yep anything the southerners did that wasn't being good little boys & girls sitting in Sunday school was always racist & over slavery
What? Damn there goes my next post idea
America: My Third TL
- Thread starter herricks
- Start date
Oh really?
Do tell?
You mean like this:
Or perhaps this...
Maybe this:
All of these are direct quotes from the Texas Declaration of Secession
http://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/csa_texsec.asp
There is plenty more of the same. They mention other grievances, but even those are framed in the slavery argument
Texas removed Sam Houston, let me say that again, Texas tossed SAM HOUSTON out of office in order to secede. That is how important slavery was,
Anyone who says that the Texas didn't secede to defend the institution of slavery is, remarkably ill informed, refusing to accept the truth, or flat out distorting facts.
yeah really. we were talking about them rebelling from Mexico not the US
the revolution wasn't over slavery
Not based on this -
Post 70, this thread.
Unless I missed something OTL = Our Time Line e.g. real world.
If you are taking about the Texas War of Independence Slavery was also a central point. Slavery was illegal in Mexico, so the original Anglo settlers declared their slaves indentured servants. After the 1824 Mexican Constitution was thrown out, these same settlers were afraid that their property (i.e. enslaved humans) would be taken away.
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at that time in the TL i had Texas rebelling from Mexico.
Deckhand stated that Mexico was the good guys because Texas was rebelling because of slaves.
that wasn't the case in the Texas Revolution therefore i wasn't wrong in saying they didn't rebel over slavery.
in fact ITTL Texas will be a free state by 1838 as part of the agreement in joining the US
Good to know.
However OTL's Texas Revolution was very much about slavery. They couched in "States Rights" (a phrase that always seems to come up when the goal is reducing some poor bastard's human rights), but the flat out reality is that the change from a weak Federal system as set up in the 1824 Mexican Constitution to the much more centrally focused revisions of the 1835 Sietes Leyes, which had the potential of freeing the "indentured servants" that set things in motion
it MIGHT have had an extremely minor detail in it but it wasn't a big reason by no means at all
Dark Clouds Forming on the Horizon
Though Anderson had made the deal that brought Texas into the Union, he would not see himself reelected in 1840 & the presidency would be turned over to George M. Dallas of Pennsylvania. Upon entering office Dallas proceeded in organizing Americas vast frontier by creating & incorporating new territories. From 1841 through 1842 the Iowa Territory was created out of the Wisconsin Territory west of the Mississippi, & the territory gained from the Mexican Cession was organized & incorporated as the Cascadia Territory & placing the capital at the small but growing settlement & Americas first Pacific port San Francisco. Aside from bringing about organization to areas of the American frontier Dallas’s term was dull & saw little occur. This in term would lead to his defeat in the 1844 presidential election & his replacements by Ohio Senator Richard Ewing.
As Ewing entered office in March 1845 a growing crisis was occurring in the US, a crisis that Ewing was all to familiar & involved with, control over the Oregon Country. Though President Anderson’s Treaty of 1840 with Britain over the US-Canadian border had meant to end any disputes between the two countries, while the majority of the border West of the Great Lakes was established as the 49th parallel, neither nation could agree over the boundary line within the Oregon Country & therefore five years later the area was still “jointly” occupied though tensions over the area had begun to grow. By 1845 competition between American & British settlers over the Oregon Country was growing hostile. This had led to each set of settlers forming their own militias for protection. However these militias were both unpredictable & undisciplined & soon began causing as many problems as they solved. This would lead to President Ewing to order 3500 Army regulars into the region to “keep the peace” in August 1845, a move following quickly a month later by the British which moved 2500 Canadian regulars in.
Both nations could see that war clouds were forming to the west & began taking measures to both hopefully prevent war, but also to prepare for it. In December 1845 President Ewing began talks with British Ambassador Sir Richard Pakenham while in London the US’s ambassador Louis McLane also began talks over the Oregon Country & hoping to find a peaceful solution. Talks went on for more than two months however? By March 1846 no agreement had yet been made. Ewing was willing to settle on the 49th parallel for the Oregon Country border however, to help protect the access to Puget Sound he demanded Vancouver Island as well. The British on the other hand while willing to accept the 49th parallel as most of the Oregon Country border, demanded that they have access & partial control of the Colombia River. As talks continued to go nowhere back in Washington, on April 2,1846, the nation would be shocked when President Ewing dropped dead from an apparent heart attack. The following day his Vice President & successor Kentuckian William “Bill” Slater was sworn in as the nations 11th President & first to become that due to a sitting presidents death.
Though willing to resolve the Oregon Country dispute peacefully Slater, unlike his predecessor was much more willing to take the claimed territory by force. Though he had strongly advocated the “Fifty-Four Forty of Fight” idea before becoming Vice President Slater was reluctantly willing to settle on the 49th & Vancouver if the British would accept. However by May another month had gone by with almost no progress & even word beginning to come in of some small but growing clashes occurring between American & Canadian militias & settlers. Though the army regulars were attempting to stop these clashes it was becoming evident that the situation in the Oregon Country was deteriorating.
As spring turned to summer began to quietly increase their troop strength both in Oregon & the Northeast. In Canada Britain sent a regiment of British regulars as well as a small naval squadron to the Oregon Country while back east an order to raise two new regiments of Canadian regulars was received & in June a second division of British troops from Britain set sail to Canada to bolster the 3 British Regiments already there. As for America, Slater ordered a squadron of 5 frigates & 4 sloops to bolster its naval presence in the Pacific & to transport a regiment of troops to the Cascadia Territory. And in the east a regiment was order to be raised to defend Detroit while a division was ordered to help garrison New York. Despite this however it was difficult to gain volunteers & by August the numbers of recruits had barely reached 7000 in total. Though these movements served as only a precaution they only raised the increasingly heated tensions with Britain even more.
Despite the partial mobilization in September word arrived from London of some luck. The British would accept the US’s control over Vancouver Island however only in exchange for Americas acceptance of control of all territory north of the Colombia River. Slater viewed this compromise as unacceptable &, after the Senates strong insistence, replied with a counter offer for Britain to accept all US claims in exchange for $750,000. This to however was rejected by Britain & counter offered with them demanding $1,500,000 & a 10% reduction in all British debt owed to the US in exchange for recognition of the 49th parallel as the two nations border, & Britain’s control over Vancouver Island. Upon receiving this in December Slater fumed with anger.
