If they will not meet us on the open sea (a Trent TL)

[Saphroneth]

14 June

In order to attempt to head off an undirected movement for reform, the Duke of Cambridge asks for officers connected with both the regular army and the recent militia callout to raise any objections or problems they have with the current system of operation of the British Army. His hope is that a forthright examination, done in-house, will allow for any objectionable issues to be discovered and corrected before they can be used as a lever for a reform that would destroy the army's efficient functioning.


16 June

Several Brazilian guns are set up to attack any movement by Paraguayan shipping along the Riachuelo, in lieu of assistance from the now badly damaged Brazilian navy. Pedro Ignácio Meza (the victorious Paraguayan commander) is nervous about using his advantage to attempt to finish off the Brazilian riverine fleet, considering that his success was only due to the action of surprise.


20 June

Prussia makes a "clarifying statement" that they are dismayed by the agitation over the Polish issue. There was never any intent to cause objection to the German Confederation, and no support of any kind was given to Poland in advance of the de facto recognition of Poland as an independent state (it is now looking like there will be no major Russian summer offensive this year either, and the Polish are settling into a somewhat guarded state of independence). The official statement also notes that the alternative would be active cooperation in the suppression of the Polish uprising, an action which the Prussian subjects of Polish ancestry might object to.
The statement does not mention one way or the other the three big Krupp guns obtained through unknown means by Poland, though of course by now there are many more heavy guns on order.


24 June

Justo José de Urquiza contacts the Paraguayan president Lopez, mentioning his interest in discussing the current situation. The provincial governor (of the provinces of Corrientes and Entre Rios, or in other words most of Argentinia to the east of the Parana river) has never had great relations with Buenos Aires, and the Paraguayan victory has led him to be... interested.


26 June

Already a number of letters have begun to arrive in Horse Guards, detailing the various gripes, issues and problems on which the Duke of Cambridge requested information. One of the points which draws interest from the Duke is the complaint about the inefficient nature of the militia training - in effect, each battalion is trained for a month (roughly) but for nearly three-quarters of this month some companies are missing and are at the rifle range. This means that there is only time for the basics of battalion drill and that most drill is company drill, a situation which the training officers consider is distinctly sub optimal. (It is also mentioned that there is no time for open order drill, which parallels the Duke's experiences with Canadian militia - they could form line, but not skirmish except for the flank companies and that not well).

Among the other issues raised are the usual ones of supply quantity and organization, the thorny problem of Purchase, one letter which complains about the Hythe musketry method (claiming that it is all either glaringly obvious, unutterably boring or ridiculously petty, citing the making of a record of every shot and the way that the rifle ranges must be paced out) and an interesting point about the "India Problem" (to whit, the India Problem is that men may not be sent overseas to India unless they are both twenty years of age and a year or more in the service).

Another issue which may come up in the near future is what to do with the 100th Foot (The Prince of Wales's Royal Canadian). A regiment recruited from British North America, in the main, there are suggestions that it (along with the RCR) should be assigned to form the nucleus of a Canadian Army upon the confederation of the colonies. While this would necessitate a shifting of the numbers, the 101st-109th Foot are not especially attached to their numbers (which were only assigned in 1862).

At this point, however, Cambridge has made no decisions on what to recommend.


29th June

The first Rodman 20 inch gun is tested, after many delays resulting from an investigation into Rodman's loyalty to the Union and into possible malfeasance in office. The official verdict has not been published, and the various hearings have delayed work on his great piece.
Rodman's gun has much larger powder charges than the equivalent Dahlgren gun, at two hundred pounds of gunpowder for the full charge.
Starting somewhat smaller, Rodman works his way up towards the full charge. Performance with the 100 pound charge is similar to that of the Dahlgren gun, but Rodman notes that there is a definite tendency for the gun to belch forth powder unburned. This suggests that the gun barrel is too short.
Using the full 200 pound charge results in only a relatively marginal increase in muzzle velocity, and Rodman determines to go away and do some calculations and experiments - specifically, as to the effect of smaller grained powder on the pressure within the barrel of a gun. He notes that the ideal size for large grained powder is that it should complete burning just as the shot exits the barrel.


4 July

The Puritan formally enters commission, though there is plenty of work still to go and she has not yet had her sea trials. She is expected to make fifteen knots, though when this is brought up more than a few naval officers are heard to quietly chuckle.


7 July

The Ironclad committee in Britain determines to fund two fully rigged turret vessels, one to Reed's design (to be designated the Monarch) and one to the design of Cowper Coles (speculatively named Captain).
Also on this date, Lewis Carroll (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) publishes Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, an odd and surreal book.


8 July

The A'a and the Pahoehoe are declared completed, to much fanfare.
Powerful breastwork monitor designs, with built-up wooden sides for oceanic transit (to be removed once the destination is reached) these two ships are to travel to Hawai'i in company with one of the Royal Navy's steam ships of the line - and plenty of colliers. The voyage is likely to be long, but it is felt to be worthwhile - Reed's design for the breastwork monitors is such that they have a lot of "growth room", and could theoretically have their guns replaced with guns of nearly double the weight without excessively endangering their freeboard or stability once in Pearl Harbour. (The growth room is a necessary design element, guns have already changed twice since the initial design).


