The Araikan Revolution

The Araikan Revolution was a 12 year period of political and societal change in Araika. The Federalists, led by Leon Nichols defeated the Royalists led by the 15 Provincial Royals, each the head of a province in Araika.

Scholars have come to agree the revolution began with the appointment of Nichols as Chief Executive in 1889. Nichols, a reformer, had been a member of the Araikan National Assembly for 18 years, having been first elected when he was 27. When the time came for the 15 Provincial Royals to choose a new Chief Executive they agreed to appoint Nichols as a token to the reformers as the real power still remained with them. However, Nichols used his position to advocate for greater reforms, enticing and agitating a population that soon grew tired of the decentralized rule. The provinces, seeing the movement that was beginning to form, chose to impeach and remove Nichols from power in 1891. This move further agitated the population leading to protests and riots against the Provincial Royals. Tension boiled over on March 12, 1891 when over 6,000 protesters in the city of Sidmouthin were massacred on the order of Witford Royal Albert XI O’Malley. A state of civil war soon existed between the Federalists and the Royalists lasting until 1897 with the capture of Kinewen by the Federalists.

The Araikan Revolution resulted in the creation of a federal republic, fully embracing democratic principles. Leon Nichols would be elected the first President of the United Provinces of Araika in 1901 and served until 1905. However, continued terrorism caused by Royalist-funded organizations would plague his administration. His successor, popular general and war hero Louis Arwood, would rule in an authoritarian manner. Arwood negotiated with the former Provincial Royals a final settlement to the ongoing terrorism which saw them receive special privileges in the new republic. These privileges would last over a century until they were revoked by the 18th Amendment in 2032.

## Background

### Pre-Revolution Sentiments

Araikan Confederation was founded in 1798 when the 15 nations comprising the area of Araika confederated. A central government was created in which the 15 provinces appointed a Chief Executive to head the affairs of the central government. The chief executive was usually a council member of one of the provinces and served for a term of 7 years. This later changed following constitutional revision and establishment of the National Assembly of Araika in 1848. The majority of chief executives following that point came from members of the National Assembly. Still, the position remained weak and virtually all real power remained with the royals of the provinces.

Globally, republican and anti-royal sentiment was on the rise beginning in the 1840s. Several monarchies around the world experienced revolts, resulting in the establishment of republics, increased democratic reforms, or solidification of royal power. The first republican revolt in Naturia occurred in Spereria which was ultimately crushed by a united Naturian intervention. After that event, Naturia was generally unexposed from the revolts and revolutions that took hold in the continents of Astellia and Grosso. Naturian royals also tried to get ahead of republican sentiment by establishing token reforms such as the National Assembly in Araika.

Araika established a policy of neutrality beginning in 1867, choosing to stay out of foreign matters. Araika would remain isolationist until the revolution and civil war in 1891.

### Appointment of Leon Nichols as Chief Executive

Despite efforts by Naturian nations to quell republican sentiment, they could never limit the spread of ideas in an increasingly global and industrializing world. The decision of the Queen of Rocrofa to reform the nation into a Constitutional Monarchy after large republican demonstrations was the first major movement following the failed Spererian Revolution. Increased Republican fervor began to spread throughout the continent with isolationist Araika included.

In 1884, major demonstrations broke out in the northeast provinces calling for increased democratization of the confederation. Chief Executive Lyndon Rodgers sided with the provincial royals in deciding to quell the demonstrations with mass arrests, however this increased tension and resulted in underground movements forming. One such group was the Araikan Democratic Front (ADF) which sought to agitate for change by attacking the provincial royals indirectly. They advocated for peaceful demonstrations and mild forms of protest that even a heavy hand could not break up. This did not stop the central government from attempting to root out the groups and their demonstrations. Rodgers announced a police taskforce in 1887 that would specialize in rooting out the ADF. On November 5, 1887 the taskforce raided a warehouse suspected to be a gathering point for demonstrators. They were brutally beaten and taken into custody, but were later found to have no relation to the ADF. The failure of the taskforce increased public animosity and the Rodgers administration failed to see any further success.

When the time came in 1889 to appoint a new chief executive, some provinces wished to take a harder line and appoint a royalist hardliner. However the majority of the provinces chose to go in the opposite direction. Leon Nichols, a member of the National Assembly and noted advocate for reform was chosen as the new chief executive in a narrow vote with 8 provinces voting in his favour. Nichols was an assembly member from Alurod and was a charismatic and young leader who was passionate about bringing about change to the country. With his appointment, Nichols hoped to confer with the Provincial Royals on an agreeable way forward for further democratization.