Slater didn’t respond to Britain’s demand for just over two months as he pondered his choices as well as the pros & cons of these choices. However on February 17,1847 it was decided. Word was sent via, the relatively new invention, the telegraph, riverboat, & fast horse to the US’s Commanding general in the Pacific northwest John C. Fremont to prepare to take control of the territory south of the 49th parallel & Vancouver Island by force on April 10,1837 unless other orders were received. On the same day word was sent to London by Slater with an ultimatum, surrender claim to all territory south of the 49th parallel & Vancouver Island in exchange for the sum of $500,000 or face war. In a stroke of fate or just bad luck however the ship carrying Slater’s ultimatum disappeared on its voyage across the Atlantic & London never received Slater’s demand. With the disappearance unknown in Washington the deadline came with still no word from London & it was believed that the ultimatum was rejected. Across the continent on the same day, having received no new orders, General Fremont mobilized his forces & set out to take Britain’s garrisons.
Though Anderson had made the deal that brought Texas into the Union, he would not see himself reelected in 1840 & the presidency would be turned over to George M. Dallas of Pennsylvania. Upon entering office Dallas proceeded in organizing Americas vast frontier by creating & incorporating new territories. From 1841 through 1842 the Iowa Territory was created out of the Wisconsin Territory west of the Mississippi, & the territory gained from the Mexican Cession was organized & incorporated as the Cascadia Territory & placing the capital at the small but growing settlement & Americas first Pacific port San Francisco. Aside from bringing about organization to areas of the American frontier Dallas’s term was dull & saw little occur. This in term would lead to his defeat in the 1844 presidential election & his replacements by Ohio Senator Richard Ewing.
As Ewing entered office in March 1845 a growing crisis was occurring in the US, a crisis that Ewing was all to familiar & involved with, control over the Oregon Country. Though President Anderson’s Treaty of 1840 with Britain over the US-Canadian border had meant to end any disputes between the two countries, while the majority of the border West of the Great Lakes was established as the 49th parallel, neither nation could agree over the boundary line within the Oregon Country & therefore five years later the area was still “jointly” occupied though tensions over the area had begun to grow. By 1845 competition between American & British settlers over the Oregon Country was growing hostile. This had led to each set of settlers forming their own militias for protection. However these militias were both unpredictable & undisciplined & soon began causing as many problems as they solved. This would lead to President Ewing to order 3500 Army regulars into the region to “keep the peace” in August 1845, a move following quickly a month later by the British which moved 2500 Canadian regulars in.
Both nations could see that war clouds were forming to the west & began taking measures to both hopefully prevent war, but also to prepare for it. In December 1845 President Ewing began talks with British Ambassador Sir Richard Pakenham while in London the US’s ambassador Louis McLane also began talks over the Oregon Country & hoping to find a peaceful solution. Talks went on for more than two months however? By March 1846 no agreement had yet been made. Ewing was willing to settle on the 49th parallel for the Oregon Country border however, to help protect the access to Puget Sound he demanded Vancouver Island as well. The British on the other hand while willing to accept the 49th parallel as most of the Oregon Country border, demanded that they have access & partial control of the Colombia River. As talks continued to go nowhere back in Washington, on April 2,1846, the nation would be shocked when President Ewing dropped dead from an apparent heart attack. The following day his Vice President & successor Kentuckian William “Bill” Slater was sworn in as the nations 11th President & first to become that due to a sitting presidents death.
Though willing to resolve the Oregon Country dispute peacefully Slater, unlike his predecessor was much more willing to take the claimed territory by force. Though he had strongly advocated the “Fifty-Four Forty of Fight” idea before becoming Vice President Slater was reluctantly willing to settle on the 49th & Vancouver if the British would accept. However by May another month had gone by with almost no progress & even word beginning to come in of some small but growing clashes occurring between American & Canadian militias & settlers. Though the army regulars were attempting to stop these clashes it was becoming evident that the situation in the Oregon Country was deteriorating.
As spring turned to summer began to quietly increase their troop strength both in Oregon & the Northeast. In Canada Britain sent a regiment of British regulars as well as a small naval squadron to the Oregon Country while back east an order to raise two new regiments of Canadian regulars was received & in June a second division of British troops from Britain set sail to Canada to bolster the 3 British Regiments already there. As for America, Slater ordered a squadron of 5 frigates & 4 sloops to bolster its naval presence in the Pacific & to transport a regiment of troops to the Cascadia Territory. And in the east a regiment was order to be raised to defend Detroit while a division was ordered to help garrison New York. Despite this however it was difficult to gain volunteers & by August the numbers of recruits had barely reached 7000 in total. Though these movements served as only a precaution they only raised the increasingly heated tensions with Britain even more.
Despite the partial mobilization in September word arrived from London of some luck. The British would accept the US’s control over Vancouver Island however only in exchange for Americas acceptance of control of all territory north of the Colombia River. Slater viewed this compromise as unacceptable &, after the Senates strong insistence, replied with a counter offer for Britain to accept all US claims in exchange for $750,000. This to however was rejected by Britain & counter offered with them demanding $1,500,000 & a 10% reduction in all British debt owed to the US in exchange for recognition of the 49th parallel as the two nations border, & Britain’s control over Vancouver Island. Upon receiving this in December Slater fumed with anger.
Slater didn’t respond to Britain’s demand for just over two months as he pondered his choices as well as the pros & cons of these choices. However on February 17,1847 it was decided. Word was sent via, the relatively new invention, the telegraph, riverboat, & fast horse to the US’s Commanding general in the Pacific northwest John C. Fremont to prepare to take control of the territory south of the 49th parallel & Vancouver Island by force on April 10,1837 unless other orders were received. On the same day word was sent to London by Slater with an ultimatum, surrender claim to all territory south of the 49th parallel & Vancouver Island in exchange for the sum of $500,000 or face war. In a stroke of fate or just bad luck however the ship carrying Slater’s ultimatum disappeared on its voyage across the Atlantic & London never received Slater’s demand. With the disappearance unknown in Washington the deadline came with still no word from London & it was believed that the ultimatum was rejected. Across the continent on the same day, having received no new orders, General Fremont mobilized his forces & set out to take Britain’s garrisons.