10 July

A formal request is made by the committee on Canadian Confederation that the British Government (and Crown) rule on whether Canada should be officially styled as a Kingdom, a Dominion or a Confederation.
Also on this date, Napoleon III finalizes an adjustment to the Code Napoleon - removing the article that states that the word of an employer is to be given greater weight in a legal case than that of the employee.

 

[Saphroneth]

13 July

An access agreement is negotiated between Poland (referred to in the documents as "Congress Poland" in order not to say for certain that the state is independent) and the Kingdom of Prussia, for access up the Motława river. This provides Poland with an important route to the sea.


15 July

Cowper Coles presents his design sketches for the Captain to the turret committee. Much to his disappointment, they do not immediately declare them a work of genius - instead finding exception with the freeboard, the rigging, various minor features and (especially) the strange-seeming turret design.
Coles' turrets here are essentially enclosures on the centreline of the ship, and in order to achieve this they surround the masts themselves - each mast pokes up through the middle of a turret, of which there are three, and the design thus allows for six guns to fire on the broadside or two directly ahead or astern.

The solution in Monarch is much simpler (the two turrets are at either end of the superstructure, with masts not constrained by turret placement), but does mean that there are blind arcs - in order to shoot on these arcs the guns would have to fire shells right through the masts.


19 July

A maritime accident takes place, where the Bohemian runs aground off the coast of Ireland in the middle of a storm. The ship's damage is too extensive to save her, and she breaks up after about an hour - during which roughly two hundred and sixty of the three hundred and twenty passengers are rescued.
Among those who does not survive is the author Charles Dickens, whose efforts to save his young lover Ellen Teman result in her survival and his death. The news of their relationship will cause something of a scandal in the Victorian world, though muted by the circumstances in which it has been revealed.


22 July

Napoleon III is apprised of the number of French soldiers who arrive in Mexico each year to keep up the French commitment there (replacing those returning home, usually as a result of some illness). The numbers are mildly worrying, though it does mean that much of the French army is gaining experience of dispersed deployment.


27 July

The Danish Army, after much consideration, determines to replace or augment their muzzle-loading rifles with a large supply of the Spencer repeating rifle. It is hoped that this transition will reduce the danger from future engagements with Prussian infantry, as it would permit Danish troops to produce a similar if not greater overall volume of fire.


30 July

Much to the surprise of some, President McClellan has been proving to be quietly competent. (Some are more surprised about the quiet than the competence.)
On this date, the first of the Long Island forts is laid out - these defensive works are anticipated to take several years to fully complete, on account of the many demands on the time of construction workers and the high level of quality required.


3 August

It is moved in Parliament that a committee on Army Reform should be established, particularly in light of the relative proximity of the expirations of the enlistments of most soldiers associated with the post-Crimea buildup (whose enlistments would end around 1867-8).


5 August

Ericsson is asked somewhat sarcastically if the Puritan can actually hit targets more than 300-400 yards away, a reference to how his Passaic design was found in later analysis to have a 15 inch gun slated for a port designed for a smaller weapon. This would completely prevent the gun elevating or being aimed, thus making it essentially worthless against distant targets - the first bounce of the cannonball would render it unable to penetrate even British armour of 1862, while a shell would be destroyed.
The engineer assures his questioner that the guns will elevate, and indeed that they will be quite accurate at long range. (This last is perhaps an exaggeration.)


8 August

The Duke of Cambridge is assured that he will not be forced to enact the recommendations of the Army committee - rather, that the committee will issue strong recommendations (and that any recommendations he strongly disapproves of will go to a full Parliamentary vote). This alleviates some of his worries.

 

[Saphroneth]

10 August

A Fenian plot activates, having managed to remain largely secret from intelligence in British North America and in the United States - in part because the rank-and-file of the Fenian force has not been informed of the precise details of the plan. Two companies of Fenians cross the border near Rouses Point, and seize the station at Lacolle as their first course of action.
By the afternoon the news is out, and one of the garrison regiments currently in Canada (the 39th Foot, in and around Montreal) is made ready to move south. Also already gathering are a large number of militia, including some regiments currently embodied for yearly training.

Also on this date, the new US lakes gunboat the Niagara Falls suffers a major engineering casualty, with a catastrophic boiler explosion taking place during routine operations.


11 August

Over the course of the day, nearly 2,500 Fenian infantry cross the Niagara river. The Niagara Falls is unable to intercept due to the severe damage to her boiler, which it will later turn out was the result of deliberate sabotage - Fenian sympathizers among the crew having placed a number of "coal torpedoes" into the bunker the previous morning. (Coal torpedoes being essentially camouflaged iron bombs filled with gunpowder and made to look like common lumps of coal.)

