Down in Dixie: A CSA Victory TL

Jabe Thomas

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Jun 15, 2020
Here is my go at a CSA victory TL, any tweaks and kinks that would need to be fixed; I would love to hear y’all’s input. I hope y’all enjoy.


Chapter 1: Southern Salvation (1861-1870)

June 20,1861

The Secessionists win a majority in Kentucky’s state legislature and the Democrats win three seats out of ten seats in Kentucky’s House of Representatives in the special election.

June 23,1861
C.S. President Jefferson Davis issues a statement respect and the sovereign rights of the state and the CSA will respect their neutrality.

September 6,1861
US general Ulysses S Grant, under Frémont’s order invades Paducah, Kentucky noticing their shaky loyalty; this angers the neutral Kentuckians.

September 7,1861
Frémont issues emancipation orders to Kentucky and Missouri to anyone who is not loyal to the Union.

September 10, 1861
Kentucky calls for convention and votes to secede from the Union. Earlier that day, Lincoln orders Grant and Frémont our of Kentucky in the hopes that it will calm the angered Kentuckians into not seceding

September 13,1861
Kentucky joins the Confederacy as the 12th state.

Anyways, 1861 is done. Where should I go from here? Leave your opinions down below.
 
Well it definitely improves the south's chances. As long as they can hold Kentucky that gives them more strategic depth and similarly denies that to the north, which the Ohio makes a useful border and a southern presence on its bank restricts its use for both military and commercial activity. Also a major blunder like this, although Lincoln does try to rescue the situation, by making the south stronger will encourage those in the north who think accepting secession is the better alternative. Whether its enough in its own depends on how things develop.

OTL when Fremont started freeing slaves in Kentucky it lead to him being sacked IIRC. Since Grant was operating under his orders do both of them get removed from a military role here?
 
Well it definitely improves the south's chances. As long as they can hold Kentucky that gives them more strategic depth and similarly denies that to the north, which the Ohio makes a useful border and a southern presence on its bank restricts its use for both military and commercial activity. Also a major blunder like this, although Lincoln does try to rescue the situation, by making the south stronger will encourage those in the north who think accepting secession is the better alternative. Whether its enough in its own depends on how things develop.

OTL when Fremont started freeing slaves in Kentucky it lead to him being sacked IIRC. Since Grant was operating under his orders do both of them get removed from a military role here?

Yes, Lincoln might use Grant again; but Frémont at this point is harmful to the Union cause. I have a question though. How can I make the Confederates gain Missouri?
 
Yes, Lincoln might use Grant again; but Frémont at this point is harmful to the Union cause. I have a question though. How can I make the Confederates gain Missouri?

Missouri seems a tougher case than Kentucky. St. Louis was a Union hotbed because of the Germans. Much of the pro-slavery residents were concentrated along the Missouri River in the central part of the state. Much of southern Missouri was in the Ozarks and not especially sympathetic to the Confederates. It's also surrounded on 2 1/2 sides by Union states.

Rather than legitimately seceding, Missouri probably has to be carried by force of arms by Price and the Missouri State Guard to become part of an independent Confederacy.
 
Gah, I hate writers block, I don’t know where to go after that. What should I do?

You're doing great G. One historical note: with the added strategic depth, the Southern Railway system and armaments output will be much larger here, as Tennessee was the main source of iron ore for the CSA.
 
1862
With Kentucky’s secession, Lincoln relieved grant of duties in the West and fired Frémont from command as well. Lincoln appointed William Sherman as commander of the forces in the West. Sherman would capture Paducah, Kentucky giving the Union control of the Tennessee River on February 12th. Sherman would continue his streak of victories on April 8th, capturing Fort Henry. Meanwhile, Admiral David Farragut down south in Louisiana captured New Orleans on April 25th. Things in the east were not going well as McClellan’s plan to capture the Confederate capital was repulsed by Lee’s Army of northern Virginia. The bad luck continued as on June 5th, Sherman’s assault on Fort Donelson was foiled by Simon Buckner and and an aggressive Felix Zollicoffer forcing Sherman’s army to fall back to Fort Henry. While his army was recovering, Sherman received word from Washington that a force of Confederates was starting to gather an invasion of Southern Indiana on July 8th. Shermans forces withdrew from Fort Henry to prepare for the assault. However this was planted by Confederate General Albert Johnston, so he can move an offensive into Northern Missouri, Jefferson Davis sent P.G.T Beauregard to reinforce the invasion . This tactic worked. The Battle of St. Louis resulted in a Confederate Victory and yielded to state of Missouri to the Confederacy on August 15th. Lincoln took a hit politically as in the midterm elections of 1862, Peace Democrats gained control of the House.