I foresee much trouble and bloodshed for all involved...
tune in for the next update & see
Oregon Country Burning
General Fremont & his 3000 troops first stop was Ft. Umpqua on April 11. Surprised by the hostile action & large force the fort surrendered without firing a shot. Over the next two weeks Fremont would have similar luck at forts Hall & Nez Perce however, word of the US’s hostile actions had spread & on April 28,1847 as the US force moved on Oregon City the first shots of the war would occur. In the Battle of Oregon City the city saw itself defended by 300 British regulars & 1000 militia with 2 cannon against 2000 US troops with 4 cannon. For an hour the defenders resisted however Fremont’s superior force was able to defeat them & after suffering 67 casualties to the Americans 39 the city was surrendered. Despite losing Oregon City, the word was out in the Oregon Country & Canada as riders quickly traveled to the following British forts & settlements & was being quickly sent east to Toronto. By May 20 word had reached both Toronto & Washington over the opening of hostilities & Slater immediately sent word to London stating that the US‘s “intentions” to only gain control of the territory it demanded. On June 10,1847 the Slater would get a response from Britain, as of June 3,1847 Britain & the United States were at war.
The first actions that came after war was “officially” declared once more came from the northwest. Since the Battle of Oregon City Fremont’s army had roughly gained control over all of the territory south of the 49th parallel however, the campaign had cost him over 500 men & though the Americans had been victorious at every engagement thus far the retreating British & Canadian soldiers & militiamen were moving north & had been regrouping at Ft. Langley. By the time of the declaration of war a force of nearly 3000 had been assembled under Colonel Anthony Dewey & his British regulars had began to train the nearly 2000 militiamen that made up his army. For now the war on the mainland for control of the Oregon Country was stagnant as even once learning of the declaration both sides needed time to prepare themselves, however just off the coast the war was just beginning.
Colonel Wright Tilden had been placed in command by General Fremont of 1700 US troops & charged with capturing Vancouver Island for the US. Though Tilden was supposed to set out on May 1 a severe storm had hit San Francisco forcing the navy to remain in port & more importantly beached two of the ships set to transport Colonel Tilden & his troops. Most of the next month saw repairs being made to these beached ships before finally on May 31 the invasion force set out. On June 4 after reaching the island the previous evening Tilden’s forces landed with no resistance & began moving towards the main settlement of Fort Victoria. However once reaching the fort Tilden learned of its garrison of over 1000 troops. Rather than see a large loss of life Tilden ordered his army to lay siege to the fort on June 6 while both his & the navy’s cannon commenced to bombard the fort into submission.
Despite seeing no warships upon entering the waters surrounding the island the Royal navy did in fact have a squadron of 8 frigates had been anchored in Puget Sound. When informed of the US’s movement into the Salish Sea these vessels set sail to repel them & on June 9 the Battle of the Salish Sea occurred. Though the US squadron, consisting of 4 frigates, 2 sloops, & 4 schooners, was larger than its British counterpart the British, long masters of the waves, defeated the American squadron sinking 2 frigates & a schooner while capturing a second schooner & forcing the remainder to flee. The US navy’s defeat at the Salish Sea caused Colonel Tilden & his force to be left without naval support & at the mercy of the Royal Navy. It was with this in mind that caused him to reluctantly lift the Siege of Fort Victoria & withdraw inland where he hoped to defeat the British in open battle.
New Fronts, Old Enemy's
While things settled into a stalemate in the northwest, to the east they were just beginning. Upon learning that the US & Britain were now at war General Taylor, stationed with 10,000 men at Grand Island near Buffalo had his men begin to quickly commander as many vessels as possible to help move his army across into Canada. Taylor would spend 8 days gathering enough equipment to make the crossing. In these 8 days a battalion of Canadians at Fort Erie, also learning of the war fired on the Americans with their 8 several times disrupting their preparations though only causing 18 casualties. After completing his preparations General Taylor invaded across the Niagara quickly & in force while the Canadians at the fort were kept down by 10 of his 14 cannon. By nightfall Taylor had managed to get 4000 troops & 6 cannon across the river & into Canada. Under cover of darkness & while the remainder of his army still crossed Taylor ordered his troops to assault the fort. The Battle of Fort Erie would last much of the night however, with superior numbers on their side, by dawn & after a combined 800 casualties sustained the Stars & Stripes were flying above the fort.
With the war getting into motion along Americas northern border President Slater saw the need for more troops & called for 40,000 volunteers. While enlistment began to rise following the outbreak of war Slater could see that reaching that number would take some time. To help bolster the numbers sooner Slater ordered many of the troops in the army’s garrisons east of the Mississippi to head north while 6000 of the 10,000 troops garrisoned in Texas were recalled to replace them. The withdrawal of troops from Texas however would come to be a grave mistake as on June 20 Britain’s contingency plan would come into effect as 8500 Mexican troops crossed the Rio Grande & began racing towards San Antonio.
General Fremont & his 3000 troops first stop was Ft. Umpqua on April 11. Surprised by the hostile action & large force the fort surrendered without firing a shot. Over the next two weeks Fremont would have similar luck at forts Hall & Nez Perce however, word of the US’s hostile actions had spread & on April 28,1847 as the US force moved on Oregon City the first shots of the war would occur. In the Battle of Oregon City the city saw itself defended by 300 British regulars & 1000 militia with 2 cannon against 2000 US troops with 4 cannon. For an hour the defenders resisted however Fremont’s superior force was able to defeat them & after suffering 67 casualties to the Americans 39 the city was surrendered. Despite losing Oregon City, the word was out in the Oregon Country & Canada as riders quickly traveled to the following British forts & settlements & was being quickly sent east to Toronto. By May 20 word had reached both Toronto & Washington over the opening of hostilities & Slater immediately sent word to London stating that the US‘s “intentions” to only gain control of the territory it demanded. On June 10,1847 the Slater would get a response from Britain, as of June 3,1847 Britain & the United States were at war.