The news of the crossing is hurriedly relayed throughout British North America. Some of the militia undergoing training in the area had been moving towards the Richelieu frontier, and so the reorientation to the Niagara is chaotic and confused - some regiments travel all the way to Montreal before discovering that they have been ordered back to where they started.
Compounding the problem is that the scale of Fenian commitment to the operation is completely unclear. Some rumors have the Fenian brigade in Niagara on the scale of a division or even a small corps, others suggest they have considerable artillery with them, and their weaponry is the subject of wild speculation. (In fact, the Fenians are armed with Springfield rifles, and they have one old 6 pounder with them.)


12 August

The British/Canadian response to the Fenian attack near Niagara has begun to gel. Unsure of the scale of the filibuster operations (at either location) the British are opting for a provision of considerable force in both regions.

While the main force is still forming up (consisting of militia who are being quickly mobilized), the 1/14th is to probe towards Fort Erie (currently under Fenian control) from the still-secured town of Welland, to act as a screen. The experienced men of the Buckinghamshire regiment spread out into the now-classic British advance to contact, spreading three companies out as skirmish elements and another three companies as support elements.
In a classic example of mirror-imaging, the British (expecting to fight a large force) are on the lookout for possible cavalry pickets, while the Fenians against whom they are advancing (expecting a small force this early in the operation) are watching for Canadian militia. In the event, a firefight briefly breaks out around Stevensville, before the 1/14th withdraw a few hundred yards to make use of small local terrain features.

Once the news has percolated through the Fenian command, it causes mixed reactions. Some among the filibusters see this as a major opportunity to score a victory, and advocate for a rapid advance and the encirclement the enemy force; others are having second thoughts about the whole enterprise (especially as it appears the locals are for the most part not especially glad to be liberated), and more than a few quietly slink off (though they are replaced by stragglers filtering across the Niagara).

In the event, the decision is made to close in and attack the 1/14th - though, even as this discussion is going on, the 1/14th is withdrawing by night towards Netherby and two Canadian militia battalions are marching to join them there.

 

[Saphroneth]

13 August

Battle of Netherby,


The action commences early in the morning of a beautiful day, when a Fenian attack on the 1/14th at Stevensville discovers that there are no longer any British troops present. This leads to a discussion, which leads in turn to the Fenian brigade splitting into three regimental units (of about eight hundred each) and advancing towards Netherby on a wide front.

At about 11 am, the fighting begins in truth. After a quick exchange of volleys around Netherby itself (with a Fenian formation encountering the skirmish screen of the 1/14th, and having to quickly go to ground in the face of heavy Snider fire - the two-company skirmish screen is putting out an enormous quantity of bullets for such a small formation), the filibuster troops begin to spread out and feel around the flanks of the British-Canadian formation. It quickly transpires that there are Canadian militia battalions forming both flanks of the position, and the Fenian unit which aims to hook around the British right flank is soon bogged down in a loud but inconclusive exchange of fire about half a mile south-west of Netherby crossroads itself.
The Fenian formation moving to the east to hook around the British left flank performs better. It has the great good fortune to not only manage to approach through a wooded defile a mile or two to the northeast of Netherby (thus garnering important cover from enemy fire) but also to run into a militia unit recently re-armed with American-purchased repeaters by a perhaps overzealous colonel.
The result is that the first Fenian platoon to emerge from the defile takes a sudden barrage of fire, wounding many of them, but not disabling as many as would be expected due to the small calibre of the repeater bullets. With their repeaters empty, the Canadian militia now have to pause to reload - and, due to poor drill, this takes place for the entire militia detachment at once (and with a considerable length of time required).
Initially shocked, the Fenian regiment quickly presses their unexpected advantage and breaks the Canadian militia line with a bayonet charge - taking some casualties at close range from those who manage to reload their repeaters in time, but getting in among the Canadian line and causing a pell-mell retreat.

Unfortunately for the Fenians, however, the time taken to march to this defile has also allowed the 1/14th to win their firefight with the Fenian formation in front of them, suppressing them, and also to disable their artillery. With his front not under undue threat, the 1/14th's commander moves his reserve into skirmish line to refuse his left flank, and the chance to roll up the British line is lost.

For much of the day, the firing is sparse - the British infantry have a new appreciation for how hungry the Snider is of ammunition compared to the Enfields they used to fight with, and the Fenians are mostly staying under cover - with the British formation bent around in a V-shape but not under undue stress. Things pick up again around four PM, when the Port Colborne battery arrives accompanied by a battalion of Canadian militia. In a somewhat hair-raising piece of improvisation, one of the light field howitzers is directed by a militiaman sitting on top of a pile of hay bales, and this fire (while inaccurate) causes the left flank of the Fenian position to recoil.
Militia cavalry arrives shortly thereafter, and the filibusters unravel - to an extent which makes a precise estimate as to the number engaged quite difficult, as it is estimated that more than a third of the Fenians present simply cast away their weapons and accoutrements and make their own way home. (Efforts to count the rifles on the field are stymied by how many are collected as mementos by the soldiers and militia, and how many Fenians keep their weapons on the retreat.)