That’s it for 1862. Tell me what y’all think and where I should go from here.
 
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The idea of Sherman being in charge, being more cautious (and perhaps not working as smoothly with Foote), combined with Zollicoffer making an impact by still being alive is a good line of thought.

However this was planted by Confederate General Albert Johnston, so he can move an offensive into Northern Missouri. This tactic worked. The Battle of St. Louis resulted in a Confederate Victory and yielded to state of Missouri to the Confederacy on August 15th.

I think Johnston's focus would be on defending Kentucky, especially if there was an active Union offensive on the important Tennessee/Cumberland Rivers line. Even with Kentucky firmly in the Confederate camp, Johnston struggled to have enough men to guard the entire Kentucky line. A Confederate Kentucky probably doesn't supply more than an extra brigade or two. Shiloh was only possible by Johnston consolidating all the forces he had, plus drawing garrison regiments from places like Florida.

You could say those troops were went west of the Mississippi instead of joining Johnston, but that seems a tall order in terms of both transportation and supply.

Maybe look at what reinforcements Johnston drew from west of the Mississippi (other than the Van Dorn / Price army, which is obviously staying west of the river in this scenario) that might have been sent to Missouri to reinforce Price. Maybe Sibley doesn't get approve for his New Mexico Campaign and is sent to Missouri instead?

Also look to Price's 1861 operations in Missouri. Perhaps Wilson's Creek is a bigger disaster for the Union - Sigel was put in charge instead of Lyon? Or Price's Lexington campaign pays greater dividends?

Look also at the Camp Jackson Affair and how that might have played out differently.
 
The idea of Sherman being in charge, being more cautious (and perhaps not working as smoothly with Foote), combined with Zollicoffer making an impact by still being alive is a good line of thought.



I think Johnston's focus would be on defending Kentucky, especially if there was an active Union offensive on the important Tennessee/Cumberland Rivers line. Even with Kentucky firmly in the Confederate camp, Johnston struggled to have enough men to guard the entire Kentucky line. A Confederate Kentucky probably doesn't supply more than an extra brigade or two. Shiloh was only possible by Johnston consolidating all the forces he had, plus drawing garrison regiments from places like Florida.

You could say those troops were went west of the Mississippi instead of joining Johnston, but that seems a tall order in terms of both transportation and supply.

Maybe look at what reinforcements Johnston drew from west of the Mississippi (other than the Van Dorn / Price army, which is obviously staying west of the river in this scenario) that might have been sent to Missouri to reinforce Price. Maybe Sibley doesn't get approve for his New Mexico Campaign and is sent to Missouri instead?

Also look to Price's 1861 operations in Missouri. Perhaps Wilson's Creek is a bigger disaster for the Union - Sigel was put in charge instead of Lyon? Or Price's Lexington campaign pays greater dividends?

Look also at the Camp Jackson Affair and how that might have played out differently.

I forgot to add that General P.G.T Beauregard was sent by Jefferson Davis to reinforce the invasion
 
1863
Upon Lincoln hearing of Sherman’s position in Indiana. Lincoln relived him and replaced him with General Irvin McDowell. McDowell and his troops marched to capture the undefended Kentucky, while Confederate troops remained in northern Missouri on February 15th. Meanwhile, the Second Battle of Baton Rogue ended with a Confederate victory led by General Patrick Cleburne and marked full control of the Mississippi River on April 8th. McDowell is met by General Braxton Bragg and the Battle of Perryville began and ended with a Union victory on May 9th. The Battle of Chancellorsville ended in a Confederate victory; it also saw General Stonewall Jackson nearly get shot, but managed to get out of the line of fire. General Buell beats back the Confederates from St. Louis on July 4th. Bragg retakes Perryville from McDowell by using cavalry to simulate massive troop movements to the left flank, and instead he took the major part of his army and attacked the Union’s right flank, General Buell was killed by a sharpshooter on September 14th. Bragg requests to CSA President Davis for an invasion into Cincinnati, Ohio to take place in 1864.