The first actions that came after war was “officially” declared once more came from the northwest. Since the Battle of Oregon City Fremont’s army had roughly gained control over all of the territory south of the 49th parallel however, the campaign had cost him over 500 men & though the Americans had been victorious at every engagement thus far the retreating British & Canadian soldiers & militiamen were moving north & had been regrouping at Ft. Langley. By the time of the declaration of war a force of nearly 3000 had been assembled under Colonel Anthony Dewey & his British regulars had began to train the nearly 2000 militiamen that made up his army. For now the war on the mainland for control of the Oregon Country was stagnant as even once learning of the declaration both sides needed time to prepare themselves, however just off the coast the war was just beginning.
Colonel Wright Tilden had been placed in command by General Fremont of 1700 US troops & charged with capturing Vancouver Island for the US. Though Tilden was supposed to set out on May 1 a severe storm had hit San Francisco forcing the navy to remain in port & more importantly beached two of the ships set to transport Colonel Tilden & his troops. Most of the next month saw repairs being made to these beached ships before finally on May 31 the invasion force set out. On June 4 after reaching the island the previous evening Tilden’s forces landed with no resistance & began moving towards the main settlement of Fort Victoria. However once reaching the fort Tilden learned of its garrison of over 1000 troops. Rather than see a large loss of life Tilden ordered his army to lay siege to the fort on June 6 while both his & the navy’s cannon commenced to bombard the fort into submission.
Despite seeing no warships upon entering the waters surrounding the island the Royal navy did in fact have a squadron of 8 frigates had been anchored in Puget Sound. When informed of the US’s movement into the Salish Sea these vessels set sail to repel them & on June 9 the Battle of the Salish Sea occurred. Though the US squadron, consisting of 4 frigates, 2 sloops, & 4 schooners, was larger than its British counterpart the British, long masters of the waves, defeated the American squadron sinking 2 frigates & a schooner while capturing a second schooner & forcing the remainder to flee. The US navy’s defeat at the Salish Sea caused Colonel Tilden & his force to be left without naval support & at the mercy of the Royal Navy. It was with this in mind that caused him to reluctantly lift the Siege of Fort Victoria & withdraw inland where he hoped to defeat the British in open battle.
New Fronts, Old Enemy's
While things settled into a stalemate in the northwest, to the east they were just beginning. Upon learning that the US & Britain were now at war General Taylor, stationed with 10,000 men at Grand Island near Buffalo had his men begin to quickly commander as many vessels as possible to help move his army across into Canada. Taylor would spend 8 days gathering enough equipment to make the crossing. In these 8 days a battalion of Canadians at Fort Erie, also learning of the war fired on the Americans with their 8 several times disrupting their preparations though only causing 18 casualties. After completing his preparations General Taylor invaded across the Niagara quickly & in force while the Canadians at the fort were kept down by 10 of his 14 cannon. By nightfall Taylor had managed to get 4000 troops & 6 cannon across the river & into Canada. Under cover of darkness & while the remainder of his army still crossed Taylor ordered his troops to assault the fort. The Battle of Fort Erie would last much of the night however, with superior numbers on their side, by dawn & after a combined 800 casualties sustained the Stars & Stripes were flying above the fort.
With the war getting into motion along Americas northern border President Slater saw the need for more troops & called for 40,000 volunteers. While enlistment began to rise following the outbreak of war Slater could see that reaching that number would take some time. To help bolster the numbers sooner Slater ordered many of the troops in the army’s garrisons east of the Mississippi to head north while 6000 of the 10,000 troops garrisoned in Texas were recalled to replace them. The withdrawal of troops from Texas however would come to be a grave mistake as on June 20 Britain’s contingency plan would come into effect as 8500 Mexican troops crossed the Rio Grande & began racing towards San Antonio.
A Texas Kind of Way
Though Britain was long considered to be one of the worlds apex powers of the time it new that any full scale war with the US on land, with the country’s immense size in territory & population, that an ally would almost certainly be needed to help win victory on the ground. With that in mind Britain had began to secretly court Mexico in 1840, following their defeat against the Americans & after tensions over the Oregon Country had begun to rise, over a possible alliance against the US in the event of war breaking out. Though the Mexicans had initially been hesitant about it in 1845 a secret treaty of alliance was signed in Mexico City stating that in the event of an attack by the US the other would intervene on the defenders behalf. After receiving word that the US & Britain were at war on June 18 General Mariano Arista left Monterrey with his army crossing the Rio Grande 2 days later.
While the Texas population was hostile to Mexico, with the majority of the troops on the border gone Arista met only limited resistance in taking the severely under strengthed Fort Bowie near Laredo & began moving easily towards San Antonio the following day. The army garrison left defending Texas following Slater’s recalling of the troops consisted of only 4000. Nearly 2000 were in garrisons along the Indian frontier while the rest were either in San Antonio, Austin, or in a few remaining border forts. The commanding general, Major General Winfield Scott, in San Antonio quickly called on reinforcements from Austin bringing his numbers to 2100 though he decided to leave the troops garrisoned on the borders where they were. Along with the 2100 regulars 150 Texas Rangers quickly arrived along with 1500, mostly revolution veterans, volunteers out of several thousand would arrive before Arista. Though his army had quickly grew to nearly 4000 it was still less than half the size of the Mexicans causing Scott to decide on taking a defensive stance & moved his troops into defensive positions on some of the nearby hills. To ensure Arista would move towards him on June 23 as the Mexican army neared Scott sent his cavalry & the Rangers numbering 750 under brevet Colonel Wade Hampton III out to strike at the Mexicans.