In analysis after the battle, it is noted that the Canadian militia - while certainly quite capable as militia - are not necessarily as conversant with how to use ground as the regulars are. They were covering a wide front, it is true, but men with a proper appreciation of their weapons and the terrain could have kept the defile stopped up without an undue commitment of troops.
With this mistake once made, the 1/14th were unable to properly commit to an advance against an enemy of uncertain quantity and numbers (being under threat on two fronts, and with the risk of losing their line of retreat).

 

[Saphroneth]

14 August

A few more minor actions take place on the Niagara frontier, but the Fenian morale has been badly harmed by the recent battle. The size of the brigade reduces to that of a regiment more or less overnight, as those less sure about the whole thing to begin with peel off individually or in small groups to return home.

HM Gunboat Britomart enters the Niagara river system, intending to prevent further crossing - she is the only British gunboat currently on Lake Erie, though there are a few suspiciously well built mail steamers around on both sides of the border. Her job is to prevent any Fenian reinforcement that might arrive, though by this time the direction of Fenian movement is decidedly eastwards.


15 August

While the filibustering attempts in Canada are going badly, in Japan an altogether more serious event takes place. Following a coordinated plan, the daimyo of Choshu, Tosa and Hizen rise in rebellion against the Shogunate - declaring their support for the restoration of the Emperor and the true destiny of Japan - and call in their various samurai retainers. The daimyo of Tosa takes the additional step of calling out several thousand of what are described as "Ashigaru" and which are functionally levied infantry who will be given pikes or muskets/rifles as available.


16 August

The 39th Foot disembark from a collection of small canal boats at Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel, about two and a half miles to the east of Lacolle station. This news reaches the Fenians there in the early afternoon, and is greeted with panic - there are roughly five times as many British regulars marching towards them as there are filibusters in the town - and the entire decoy force packs itself into a train which leaves for the border within the hour.
Upon crossing back into the United States, they are promptly arrested en masse by the 17th United States infantry.


18 August

The latest Fenian raid is considered to be largely over, to a sigh of relief on both sides of the Atlantic (including in the Union, where it was seen as a potential border flashpoint). Punch produces a cartoon in which two "Fenian Men" explain to one another their plan to liberate Ireland.
Fenian #1: Well, you see, it's very simple. We invade Canada, win the battles, and take it over.
Fenian #2: Yes, I get that much. But how does that help with Ireland?
Fenian #1: Why, 'tis simple - there's just no time to explain. Now, off we go.



22 August

The Captain's design is finalized, at least in the broad terms. She is to be a ship of about 7,000 tons with Coles' new "mast enclosing turret" concept, and to reduce the possible disruption to the rigging the ropes are to be attached to a hurricane deck above the level of the turret ports.
Privately within the Admiralty many feel grateful for Reed's designs (which seem to be rather more founded in good sense) - the point is also made that a ship with the capability to steam need only be able to get home from a battle, as she can sail to a battle and only then blow all the rigging off the ship.
This is what passes for Admiralty humour.


25 August

The Japanese Shogun and his top men begin planning out their military response to the rising. It is important to quickly bring at least one daimyo to heel, to demonstrate the might of the Shogunate; of the choices, it is considered best to send roughly 2,000 of the bakfu army to the seat of Hizen domain (that is, to Nagasaki) with the support of the Ushidoshi and the various armed ships at the disposal of the shogunate.
The rest of the military force available to the shogun is to secure important positions, in concert with the forces of those daimyo who are more certain in their loyalty to the shogunate.

 

[Saphroneth]

28 August

A number of exceedingly tense conversations take place in regional seats of government, as trusted retainers from various domains attempt to feel one another out for the prospective loyalties of their respective daimyo.
Some domains - notably Aizu - have publicly declared for the Shogun, but others are looking to see which way the wind is blowing.

The Shogunate takes care to avoid any appearance of sequestering the Emperor, but does ensure that a half-battalion of the Shinsengumi is on alert for the possibility of a "kidnap attempt" (i.e. an attempt by pro-rebel forces to secure the Emperor, with or without his consent).


29 August

A delegation of townsmen from Shergotty in Bihar presents a recovered meteorite to Sir John Lawrence (Bt), the Viceroy, having taken a trip on the Bengal Provincial Railway. They are granted a small monetary reward, sufficing to defray the costs of their tickets (and the lost work) and to leave enough left over for an advance on a town project.


1 September

A final Spanish effort is made to attempt to regain control of Dominica, consisting of a show of force by the screw liner Rey Don Francisco de Asís and a landing by two fresh regiments (intended to outflank rebel positions). In a case of singular bad luck for both parties involved, the landing takes place very near the current camp of the filibuster force from the Confederacy and runs into unexpected trouble, and calls in a bombardment from the screw liner.

The experience of being fired upon by a full battleship is the last straw for many of the adventurers (in some cases because they have just been hit by shells or cannonballs) and, already dissatisfied with the leadership of Jesse James, the force largely disintegrates. A few dozen stay together, and Jesse James himself survives the experience without even being wounded, but his hope of incorporating the island into the Confederacy is gone.

For the part of the Spanish, the engagement does not turn out well either. The fresh regiments are decidedly less fresh after a two-hour battle culminating in being shelled, and a general departure from the island is mooted as getting reinforcements would take another month or two.


