Second American Civil War

***American Civil War***
* Abolition of Slavery
* Beginning of the First Reconstruction Era
* Passage of the Reconstruction Amendments

 ***Civilians:*** Dead: 8,713 Injured: 13,182 Total: 21,895

**The Second American Civil War** is one of the largest scale wars on the North American Continent, and has been a defining moment in American History. The war was fought on two fronts, with three factions vying to win, in the north there was the New England Republic, which consisted of Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, and New Jersey; on another side in the south there was the Second Republic of Dixieland, which consisted of South Carolina, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee; the third and final force was the Federal Government, which was made up of the remaining states who stayed loyal to the U.S..

## Leadup

### New England Republic

On July 17, 1793, President George Washington approved the Treaty of New York with France, officially bringing the United States into the French Revolutionary Wars. The war was particularly unpopular in the north, and New England in particular, the wars seriously harmed their economies, which thrived off of trade with Great Britain, who they were now at war with. In 1796 John Adams would be elected, a New Englander himself, who would remain in the war, but soothed tensions for a bit until the New English Plague of 1797.

The New English Plague of 1797 was a devastating tuberculosis outbreak in the state of Vermont and Massachusetts. President Adams decided to seal off Vermont, taking over the state militia to accomplish this to try and seal away the plague, this would mostly harm Vermont's economy, and quite a few starved due to trade issues. Despite the block off, the disease spread to western Massachusetts, where Adams would once again seal off the part of the state, also harming Massachusetts, and most of New England's economy as a whole.

In January of 1799 while the plague was dying down, 124 delegates from 4 states; Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Massachusetts along with a few surrogates for Vermont; met in Cambridge, Massachusetts for the Cambridge Convention to send off demands to the capital, at the time in New York City. On February 2, 1799 the demands were sent out, which included an end to the wars, an end to trade restrictions, the removal of the 3/5ths Compromise, a ban on State Militias being taken over by the federal government without the Governor's consent, and a 1 time term limit on Presidents. The plans had made it to Congress, but the majority refused to hear them out to the full extent.

On April 7, 1800 Rhode Island officially seceded after New English residents took another hit when no New English candidate was nominated for President or Vice President. Vermont then New Hampshire would follow suit on April 18th and 23rd of that year respectively. On the 23rd of April, New Hampshire and Rhode Island Governments met in Concord, deciding to form the New England Republic under a joint Legislature until a Constitution could be made. On May 9th Massachusetts seceded, joining New England, and on the 12th Great Britain would officially recognize the New England Republic as an allied nation. On May 30th Connecticut would secede, joining New England. On June 3rd, Brigadier General James Wilkinson would engage Vermont troops in Burlington, but Wilkinson would lose the Battle of Burlington, being beaten back to New York.

### Second Republic of Dixieland

The South had been economically unstable since the First American Civil War when North Carolina and South Carolina seceded from the nation, when they failed and were crushed. In 1794 John Marshall, the Governor of Kentucky had tried to outlaw slavery, with backlash he delayed the bill by 5 years, and many moved their slaves out of Kentucky. Despite another Governor being elected, Marshall's anti-slavery bill still went into effect in 1799, and whites across the state were forced to compete with many freedman who were now taking up lands and jobs in the state. On April 5th the Lexington Slave Riot took place, fighting broke out in the streets between pro and anti-slavery forces in the state, and Chairman of the Federalist Party of Kentucky, Humphrey Marshall, along with several other notable anti-slavery figures were lynched. The fighting would be put down by Governor James Garrard, who would reinforce law and order in the state.

By 1799 many disgruntled Southerners believed that the northerners would try to take their slaves away like in Kentucky, only reinforced when New York would pass a long-time phase out, many were radical in their oppositions to this with many local leaders beginning to call for secession. On July 3, 1800 in front of a crowd, Chairman of the Dixiecrat Party and Senator of South Carolina, William T. Covington, gave a speech in Charleston, South Carolina. Covington gave an impassioned 4 hour long speech with 4 other southern politicians about secession. Covington's Secession Speech would rally the southerners into seceding; South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee would all secede on July 21, 1800. Later Virginia would secede on the 26th after their anti-secession Governor Fring Gus was assassinated and replaced by Lieutenant Governor Aaron Sawyer. On August 19th, Dixieland forces would invade D.C. to retake the lands Virginia had donated and capturing President John Adams, sparking the Second American Civil War in the south and causing a violent coup of the North Carolina Government to force a secession.