By that night the raiders were upon the Mexicans & using hit & run tactics would harass the Mexicans & slowing them to a crawl. Over the course of a day & a half Hampton would assault the Mexicans causing 197 casualties & destroying large amounts of supplies to losing only 24 of their own. On the 25th when Hampton’s raiders began withdrawing back towards Scott Arista took the bait & ordered his army to pursue & destroy the Americans. Late in the evening on June 25 Arista’s forward units were struck my a hail of bullets as they were ambushed by Hampton & a battalion of infantry. As Arista moved up the rest of his army & cannon his troops began to be engaged by the rest of Scotts force that had also been moving into position. Gunfire continued late into the night before finally dying down for a few hours after 0100, however by dawn the battle was in full swing once more. The Battle of Bexar would continue another 4 hours before Arista, having suffered 1270 casualties to Scotts 789 ordered his troops to withdraw to Benton City. With an army less than half the size of Aristas Scott had succeeded in repelling the Mexicans & protecting San Antonio.
Warfront June 1847
Though Britain was long considered to be one of the worlds apex powers of the time it new that any full scale war with the US on land, with the country’s immense size in territory & population, that an ally would almost certainly be needed to help win victory on the ground. With that in mind Britain had began to secretly court Mexico in 1840, following their defeat against the Americans & after tensions over the Oregon Country had begun to rise, over a possible alliance against the US in the event of war breaking out. Though the Mexicans had initially been hesitant about it in 1845 a secret treaty of alliance was signed in Mexico City stating that in the event of an attack by the US the other would intervene on the defenders behalf. After receiving word that the US & Britain were at war on June 18 General Mariano Arista left Monterrey with his army crossing the Rio Grande 2 days later.
While the Texas population was hostile to Mexico, with the majority of the troops on the border gone Arista met only limited resistance in taking the severely under strengthed Fort Bowie near Laredo & began moving easily towards San Antonio the following day. The army garrison left defending Texas following Slater’s recalling of the troops consisted of only 4000. Nearly 2000 were in garrisons along the Indian frontier while the rest were either in San Antonio, Austin, or in a few remaining border forts. The commanding general, Major General Winfield Scott, in San Antonio quickly called on reinforcements from Austin bringing his numbers to 2100 though he decided to leave the troops garrisoned on the borders where they were. Along with the 2100 regulars 150 Texas Rangers quickly arrived along with 1500, mostly revolution veterans, volunteers out of several thousand would arrive before Arista. Though his army had quickly grew to nearly 4000 it was still less than half the size of the Mexicans causing Scott to decide on taking a defensive stance & moved his troops into defensive positions on some of the nearby hills. To ensure Arista would move towards him on June 23 as the Mexican army neared Scott sent his cavalry & the Rangers numbering 750 under brevet Colonel Wade Hampton III out to strike at the Mexicans.
By that night the raiders were upon the Mexicans & using hit & run tactics would harass the Mexicans & slowing them to a crawl. Over the course of a day & a half Hampton would assault the Mexicans causing 197 casualties & destroying large amounts of supplies to losing only 24 of their own. On the 25th when Hampton’s raiders began withdrawing back towards Scott Arista took the bait & ordered his army to pursue & destroy the Americans. Late in the evening on June 25 Arista’s forward units were struck my a hail of bullets as they were ambushed by Hampton & a battalion of infantry. As Arista moved up the rest of his army & cannon his troops began to be engaged by the rest of Scotts force that had also been moving into position. Gunfire continued late into the night before finally dying down for a few hours after 0100, however by dawn the battle was in full swing once more. The Battle of Bexar would continue another 4 hours before Arista, having suffered 1270 casualties to Scotts 789 ordered his troops to withdraw to Benton City. With an army less than half the size of Aristas Scott had succeeded in repelling the Mexicans & protecting San Antonio.
Warfront June 1847
Sunken Hopes & Dreams
By the time world of Britain’s official declaration of war had arrived in America word was quickly spreading throughout the royal navy & soon hundreds of warships were enroute to North America. However by late June the Royal navy’s presence off the US’s coast was still somewhat small& a blockade hadn’t yet been put in place. The Americans however new that soon the Royal Navy would be here in force & Secretary of the Navy John Mason commissioned Commodore John Sloat to assemble a fleet to strike at Halifax where many British warships were supposed to be rendezvousing. Over the course of a week Sloat assembled the main Atlantic squadron in the Chesapeake & giving him command of 8 ships of the line (3 4th rate, 4 3rd rate, 1 2nd rate), 12 frigates, 6 sloops, & 4 schooners. On July 1 Sloat’s fleet set sail from the Chesapeake to take on the most powerful navy in the world.
For three days Sloat sailed northward hoping to catch at least the majority of the British fleet still in port. However unbeknownst to Sloat, his fleets movement had been discovered by the British & the British fleets commander Rear Admiral Thomas Fellowes would set sail with 6 ships of the line (4 2nd rate, 2 3rd rate), 9 frigates, 8 sloops, & 5 schooners to intercept Sloat. As the US fleet reached Georges Bank on the morning of July 4, the nations 71st birthday, the American sailors would awaken to see a large British fleet on the horizon. Within an hour the Gulf of Maine would be engulfed in fire & destruction as the Battle of Georges Bank began.
The Battle of Georges Bank was the first fleet engagement that the US Navy had been in since the 2nd French & Indian War where they had oddly enough been allied with Britain & the lack of experience soon began to show. Though Sloat’s fleet was slightly larger than Fellowes’s, within two hours Britain’s ships were showing why Britannia ruled the waves. Fierce, destructive, & bloody the Battle of Georges Bank lasted much of the day as Sloat’s forces desperately tried to achieve the upper hand in the fight. However, at 1730 Sloat’s flagship the 2nd rate USS Charleston, after sinking a British frigate, 3rd rate, & damaging numerous others, had its magazine ignite destroying the ship with all hands, including Commodore Sloat, killed. Following the destruction of the Charleston the US’s situation rapidly deteriorated & at 1815 the US fleets second in command Captain David Farragut aboard the badly damaged 3rd rate USS John Jay called for the remnants of the fleet to retreat.