3 September

Brazilian naval forces are preparing for a second Riachuelo, intended to clear the way to advance upriver into Paraguay. The preparations are slow going as the Brazilian navy is not used to being overmatched (especially not by their own captured ships) but some training is taking place on what amounts to the spar-torpedo - it is hoped that it could be issued for general use, thus allowing for an attack by large numbers of small boats and reducing the Paraguayan flotilla to flotsam.




7 September

Battle of Nagasaki Bay.
The first battle of the Hizen campaign, in which the Ushidoshi Maru leads a force of mixed Shogunal vessels - from somewhat modern purchased steam ships to junks - into the bay in order to land troops. They come under fire from the defensive batteries (which include a number of long-ranged Whitworth cannon) and the Kanrin Maru takes heavy damage from shells exploding around her and inside her. Worse, a chain-shot snaps the connecting rods for her port paddle wheel, leading her to slowly circle in place.
The Ushidoshi Maru, however, is well-equipped to withstand this level of bombardment and begins duelling with the most heavily armed battery. The protection for this battery is poor (the earthworks are not thick enough) and after about half an hour the Ushidoshi Maru - combined with the other Shogunal ships in support, some of them armed with 40 pounder Armstrongs - has rendered the battery unfightable.
The defences now have a hole in them, and the Shogunal ships exploit it by sailing to the blind arcs of each battery in turn and destroying them. After two are rendered unusable in this manner, the rest are abandoned and the landings begin.



9 September

Battle of Nishizaka Hill. The samurai and retainers of the Hizen domain attempt to ambush the Shogunal army by attacking downhill as the Shinsengumi march by Nishizaka hill - the site of execution of 26 Japanese Christians hundreds of years prior. The plan is good, but unfortunately it has been leaked - the Shinsengumi were aware of the plan, and deliberately marched into the trap.
When the first rifle volley is fired from atop the hill, the Shinsengumi immediately right wheel and charge - startling the Hizen army and throwing the ambush back on the attackers. This allows the Shinsengumi to get within close range without taking much fire, and they go right in with the bayonet.
After an hour or so of often-bloody fighting on the slopes and atop the hill, the Shogunal force holds the hill - and has won an important propaganda victory, to boot.
The remaining Hizen domain forces retreat inland, heading for Saga castle.


12 September

A small gunpowder bomb explodes on the rails of the Metropolitan line, causing severe delays between Baker Street and Kings Cross. No-one is killed, but already the people of London have learned to grumble about delays on the underground.
It is suspected to have been part of a Fenian plot, largely for lack of alternatives.

 

[Saphroneth]

14 September

The Shogunal army arrives at Saga castle, and invests it. They do not have the manpower to fully surround the castle, and so company-strength pickets are placed near the access bridges while the bulk of the force establishes itself in a camp a little way off - a mile or so.

Little action takes place on the first day of the siege, as the Ushidoshi Maru is brought slowly up the shallow Honjoe river to get as close as possible before unloading her guns. Near nightfall she grounds despite a quite high tide, and construction begins on a pier to take four of her heavy Armstrong rifles off.


16 September

A small sally is launched by Hizen domain samurai. They cause some casualties, but are driven off by disciplined rifle volleys from a company of the Susano-o regiment of Shinsengumi. (It is notable that the Hizen samurai also came under flanking fire from two other Shinsengumi pickets - the distances were pre-measured during the first day, so the rifle fire is quite accurate.)


17 September

Frederick III is informed that there is a strong likelihood of a war with Austria the following year, with his advisers concurring that Austria is trying to win support from the more minor states of the German Federation.
Upon his inquiries, the state of the army is broadly considered to be "good" though some "Old Prussian" officers are mildly upset that the new army structure precludes a pre-emptive strike.
Large numbers of railway timetables begin construction.


21 September


The Puritan undergoes sea trials.
She is at least able to steam, which is a good thing, though it becomes apparent that her design speed of 15 knots was hopelessly optimistic. By the time she reaches ten knots there is a hefty bow wave forming around the front of the turret as green water washes over her deck, and eleven knots is the maximum she achieves even at full power.
Her ability to ride out storms could charitably be called "awful", with one officer saying rather bitingly that he would consider her a fine vessel so long as she never expected to encounter a wave, and it is noted that with her turret jacked up to operate her operational speed is perhaps six or seven knots in calm weather - more than this and the water over her deck would flood and sink her.
In better news, however, she is certainly able to fire her guns - though the time taken to reload is as bad as had been expected. The shell is hurled over two miles, which draws some admiration, but misses the anchored target by a hundred feet - and the Secretary of the Navy does a few calculations, then declares that the Puritan would be vulnerable to easy defeat by "a dis-masted gun-less hulk of a paddle steamer" in combat - the reload time on her guns being so extravagant that an 11-knot steamer could close from outside the range of the 20 inch guns to reach boarding distance even in a stern chase, unless the turret was lowered and kept there.


