Prologue
Upstate New York May 13 1882
Captain Theodore Roosevelt of the 1st Volunteer Cavalry Regiment knew he and his regiment were in deep shit. They had been formed only a few weeks and they had been planning to ship them south to fight the Mexicans with the fairly new war with the Second Mexican Empire that had just started. But that had when up in smoke when the British and French had both entered the war on the side of the Mexicans. Now instead of more training which they badly needed, they were expected to hold the British and Canadians out of Upstate New York with their regiment and a molly mix of local militia. Roosevelt knew this was a bad idea, but there was little he could do about it at the moment.
There were a few men like Roosevelt who fought the Spanish either in Cuba or Puerto Rico during the Spanish American War of 1875-76. Some of the older men in Roosevelt’s regiment or the militia were veterans of the War of Southern Treason and fewer still were veterans of both. The massive majority of the men however had never seen war before.
It was also showing how neglected the Army had been since the end of the Spanish American War. Most of the troops under Roosevelt’s command had been issued trap door Springfield rifles. They were good hunting weapons at this point, but had no place on the battlefield. Not when the British, French, even the sinking Mexicans had much more modern and better designed rifles. Then there was the fact Winchester repeaters were out there as well. Officers such as Roosevelt had the Colt Army Single Action Revolver which was one of the best designed revolvers in the world at the moment. But that was because Roosevelt and other officers had brought their side arm instead of using the old Colt-Navy Revolvers that did date back to the War of Southern Treason that were being issued. In short they were out gunned on top of being facing men who had years of training. Reinforcements were also nowhere to be found with almost the whole regular army down south facing Mexico.
As Captain Roosevelt was looking ahead to make sure his men had a clear field of fire, he heard something behind him. Looking behind he saw Lt Colonel John Mosby the regimental XO. Mosby was a veteran of the past two wars the US had fought on, but had been on the wrong side of the War of Southern Treason. But since the end of the civil war, Mosby had done everything he could to prove he was a good American. It was why he had been given his current commission.
Mosby came up quickly to Roosevelt’s command post. “Be ready Colonel Buller and his column is on the move. He should be here within the hour.”
Roosevelt knew he was about to see his first action since his part in the Battle of San Juan Hill in 1876. An action which had earned him the Medal of Honor from then President Grant in 1876. “We will be ready for them sir.”
“That’s good to hear captain.” Then Mosby quickly got up and left to go back to the regimental command post. Roosevelt’s regiment was not yet up to full strength and didn’t have enough runners to go around at the moment. As Mosby was leaving Roosevelt and his men took part in the time honored tradition known to all military man from all ages, waiting.
Roosevelt and his men saw Colonel Redvers Buller and his column soon enough. The British quickly moved up their RML 9 pounder field guns and quickly opened fire with them. The Emperor War of 1870-1872 in Europe had shown that breach loading artillery pieces were the future as did America’s time in the Spanish American War. But Congress had been unwilling to pay for the reserves to have such weapons. Heck only the elite artillery units in the army had such weapons. This left the regimental artillery to use old M1857 Napoleon Cannons that dated from the War of Southern Treason. This was a bad miss match as the British artillery was able to quickly sweep away the few Napoleons that were there. The British also didn’t have to worry about any Gatling Guns, those were all down south with the regular army fighting the Mexicans.
With the artillery taken care of Colonel Buller ordered his infantry into the breach to take the ground. Roosevelt knew what was coming when the artillery slacked off. Roosevelt yelled out, “Get ready men here they come!” Roosevelt himself pulled out his own pistol and cycled the weapon. Even though it was a six shot weapon, Roosevelt had learned that it was bad idea to carry load six gun with six rounds.
Then the British Infantry started to move up, marching into battle. Then they started off at double time as they broke up into loose units as they moved against the American lines. Both sides had their rifle fire increase as it was no longer a marksmanship duel but a general battle. Roosevelt pulled back his hammer on his Peacemaker and fire. The Red Coat he was aiming at dropped. Roosevelt pulled his hammer back yet again, but just as he was about to fire a shell from one the British artillery pieces dropped by and when boom.
Roosevelt stood back up with blood dripping from his forehead. He quickly checked the wound and saw it was a minor one. His Peacemaker still in his hands picked out a redcoat that was about 50 yards in from of him and drop him with a 45 slug to the chest. He pulled his hammer back yet again and dropped another red coat that was even closer.
Some rifle caused Roosevelt to duck behind the earthen works he and his men was using to held sheld them from British fire. With another boom earth when flying as Roosevelt took the first chance to look around. He looked at the center part of their line. What he saw caused his heart to sink. The militia which had been place at the center of the lines were taking to their heels and running for their lives. “God damn militia!” Roosevelt yelled.
With the center of line in full blown route Roosevelt knew their defensive of upstate New York was doomed. But he be damned if he let the British take it lightly…
Captain Theodore Roosevelt would be awarded his Second Medal of Honor on this day. He was wounded twice more before he and his company linked up with the remains of the 1st Volunteer Cavalry Regiment two hours later under the command of Lt Colonel John Mosby. Roosevelt turned out to be the second most senior officer in the regiment that was still alive at the end of the battle.
The defense of upstate New York would prove to be overshadowed by other events in what would be known as the Second Mexican American War or in America the Shameful War. A British fleet would defeat a small US Navy squadron that had been tasked to defend Chesapeake Bay. This was followed by the British landing troops that threaten to take Washington DC. President Winfield Scott Hancock saw the writing on the wall and asked for a cease fire.
The Treaty of The Hague was surprising fair to the United States. Both the French and British decided to allowed to keep her Caribbean territories of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Santo Domingo. The war happen so quickly they hadn’t been able to seize them and nor did they want to take over the Spanish speaking territories. However the US did have to cede Alaska to the Canadians. They also had to cede Gadsden Purchase to the Mexicans. They also had to agree to stop arming republican rebels in the Second Mexican Empire which they had been doing since 1865.
But the Shameful War even though the Treaty of The Hague was easy on the Americans they were humiliated. The tone of the Republicans took after the defeat of the Shameful War was that of Remembrance and building up the nation’s military. As for the Democratic Party the Shameful War was their death knell. But all the Shameful War did was set the stage for another war in a much wider conflict that started in the Balkans in 1913 just after President Theodore Roosevelt took the oath of office.
Thoughts? Keep Going?