The Battle of Georges Bank was a destructive one with both sides suffering heavily. Though emerging as the victors Britain’s price for that victory rounded out to 3 ships of the line, 4 frigates, 5 sloops, & 2 schooners sunk; 1 ship of the line, 2 frigates, & 3 schooners damaged enough that they had to return to Britain for repairs; 671 killed & 1344 wounded including Admiral Fellowes who would lose his right leg to shrapnel. For the US the toll was much higher. Of the 30 ships that had entered the battle 7 ships of the line, 5 frigates, 2 sloops, & 4 schooners were sunk; 1 ship of the line, 4 frigates, 2 sloops heavily damaged; 1041 killed & 1615 wounded. In a single battle most of the US’s capital ships in the Atlantic were now either sunk or forced into fry dock.
The US Navy had tried & failed to break Britain’s naval supremacy however, the Navy was not totally out of the fight. While for the remainder of the war the US would never again engage the British in a major fleet action it would begin commerce raiding that went on to prove very effective & would stick to the coastal waters, bays, & harbors often bloodying the British’s nose when they strayed too close. However despite these tactics by the fall the Royal Navy would have a tight blockade on all major ports & a loose blockade over much of the rest of the coast. though blockade runners still got some goods in & out it wouldn’t be long before many Americans began to feel the strain of the blockade.
The Battle of Georges Bank
By the time world of Britain’s official declaration of war had arrived in America word was quickly spreading throughout the royal navy & soon hundreds of warships were enroute to North America. However by late June the Royal navy’s presence off the US’s coast was still somewhat small& a blockade hadn’t yet been put in place. The Americans however new that soon the Royal Navy would be here in force & Secretary of the Navy John Mason commissioned Commodore John Sloat to assemble a fleet to strike at Halifax where many British warships were supposed to be rendezvousing. Over the course of a week Sloat assembled the main Atlantic squadron in the Chesapeake & giving him command of 8 ships of the line (3 4th rate, 4 3rd rate, 1 2nd rate), 12 frigates, 6 sloops, & 4 schooners. On July 1 Sloat’s fleet set sail from the Chesapeake to take on the most powerful navy in the world.
For three days Sloat sailed northward hoping to catch at least the majority of the British fleet still in port. However unbeknownst to Sloat, his fleets movement had been discovered by the British & the British fleets commander Rear Admiral Thomas Fellowes would set sail with 6 ships of the line (4 2nd rate, 2 3rd rate), 9 frigates, 8 sloops, & 5 schooners to intercept Sloat. As the US fleet reached Georges Bank on the morning of July 4, the nations 71st birthday, the American sailors would awaken to see a large British fleet on the horizon. Within an hour the Gulf of Maine would be engulfed in fire & destruction as the Battle of Georges Bank began.
The Battle of Georges Bank was the first fleet engagement that the US Navy had been in since the 2nd French & Indian War where they had oddly enough been allied with Britain & the lack of experience soon began to show. Though Sloat’s fleet was slightly larger than Fellowes’s, within two hours Britain’s ships were showing why Britannia ruled the waves. Fierce, destructive, & bloody the Battle of Georges Bank lasted much of the day as Sloat’s forces desperately tried to achieve the upper hand in the fight. However, at 1730 Sloat’s flagship the 2nd rate USS Charleston, after sinking a British frigate, 3rd rate, & damaging numerous others, had its magazine ignite destroying the ship with all hands, including Commodore Sloat, killed. Following the destruction of the Charleston the US’s situation rapidly deteriorated & at 1815 the US fleets second in command Captain David Farragut aboard the badly damaged 3rd rate USS John Jay called for the remnants of the fleet to retreat.
The Battle of Georges Bank was a destructive one with both sides suffering heavily. Though emerging as the victors Britain’s price for that victory rounded out to 3 ships of the line, 4 frigates, 5 sloops, & 2 schooners sunk; 1 ship of the line, 2 frigates, & 3 schooners damaged enough that they had to return to Britain for repairs; 671 killed & 1344 wounded including Admiral Fellowes who would lose his right leg to shrapnel. For the US the toll was much higher. Of the 30 ships that had entered the battle 7 ships of the line, 5 frigates, 2 sloops, & 4 schooners were sunk; 1 ship of the line, 4 frigates, 2 sloops heavily damaged; 1041 killed & 1615 wounded. In a single battle most of the US’s capital ships in the Atlantic were now either sunk or forced into fry dock.
The US Navy had tried & failed to break Britain’s naval supremacy however, the Navy was not totally out of the fight. While for the remainder of the war the US would never again engage the British in a major fleet action it would begin commerce raiding that went on to prove very effective & would stick to the coastal waters, bays, & harbors often bloodying the British’s nose when they strayed too close. However despite these tactics by the fall the Royal Navy would have a tight blockade on all major ports & a loose blockade over much of the rest of the coast. though blockade runners still got some goods in & out it wouldn’t be long before many Americans began to feel the strain of the blockade.
The Battle of Georges Bank
USA Achilles heel...
Our long and difficult to defend Coast line Has always been our weakest Point of contact with the world...How Congress could justify scrimping on the Navy has always Baffled me... Our weakness is Britain's strength, This War is going to be painful for all sides.
Our long and difficult to defend Coast line Has always been our weakest Point of contact with the world...How Congress could justify scrimping on the Navy has always Baffled me...
Our weakness is Britain's strength, This War is going to be painful for all sides.Our long and difficult to defend Coast line Has always been our weakest Point of contact with the world...How Congress could justify scrimping on the Navy has always Baffled me...
so that post wasn't too ASB or out there?
Stalemate, Withdrawal, & Glory
News of Mexico’s entrance into the war took a bit to reach General Fremont& those on the Oregon front. When the new reached Fremont on July 9 his troops were just concluding the Siege of Fort Langley in which his army captured both the fort, most of its supplies & cannon, & 1900 Anglo-Canadian troops taking out the main British mainland opposition for hundreds of miles. With the British threat, for the moment anyways, under control Fremont, along with 2500 of his roughly 7500 troops, began moving southward back to San Francisco to prepare for the invasion of California. In his stead he appointed 40 year old Joseph Johnston to the brevet rank of Colonel & left him in command. As Fremont began his long trek south Johnston continued the campaign north up the Fraser River & captured Fort Thompson on July 14. The Battle of Fort Thompson however ended any immediate plans for a continued offensive as the battle caused 2400 American casualties forcing Johnston to remain there until reinforcements arrived which he thought were unlikely to arrive soon.
