“The Rockies Rebellion was the largest military engagement in the Western Commonwealths history , since its unification in 105 NCE (after the Coastal wars) until its military support in defense of the Tulsa Trade Commune (along with the Free State of New Colorado) against the New Atlantic Territories in the Siege of Tulsa (437 NCE).
The Rockies Rebellion was caused by several factors: prolonged and slow expansion into the then Eastern Rockies territories of Montaña and Wyohming, the naturalization of the 12th and 14th Ranger legions, trade restrictions and influence from the Coalition of the City-States of the Mississippi Ravine, and covert influence from the (then unknown and covert) N.A.T (largely in the form of Jerrold Capell, N.A.T agent, commander of the 12th Ranger legion, and later, First Chancellor of the Eastern Federation).
During the Clarkson Presidency, discontent rose further with the loss of back pay to the legions east of the Rockies (the aforementioned pair along with the 13th, 17th and 20th, along with the Eastern Brigade (Commonwealth civilian Auxiliary), along with rising taxation and civilian unrest at the lack of progress the Commonwealth senate was making with infrastructure and political organization amongst the various cities.
This culminated in the Billingston riots, sparked by Jerrold Capell (whose job it was to weaken the Western Commonwealths), and leading to the deaths of dozens of commonwealth officials and immigrants, throughout the eastern frontier territories. Ultimately many of the legions and native civilians joined his cause, proclaiming the breakaway of the eastern frontiers to form the Eastern Federation.
Although the Eastern Federation was backed by many of the trade communes, and had ample resources and a strong military presence, it rarely engaged in pitched battles, preferring to use skirmish tactics to weaken W.C forces and provoke uprising elsewhere. This lead to several Rocky cities to fall in quick succession and allowed the Eastern Federation to even capture more several key cities and positions west of the Rockies, but ultimately it lead to a drawn out conflict, with little headway either way, the resulting bog down leading N.A.T higher-ups to force Jerrold to act.
And act he did. Using the strained tensions between the W.C and Free State of New Colorado (who saw Clarkson and the rebellion as proof that the W.C was a weak nation) he inspired many Wyohmites to launch a offensive south as well, playing on the historic nationalism of the people in the area (who had lost land and territory fighting against the Five Families), he moved his legionnaires south and used them to bait the 10th and 4th legions to attack over the New Coloradians borders, thinking it would draw the ruling Families against the W.C. It did draw them into the war, but not on his side.
Unbeknownst to Jerrold or the commanders of the 17th, several members of their forces had being captured, including Lt. Commander Sunder, revealing that the attack had being orchestrated by the Eastern Federation. This lead to the first joint action by the W.C and F.S.NC against Jerrold’s forces, quickly turning the once stalemated and undeceive war into a complete curb stomping against the E.F. Whiting a few short months, much of the E.F had being taken back by the W.C (with the F.S.N.C gaining several new townships in the south), and had surrounded the remnants of Jerrold’s forces inside the capital of Billingston. Following days of constant bombardment and shell fire, the city’s remaining commanders surrendered after Jerrold disappeared (according to survivors he had rallied several units to push back in the south of the city, but had vanished within the night), allowing the commanding forces of the W.C to enter the city and reclaim it for the Commonwealths.
Following the defeat, and the end of the Clarkson Presidency (having lost his second term bid due to the lack of support and public perception of his mismanagement of the rebellion) former General, and leader of the 9th Ranger Legions, who retook Billingston, Braxton Hayes was elected President of the W.C and badgered the Senate into reforming their policies concerning expansion and foreign diplomacy, as well as implementing the military reformation program, to resolve several major issues within the Commonwealths army, most of which lead to the rebellion in the first place. His polices would later pave the road for the annexation of the former Eastern Federation into full commonwealths, promoting the quicker buildup of infrastructure (most largely left damaged after the war), dealing with the grievances of the populations and cracking down on the City-States further east, removing their strangle hold on the eastern side of the Rockies. These policies would also lead to greater relations with the F.S.N.C and greater Commonwealth influence along the great plains, unifying many of the smaller towns and communes into a greater alliance, something the .NA.T had tried to prevent with their interference, and would ultimately be the reason why they failed to push past the Mississippi Ravine during the their war with Tulsa.”
Flag, with caption reads:
“The Bison Flag of the Rockies Rebellion”
Captured from Billingston, Eastern Federation
16th June, 373 NCE (2992 OCE)
On permanent loan from the estate of General Commander, John S. Hill
Museum of Commonwealth History, Capital district, Klamath Falls City