I disagree. The western half was also full of Native American Reservations, so it does not necessarily need to be separated.
The Union Forever: A TL
- Thread starter Mac Gregor
- Start date
I disagree. The western half was also full of Native American Reservations, so it does not necessarily need to be separated.
I disagree. The western half was also full of Native American Reservations, so it does not necessarily need to be separated.
Yes they were reservations of the Non civilized indians. The eastern 1/3 was settled by the indian removals in the 1830's and had a well developed area. They had working governments, local and city on up to tribal levels that were recognized by the U.S. government with the overall area under the Original Indian territorial government. The area west was under the the plains indian reservation system without regular government. In the 1880's there was a statehood movement started. Clem Rogers, Will's father, was one of the people involved in this. Rogers County Oklahoma is named after Clem Rogers not Will because of this.
http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/I/IN018.html
The area west was organized as Oklahoma territory in the late 1880's as a separate area. They were only joined later on in a forced move to bring them into the statehood as only one state.
There's plenty that can happen to #4, but all I will say on the matter is that there's just barely a chance to save the world from naming a state Washington. Yes, the territory was named Washington in 1853, but that does not mean that Richard Henry Stanton was right. This TL is overdue to split the Washington Territory into its Western and Eastern halves anyway. This would be a great time to create the Puget Territory, and also save the USA from its second-dumbest state name, Idaho (which is Comanche for "Enemy"), perhaps by expanding the eastern half and naming it Walla Walla Territory.
Interesting, I would love for some people to start posting maps for their alternate state ideas (At this point I don't know how to do maps), chances are I will probably go with the most probable looking one. Cheers.
The Battle of Ragged Island: January 17, 1878
The Battle of Ragged Island
January 17, 1878
January 17, 1878
Rear Admiral John Rodgers
United States Navy
In what would prove to be the decisive naval engagement of the war, the Battle of Ragged Island took place on January 17, 1878. The battle, which occurred 20 miles south of the Bahaman island for which it is named, began when a fleet of Spanish warships escorting a relief convoy from Spain was intercepted by the American Fleet under Rear Admiral John Rodgers. The Spanish fleet consisted of 6 armored steam frigates, 3 ironclads, and an assortment of smaller vessels against the American fleet of 2 armored Steam frigates, 4 ironclads, and a corvette.
The flagship of the Spanish Fleet the Numancia, 1877
During the first stage of the battle, the Americans slugged it out with their Spanish counterparts for over three hours. The turning point came when the ironclad USS Sumner under the command of Captain William T. Sampson rammed the flagship of the Spanish Fleet the Numancia. Struck by the Sumner’s ram below the waterline, the Numancia began to list heavily to its starboard side. However, before going down the Numancia was able to inflict serious damage on the charging USS Sumner. As the Sumner was withdrawing from the wounded Spanish ship, a shot from the Numancia pierced the American ironclad’s armor igniting the ships powder magazine. In an explosion heard as far away as Puerto Arturo, Cuba the Sumner was torn to pieces. The explosion of the Sumner so close to the Numancia was sighted as another reason for the quickness with which the Spanish flagship sunk beneath the waves, abandoned by her terrified crew.
The sinking of the Numancia caused great confusion amongst the remainder of the Spanish fleet. Rear Admiral Rodgers took advantage of this by ordering his remaining vessels to close with the discombobulated Spaniards. The last hour of the battle saw the Spanish break off the engagement but only after having suffered additional casualties.
In the end, the Battle of Ragged Island proved costly for both sides. The Spaniards lost their flagship as well as the Vitoria. The Sagunto was heavily damaged and had to be abandoned during the trip back to Spain. In addition to the loss of the Sumner the Steam Frigate USS Poseidon was also lost. Most of the other American ships at the battle also suffered considerable damage. However, the battle did force most of the Spanish Fleet to withdraw from Caribbean. Now with naval superiority, if only temporarily, the Americans could commence with the next step in their war plan, the invasion of Cuba.
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Still writing my next installment, a few details about these officers in the TL are
John Gordon - Active in Georgia politics but do to his radical views will not be given a command in the Spanish American War.