23 September

After several major delays, the 110-pounder Armstrong guns of Ushidoshi Maru have been put ashore and open fire on Saga castle.
The effects are startling even to those who had trained with them. The curtain wall of the castle is earthen, not stone, and the heavy shells are plunging ten or twenty feet into the earth before exploding - tamping them to perfection, and sending great gouts of earth sliding into the moat.
The gatehouse to the south of the main castle is also attacked, quickly doing incredible damage, and by the time the gunners have run through their ready supply of shells most of the southern wall of Saga castle is effectively gone or ruined - and the palace structures within are afire.

No assault is made to follow up on the 23rd itself, as the commander would prefer access to more shells in order to provide for fire support. They are present in an ammunition ship, but getting them to him will take some time.



24 September

Justo José de Urquiza concludes a clandestine deal with the Paraguayan leadership. He will effectively drop out of the fighting against Paraguay and offer no aid to Brazil or Argentina, and in return he will not come in for attacks himself.

Also on this date, the first batch of twelve Creusot guns is received by the French army. They are very impressed with the pieces, finding them perhaps a little complex to use but very accurate and long ranged.
Half of the guns are earmarked to be used by a battery made up of old sweats - who have the perhaps unconventional order to try and break the steel guns by any realistic means!



25 September

With 110 pounder guns firing case shot in support, the Shinsengumi of the Izanami and Susano-o regiments storm Saga castle.
Resistance is initially stiff but quickly melts away, and it will later transpire that this is because one of the first 110 pounder rounds killed the nineteen-year-old Nabeshima Naohiro (the daimyo of Hizen). With his death the inevitable confusion and lack of coordination sets in, and before the end of the day the castle's surrender is complete.


27 September

The killers of Joseph Trudeau hang in New Orleans, having been caught two days ago attempting to get aboard a British ship visiting the port.
Seeing black slaves hang for the crime of killing a black planter with a french name, in a state permitting armed black militia in a nation which mostly views the whole idea with revulsion, the crew of the ship in question (HMS Alert) have no idea whether or not to feel guilty.


30 September

Robert Whitehead successfully tests a locomotive torpedo in calm water, this time managing to blow up the ship he was actually aiming at. The size of the hole is considerable, enough so that Whitehead considers the next avenue of investigation to be a look at the way the hull design might affect the damage done. (For example, whether an iron hull, thin wood hull or thick wood hull would be easiest to damage, and whether a flooded ship would be harder to pierce.)


1 October

A major innovation is made at the Elswick Ordnance Company, when someone thinks of turning the gun on its side. This at a stroke makes the process of loading much easier, because now the breech-block does not need to be levered vertically out of the gun and can instead be moved by sliding horizontally.
Armstrong is immediately informed, and for the rest of the day is seriously considering kicking himself.

 

[Saphroneth]

3 October

The electoral contest in the Confederate States is intensifying, with the "spirit of Party" by now in full swing. There are still no official political parties as such, but it is definitely the case that broad blocs are consolidating, and in a few cases Senate or House candidates have withdrawn in favour of others - a clear indication of debt-trading to try and elect people willing to take part in a voting bloc.
One reason this is important is that the next Confederate elections - in 1867 - will include the first true election of a Confederate President. (Jefferson Davis was elected by acclamation at a constitutional convention.)


5 October

In the slow progression of talks over Canadian confederation, a major sticking point is the size of the army. The representatives of the British government make no secret of the fact that they would prefer Canada to largely look to her own defences in peacetime (though there will still of course be an army dispatched in wartime) and suggest that the 100th regiment of the British Army - consisting of BNA men in the main - be transferred to Canada, as well as the Royal Canadian Rifles being maintained as a two-battalion regiment.
The issue is whether there will be more Canadian regulars, or whether it would be better to employ a large force of active militia (with training in the otherwise unproductive winter months), or even whether both of these are excessive. The debate frequently breaks down to pointing at a map and trying to decide the vital points to defend (such as the Welland canal or points south of the St Lawrence).

The issue of a Royal Canadian Navy is right out.


8th October

Antoine Alphonse Chassepot trials his latest experimental breech-loading rifle.
It is not ideal, with some deficiencies in the cartridge (it uses a conventional percussion cap, and there are issues with the seal) but one feature about it makes it interesting - it uses the "bolt" action, where the operation of the bolt and the other moving components are controlled by a single handle.
Chassepot considers the action to be sufficient for now, and determines to continue work on the cartridge and the other features of the weapon.
Notably, in dry firing the rifle is very fast - Chassepot estimates it will fire more than twelve times a minute, and thus be better than the British Snider (something which warms the heart of any Frenchman.)



13th October

A clash between Shinsengumi and samurai from Choshu domain takes place, with the eyes of Japan on it - most of the powerful domains are still sitting on the fence.
In the event, the battle is inconclusive - there is plenty of long ranged skirmishing, but the two forces never close to within two hundred yards.
Perhaps oddly, this does convince one daimyo to commit forces - Aizu domain, which expresses support for the Shogunate.
With the weather turning bad for campaigning, the order of the next few months is politicking.


