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This is a split off for my "Bahia de Todos los Santos: Spanish Colonization of the Mid-Atlantic" timeline. In this path I look at another divergence, where instead of founding the Republic of Gran Colombia, the forces of Carolina and Joseana would remain disunited.

The Disunion of Roble and the Apalchen War of 1810


The seeds of Disunion were laid before the dust really even settled on the War of Independence for the Comuneros of Norteamerica. As actors within the parties were already moving to secure the spoils of victory across the continent. In ‘El Norte’ Pancho Naravez was already starting to secure his holdings throughout the lower Grande Pampas and the southwestern desert, gaining loyalty of the major land owners and rancheros that he would see their ways of life preserved. Less selfishly, Joseano militas were securing the firearms and supplies of the defeated Spanish under the orders of Alcaldo himself the last shreds of Spanish loyalists within Joseana were rounded up and evicted from their lands. In Carolina concerns were held over Joseano milita still occupying sections of Carolina east of Mobila and Carolino committees were already beginning to re-write the map of Carolina to see it expanded against the extent of Joseana’s previous borders.

As the Comuneros showed a united front facing outward at the Conference of Caracas more and more events were causing the Convention of Roble to crumble from within. The Constitution of Roble agreed upon by the various factions that made up the former rebels was well and fine enough for the situation of war but as sides settled down it continued to find disagreement from within. Nueva Extramadura and Joseana argued for greater de-centralization from the government in Roble, both largely being on the frontier they did not have the time to have their affairs governed from across the Sierra Apalchen. All three argued on different levels of enfranchisement, Joseana the most extreme argued for enfranchisement of people at all levels of society, Carolina argued for a more measured approach favoring the middle and upper classes, and Nueva Extramadura wanted power held by the land owning class only. Nueva Extramadura likewise had a policy of not granting rights to Indios populations, and while both Carolina and Joseana argued against this they both held different measures such as Carolina preferring to grant rights only to those Indios that accepted the Catholic rite.

As 1810 approached and the measure to renew the Constitution of Roble came closer tensions turned violent. De Rivilla asked that both Alcaldo and Naravez disband militias and accept commissions into his developing “Legion” plan. Both leaders worked around these requests, noting militias as officially being disbanded but in reality they were just lying low or were given their weapons (including cannons) as payment for service. Along the Carolina-Joseana frontier violence that erupted was most brutal as settlers argued for their new settlements to be apart of Carolina or Joseana, their arguments turning from acts of vandalism to deadlier raids. This building tension would finally erupt part way through the Convention of Roble when delegates from Nueva Extramadura and Joseana announced their plans to not renew the Constitution of Roble and revealed documents from local Cortes Generales that ratified independence should terms at the Convention not meet the favor of their parties. The Convention turned into an complete upset, as news of it spread entrenched views between the former Comuneros flamed like infernos; in Carolina it was more bitter as parties that favored letting Joseana and Nueva Extramadura go were fairly equal in numbers with their anti-secessionist counterparts.

While Alcaldo did not like to deal with Naravez both governments would come to the agreement of neutrality toward one another, and though there were border disputes each agreed that those concerns would be delayed for now. Once more Naravez viewed Joseana as a bulwark against Carolina, something Alcaldo knew and disdained greatly but with a western border secure he could focus his concerns on the borders to the north and east. Which came swiftly as the Cortes Generales in Roble that remained with Carolina immediately issued orders for de Rivilia to go on the offensive and secure the Ohio Valley with a show of force. They hoped a strong message to Joseana would quickly see their leaders re-consider and give up on their declared independence.

Initially, de Rivilia hoped to move his forces westward through the Sierra Apalchen and along the Rio Kentahten (Kentucky River) through the province of Chattanooga however, his plans were immediately blocked by a force of Joseana and Chattanoogan militas, the Indios of Chattanooga had declared themselves for Joseana. The province had itself long been a safe haven for refugee tribes and for escaped slaves from the Spanish plantations, a thriving Zambo population (half-African, half-Amerindian) existed within the province and seeing a chance to blunt the advance of Carolino settlers into their territory sided with Joseana. This news sparked a panic at Roble, now a Carolina province had joined Joseana, orders from Roble came through to de Rivilia to force his way through the mountains and into Joseana. Not agreeing with the orders but determined to carry them out de Rivilia attacked the Joseano force in the mountains. While de Rivilia had the weight of numbers, the Joseana army knew the ground they were fighting through initiating a guerilla war not unlike the one they had recently fought against the Spanish against de Rivilia’s more professionally trained forces.

What followed would be called by both sides the “Apalchen War” as Carolino forces tried to cross the border and Joseano forces likewise tried to keep them out. The Joseano forces refused to meet de Rivilia’s in the open field, thus while they could not ‘stop’ the Carolino forces initially they count wound them and lead them off course. Joseano sabotuers created landslides against the Carolino army and also even redirected trails so de Rivilia’s forces would go astray or find themselves boxed in. While their main strength was lost in the Sierra Apalchen, Carolina also sent a second army further south under General Meseta to go around the southern end of the mountains and make a bee-line for the Misisipi. Here Alcaldo met the forces and in the Battle of the Swamp River was able to defeat the Carolinos when their cavalry became bogged down. Further north, along the actual Ohio river bushwhacking conflicts erupted between settlers on either side of the conflict but neither able to get victory over one another just forced each side to occupy opposite ends of the river. On the Caribbean Carolino forces had much more success as the Carolina navy was able to force their way into bombardment of Mobila, but with Meseta’s failure could not press the advantage.

It was a cold winter of 1810 that actually stopped the war, as de Rivilia was forced to withdraw back to the Carolina side of the mountains before his army could become trapped by the snow especially as supplies ran out. What ended the war was mediation from a third party involved in the conflict, the Republic of Mexico. While Mexico quickly hammered out a border with Nueva Extramadura, soon the Republic of Bravo, and the even more distant Republic of California, it still had warm relations with the governments of both Carolina and Joseana and argued for peace for both sides. Thus, invited to Mexico City parties from Carolina and Joseana sat down for talks for Joseana’s independence from Carolina.

While thorny on several issues of re-partitions and land divisions both sides eventually agreed on using the natural boundary of the Apalchen mountains and the Rio Ohio as a border. What would concern both sides were the land to the further west. They looked at the Misuri River as at least a partial boundary to an extent but that still left an entire continent (with competing interests of Bravo and Virginia!). Seeing as much of the territory was wilderness as it was and that it would take time to populate the regions, both sides agreed to re-visit the issue in twenty years and both promise to not extend their control north or south of the 39th Parallel west of the Rio Misuri.

On February 3rd, 1811 both Carolina and Joseana would declare themselves at peace and independent.

A rough map. Lighter colors represent lands recognized (for the most part) by the various nations but actually unsettled. At least in terms of Eurasian-African settlers as many Amerindian tribes exercise total independence within said lighter territories. Most of the northwest of the map is white because sides do not have a coherent policy toward claims. Stripes though do represent extra-territorial claims.


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