Nathan Bedford Forrest- Forrest was killed on August 23rd, 1862 in a skirmish as the Confederates were retreating from the Battle of Nashville.
James McPherson- Maj. General McPherson has an important command in the upcoming invasion of Cuba.
J.E.B. Stuart- Will be commanding troops in Cuba
John Bell Hood- Became a successful businessman in Louisiana. Hood did not seek a commission in the war with Spain.
The Invasion of Cuba: February-March, 1878
The Invasion of Cuba
February-March, 1878
February-March, 1878
An artist's anachronistic depiction from the early 20th Century of the American landings east of Santiago de Cuba
Some historians have remarked that the American V Corps which invaded Cuba on February 20th, 1878 had one of the highest concentrations of military talent of any army in modern military history. All of the division and regimental commanders had seen extensive combat during the Civil War as had 60% of the V Corps’s officers and 45% of the NCOs. These leaders’ experiences in the Civil War gave them an enormous advantage when fighting the Spanish in Cuba.
Sailing from ports in Florida in mid February, the U.S. Army’s V Corps under the command of Major General James McPherson made a contested landing 15 miles east of Santiago de Cuba. The success of the landings was largely the result of two factors. The first being ample naval gunfire from the supporting U.S. Navy, and the tenacity of V Corps’s 1st Division commander Major General Ulysses S Grant being the second.
After serving with distinction during the Civil War, General Grant had left the Army and returned to Ohio with the intention of making his fortune in business. Sadly, Grant’s luck fared little better after the war than it had before and he soon returned to being heavily indebted. With his business ventures failing Grant was convinced by the local party machine to run as a Republican for governor of the state of Ohio. Grant served two terms as governor from 1870 to 1874, the second of which became mired in scandal. When hostilities broke out in 1877, Grant petitioned his friend and former subordinate Lt. General William T. Sherman for a position in the Army. In a move that angered many active army officers, Sherman gave Grant command of the 1st Infantry Division. Although Grant had commanded an entire army during the Civil War, he was glad for any position that would allow him to see action and escape his creditors.
In command of V Corps’s other division was the seasoned veteran Major General John Buford. Buford, who had earned a larger than life reputation fighting the Confederates as a cavalry officer, and stayed in the army after the Civil War, seeing considerable service on the western frontier. Operating directly under Buford was Brigadier General Philip Sheridan in command of the Calvary Division’s 1st Brigade. Of the three regimental commanders, George Armstrong Custer and J.E.B Stuart stand out the most, largely due to the bitter rivalry they developed. Both had fought on opposite sides during the Civil War and both were known for their sometimes reckless pursuit of glory. Stuart, who after the Civil War had become a planter and politician in Virginia, was greatly resented by Custer who thought that the inclusion of former Confederates in the war effort was merely the Republican Party’s way of trying to increase its voter base in the South.
Internal quarrels aside, the American invasion force was able over the next two weeks to expand its beachhead and begin laying siege to Santiago. However, taking the city would prove harder than any of these battle hardened leaders could imagine.
American Order of Battle
Commanding General of the United States Army:
Lt. General William T. Sherman
V Corps: Major General James McPherson
1 Division: Major General Ulysses S. Grant
1st Brigade: Brigadier General James Longstreet
7th U.S. Infantry Regiment
14th U.S. Infantry Regiment
56th U.S. Volunteer Infantry Regiment
2nd Brigade: Colonel Joshua Chamberlain
2nd U.S. Infantry Regiment
11th U.S. Infantry Regiment
24th (Colored) U.S. Infantry Regiment
3rd Brigade: Brigadier General David S. Stanley
9th U.S. Infantry Regiment
13th U.S. Infantry Regiment
6th U.S. Infantry Regiment
Calvary Division: Major General John Buford
1st Brigade: Brigadier General Philip Sheridan
3rd U.S. Calvary Regiment: Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer
1st U.S. Volunteer Calvary: Lt. Colonel J.E.B. Stuart
7th U.S. Calvary Regiment: Colonel Wesley Merritt
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pnyckqx
Banned
Just a small question: What of two time Medal of Honor winner Tom Custer? Since the ACW didn't go the same, he'd probably not have two Medals of Honor, but would have probably been highly decorated none-the-less.
