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Chapter 15: Wisps of Foreign Intervention.
Chapter 15: Wisps of Foreign Intervention.

***

“The American Civil War continued on May 4th, 1825 when after two days of rest and regrouping, Pike continued to spearhead his advance into Virginia. This time however Edmund P. Gaines had made a solid defensive line as he had retreated and rearguard actions from Gaines limited the options that Pike had presented to himself.

A small skirmish took place at Manassas in which the US Dragoons led a massive anti-infantry charge against the Federal Army of Maryland to delay them and create an opportunity of time for the US Army of Virginia to retreat into Dumfries and Stafford. Nonetheless, Pike halted his men. He hated to do this, as he knew that if more time was given to the US Army, then they would be able to use their sheer numbers to win out against him, however he had learned from the War of 1812. The supply lines and logistics were of utmost importance to him, and at Dumfries, the Federal Army of Maryland stopped to regroup and the logistical lines and columns started construction from the new Federal Logistic Corps under the highest engineering elite of the Federal States of America.

In the west, another army was gathered up in the Ohio valley, and the two sides would fight one another. In Kentucky the US Army of the Appalachians was being assembled under Major General John Coffee. The US Army of the Appalachians commanded the 3rd Division which consisted of the 10th, 12th, 16th, 11th US Infantry and the 1st and 2nd Kentucky Militia and the 5th and 6th US Dragoons under it. It also commanded the 1st Artillery Division which consisted of Brian’s Artillery, 5th, 6th and 7th US Artillery. In total the US Army of the Appalachians had around 8,750 men in total under arms. On the opposite side of the border in Ohio valley, the Federal Army of Ohio Valley was being assembled under Major General William Henry Ashley.

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William Henry Ashley had initially been an occupant of Missouri territory, however after the War of 1812 and the subsequent economic shock that it had left the man had immigrated to the north to Indiana where he had managed to gain a lot of military experience in the Great Indian Migrations to Mishigama and the inter tribal conflicts that had broken out. He had been called up by the Federals to command the Federal Army of the Ohio Valley, which he had accepted. The Federal Army of the Ohio valley consisted of the 5th Division and the 6th Division. The 5th Division consisted of the 10th, 12th, 14th and 16th Federal Infantry and the 6th Division consisted of the 2nd Ohio Militia, 4th Federal Dragoons, 5th Federal Artillery and the 18th Federal Infantry. In total, the Federal Army of the Ohio Valley had 7,300 men under arms ready for service.

1603427706024.png

William Henry Ashley.

Like his counterpart in Virginia and Maryland, Ashley was going to take the fight to Coffee. Ashley knew like Pike, that letting the US use its numerical advantage in the war would be disastrous for the federals, and as a result he would have to act with daring and invade first and attack first. Therefore, on May 8th, 1825 from his base in Cincinnati, Ashley and the Federal Army of Ohio Valley advanced across the Indiana-Kentucky border and entered Kentucky invading the northern portion of the state.

The first battle in the area would be the small community known as Dry Ridge. A small community home to scarcely 100 people, the Federal and American armies would meet each other in battle.

Like its name states, the area was a ridge in a relatively hilly area, and Ashely needed to be able to make use of it. At Sherman, the man deployed the 5th Division to overlook Dry Ridge, and at Arnold’s Creek, the man deployed the 6th Division using the light artillery being lugged in the division to his advantage.

Meanwhile Coffee was moving north slowly and had just stopped in Williamstown when he heard news that the Federal Army had moved from the north into south. He didn’t know that Ashley was nearer than he though however, and this would be fatal. On May 13th, he reached the outskirts of Dry Ridge where he deployed his lines just in case of an attack. The 3rd Division faced the road leading to Cincinnati and the 1st Artillery division was based behind Dry Ridge overlooking the small valley inlet area.

At 8 a.m. May 13th, the Battle of Dry Ridge erupted when the 10th Federal Infantry begin sharpshooting over the ridges into US army lines creating havoc in the US lines, and Coffee noticing the damage done immediately ordered a counter attack. The 1st Brigade of the 3rd Division consisting of 10th US Infantry, 12th US Infantry, 16th US Infantry and the 11th US Infantry was ordered to advance and attack the Federal positions. At 9:30 a.m. the lines smashed into each other as the 1st Brigade and the 5th Federal Division clashed with one another at the outskirts of Dry Ridge.