Well, that’s it for 1863 Give me ideas of where I should go from here. the Union seems like it’s in a lot of trouble with Grant and Sherman gone from command and Buell dead. Also what would be the consequences of the Peace Democrats taking the majority in the House.
 
1864
On July 17th, Bragg would invade Cincinnati to cut supply lines to the Union and also to deliver a demoralizing blow to the Union war effort. Bragg would claim victory on July 19th in the Battle of Cincinnati. On August 29th through the 31st, the Democrats would met at their national convention. Tired of war and Northern lives being lost. The Democrats adopted a peace platform and nominated Thomas Seymour of Connecticut and George Pendleton of Ohio as his running mate. Earlier in June, Lincoln was renominated with opposition. Lincoln knew he would not win re-election as little to no ground was gained against the Confederacy. On November 8, 1864 Lincoln lost to Seymour by a large margin. The Democrats (the Peace wing) gained a little bit in the House and the Senate. Lincoln has said after he lost re-election “The Union is lost forever”.
 
1865
With the the Peace Democrats taking a majority of the House and the Senate, Lincoln met with Judah Benjamin in Washington back in 1864 and agreed to an armistice. For 3 months, The Confederacy and the Union armies stood in a ceasefire until the peace conference began. The Confederate peace commission asked both British and French ambassadors Richard Lyons and Henri Mercer to be the conference arbitrators. the Treaty of Washington’s points were the following.

-The United States will cede the Arizona Territory and the Indian Territory to the Confederacy.
-The United States shall recognize the Confederate States.
-The Mississippi River shall be a free trade waterway for the United States and the Confederate States.
-The United States will recognize the Second Mexican Empire.
-Missouri will be divided by the Missouri River, the northern half will be ceded to the United States; the southern half will be ceded to the Confederate States.
-Both sides will demilitarize at each other’s country borders.
-Both sides will pay war indemnities.

The treaty was ratified by both American countries on June 10, 1865
 
1866
As the now independent Confederacy began Reconstruction. Partisan divide and cracks began to show as two parties began to form. On one side, the Democrats supported states rights and the planter class and a mainly agrarian society, while the anti administration began to form the Confederate Party. the Confederates supported internal improvements, industrialization, and powers of the Confederate Congress. Both sides could however, agree on a strong military, due to a strong neighbor up North. With the naval blockade lifted, the Confederacy economic woes began to lessen as trade resumed and Jefferson Davis cut the Confederate Army to peacetime size as they had a friendly president up North. However, it would be short lived as the Cotton Bust of 1866 would hit as cotton prices began to plummet. The Deep South states would be hit worse than the upper South as the upper South had some industrialization. The final thing of note that took place in 1866 was the state of Jefferson was admitted as a state out of the Arizona Territory.
 
1867
Election season began to determine the second Confederate States president as the respective parties held their nomination conventions. First, was the Democrats that ran on a platform of prioritizing other goods like tobacco, grain, and domestic steel until the bust ended. The race for the nomination was between Secretary of War Judah Benjamin and Vice President Alexander Stephens. After back and forth voting, no candidate had yet to reach a majority until Jefferson Davis endorsed Benjamin due to his animosity for his own Vice President and on the 36th ballot. Benjamin was chosen, they chose Louis Wigfall as his running mate. The Confedrates ran on a platform of rapid state level industrialization and a TransConfederate railway and a stronger military presence. Unlike the Democratic convention, there was no debate of who would be the nominee John Breckinridge was chosen and John Reagan became his running mate. The Confederate citizens would go out and vote on November 5, 1867 as votes were tallied. The results were in. John Breckinridge won carrying the upper South, the new state of Jefferson and Texas while Benjamin won the Deep South.
 