17th October

The Northumberland is launched, the latest in the growing British ironclad navy - one which, by now, is considered probably sufficient to replace wooden ships of the line. More building is ongoing, however, as the next step is to build up a reserve; until this reserve is done, plans are kept ready to razee some well-built ships of the line and plate them promptly upon any increase in tensions.
The launch is well attended, with Viscount Palmerston present to make a speech (which includes, once again, mention of the forts he has been pressing for years and which are well underway).


18th October

The Frederickton, Houlton and Quebec railway is officially opened, after several years of difficulty. This provides most of an all-seasons route to Canada itself (with the remaining issue being connecting Frederickton to the Maritimes rail network itself) and is widely praised - even in Maine, since this means it will soon be possible to reacquire some of the terrain lost in the peace treaty.


21st October

The day after his 81st birthday, Henry John Temple (the Viscount Palmerston) dies in bed. He is reported to be alert up until the end, with his last comment being on the lunettes for the fortifications at Portsmouth (still on his mind after the speech from the launch of the Northumberland).
When the news arrives in the Americas, there are more than a few discreet sighs of relief in the two American nations. (Also a common sentiment in Europe!)


22nd October

The Earl Russell forms a government as the new Prime Minister. He remains Minister for Foreign Affairs until a new minister can be selected.
Punch promptly jumps on this, producing a cartoon depicting the Earl Russel being told that under Palmerston ("If Old Pumicestone was the Prime Minister, there were no Foreign Affairs without his support; when he was in the Foreign Office, there were no domestic affairs without his interest; when he was in London, he was involved in many affairs with all sorts!")

 

[Saphroneth]

25th October

A major fortification project begins around Norfolk and environs, replacing the guns of Forts Monroe, Calhoun and Norfolk (as well as outlying batteries) with the most modern rifles possible.
The existing smoothbore guns and earlier rifles are to be placed in landward batteries, including between Tanner's Creek and Mason Creek (to protect the Sewall's Point batteries) and a line between Indian Creek and Pollock's Creek (to close that landward approach) as well as upgrading existing fortified positions.

Since Gosport Navy Yard and the associated buildings is by far the most important naval base of the Confederacy, it is considered to be highly important to protect it against any practicable attack. For the same reason, it is officially designated as the base for a peacetime regiment of the Confederate Army as well as being a major nexus of mobilization for the well-drilled Virginia Militia.



26th October

The price offered to Mexico for French Minie rifles is revised down somewhat, allowing for the purchase of half again as many rifles for the same quantity of gold or silver. This allows for a revision in Mexican military planning, and for some money to be spent on acquiring railway expertise (in order to assist the Imperial Mexican Railway Company in the construction of the rail line from Vera Cruz to Mexico City).
The Emperor of Mexico is quite pleased with this, as the rail line is a project he is very interested in and the delays have been a worry.


29th October

Morant Bay rebellion begins in Jamaica, a bloody episode sparked by a deputation of peasants attempting to speak to the island's governor. The 2/12th is deployed by the governor to suppress what is seen by him as a rebellion, and through a series of errors of judgement the battalion will ultimately kill hundreds of black Jamaicans and burn thousands of homes.


1st November

Founding of the National Temperance Society and Publishing House in the United States.


2nd November

News of the Morant Bay Rebellion arrives in Britain. Thanks to the telegraph link under the Atlantic it is possible to get news at lightning speed compared to previous years, but the details are lacking. What is known is enough to cause a sudden huge controversy in the press, however, with many decrying it as "a positively Confederate course of action".


4th November

Publication of a joint work between Charles Darwin and Gregor Mendel, The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication. A weighty tome, it has been completely rewritten over the past two years from Darwin's original manuscript in order to take into account the Genetic Theory of evolution.
It is made clear that the precise alleles involving many of the changes are not known, and that in several cases it is clear there must be three or more alleles acting upon the same trait, but nevertheless the arguments are compelling and the book is (much as with the Origin of Species) oversubscribed upon publication.
Translations into all the languages of the Austrian Empire are ongoing, as are translations into Spanish, French and Portugese.


7th November

Confederate elections take place. There are still no official party designations, but broadly speaking there are three blocs present in the House - one for states' autonomy (up to a few representatives per state espouse this position), one for greater central government control (largely concentrated in Virginia and Louisiana, which have the largest cities) and one for keeping everything the same thank you very much (the remainder).
The blocs are ill-defined in numbers, membership and even views, and anyone drawing a hemicycle would need approximately as many colours as there are Congressmen.


9th November

An assassination attempt is foiled in Japan, with the assailants gunned down by Shinsengumi as they attempt to kill the Shogun.
It is not known where the attackers came from, with their clothing and equipment being from a very wide variety of sources (oddly, one is armed with an extremely rare Prussian Dreyse rifle, though it is jammed, while another carries a naginata polearm), and none survived to be questioned - with some shot in the head, others bayoneted, and at least one having his knee shot out followed by a close-range shot to the back of the head.
The Bakfu is outraged about the assassination attempt, stating that it shows the lawlessness of the opponents of the Shogun.