As the Oregon front reached a stalemate once more back in Ontario things were once more on the move. Following the capture of Fort Erie General Taylor had expanded the US’s control over Ontario meeting only light resistance except for in small battles at Hamilton & at Reservoir Hill southwest of London. These small battle & skirmishes however had severely depleted Taylor’s supplies & though more was being shipped overland, due to Lake Erie being a battleground between each sides warships & commerce raiders, it was slow & subject to attacks by irregulars. That Britain also had landed 10,000 regulars in Maine, which had been a hotbed for guerrillas & militia skirmishing throughout it, that had helped the militias gain control of nearly half the state before continuing on to Montreal & now threatened upstate New York only further made up Taylor’s mind to withdraw back into New York in mid July. This withdrawal wouldn’t set well with many Americans who, after having suffered nearly 2000 casualties, saw the campaign as a failure. With the offensive stalled in the west, failed in the east, & a disaster at sea support for the war & President Slater began dwindling.
While things weren’t going as planned in the north, in Texas the fighting was only getting bloodier. Since the Battle of Bexar Generals Scott & Arista had more or less held their positions with only small skirmishes occurring while each general attempted to gather reinforcements. As volunteers & some regulars reached Scotts position south of San Antonio his army had grown to almost 8000. However Arista had also succeeded in finding troops & on July 10 with his army nearing 15,000 Arista went on the offensive once more. Arista moved quickly assaulting the surprised Scotts position on the Medina River & after the hour long Battle of Medina forced Scott to withdraw. Scott withdrew back to San Antonio slowly constantly skirmishing with Arista & cutting down his troop numbers. However this went both ways & by the time Scott entered San Antonio his numbers had dwindled to around 5000 why Arista’s remained at nearly 10,000. At San Antonio however Scott refused to withdraw & instead had his forces dig on the 15th in while riders set out towards Austin & Houston for help. As Scotts troops dug in Arista would be unable to drive him back & so as the Battle of San Antonio began it would see the first large use of trench & urban warfare in North America.
As the Battle of San Antonio raged Scotts riders luck prevailed when after arriving in Austin they found nearly 3000 Texans, many veterans of the Texas Revolution, had already been forming under Texas Senator & Texas Revolution hero Brigadier General Sam Houston. Upon hearing of the battle raging 80 miles south & on July 18 would lead the dubbed Texas Volunteer Brigade on a forced march to Scotts aid. As Houston headed south Scott was slowly but surely being pushed back as house by house the Mexicans uprooted the American defenders. Scotts headquarters was now in the iconic Alamo & the missions walls were now heavily garrisoned with cannon & troops. Despite the garrison Scott had begun to fear that the Alamo & San Antonio could fall as his troop numbers continued to drop. However on the morning of July 21 after almost three continuous days of marching Houston & the Texas Brigade arrived.
Though exhausted the Texans quickly made their way into the trenches & began fighting the Mexicans. The Mexican troops, equally exhausted as their American counterparts, upon seeing the arrival of new troops began to lose some steam in their attacks & by nightfall the entire battlefield had died down. It was during this lull that Scott & Houston decided to seize the opportunity & at 0400 the Americans & Texans attacked the Mexican lines. Though the Mexicans were caught sleeping the attack soon became a bloody hand to hand brawl that lasted over an hour, however by dawn Arista’s army was on the retreat &, after a week of intense fighting, the Americans had won the Battle of San Antonio.
The Battle of San Antonio was the bloodiest battle of the war yet as it had caused 1402 killed, 2166 wounded, & 400 captured or missing for the Americans & 2089 killed, 2488 wounded, & 1001 captured or missing for the Mexicans. Though the US-Texan Army was too battered & exhausted to pursue Arista’s army was in full retreat & Arista wasn’t able to stop them until they had reached Laredo. With much of the Mexican Army sent to capture San Antonio dead, wounded, or missing any thought of new offensives by Mexico quickly vanished. Following the battle the Texas front quieted down while both sides tried to regroup. Though the loss of life was staggering the Battle of San Antonio was quickly celebrated across the country as a glorious victory for the US & President Slater, seeing Mexico as the weak link in the Anglo-Mexican alliance decided to adopt a Mexico first policy & by the fall nearly 20,000 troops were being sent towards Texas.
Warfront End of Summer 1847
News of Mexico’s entrance into the war took a bit to reach General Fremont& those on the Oregon front. When the new reached Fremont on July 9 his troops were just concluding the Siege of Fort Langley in which his army captured both the fort, most of its supplies & cannon, & 1900 Anglo-Canadian troops taking out the main British mainland opposition for hundreds of miles. With the British threat, for the moment anyways, under control Fremont, along with 2500 of his roughly 7500 troops, began moving southward back to San Francisco to prepare for the invasion of California. In his stead he appointed 40 year old Joseph Johnston to the brevet rank of Colonel & left him in command. As Fremont began his long trek south Johnston continued the campaign north up the Fraser River & captured Fort Thompson on July 14. The Battle of Fort Thompson however ended any immediate plans for a continued offensive as the battle caused 2400 American casualties forcing Johnston to remain there until reinforcements arrived which he thought were unlikely to arrive soon.
As the Oregon front reached a stalemate once more back in Ontario things were once more on the move. Following the capture of Fort Erie General Taylor had expanded the US’s control over Ontario meeting only light resistance except for in small battles at Hamilton & at Reservoir Hill southwest of London. These small battle & skirmishes however had severely depleted Taylor’s supplies & though more was being shipped overland, due to Lake Erie being a battleground between each sides warships & commerce raiders, it was slow & subject to attacks by irregulars. That Britain also had landed 10,000 regulars in Maine, which had been a hotbed for guerrillas & militia skirmishing throughout it, that had helped the militias gain control of nearly half the state before continuing on to Montreal & now threatened upstate New York only further made up Taylor’s mind to withdraw back into New York in mid July. This withdrawal wouldn’t set well with many Americans who, after having suffered nearly 2000 casualties, saw the campaign as a failure. With the offensive stalled in the west, failed in the east, & a disaster at sea support for the war & President Slater began dwindling.
