeted with a new chapter in this series. Wonderful work as always!

 

[TheRockofChickamauga]

Because of a lack of time I don't comment often, but let me tell you, your updates here and from a few other each week truly make my weekend after long hard work at the animal shelter, as it gives me excellent chapters to read and relax by with good music, like I would otherwise only do with a good book

Thank you for the high compliment! It feels good to know that writing this alternate history is having positive benefits beyond the extent of this website. It makes me quite happy to know that I can bring happiness to others simply through this hobby.

Returned from a day long trip to be greeted with a new chapter in this series. Wonderful work as always!

Thank you as always! Your own TL is progressing really interestingly as well. I always look forward to new updates.

 

[CountofDooku]

Thank you for the high compliment! It feels good to know that writing this alternate history is having positive benefits beyond the extent of this website. It makes me quite happy to know that I can bring happiness to others simply through this hobby.

I can only speak for me but beside my own fun and enjoyment ain't this why we write publicly in general? ;D