## Major Moments of the War

### Early New York Theatre

With the secession of New England, and their gained support from current United States war enemy Great Britain, U.S. forces in Montreal were forced to retreat south, and along the way, their commanding general, James Wilkinson, decided to attack Burlington on the way south. Gathered under Major General Ira Allen, a popular Green Mountain Boy veteran from the American Revolutionary War, the Vermonters had gathered up in a force of six thousand to resist Wilkinson. Wilkinson had approached assuming the city would quickly surrender to his superior force, but after being flanked from the east and pushed against Lake Champlain, Wilkinson was sent fleeing back into New York. Allen continued his pursuit.

Throughout May and into June, out of retirement, Revolutionary War Hero Major General Philip Schuyler had launched a number of raids in western Massachusetts with a force of five thousand. Eventually being caught at the First Battle of Pittsfield, where Schuyler was surrounded in the city on June 15th by Henry K. Carmin and then thousand men. Schuyler would push south with all of his remaining troops on June 18th, breaking through and retreating back to New York.

With Wilkinson's force broken and fleeing, only a third would regather under Captain Lewis Figghorn at Mount Marcy to try and stop the Vermonter invasion. Figghorn ended up dying in the battle, his entire force being killed or captured. These early battles secured Vermont a solid position in northern New York, which would last until the left the New England Republic.

### New Jersey Campaign

Under General George Benckendorf, the 7 Days Campaign would begin, breaking several New Jersey lines and crushing back General James Aubrey's armies further and further east. On August 26th, Benckendorf would change focus to the south, leaving Lieutenant General Theophile Lybaert in charge of the New Jersey Campaign. On September 4th, the march ended at Newark, where Governor Linda Banks' armies were crushed and devastated. One thousand soldiers would escape via boat, including Linda Banks and James Aubrey.

After escaping on boats, James Aubrey and his thousand men sailed back to southern New Jersey to link up with the militias of the south. Aubrey gathered a force of five thousand and nine hundred men to hold off General Theophile Lybaert's seventeen thousand men. Lybaert would catch Aubrey's army up against the Mullica River, in a besieged territory, Aubrey would order several crazy orders of his men, eventually bringing his army to mutiny, overthrowing him and handing him over to Lybaert while surrendering. Aubrey would later kill himself in captivity.

### The Virginia Campaign

On August 19, 1800, General Horatio Gates takes over Washington D.C. under the banner of the Republic of Dixieland. President John Adams and several members of the Cabinet were captured in this battle, and Vice President Scott Benckendorf would become the Acting President for the remainder of Adams' term. Soon, General George Benckendorf arrived in the south, Benckendorf quickly set up an offensive campaign with ten thousand men, pushing on Hyattsville, right outside Washington D.C.. Benckendorf was met by Horatio Gates and fifteen thousand men, who fought to hold onto his newly conquered land. Benckendorf had split his forces into two, having five thousand flank Gates' from behind, Gates was able to split his force as well, sending together a siege in the small town. Eventually Gates gave up on the small town due to the high casualties, leaving to the south back towards D.C..

On September 15th, 1800, Horatio Gates sent his loyal southern soldiers south, while gathering a new pro-Union militia, then declaring a switch of sides in Washington D.C., letting the Union troops back in. Gates would then march west, attacking Jonesville in October, and retaking the town.

In November of 1800 George Benckendorf took his first steps south of D.C., pushing rapidly to Alexandria, almost surrounding Major General Paul McGregor, but McGregor eventually moving his force south and abandoning the city instead of fighting to the last for it.

After finally gathering up for a full attack on the Capital of Richmond in 1802, Benckendorf moved to battle from the north, being harassed by cavalry from the north. And while opposing General Aaron Sawyer had moved around Benckendorf's forces to flank, having fought briefly before slowly being pushed back across the river, eventually taking the capital buildings and killing Sawyer in the process, which killed Sawyer and collapsed the Virginian organization and force, forcing them into retreat. The Battle of Richmond was the second bloodiest battle of the Second American Civil War.

