The American Monarchy

[Robespierre's Jaw]

BOO, Breckenridge!

(Have I said how much I like this TL enough yet?)

I concur with Verily. Will there be a War over slavery? That would be interesting in this TL.

[Lief 🗽]

Yes, there'll be quite a war very, very soon.

Thanks again for all the great comments.

[Flying Dog]

5 stars so far!

[Lief 🗽]

The American Monarchy: 1874

The Constitution Party held a triumphant convention, and Breckenridge promised to continue to protect the Union from radical abolitionists. The National Convention was a chaotic and unorganized mess, though the convention eventually settled on George H. Pendleton (N-OH). The Liberty Party Convention in New York City quickly devolved into a raucous, angry series of speeches against the Prime Minister. On the second day of the convention, Breckenridge ordered the arrest of many delegates, under the Defense Against Sedition Act. Governor of New York Edwin D. Morgan (W-NY), firmly refused to arrest them, and ordered the state militia to defend the convention. A furious Breckenridge received approval from Crown Prince William, acting in his sickly father’s stead, to send an army regiment to arrest the Governor and the delegates. Col. Joseph Bradford Carr led a regiment of infantry into New York City, but they were bitterly opposed by the militia, and even a number of armed delegates. Many of the soldiers, who were New Yorkers themselves, put down their arms and joined the militia. Nevertheless, by the evening the “rebels” had been rounded up an arrested. Within days, there was talk of succession throughout the North.

On October 15th, 1873, Prime Minister Breckenridge, in an emergency session of the Senate, invoked the 13th amendment, and cancelled elections. With the Senate missing nearly all Liberty Party Senators, Breckenridge faced little opposition. With a commanding, nearly ¾ control of the Senate, Breckenridge presented the Blair Amendment, a constitutional amendment forbidding the Senate to ever pass an amendment or law interfering with a state’s right to allow slavery. Breckenridge presented it as a compromise amendment, one that would end political fighting over the issue and hopefully end the riots in the North. Governor Abraham Lincoln, of Illinois, still the most prominent Whig, even reluctantly gave his support to the amendment, stressing the preservation of the Union above all else. But many Northerners were incensed by the very proposal; Charles Sumner, from inside a New York jail cell, called the amendment “the most vile assault upon the democratic process of this nation in its history.” With his opposition locked up, Breckenridge passed the amendment on October 30th, 1873, sending it to the states. King Robert never heard this news, as he was confined to his bedchambers, and died on November 2nd. Prince William was crowned King William I within the week.


King William I

When news reached Boston of the passage of the amendment and the ascension to the throne of an ardent anti-abolitionist, the legislature immediately passed a resolution of secession, to the celebration of Americans throughout the state. By beginning of 1874, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Ontario, Quebec, Michigan, Wisconsin and Indiana had also left the Union. Delegates from all 12 states met in Toronto, Ontario in February and agreed to form a defensive alliance to protect themselves from Southern aggression. The delegates stopped short of creating a new country though. By the end of February, California, Nevada, Nebraska and Kansas had also seceded.  Meanwhile, Breckenridge and King William I had both declared the states and their leaders’ traitors, and were marshalling forces to invade and re-conquer the states. Meanwhile, in the seceded states, there was a general confusion and state of chaos, as the states were wholly unprepared for an invasion, and had few Generals. Northern leaders realized that if they had any chance of securing victory, they would need the support of the wavering states of Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware.

The North’s prayers were answered when, on April 3rd, 1874, King William ordered the arrest of all Whig Senators in the capital. In the ensuing struggle, three Whig Senators were killed by soldiers, another five were badly injured, and two were captured and executed. King William also suspended habeas corpus and the printing of newspapers in the city.  Hearing this, an infuriated Prince Robert met with Northern leaders, and on April 17th, 1874, he proclaimed himself the rightful monarch of the United States, claiming that his brother had broken the social contract between the monarch and the people. No longer a secession crisis, but now a fight over succession, popular opinion grew in the strongly Whig states of New York, Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania against King William (and, in turn, for Prince Robert). By the middle of May, all four states had seceded, with New Jersey following on May 24th. On May 28th, Prince Robert was proclaimed by the 21 Northern states as the rightful King of the nation.