The 12th Federal Infantry led by Colonel Joseph MacDonnell led a brave bayonet charge at the same time against the 1st Brigade in the legendary ‘Attack of the Bayonets’ which led to the 1st Brigade being pushed back the 5th Division.

At this time, Ashley ordered the 6th Division to advance from its position at Arnold’s Creek to create a flanking maneuver. This was thwarted when the 2nd Brigade of the 3rd Division consisting of the 1st Kentucky Militia, 2nd Kentucky Militia, 5th US Dragoons, and the 6th US Dragoons counterattacked at the 6th Federal Division. This created a window of opportunity for Ashley to use however and he did use to his utmost advantage unknown to Coffee. The 10th Federal Infantry and the 12th Federal Infantry of the 5th Division was detached from the 5th Division and it veered to the right to hit right at the flanks of the 2nd Brigade of the 3rd US Division. This created an encirclement of the 2nd Brigade and the 2nd Brigade surrendered after horrendous casualties by midday. By this point however, Coffee had moved up his artillery into position and had started to bombard some of the positions occupied by Ashley and his troops.

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Federal Troops during the Battle of Dry Ridge.

However this was for naught. Had Coffee used his artillery earlier, he might have made a difference, however by that point, the armies were too dispersed and too intermingled and by that point in the battle, the ridges and the hills made it impossible for the artillery to accurately fire at the enemy troops. Using the ridges, the 5th and 6th Federal Divisions regrouped and by 2 p.m. Ashley ordered a general advance through the multiple ridges to attack Dry Ridge from the front, left and right.

Recognizing defeat for what it was, Coffee ordered a general retreat back to Lexington at 3 p.m. and the battle was all but over by 4.

The Battle of Dry Ridge was another great victory for the Federals. The Federals had lost 39 men killed, 92 men wounded, and around 10 captured. In contrast the Americans had suffered 78 killed, 156 wounded, and 40 captured.

With their battlefield prowess, both Ashley and Pike would become known as the dual brothers of the Federal North during the American Civil War managing to win many battles against implacable odds.” The American Civil War and its Battles, University of Ontario, 1998.

“Of course the setbacks suffered by the United States at land was mirrored in the seas as well. Most of the major functioning docks and dockyards were all in New York, Philadelphia and Maryland, and as such majority of the US Navy had fallen into the hands of the Federal States of America. The only major dock remaining in US hands was in New Orleans. Nonetheless, the US Navy had a strong numerical amount of ships as well stuck in the American patrols in the Caribbean, and the US Navy was formidable in its own right even though majority of the fleet had fallen into Federal hands.

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Commodore John B. Nicolson.

On May 17th, the US Navy was ordered under Commodore John B. Nicolson was ordered to move from New Orleans to the Georgian Coast in order to protect the American shipping in the area from where the American merchant ships were moving weapons and equipment north to Virginia.

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Commodore Stephen Decatur.

At the same time in New York City Harbor, Commodore Stephen Decatur who commanded the Federal Navy was ordered to sally downwards to the southern coast to attack the American shipping in the area to prevent it from reaching Virginia where they could perhaps reinforce the army under Gaines.

The US Navy that was going to meet one another in a naval battle would be as the following:-

US Navy Order of Battle:-

  • USS Columbus (Ship of the Line) (Flagship)
  • USS Constitution (Frigate 1st Class)
  • USS Sunda (Frigates 1st Class)
  • USS South Carolina (Frigates 2nd Class)
  • USS Onondaga (Corvette)
  • USS Spark (Sloop of War)
  • USS Gnat (Schooner)
  • USS Mosquito (Schooner)
Federal Navy Order of Battle:-

  • FNS Delaware (Ship of the Line) (Flagship)
  • FNS Ohio (Ship of the Line)
  • FNS Potomac (Frigate 1st Class)
  • FNS Java (Frigate 1st Class)
  • FNS Congress (Frigate 2nd Class)
  • FNS Cyan (Corvette)
  • FNS Hornet (Sloop of War)
  • FNS Ontario (Sloop of War)
  • FNS Nosuch (Schooner)
  • FNS Purpoise (Schooner)
  • FNS Dolphin (Schooner)
  • FNS Shark (Schooner)
The place where the battle would take place would be Bull’s Bay on the date of May 27th, 1825. And it would become one of the first of the major naval battles of the American Civil War.” Ships of the Civil War, Naval Institute of Ontario.