Correct, Tom Custer had a distinguished military career during the Civil War but did not recieve any Medal of Honors in this TL. He is currently serving as a junior officer in the 3rd U.S. Calvary in Cuba under his brother George Armstrong Custer.
This war is great, I like its plausibility, and how it is a harder fight for the Americans.
Glad you like it. The next installment/s will deal with the Siege of Santiago, Custer and Stuart's rivalry, and the rest of the Cuban campaign.
The Cuban Campaign: March - June, 1878
The Cuban Campaign
March - June, 1878
U.S Gatling guns near Siege of Santiago de Cuba
April 1878
March - June, 1878
U.S Gatling guns near Siege of Santiago de Cuba
April 1878
The Siege of Santiago de Cuba
Major General McPherson began besieging the Spanish held city of Santiago de Cuba in earnest in early March of 1878. The city was defended by roughly 12,000 Spanish troops and loyalist Cuban militia. The Spaniards centered their defense along a ridge of fortified hill tops located east of the city known as the San Juan Heights. The Americans gave each hill a numerical designation and began with a frontal attack. The initial American assaults on Hills Number 2 and Number 3 were both repulsed. Military historians often sight these engagements as the first major instance where forces armed exclusively with rifles firing self contained cartridges fought one another, the Americans and Spanish forces using the 1872 Winchester and .43 Spanish Remington rifles respectively. Despite this initial setback, a few days later in a spectacular display of daring Hill Number 3 was taken when Lt. Colonel J.E.B Stuart and his dismounted 1st Volunteer Calvary carried the position. Stuart's attack was aided by gunfire from a supporting battery of Gatling guns. Not to be outdone, Lt. Colonel Custer of the nearby 3rd Calvary led, much to the dismay of General Sheridan, a mounted charge against Hill Number 2. Custer captured the position but only after suffering considerable casualties.
As the Americans made slow but steady progress towards Santiago de Cuba through March and April they faced an enemy more deadly than Spanish bullets, Yellow Fever. The lack of clean drinking water only exacerbated the issue and soon thousands of American troops were incapacitated or dying. Despite the constant threat of disease, the considerable Civil War battlefield experience of the American army took a serious toll on the Spanish forces. Further successful American assaults eventually lead to the capture of Santiago de Cuba on April 26th, 1878. The next day, General McPherson held a victory parade though the streets of the city where, as he would state years later in his memoirs, “our forces were very well received by the long oppressed population. The streets of the city were so chocked with dancing peasants and recently freed slaves that it took over three hours to reach the city’s central Plaza.”
Stuart and Custer’s Overland Campaign
After news of the fall of Santiago de Cuba had reached Washington, Lt. General Sherman and Secretary of War Robert Lincoln issued their next set of instructions to General McPherson. McPherson’s 1st Corp would be split. Most of the infantry along with the 7th Cavalry would be transported by ship to invest the island’s capital of Havana. Meanwhile Stuart and Custer’s cavalry regiments would be detached and sent on an overland campaign westwards through the island’s lightly defended interior. Stuart and Custer’s columns were meant to support each other, moving west towards Havana liberating Cuban cities and freeing the island’s slaves as they went. If Havana had not already fallen by the time they reached the island’s capital, they were to join in the final assault.
Cooperation between Custer and Stuart broke down almost immediately. Despite having orders that they should support each other’s advance the situation soon turned into a mad dash towards Havana. The two commanders and their respective cavalry regiments competed to see who could liberate the most towns, free the most slaves, and especially cover the most ground. The open rivalry between these two legendary commanders was so well known that bets were placed as far away as Moscow as to who would be the first to reach Havana.
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Good stuff MacGregor. Kinda movie-like (well, more yellow fever than a movie would have).
Grey Wolf
Donor
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/confederate.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_W._Loring
Apparently these guys are being kicked out of Egypt in 1878 as they can no longer be afforded; would be right in time for the war with Spain
Best Regards
Grey Wolf
Very interesting information. Thank you. Maybe William W. Loring could make an appearance.