King Robert II

Generals from New York (William Sherman), Illinois (Ulysses S. Grant), and Massachusetts (Nathaniel Banks) among others quickly enlisted with the Robert’s army, more out of loyalty to their respective states than to any real belief in abolitionism or the virtues of Robert II. A major loss in recruiting generals came when George McClellan pledged his support to King William. By the summer of 1874, Kentucky, Missouri, Maryland and Delaware had re-affirmed their support of King William, and the lines were drawn. From the outset of the war both sides had clear strategic aims. Robert II’s forces’ main goal was to retake the capital at Washington (their current capital was at Philadelphia, but it was moved to Scranton, Pennsylvania in August 1874), though it was understood this was mainly for propaganda purposes. William I needed to be captured or killed and the vital states of Virginia needed to be “liberated” as soon as possible. However, Robert understood that for the first year or so of the war, his forces would be on the defensive. William’s forces’ had two strategic objectives: to reach Lake Erie, and cut the Northern states in half and to conquer Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, striking fatal blows to the rebels’ industrial bases.


Allegiance of the States at the Outset of War: Red- King Robert II, Blue- King William, Yellow- Eventual support of King Robert II, Green- Eventual support of King William

At the beginning of the war, the North had the advantage in industrial capacity, population and technology. The South had retained much of the Navy, and it was thought among most Americans that their Generals were more able than those in the North. The South was also much more organized, as it had retained the political infrastructure of the government. The South’s first military offensives were also much more successful. At the Battle of Gettysburg, Northern General Henry M. Hoyt was soundly defeated by an invading Southern army raised in Virginia and Maryland, led by General Thomas Jackson. While both armies had been evenly matched, Jackson had proved to be the better tactician, and his troops were better trained. Following the heroic victory, King William promoted Thomas Jackson to Commanding General of the East. A week after Gettysburg, Jackson decided against fording the Susquehanna River and marching on to Philadelphia, and instead turned west, to Pittsburg. At the Battle of Johnstown, Jackson again won a victory, this time against Gen. William Sherman. Sherman was able to regroup quickly, however, and by November, his forces had fortified themselves outside of Pittsburgh. Jackson decided to wait until the Spring for reinforcements, and his troops began building trenches outside the city.

Meanwhile, Gen. McClellan had lead Southern forces across the Ohio River in July, taking the city of Cincinnati with little resistance. McClellan won a number of small skirmishes as he moved North, and he was within miles of Columbus by November. McClellan’s advance was halted at the Battle of Fairborn, where Brig. Gen. James Garfield (a Senator who had resigned at the start of the war), launched a surprise attack against McClellan’s army with a number of Ohioan infantry and cavalry regiments. Garfield was able to clench a close tactical victory, and McClellan retreated to Dayton for the winter.

In the west, Northern forces were unorganized and quickly fell to Southern advances. By the end of 1874, Kansas had been conquered, and a pro-William government had been set up. The capital of Nebraska (Lancaster) had also fallen, and the pro-Robert government had relocated to North Platte. In Iowa, Gen. John C. Frémont, commanding Northern forces, was able to halt the Confederate advance outside of Des Moines in early August. During the fall and winter, both Frémont and Southern commander Maj. Gen. Daniel M. Frost ordered their forces to build nearly 120 miles of trenches, running from the western border of Iowa to the Des Moines River.


Areas of Control, Dec. 1874

By December of 1874, the South had made a number of critical advances, and the Northern government was not moving fast enough. Twenty-four representatives, one from each state and three representing pro-Northern factions in Missouri, Maryland and Delaware, met in Scranton with King Robert II in December and elected John Bingham, a Whig from Ohio, as Prime Minister. They called for the elections of Senators from all the states in March of 1875, so as to create a functioning Parliament. They also drafted a new constitution, similar to the United States constitution, but, at the behest of King Robert II, giving the monarch more power in government. Frederick W. Seward (L-NY) prevented putting a clause abolishing slavery into the constitution, arguing that it might look like a sign of desperation.

[CultureKing]

Great update, here's hoping for a Northern Victory!

[Robespierre's Jaw]

Very good update Lief. I really hope that the Northerners will be able to pull off a victory over the Southerners. You don't know what to expect next in this TL, it's taken so many twists and turns already and it's 1874!

[Colin]

Interesting, very interesting. I do have to say how I like that this Civil War is an actual civil war, in that it is two sides fighting for control of the same government, as opposed to a war of secession. Excellent timeline overall, a few problems concerning the lack of any butterfly effect but I can let those off because of the amount of effort and just fantastic quality of this timeline.

[Person Man]

I hope there is another war against the British to go deep into Canada. It appears that we would still be sour after getting slaughtered in 1850.... I wonder what this does with our relationship to the home country.....

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

My only complaint is what's happening in the rest of the world?  Is there a German Empire yet?  What's going on in Mexico?  Do the Bourbons still reign in France or was/is there a Second French Empire?  Considering that the level of potential foreign intervention in the Civil War hinges on these question, it needs answering.