### Frontier Campaign

The first military conflict in the frontier would occur on September 27, 1800, when Republic of Dixieland sympathizers under Gustavo Gus rose up and fought Brigadier General William Kilgore in the First Battle of Louisville, this would be the only battle between the Republic of Dixieland and New England Republic factions. Gustavo Gus declared himself the Governor for 3 days, until General Andrew Jackson took the city back for the United States and returned the former Governor to power.

Later in November Jackson would move south and engage Dixielanders at Nashville, briefly retreating to rework his plan, later coming back for a full assault. In the second attempt he pushed hard, but Major General Wade Hampton pushed quickly north and overwhelmed Jackson's forces who once again fell back.

### Renewed New English Front

In March of 1801, General Theophile Lybaert made it to his new position on the New English front. Lybaert pushed immediately into Connecticut during the late winter months to deny them the advantage of regrouping. While Lybaert would commit borderline war crimes in Norwalk, he would come out on top over Revolutionary War Hero Henry Whittleston, who eventually retreated after the city was torched.

#### Battle of New York City

Realizing that Lybaert was likely to push into Connecticut and threaten position in Massachusetts, General Henry K. Carmin organized a force of forty thousand to march on New York City. Carmin was seemingly overconfident in his forces, booting down Captain Jacob Figghorn near Greenwhich and threatening New York City. Within the city Philip Schuyler organized the defense of the city along with Admiral Amo Gus, their numbers totaling twenty thousand and the beginning. North of the city, but still next to the Long Island Bay, Philip Schuyler decided to set up his first lines of defense. Carmin brought his navy into the bay, bombarding the defensive lines, making them useless to hold, which forced Schuyler south, where he even fled into Long Island, burning the bridges behind him. From Long Island, Schuyler fired upon the New English fleets, breaking a good amount of them, regardless of his, the fleet was still able to ferry twenty thousand men across and onto Long Island, surrounding Major General Schuyler. Schuyler quickly set up defenses to his east, but Major General John Wilkins Jr. arrived north of Carmin's force, threatening his escape route north, Carmin decided to send his Manhattan force north to deal with them, but the Union ships soon ferried Schuyler's troops back into Manhattan, and surrounding Carmin's main force. At the same time as the encirclement, Admiral Amo Gus engaged Admiral John Lethrun of the New English in the bay, catching him off-guard and sparking a rushed counter-attack, both sides would lose an equal amount of ships, but Gus would break first, leaving the area and giving Carmin naval superiority. Soon Carmin's Long Island troops were ferried north of Wilkin's force surrounding him, and nearly wiping out his force. Schuyler would do three successive charges, eventually breaking through and saving Wilkin's remaining men. After capturing Carmin's canons in this same maneuver , Schuyler fired on Lethrun's navy, crushing what remained and causing the remainder to sail away. Carmin with no canons or ships and pushed back to the north half of the city would decide to retreat to Massachusetts, being harassed by cavalry the whole way. The Battle of New York City was the third bloodiest battle, and in the north it was the turning point against the New English forces.

### Treaties of 1802

On February 19, 1802 the Treaty of Newark was ratified by the Senate and treated as law in the U.S.. President George Benckendorf hated the treaty, and in his efforts he refused to leave the Connecticut territories they had conquered. On February 27th Vermont officially voted to rejoin the Union, finally ending New English control in northern New York. While Congress proposed impeachment, Benckendorf soon negotiated the new Treaty of Québec ratified on March 9, which ended the crisis. France also organized the return of Maine and New Hampshire to the United States, and a few days later, French Louisiana.

### Fall of New England

Following the treaties, the remaining New English states went into a panic, faltering with economic down-turn, land sales, and protests. In the days following Henry Knox would push south into Massachusetts from the north, while George Benckendorf pushed east into Connecticut. On June 5th, 1802, Connecticut surrendered to Beckendorf, and a few days later Philip Schuyler would begin his march into western Massachusetts. Now being pushed from all sides, many New English politicians fled from the mainland, and on July 4, 1802, the 26th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Benckendorf and Knox marched into Boston, causing troops under Henry K. Carmin to revolt and join the Union forces. Eventually Governor Increase Sumner would shoot himself before the end of the battle. After this New England fell with little other resistance.

### End of the Frontier Campaigns

In August of 1802 the last battles of the Frontier Campaigns began. Major General Andrew Jackson facing General Agues Hill, Hill being soundly defeated after a failed assault. Hill decided to challenge Jackson to a duel, never one to back down accepted, but was not lucky enough to win this one, letting Hill beat Jackson, who was soon arrested.