13th November

The Belliqueuse begins sea trials at Toulon. A French attempt at a cheap "foreign service" ironclad (known as a "stationnaire"), she is quite heavily armoured and carries four heavy guns and six somewhat lighter guns, totalling eight broadside guns and two pivots.
She is accompanied by two ships of the Provence class, a huge ten-ship class of ironclad frigate also being built by the French (as part of their equivalent to the British plan replacing their line fleet).


16th November

The design of Monarch is finalized. She is to displace around 8,000 tons, and to have two twin turrets amidships and three single guns in the ends; she is also to have steam power to train her guns, and her length:beam ratio is to be the very fine 5.7:1.
Armstrong has assured the Navy that he can produce either 11 inch or 12 inch breechloading guns by the time of the completion of the Monarch, assuming she takes roughly as long as normal.

 

[Saphroneth]

21st November

A group of French soldiers return their broken Creusot rifled field guns to the armoury, explaining just how they broke them. The information is taken on board, and some changes to the design are made to prevent two or three of the methods.
No change is made to fix the "design flaw" the soldiers supposedly exposed by throwing one gun over a cliff.


25th November

Maxim's latest sermon is about the Genetic Theory, claiming that if a white man mixes with a negro then the the offspring will certainly inherit negro genes (i.e. inferior ones) but will also inherit white genes. Thus, he explains, it is perfectly justified for a white man to sleep with a slave woman, but the reverse is "planting ill seed in good soil".
Naturally, most of the audience is perfectly fine with a sermon which happens to reinforce their prejudices.


1st December

US Navy review in the Lower Bay of New York, which shows off the reconstituted fleet. Of note are the several ironclads (largely monitors) present, along with the brand-new wooden cruising fleet.
Those ships not present are on foreign station, including off Africa.


8th December

A bitter debate takes place between the delegates to the German Confederation, with some observers noting the development of definite battle-lines.
Many of the larger or more exposed states are aligned with Austria, especially those proximate to the southern German state, while the smaller and more westerly states tend to align with Prussia. (The main exception to this is Hanover, which is definitely large but is also quite westerly.)
The issue at hand is supposedly the Polish Crisis (now approaching three years of age and distinctly no longer a "crisis" as such) but a number of other issues also come up, such as the complicated situation with Italy and what some see as excessive Prussian liberalism.


11th December

Secret meeting between representatives of the Sejm and a Prussian diplomat, in which it is made unofficially official that - in the event of an internal German war - the Poles will stay out unless and until an external power declares war on Prussia or on Poland. In return, the Prussians undertake to include into their plans a provision for their reserve army corps to move east and help defend Poland in the event of a Russian invasion during the hypothetical internal German war (or if the Austrians invade Poland instead).
This is too complex to be referred to as an "alliance", though "mutual non-backstab pact" might be close.


16th December

Recall of Wodehouse from the Cape Colony, after his consideration of "a Morant solution" to the agitation for greater autonomy caught the attention of the London news. (It is unclear if he was serious, but the papers certainly thought he was.)


20th December

Darwin is horrified to learn of the latest twist to Maximism - as a grandson of Josiah Wedgwood the very idea of his work being used to justify slavery is abhorrent - and he repudiates the concept in no uncertain terms.


23rd December

Grand strategy meeting among the allies in the Paragyauan War, highlighting that they are currently stuck in something of a stalemate - the rivers are the important part of logistics in the area, and both sides have the rivers under control with batteries but the Paraguayans have the larger fleet (largely via capture). For the Brazilians to provide a fleet large enough to overcome both batteries and Paragyauan river navy is expected to be quite expensive.


27th December

Accession of Leopold II to the Belgian throne.


31st December

Abraham Lincoln takes on a case relating to the construction of the US Transcontinental Railroad, chiefly in regards to accused irregularities over the exercise of Eminent Domain.
He is reported to find the complicated legal and political snarl "relaxing".


5th January 1866

Snider production is reported to be complete in terms of rearming the British army and the volunteer and militia force, both local and overseas, along with providing for a substantial home reserve. Future production is to be at a slower rate and the rifle is now made available for export (with the Confederate Army expressing a considerable interest, along with the state militias of Virginia, Maryland and South Carolina.)
Interestingly, there are also somewhere north of 100,000 unconverted Enfield rifles in stocks, in case the Indian Army is required to expand in future - the trusted sepoys are not yet permitted breechloading weapons, in accordance with standard policy.


9th January

After some preparatory work, the keel is laid on the Captain at Laird's Birkenhead yard. The estimate of how long the ship will take to build is a little woolly, as she is so experimental, and so the late delivery penalty is more relaxed than for a more conventional ship.


10th January

A rail bridge over the Elbe collapses in the cold, leading to swearing at the Prussian General Staff and the calculation of more contingency rail timetables for mobilization.


13th January

The first order for Sniders is placed - oddly, by the German city of Hamburg, which desires a modern small arm to equip her soldiers.
There is believed to be at least some behind the scenes graft involved with the order, in particular as to the fact that the city gets their rifles straight away instead of waiting for their manufacture at RSAF Enfield.