[Lief 🗽]

The Franco-Prussian war occurred in 1871, more or less as in OTL, with the establishment of a German Empire. The Mexican Empire was established by the French, British and Spanish, but Maximilian was eventually overthrown, and there is currently a Republic in Mexico, though it is anything but stable.

[True Democrat]

When's the next update? (i.e. This timeline is soooooo good I can't wait to see how the war proceeds.)

[Lief 🗽]

Tomorrow, hopefully.

[HappyWarrior]

This is THE best TL ever.  EVER!

[Person Man]

This is really good and yeah, I would like to see the U.S. expand or contract more rapidly and perhaps have a much different legal, demographic and infrastructure profile than it does today. I still want to see the U.S. as a superpower, and if not, I want to see the U.S. collapse and how america work thereafter.

[HappyWarrior]

I hope George Armstrong Custer and Benjamin Harrison are generals in this TL.  (Without  the Civil War, the Indians probably would'nt have fought as hard, thus Custer would not have been killed earlier in the TL.  They would'nt have fought as hard because they would'nt have thought the U.S. was as weak as they did in reality due to the fact that they were not fighting eachother.)

[Lief 🗽]

George Custer is still alive, and was not killed fighting Indians.

[Lief 🗽]

The American Monarchy: 1875

Northern elections took place in March of 1875, with each state electing one Senator. In Ohio, Nebraska, Kansas, California, Nevada and Pennsylvania, elections could not be held, and the state legislatures elected Senators. All Senators ran as part of the National Union Party. The Northern Senate once again elected John Bingham, of Ohio, as Prime Minister. In the South, Prime Minister Breckenridge died of a heart attack in February 1875, and Jefferson Davis (C-MS) was elected Prime Minister. As one of his first acts, Davis passed the Revenue Act of 1875, establishing an income tax to fund the war effort. In the North meanwhile, Robert II pushed the Senate to invest in the manufacturing of Richard J. Gatling’s field gun, an invention that had been overlooked during the 1860s, but which Robert II believed could turn the tide of the war in the North’s favor.

Southern successes continued in the spring. In Nebraska, the pro-Northern government was captured and executed, and the South established control over the state. Southern forces continued to cross the Ohio River, landing in southern Illinois and Indiana. In Ohio, McClellan had moved his forces east, and by April, southern Ohio was firmly under Southern control. Brig. Gen. Garfield had been promoted to Major General during the winter, and led a number of assaults against Southern fortifications in Ohio, with few results. The Battle of Lancaster on March 19th, 1875 was particularly bloody. Garfield had been given command of 40,000 soldiers, and assaulted the fortifications at Lancaster. Southern General Braxton Bragg commanded roughly 20,000 men. However, Southern artillery and firepower turned back two frontal assaults. The third assault managed to push Bragg’s forces back, but they were able to retreat to defensive positions. Garfield’s troops were left with low morale and nearly 10,000 casualties, and he called a retreat.

In the Eastern Theater, Gen. Sherman had been relieved of his duty and sent to Indiana to command forces there. He had been replaced with General Ambrose Burnside, who had continued the building of trenches and fortifications around Pittsburgh. In the Spring, Stonewall Jackson attempted to break through Burnside’s defensive lines and take Pittsburgh, but the First Battle of Pittsburgh (from April 3rd to April 21st) proved to be a crushing Southern defeat. Burnside’s Northern troops, while inexperienced, were armed with advanced rifles and backed up by artillery. Wave after wave of Southern assaults were unable to advance the line more than a few miles. Jackson broke off his assault in late April, and ordered his forces east. In June, they were stopped outside of Philadelphia by Northern General John Pope. Philadelphia soon came under siege, as Southern forces moved into New Jersey.

In Iowa, a repeat of the bloody trench warfare outside Pittsburgh occurred. Northern General Frémont’s trenches held against the assaults of Southern troops under Gen. Frost, but Frémont soon realized that the Southern trenches could not be broken either. The position of Frémont’s and Frost’s armies was essentially unchanged moving into the summer of 1875. Elsewhere in the Western Theater, Lt. Col. George Custer had signed a treaty with Lakota and Cheyenne tribes in the Dakota Territory, ending years of warfare. The treaty established an alliance between the Northern United States and the Indian tribes, and principally blamed the Southern government for various historical abuses. King Robert II, when hearing of the treaty, was initially upset, but soon realized that the Indian tribes would be a helpful ally, and pledged to give the tribes greater autonomy when the war had been won. During the summer, the Northern Senate passed a Revenue Act, similar to the South’s, as well as the Conscription Act, calling for a nationwide draft.