A ways north George Benckendorf commanded fourteen thousand troops to assault Nashville in the Third Battle of Nashville. Commanded by Brigadier General Horace Berkeley, the six thousand troops of Nashville attempted to fire outwardly, but with the frontlines in the way, all they did was attack their own troops. In the confusion Benckendorf charged, Berkeley with his forces collapsing would drink himself into a stupor, falling into the river and drowning.

### The Last Southern Pushes

In August of 1803 the armies of the north would begin their last marches south, taking Norfolk in the bloody Battle of Norfolk. Once again at the Battle of Stony Point, Marcus Gus was slammed back by Horatio Gates, being sent out of Virginia in the last conflict in the state. While the northern naval power was shattered, the South did begin a blockade, but it was little too late, as the north moved into South Carolina taking Greenville without a fight.

At the Battle of Columbia Major General Maximilian Baker was soundly beaten by George Benckendorf, pushing him even farther into the south. As the dawn broke on September 16, 1804, Benckendorf made his march on Charleston, setting off the First Battle of Charleston, where with reckless attacking, Benckendorf would be handed the last major Union loss in the war. This was the bloodiest battle in the Second American Civil War, showing a complete route of Benckendorf's army. Benckendorf would be able to fight off pursuers at the Battle of Potter's Farm, which let Benckendorf escape uncaptured. General Agues Hill would leave Charleston and retreat south into Georgia after the major losses of the battle. After regrouping forces, Benckendorf marched on Charleston again, after very little fighting, Covington surrenders with little to no forces left. William T. Covington would surrender the Second Republic of Dixieland, forcing all territories to surrender, however Agues Hill would remain in Georgia fighting on, being appointed by a few fleeing Congressmen as President of Dixieland. Soon Hill would also surrender, leaving Marcus Gus in charge of the last Dixieland Army, which he took all loyal troops and ships and sailed north to try and re-spark New English revolutionary fervor.

### The Final Days of the War

With Marcus Gus landing and taking Providence in the Battle of Providence, the war moved back to the north for the last few days of the war. After racist rioters rise up in Hartford, Brigadier General John Whittleston tries to retake it, but is beaten back in the fighting. On June 2nd of 1804, Marcus Gus withdraws his troops from Rhode Island, and sails for Europe instead, starting the Naples Uniting War. Hartford rioters would be dispersed on the same day.

## Timeline of Events

### 1793

* July 17: Treaty of New York brings the United States into a war with Great Britain.

### 1797

* April 29: The New English Plague of 1797 breaks out across Burlington and northern Vermont.
* May 7: President John Adams orders a lockdown of Vermont.
* June 20: First case of tuberculosis outbreak appears in Massachusetts.
* June 23: President John Adams orders a lockdown of western Massachusetts.

### 1798

* April 14: The Philadelphia Petition is sent as rural farmers conditions worsen in the northern states.
* May 19: Governor Thomas Chittenden attempts to ease up restrictions in Vermont.
* October 2: Vermont Legislature votes to censure President John Adams.

### 1799

* January 7: First session of the Cambridge Convention convenes in Massachusetts.
* February 2: The Cambridge Convention sends off their list of demands to the federal government.
* March 29: New York enacts a gradual end to slavery.
* April 5: The Lexington Slave Riot kills 10s of people in Kentucky.
* December 14: The Great Unifier, George Washington, dies at his home in Virginia.