On the other hand, the Provincial Royals saw Nichols as a compromise candidate who could help to maintain their position of influence while also placating the agitated groups in the country. Additionally, the Provincial Royals saw the appointment of Nichols as a way to deflect criticism from themselves and to shift some of the responsibility for governing the country onto him. By appointing Nichols as Chief Executive, they could argue that they had taken steps to address the country's problems while also avoiding the risk of making any significant changes to the existing power structure.

Nichols took office on June 1, 1889 and spent his first few months in power making amends with the reformist groups. He dissolved the special police taskforce and personally spoke with leaders of the ADF on the best way forward for the country. Nichols also worked closely with the National Assembly to craft a democratic reform package that would hopefully be satisfactory to everyone involved. In his New Years’ Address in 1890, Nichols, facing both representatives of the provincial royals and National Assembly, introduced his plans for reforms. The representatives of the provincial royals were reportedly visibly startled by the ideas proposed despite Nichols noting that they were amenable based on feedback. Upon hearing of his plans, a few provincial royals outright reject any notion of reform. Other royals made demands that would never satisfy the ADF or National Assembly.

By the end of January there was no agreement with the provincial royals. Nichols then announced that the democratic reform package would be taken up by the National Assembly in early February. On February 3, the National Assembly quickly passed the package to the joy of many Araikans looking forward to expanded democratic rights. Among the reforms include direct election of the Chief Executive, a greater role for the National Assembly, the establishment of a Supreme Court, and reduced powers of the provincial royals. The royals were furious at the package and unanimously rejected it by February 18. Some even called for the impeachment and removal of Nichols as chief executive which had never occurred before.

Protests erupted by assembly members who called out the royals. Upon returning to their homes, some assembly members were even arrested for the comments by the guards of hardline royals. When news broke out, the ADF took to the streets of major cities calling for their release. Negotiations between Nichols and the royals were successful and every assembly member was released, but the tension in Araika was now on the knife’s edge.

### Nichols' National Tour

With national tension and agitation on the rise, Nichols chose to deal with the situation in a direct manner. On March 20, he announced he would tour the entire confederation to speak with people from every province. He would hold town halls in each major city and even make stops in smaller towns as well. People could speak to him about anything and Nichols’ hoped to take their concerns to the National Assembly and their local royal. News of Nichols’ National Tour was well-received by the public but met with skepticism by the royals.

The first stop on Nichols’ tour was Roclesbury, Porburia. Thousands of people came out to greet the arrival of his train. Nichols was set up at the city hall where hundreds lined up wishing to speak with him. Despite the long line and nearly impossible task ahead of him, Nichols stayed at city hall until 1AM when the last person in line had his queries answered. The next day an even longer line awaited him where he announced he would be there the entire week. Nichols was praised around the confederation and even globally for his outreach. He moved onto the next few small towns in the provinces of Cleolinelis and Horterden before arriving in Horterden City where he spent another week talking to people. Nichols’ National Tour lasted 162 days where he was gleefully welcomed back to Alurod in September. For the first time, many people saw what having a leader responsible to them would look like and voiced their hope to have their voices better heard in the halls of power.

Reinvigorated by the people’s voices, Nichols and the National Assembly once again attempted to craft a democratic reform package. Now that the people had made their concerns known, it was hoped that the royals would agree to the changes. The new reform package was more conservative than the last but still called for the direct election of the chief executive by the people. Yet despite the pleas of the people, the royals once again unanimously rejected the reform package. Moreover, many were beginning to fear the power that Nichols might wield and sought to deal with him.

### Impeachment of Leon Nichols

On January 23, 1891, the provinces announced impeachment proceedings against Leon Nichols for abuse of power. In their view his efforts to consult the people of each province undermined their authority which still remained paramount according to the constitution. Despite knowing he would likely be removed from office, Nichols pleaded his case to each representative of the royals.

Reactions from the public were fierce. The National Assembly declared their support for Nichols against what they saw as an abuse of power by the royals. People from around Araika who had met Nichols less than a year ago were confused and angry as to why the only person who had ever directly listened to them was being ousted. More demonstrations broke out across the confederation calling for the royals to cease their impeachment of Nichols. While some carried on unmolested by local authorities, demonstrations in the hardline provinces of Anbecsey, Penbeck, and Witford were brutally suppressed.

On February 28, Nichols presented his final defence to the royals, insisting he committed no abuse of power. A week later on March 7, Leon Nichols was officially impeached and removed from office with twelve of the fifteen provinces voting in favour (Horterden, Cleonlinelis, and Horizo voted against the motion).