“Welcome to our seventh episode of the American Civil War in our channel Kings and Generals. This episode is sponsored by War of Warships, which is a game for your computer in which all realistic physics of wargaming and naval warfare have been articulately adopted into the computer to make your naval war realistic with over 2000 real historical warships, ranging from Ship of the Lines to Dreadnoughts to choose from. So use the premium code in the description below to get 8 days of premium time, 4 extra slots, 1000 gold coins and a legendary tier battleship. Now onto the show.

The American Civil War was the ultimate showdown between the divides of the north and south in the nascent United States of America. Whilst the divides between North and South had their beginnings in the British Colonial Era itself, the War of 1812, which America lost decisively. The War of 1812 sent a chain reaction that led to the downward spiral of the American Nation which led to the American Civil War.

The Battle of Bulls Bay took place in Bulls Bay, which is on the coast of South Carolina. The area was an important facet of American shipping to the north where the Americans were supplying Gaines’s Army of Virginia. In order to counter the threat of American reinforcement of equipment and men to the north in a faster manner, the Federal government under DeWitt Clinton had ordered the Federal Navy under Commodore Stephen Decatur to sally to the south from where the Federal Navy could interdict American merchant and shipping routes.

In the early hours of May 27th, Decatur was notified by his forward schooners of the Dolphin and Shark that the American Navy was spotted in Bull’s Bay, along with the massive 74 gun ship of the line, the USS Columbus which was a major threat to the Federal Navy. Decatur was caught in a hard position. If he didn’t attack, there was a good chance that the Americans could keep supplying up north and perhaps change the tide of war, and if he did attack there was a chance that the 74 guns of the USS Columbus would be able to destroy his naval ships. However Decatur took the chance, as he believed that his greater numbers would be able to gain a victory.

At 10 a.m. in the morning when the fog had finally lifted in its full the American fleet under Commodore John B. Nicolson was extremely surprised to find the Federal Navy blaring their guns at then United States Navy. The battle then started with an exchange of fire from their guns and the battle continued as both the navies turned to form a battle line with their navies.

The 74 gun advantage of the USS Columbus showed as soon as the battle began as the FSN Shark was sunk by the Columbus and the FSN Purpoise was disabled by the fact that the guns had damaged the sails of the ship and the Purpoise was out of the fight as well.

However the Delaware wasn’t exactly something that was a ship that was not tough either, and the Delaware smashed the American lines as well, and the Sunda and the Gnat were quickly taken out of the fight almost immediately.

By 11:30 the battle was definitely not going in favor of Nicolson, as the Spark was also taken out of the fight by being sunk and the Onondaga was also torn apart with their sails being all over the place, in exchange for only the Potomac and Hornet being sunk on the side of the Americans. Knowing that he would have to take a risk, to win all or lose all, Nicolson decided on a daring maneuver. He broke the battle line, or what was left of it, and ordered the warships remaining to attack head on at the Federal Battle line. This was an audacious move, and many of the Captains voiced their absolute dissent, however they followed through with the order, and by 11:50 a.m. the Federal Battle line had been broken by the Columbus, Constitution, South Carolina and Sunda all sitting in between them bringing both sides of their guns to bare. The remaining battle was a massacre for the Federal Navy as Stephen Decatur himself was killed by a grapeshot.