1868
Breckinridge would be inaugurated on February 22. He would give a speech outlining his agenda for his administration like strengthening and improving the military and industrializing the Confederacy and making a TransConfederate railroad connecting the whole Confederacy who finished by saying how all of this would be good for the country as a whole. Upon taking office, Breckinridge would be faced with the effects of the bust still being felt (especially in the Deep South) he would meet with several southern aristocrats and state governors and would pitch his idea of an incentive system in return of some industrialization in the states that were hit worse by the bust. Some agreed to do it and some didn’t.
The Democrats took this opportunity to hurt the President politically claiming he was trying to rid the Confederacy of slavery. Breckinridge responded by affirming that it wasn’t his intention to interfere with the plantation system, but only to improve the ways of how the means of production would work and go. With political heat simmering down, Breckinridge would also strengthen the army and the navy. He would increase the regular Confederate Army to 50,000 from Jefferson Davis’ number of 20,000. Breckinridge would also oversee the Navy be improved as he called for new iron clad ships to be commissioned. He improved the Army food supply system with competent officers and he also dismantled Jefferson Davis’ spoils system by switching out generals for competent ones like Patrick Cleburne and John B Gordon. Down south, Mexico had a civil war going on between the Republic army and the imperial army supported by France. Breckinridge decided to use this opportunity and assisted the French and the Imperials in the war, he would send some men down in Mexico to fight alongside them. He would also make Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, the General-in chief of the whole Confederate Army after Robert E Lee retired in 1867.
 
1869
On June 23, 1869, The Imperialists would win the war in Mexico. As part of the treaty, the Second Mexican Empire was established. It was immediately recognized by the Confederacy. Breckinridge would establish trade relations with the Empire and Emperor Maximilian I also made an invitation to any Confederates to come and stay as a sign of goodwill. Breckinridge would then attempt to begin the national railway system known as the TransConfederate railway. He would go about making call to all state governors to begin railway projects and also called a change in the Confederate Constitution to allow the national government to begin construction on the railway system. Several deep southern states had began making railroads across their states borders. With some deep southern states and the upper south, the change to the Constitution would take affect the next year and would allow the national government to oversee the construction. Despite what Breckinridge had accomplished. The Confederate party would lose the house in the midterms, due to his urging of industrialization of the Deep South and the Democrats framing it as an attack on slavery. Setting up a tough 1870.
 
1870
The Confederacy would see their economy improve as tobacco and grain would become one of their top trading goods behind cotton of course. The effects of the Cotton Bust of 1866 would finally be eased on May 19, 1870 with a meeting between the Confederate Secretary of State and Prime Minister of Great Britain a trade deal would be finalized with the Confederacy agreeing to sell their cotton for cheap and within months, cotton would surpass as the top trading good once again.
 
This TL is not dead, but I do have a question before I resume the TL, how much war debt would the CSA be in? (a numbers estimate)
 
Here I start Chapter 2, this whole chapter will focus on the Confederacy’s desire for their Golden Circle and their transition from an agrarian based economy to an industrial based economy. I would also like to show the situation up North every once in a while in the chapters. As I said, any input you all have is welcomed and will be considered. I wanna make this TL as plausible as possible. This chapter will take place from the year of 1871 to 1880. With that being said enjoy!

Chapter 2: Ambitions and Transitions (1871-1880)

1871

In exchange for Southern cotton, Breckinridge asked for the importation of industrial goods to come into Dixie. Southern historians would later look back and credited Breckinridge for giving the Confederacy the ability to be independent both domestically and militarily. They often rank him as one of the greatest Presidents the Confederacy had. the Upper South were becoming the most profitable states in the Confederacy. In the Deep South, while some industrialization was done, they still held onto their peculiar institution of slaves. Breckinridge would also oversee peace with their Northern neighbors, the Union. Both of their respective Secretary of States would finalize a trade deal between the Americas. They would then form a customs union, with both Presidents negotiating the rate. Both would come to an agreement of a 13% rate. It would be finalized on November 3, 1871. The Union would also prosper under the Seymour administration. Seymour would also end slavery in his country in 1871. The US also began industrializing even more than usual. As they began making more arm factories.


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US President Thomas Seymour (top) CS President John Breckinridge (bottom).
 
1872

While the CSA was seeing economic and domestic stability, the Second Mexican Empire was suffering instability. Due to internal revolts at what the Mexican populace viewed as an illegitimate ruler, Maximilian I. However, any past revolt was put down due to French support in Mexico. In the late summer, France would have to withdraw from Mexico to deal with the Franco-Prussian War. Maximilian I would reach out to Breckinridge for military assistance against the insurgents. While Breckinridge would not give him Confederate soldiers. He would give the Empire, rifles and financial support. The United States would hold its election that November. George Pendleton would be elected the 18th President, following in the footsteps of the Seymour Administration. The South would breathe a sigh of relief and the Americas would enjoy more peace between each other.

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Maximilian I (Emperor of the Second Mexican Empire)


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French Calvary in Mexico


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George Pendleton, 18th President of the United States
 
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