While things weren’t going as planned in the north, in Texas the fighting was only getting bloodier. Since the Battle of Bexar Generals Scott & Arista had more or less held their positions with only small skirmishes occurring while each general attempted to gather reinforcements. As volunteers & some regulars reached Scotts position south of San Antonio his army had grown to almost 8000. However Arista had also succeeded in finding troops & on July 10 with his army nearing 15,000 Arista went on the offensive once more. Arista moved quickly assaulting the surprised Scotts position on the Medina River & after the hour long Battle of Medina forced Scott to withdraw. Scott withdrew back to San Antonio slowly constantly skirmishing with Arista & cutting down his troop numbers. However this went both ways & by the time Scott entered San Antonio his numbers had dwindled to around 5000 why Arista’s remained at nearly 10,000. At San Antonio however Scott refused to withdraw & instead had his forces dig on the 15th in while riders set out towards Austin & Houston for help. As Scotts troops dug in Arista would be unable to drive him back & so as the Battle of San Antonio began it would see the first large use of trench & urban warfare in North America.
As the Battle of San Antonio raged Scotts riders luck prevailed when after arriving in Austin they found nearly 3000 Texans, many veterans of the Texas Revolution, had already been forming under Texas Senator & Texas Revolution hero Brigadier General Sam Houston. Upon hearing of the battle raging 80 miles south & on July 18 would lead the dubbed Texas Volunteer Brigade on a forced march to Scotts aid. As Houston headed south Scott was slowly but surely being pushed back as house by house the Mexicans uprooted the American defenders. Scotts headquarters was now in the iconic Alamo & the missions walls were now heavily garrisoned with cannon & troops. Despite the garrison Scott had begun to fear that the Alamo & San Antonio could fall as his troop numbers continued to drop. However on the morning of July 21 after almost three continuous days of marching Houston & the Texas Brigade arrived.
Though exhausted the Texans quickly made their way into the trenches & began fighting the Mexicans. The Mexican troops, equally exhausted as their American counterparts, upon seeing the arrival of new troops began to lose some steam in their attacks & by nightfall the entire battlefield had died down. It was during this lull that Scott & Houston decided to seize the opportunity & at 0400 the Americans & Texans attacked the Mexican lines. Though the Mexicans were caught sleeping the attack soon became a bloody hand to hand brawl that lasted over an hour, however by dawn Arista’s army was on the retreat &, after a week of intense fighting, the Americans had won the Battle of San Antonio.
The Battle of San Antonio was the bloodiest battle of the war yet as it had caused 1402 killed, 2166 wounded, & 400 captured or missing for the Americans & 2089 killed, 2488 wounded, & 1001 captured or missing for the Mexicans. Though the US-Texan Army was too battered & exhausted to pursue Arista’s army was in full retreat & Arista wasn’t able to stop them until they had reached Laredo. With much of the Mexican Army sent to capture San Antonio dead, wounded, or missing any thought of new offensives by Mexico quickly vanished. Following the battle the Texas front quieted down while both sides tried to regroup. Though the loss of life was staggering the Battle of San Antonio was quickly celebrated across the country as a glorious victory for the US & President Slater, seeing Mexico as the weak link in the Anglo-Mexican alliance decided to adopt a Mexico first policy & by the fall nearly 20,000 troops were being sent towards Texas.
Warfront End of Summer 1847
Why congress always kept the USN cut to the bone is beyond me. We have massive amounts of coast line to guard, and the British rule the waves.
I wonder where you are taking this.
I wonder where you are taking this.
The Calm Before The Storm
As the year turned to fall the war had begun to see a lull grow in the fighting. While skirmishes were still occurring & who held the upper hand in the clusterfuck of a front in Maine was anyone’s guess by October the only thing of note that had happened was the surrender of Colonel Tilden on Vancouver Island. With both sides exhausted from the opening rounds of fighting they had turned to strengthening their own forces & prepare for the next round. In Texas General Scott continued to rebuild & train his army which now numbered 25,000 including the now famous 5000 strong Texas Brigade. To deal with the small invasion of 7000 Mexicans at Brownsville a second army was also being assembled at the small settlement of Corpus Christi under General William J. Worth numbering 12,000. For a final force & because of his successes in the raids against Arista leading up to the Battle of Bexar brevet Brigadier General Wade Hampton III was given command of 5000 cavalry & was being sent west to El Paso where he was to begin operations into Chihuahua & Sonora. Though most of the troops were heading south to Texas, the slowly but steadily growing Anglo-Canadian army in the north resulted in Taylor receiving reinforcements as well with his army now at 20,000. In the Cascadia Territory General Fremont, whom had planned on taking the offensive into California during the summer however upon arriving in San Francisco he found the troops awaiting him ill trained & ill-equipped forcing him to postpone until being resupply, trained, & fair weather returned.
As the year turned to fall the war had begun to see a lull grow in the fighting. While skirmishes were still occurring & who held the upper hand in the clusterfuck of a front in Maine was anyone’s guess by October the only thing of note that had happened was the surrender of Colonel Tilden on Vancouver Island. With both sides exhausted from the opening rounds of fighting they had turned to strengthening their own forces & prepare for the next round. In Texas General Scott continued to rebuild & train his army which now numbered 25,000 including the now famous 5000 strong Texas Brigade. To deal with the small invasion of 7000 Mexicans at Brownsville a second army was also being assembled at the small settlement of Corpus Christi under General William J. Worth numbering 12,000. For a final force & because of his successes in the raids against Arista leading up to the Battle of Bexar brevet Brigadier General Wade Hampton III was given command of 5000 cavalry & was being sent west to El Paso where he was to begin operations into Chihuahua & Sonora. Though most of the troops were heading south to Texas, the slowly but steadily growing Anglo-Canadian army in the north resulted in Taylor receiving reinforcements as well with his army now at 20,000. In the Cascadia Territory General Fremont, whom had planned on taking the offensive into California during the summer however upon arriving in San Francisco he found the troops awaiting him ill trained & ill-equipped forcing him to postpone until being resupply, trained, & fair weather returned.
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