At 12:40 p.m. the remaining Federal Navy began to retreat and by 1 the battle was essentially over. The Battle of Bulls Bay was a decisive American victory for the United States as it gave the Americans free passage to reinforce Virginia through the seas. Whilst the Federal Navy would continue to enjoy Naval superiority within their own waters, the waters of the United States wouldn’t be contested by the Federal Navy after that.” Kings And Generals, Season 17, Episode 7.

“Whilst a war was raging on the North and South American Continent in the form of the Argentinian Civil War and the American Civil War, another conflict was breaking out in the Tokugawa Shogunate in Nihon or popularly known as Japan in Europe. The War Of Restoration was about to take place…” History of the Empire of Nihon, Kyoto Publishing (日本帝国の歴史、京都出版) 1989.

"Meanwhile in the United Kingdom, the Federal defeat at sea stirred up the abolitionist feelings in the United Kingdom. And whispers against their former Colonial possession and its attempt to win its civil war stared to spread anew throughout the population and the nobility." Britannia in the Civil War, Osprey Publishing, 1918.

***
 
Chapter 15: Wisps of Foreign Intervention.

***
"Meanwhile in the United Kingdom, the Federal defeat at sea stirred up the abolitionist feelings in the United Kingdom. And whispers against their former Colonial possession and its attempt to win its civil war stared to spread anew throughout the population and the nobility." Britannia in the Civil War, Osprey Publishing, 1918.
***

We'll that's fantastic, having one of the world's largest and most influential empires push for the abolition of slavery would really help stamp it out (even if the were the ones who introduced it to their colonies in the first place but I digress).

A strong abolitionist attitude among the population, as well as the name of the title, suggests that Britain (and maybe some other European power) might get involved with the American Civil War on the side of the Federalists.

Most likely only Britain is getting involved here since the other powers aren't in any position to help on side or the other.

France is at the end of the Bourbon Restoration period, which collapsed into the Second French Republic in about 5 years in OTL, so they might be a little too unstable to really get involved. Prussia and Austria are butting heads over leadership of the German Confederation so they're a little busy. Russia is busy industrializing (and is falling behind).

It's been almost 50 years since the Declaration of Independence and it looks like majority of the original 13 states are coming back under British influence.

Will British try to contain the United States from expanding to the Pacific?
 
We'll that's fantastic, having one of the world's largest and most influential empires push for the abolition of slavery would really help stamp it out (even if the were the ones who introduced it to their colonies in the first place but I digress).

A strong abolitionist attitude among the population, as well as the name of the title, suggests that Britain (and maybe some other European power) might get involved with the American Civil War on the side of the Federalists.

Most likely only Britain is getting involved here since the other powers aren't in any position to help on side or the other.

France is at the end of the Bourbon Restoration period, which collapsed into the Second French Republic in about 5 years in OTL, so they might be a little too unstable to really get involved. Prussia and Austria are butting heads over leadership of the German Confederation so they're a little busy. Russia is busy industrializing (and is falling behind).

It's been almost 50 years since the Declaration of Independence and it looks like majority of the original 13 states are coming back under British influence.

Will British try to contain the United States from expanding to the Pacific?
Yes Britain will try to stamp down on Americanism extremely hard now that ITTL they have a dominant position.
 
Yes Britain will try to stamp down on Americanism extremely hard now that ITTL they have a dominant position.

Their best bet to encircle the remaining US would be to establish a claim to the Oregon Territory down to California, but they would need to stretch over North America through the Canadas to meet up, and then to help fortify Mexico's frontier lands of Tejas and Alta California.

Has Mexico changed their laws concerning immigration to try and limit the number of American immigrants crossing and settling in Tejas as well and are they enforcing their anti-slavery laws in the region?

Mexico has a large population for the New World and for the time at 6.6 Million (which should be slightly larger here), but their border regions were underpopulated and had a great deal of autonomy from the central government.

That being said, most of this land is desert so settlement would be harder to promote in Tejas and Nuevo Mexico outside of the coastal regions and the arable land near rivers and lakes.
 

Lusitania

Donor
We'll that's fantastic, having one of the world's largest and most influential empires push for the abolition of slavery would really help stamp it out (even if the were the ones who introduced it to their colonies in the first place but I digress).