### 1800

* April 7: Rhode Island becomes the first state to officially secede from the nation.
* April 18: Vermont secedes.
* April 23: New Hampshire secedes.
* April 23: New England Republic is formed by Rhode Island and New Hampshire.
* May 9: Massachusetts secedes and joins the New England Republic.
* May 12: Great Britain recognizes New England as a nation.
* May 20: President Adams and Congress move to Washington D.C..
* May 26: Great Britain allies itself with the New England Republic.
* May 30: Connecticut secedes and joins the New England Republic.
* June 3 - 6: Battle of Burlington.
* May 24 - June 18: The Schuyler Raids.
* June 18: First Battle of Pittsfield.
* July 3: Covington's Secession Speech.
* July 21: South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee all secede and form the Second Republic of Dixieland.
* July 26: Governor Fring Gus of Virginia is shot and killed.
* July 26: Virginia secedes and joins the Republic of Dixieland.
* August 3: Battle of Mt. Marcy leaves northern New York defenseless to New England forces.
* August 6: New Jersey secedes and joins New England.
* August 7: Vermont joins New England.
* August 19: Battle of D.C. leaves the Federal Government in shambles as President John Adams is captured by Dixieland.
* August 20: North Carolina secedes and joins Dixieland after a violent coup of Governor William R. Davie.
* August 20 - 26: The Seven Days Campaign lays havoc to New Jersey.
* August 31: Battle of Hyattsville reclaims all Maryland land lost to Dixieland.
* September 4: Battle of Newark.
* September 13: The New English Constitution is signed by delegates from all 7 of their states.
* September 15: Major General Horatio Gates, who had fought with Dixieland in Hyattsville and D.C., swaps sides, inciting a major revolt in Virginia.
* September 15: General George Benckendorf marches into Washington D.C. to reclaim it.
* September 16 - 17: Battle of Peekskill.
* September 27: First Battle of Louisville.
* September 30 - October 3: Second Battle of Louisville.
* October 11: Battle of Jonesville.
* October 15 - 16: Aubrey's Final Stand.
* November 1: New England holds it's first elections.
* November 1: First Battle of Nashville.
* November 4 - 8: Second Battle of Nashville.
* November 13: Battle of Alexandria.

### 1801

* March 4: General George Benckendorf is inaugurated as President.
* March 23 - 26: Battle of Norwalk.
* May 2 - 28: Natives in the south side with the Federal Government, raiding several Dixieland towns.
* July 6: President Benjamin Goodhue of New England is assassinated in Boston.
* July 16: New England trades New Hampshire and Maine to France for them to leave the war.
* September 9: Skirmish near Albany.
* October 15: Skirmish at Greenwich.
* October 17 - 19: Battle of New York City.

### 1802

* January 3 - 5: Battle of Richmond.
* February 19: Treaty of Newark is signed by the Congress, briefly ending the war in the north and removing Great Britain from the war.
* February 27: Vermont leaves New England and attempts to rejoin the United States.
* March 4: New Hampshire and Maine are returned to the U.S. from France for free.
* March 9: Treaty of Québec reopens the war in the north.
* March 12: Battle of Salem.
* March 13: Louisiana Purchase is made.
* June 3: Battle of Hartford.
* June 5: Connecticut surrenders to the United States.
* June 19: Skirmish at Braintree.
* June 20: Second Battle of Pittsfield.
* July 1: Battle of Worcester.
* July 4: Battle of Boston brings an end to an organized New English resistance.
* July 20: Skirmish near Newport.
* August 7: Nantucket surrenders to Admiral Amo Gus.
* August 20 - 29: Battle of New Orleans.
* September 23 - 24: Third Battle of Nashville ends Dixieland reign in Tennessee.

### 1803

* July 17: General Agues Hill escapes custody.
* October 6, 1802 - July 20: A period known as the Prolonged Pause occurs as both sides enter a quiet period as they try to rebuild their troops.
* August 4: Battle of Norfolk.
* August 23: Skirmish at Raleigh
* November 14: Battle of Stony Point.
* November 23: Dixieland blockades the north.
* December 2, 1803 - January 7, 1804: Siege of Greenville.

### 1804

* January 17: Battle of Columbia
* February 18: Skirmish near Wilmington
* February 16 - 20: First Battle of Charleston
* February 23: Battle of Potter's Farm
* April 2: Second Battle of Charleston
* April 2: Surrender of President William T. Covington of the Republic of Dixieland.
* April 17 - May 18: Connecticut Race Riots
* April 29: Agues Hill surrenders to the North in northern Georgia, being assassinated soon after.
* April 30: Hearing of the surrender of Hill, Marcus Gus is declared the President of Dixieland, and moves his army north to New England.
* May 9: Battle of Providence
* May 12: The last President of Dixieland, Marcus Gus, resigns, instead usurping the New English army, proclaiming himself the President of New England.
* May 18: Coup in Hartford
* June 2: Marcus Gus withdraws troops from Rhode Island, ending the New England Republic on the mainland, and ending the Second American Civil War.