Control of Northern and Southern Forces, Summer 1875

The situation in the North deteriorated further in the second half of 1875. King William had been informed by British diplomats that Great Britain was willing to come to William’s aid, if the King could prove that his army could break the stalemate that was evolving. In a telegram delivered to William, the British remarked that “a suitable victory in Pittsburgh or Philadelphia would do much to earn our material support against the rebels.” With this news, King William wired Gen. McClellan and Gen. Jackson, ordering them to move on Pittsburgh as soon as possible. With Garfield’s forces temporarily defeated, McClellan raced east, to the outskirts of Pittsburgh. Burnside’s forces in Pittsburgh had few fortifications and trenches on the western side of the city, and by the time Burnside realized that McClellan was going to attack the city from the west, it was too late.

The Second Battle of Pittsburgh began on October 21, 1875. General Jackson attacked first, his goal to take the city without McClellan. Since the First Battle of Pittsburgh, General Burnside’s forces had been reinforced with Gatling guns and heavier artillery, and Jackson’s first assault was brutally cut down. On the second day of the battle, Jackson tried to maneuver and hit the city from the North, but Burnside’s cavalry was able to defend Jackson’s attack, despite heavy casualties. Jackson shelled the defensive lines with mortars and cannon for a week, before attacking against on the 30th. This time, after three assaults, and 7,000 Southern casualties that day alone, Burnside’s defensive line broke. Northern forces hastily retreated into the trenches directly outside the city of Pittsburgh, but by the 1st of November, McClellan had arrived, and Burnside’s forces were surrounded. Burnside hunkered down inside Pittsburgh, where it would take another two weeks of assaults before Burnside retreated, with the aid of Northern reinforcements from New York. Pittsburgh was surrendered on November 17th, 1875. Of the 40,000 Northern soldiers defending Pittsburgh, 21,000 were killed or captured. The Southern army had suffered much greater casualties, however, numbering nearly 53,000. The victory, in a strategic sense, would ultimately prove to a Pyrrhic one, as the South had spent such considerable resources on the capture of the city, that their army in Pennsylvania would be un-operational until the summer of 1876. Until then, waiting for reinforcements, Jackson set about to turning the North’s trenches and fortifications to his army’s own use.

Following the conquest of Pittsburgh, Great Britain promised King William material aid, soldiers, and a naval blockade. In New England and New York, there was fear that Britain would soon invade, and in New York City, there were initially scattered riots, though martial law and the closeness to the city of Southern forces in New Jersey soon quieted the civil unrest. There were however some successes for the North in 1875. At the Battle of Elkhorn, a combined force of Northern cavalry and Indians led by George Custer and Sitting Bull attacked and routed a larger force of Southern cavalry. Custer hoped to liberate Nebraska by the spring, and then aid Frémont in Iowa. Elsewhere, Gen. Ulysses Grant invaded Missouri at King Robert II’s request. Robert hoped to surround Southern forces in Iowa, as well as prompt a rebellion in Missouri by abolitionist forces. More good news followed in December, when New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, feeling threatened by an aggressive Great Britain, allied themselves with the King Robert II and pledged troops and aid.


Control of Northern and Southern Forces, Winter 1875

[CultureKing]

great update, I cant wait for the next one.
The north's position at the moment is scaring me a bit... hopefully they will be able to continue on.

[Robespierre's Jaw]

I really hope that the Northern forces manage to win this war against the Southerners. Hopefully luck will begin to go in the North's favour in 1876. Once again a great update Lief. Like many, I cannot wait until the next update

[Person Man]

I am beginning to hope that the war spreads into neighboring countries.

[Robespierre's Jaw]

When's the next update going to be Lief? I'm on the edge of my seat to find out what happens in the next update. Continue the magnificant work. Truly one of the best TL's EVER!

[Person Man]

Yeah. . The illustrations help me pay attention so I can continue to read.

[Erc]

Great stuff...I'm curious about the far West, though.  Why does California join the rebels so soon, and what's going on out there militarily?

[Person Man]

I remember the redcoats sacking the far west. Hopefully, we will have our 1898 war with Britian, not Spain, so we gain the Alaskan corridor from Crecent city to Fairbanks and Russia stays lodged in Western and Northern Alaska while the British eventually let go of the Republics of Calgary and Edmonton.

[HappyWarrior]

I'm waiting with bated breath for the next update.  When will it be coming?