A strong abolitionist attitude among the population, as well as the name of the title, suggests that Britain (and maybe some other European power) might get involved with the American Civil War on the side of the Federalists.

Most likely only Britain is getting involved here since the other powers aren't in any position to help on side or the other.

France is at the end of the Bourbon Restoration period, which collapsed into the Second French Republic in about 5 years in OTL, so they might be a little too unstable to really get involved. Prussia and Austria are butting heads over leadership of the German Confederation so they're a little busy. Russia is busy industrializing (and is falling behind).

It's been almost 50 years since the Declaration of Independence and it looks like majority of the original 13 states are coming back under British influence.

Will British try to contain the United States from expanding to the Pacific?
British empire passed the abolition of slave trade in 1807 and iotl passed the abolition of slavery in 1833 therefore what we have here is it happening about decade earlier.

FYI the British Caribbean islands colonies stopped bringing Africans to the islands to work sugar plantations but instead brought Indian indentured servants.
 
Is there any actual difference between a slave and an indentured servant?
An indentured servant, in name at least, has the prospect of earning on their freedom after they have worked off their debts they incurred by having their master pay for their voyage to the Americas. In practice, this could easily become a form of slavery if the master conveniently finds that the debt is always a few dollars more than the amount of work the indentured servant has done.
 

Lusitania

Donor
An indentured servant, in name at least, has the prospect of earning on their freedom after they have worked off their debts they incurred by having their master pay for their voyage to the Americas. In practice, this could easily become a form of slavery if the master conveniently finds that the debt is always a few dollars more than the amount of work the indentured servant has done.
The other factor is their children are free and not born as indentured sergeants like slave’s children who were born slaves.
 

Lusitania

Donor
Whats going on in Japan a early Meji Restoration or a modernized Shogunate?
I think that the going on in North America will have zero impact to what happening in Japan. As far as this stage of the world. Maybe post 1850s but nothing now. Be a far stretch to imply that what happen 1810-1830 in North America has any impact to Japan It remained closed to outside influence during this time and nothing here changes that.

Plus writing this TL about North America is time consuming enough don’t want author get distracted about another area.

The author has reached the more complicated part of his TL. Where as the war of 1812 he was dealing with known characters. Now he on his own. Plus the theatre of war is different from ACW do we can even use that as guide.
 
I think that the going on in North America will have zero impact to what happening in Japan. As far as this stage of the world. Maybe post 1850s but nothing now. Be a far stretch to imply that what happen 1810-1830 in North America has any impact to Japan It remained closed to outside influence during this time and nothing here changes that.

Plus writing this TL about North America is time consuming enough don’t want author get distracted about another area.

The author has reached the more complicated part of his TL. Where as the war of 1812 he was dealing with known characters. Now he on his own. Plus the theatre of war is different from ACW do we can even use that as guide.


the other mentioned japan in the last post by name and referencing a conflict. Its from the horses mouth buddy.

´Whilst a war was raging on the North and South American Continent in the form of the Argentinian Civil War and the American Civil War, another conflict was breaking out in the Tokugawa Shogunate in Nihon or popularly known as Japan in Europe. The War Of Restoration was about to take place…” History of the Empire of Nihon, Kyoto Publishing (日本帝国の歴史、京都出版) 1989.´
 
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Lusitania

Donor
the other mentioned japan in the last post by name and referencing a conflict. Its from the horses mouth buddy.

´Whilst a war was raging on the North and South American Continent in the form of the Argentinian Civil War and the American Civil War, another conflict was breaking out in the Tokugawa Shogunate in Nihon or popularly known as Japan in Europe. The War Of Restoration was about to take place…” History of the Empire of Nihon, Kyoto Publishing (日本帝国の歴史、京都出版) 1989.´
Yes very true and if the author wishes he can write about it. I was referencing that there is no impact to Japan from the wars in North America. He could re-interpret the wars in Japan.
 
Yes very true and if the author wishes he can write about it. I was referencing that there is no impact to Japan from the wars in North America. He could re-interpret the wars in Japan.
I was not suggesting they would. A timeline can have multiple points of divergence my friend.
 
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