## Beginnings of the Araikan Civil War, 1891-1892

### Demonstrations and the Massacre of Sidmouthin

Word of Leon Nichols’ impeachment spread quickly throughout the confederation and elicited reactions from all corners of society. Royal hardliners praised the move and some even pushed for further action including arresting Nichols. The National Assembly met On March 9 and decried the move. Radical members of the assembly spoke out directly against the royals once again risking their arrest on their return home. The ADF began organizing demonstrations and protests and found the public to be furious with the decision. Small scale protests had already begun in major cities but the ADF planned for major demonstrations on March 13.

On March 13, hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets across Araika calling for the reinstatement of Leon Nichols. In Sidmouthin, the demonstrations were particularly strong with 20,000 of the city’s 75,000 people coming out, the local royal, Albert XI O’Malley, was a hardliner who advocated for harsher measures against those who protested against the royals. With demonstrations now occurring widely throughout his province, Albert XI turned the royal guard on to the people ordering them to crush the demonstration. The royal guard was ruthless and violently put down the demonstration occurring in Sidmouthin.

News of the massacre spread quickly across the confederation. The National Assembly condemned the measures taken by Albert XI and announced that they would take appropriate action against him, even if it went outside their constitutional purview. The royals reacted by withdrawing their support from the National Assembly, declaring it illegitimate. The Boshamia royal guard soon began marching towards Alurod in an attempt to reclaim the city for the royals. A state of civil war now existed within the Araikan Confederation between the Federalists allied with the National Assembly and the Royalists allied with the Provincial Royals.

### Early Stages

The first battle in the Araikan Civil War took place just on the border between the Alurod Territory and Boshamia. The Battle of National Crossing was fought between the Alurod National Guard and the Boshamia Royal Guard and ended in a surprise victory for the Federalists as the Boshamians were forced to retreat. The Federalists had the advantage of higher quality soldiers but knew they would be overwhelmed if all the provinces combined their strength. The Federalists also knew that they would lose quickly if the only territory they controlled was Alurod. The public generally supported the Federalists but support was greatest in the northeast. The National Assembly decided to send General Taylor Hewitt northeast towards Cleolinelis and Horterden to quickly secure the two provinces. In doing so, the royals of the provinces were caught unprepared and by the end of March, the two provinces, along with northern Porburia were under federalist control.

The National Assembly quickly invited Leon Nichols to head the wartime government. Nichols accepted and soon formed an administration that would focus on the course of the war. Nichols also took the title of “President” instead of chief executive, cementing the break with the Araikan Confederation. In his inaugural address on April 15, Nichols called on every Araikan who dreamed of a democratic and united nation to join the Federalists and travel north to fight with them.

The Royalists were initially disorganized and caught unprepared by the quick developments made by the Federalists. Their armies were spread out and while together would vastly outnumber the Federalists, a proper military organization was absent. The provinces appointed Chancellor of Kihuney, Adam Corwin Stone as the new chief executive. Stone set up his headquarters in Penbeck, and called on every province’s royal guard that did not share a border with the Federalists to meet there. For those provinces that bordered the Federalists, he instructed them to set up defensive positions. Bordering the Federalists at this point were the provinces of Anbecsey, Boshamia, Porburia, and Horizo, with Porburia half occupied. Stone reasoned that the two largest provinces, Boshamia and Horizo, should at least be able to hold back further gains by the Federalists. While they did so, Stone could gather a proper army to march on Alurod and defeat the Federalists there.

### The First Battle of Novariso

Hoping to maintain their momentum, the Federalists moved south from Cleolinelis along the coast towards Novariso. Novariso was the most significant commercial port in Araika and would cripple the Royalists if lost. Novariso was also the site of increasing agitation against the Royalists as ADF cells sought to free the city and join the Federalists. On May 5, the Federalists led by Hewitt entered the city and fought against the local garrison of Royalists. Intense fighting devastated much of the city as new tools of warfare such as rapid-firing artillery and machine guns, as well as more accurate rifles were tested.

Novariso fell to the Federalists on June 2 dealing a significant blow to the Royalists, but Stone saw the city’s fall as a chance to solidify defenses to the city’s south. Mass arrests throughout the provinces controlled by the Royalists would successfully quell demonstrations and revolts by Federalist aligned groups like the ADF. By the end of June, Stone took full control of each province’s royal guard, organizing them into separate armies on the Federalist front.

### Stalemate

With the Royalists now organized, advances by the Federalists generally came to a halt. By July they controlled all of Porburia in addition to parts of Boshamia and northern Horizo. The Federalist army in the west led by General Arlen Keyes hoped to reach Anbecsey by the end of the month, but found the Royalist defence difficult to breach. The Battle of Moorhow ended in a stalemate with neither side making significant gains. The same was true of the other fronts of the war which led to a sense of unease among the Federalists. With Royalist soldiers now outnumbering Federalists, a large offensive could push them back significantly.

The most attractive target for the Federalists was the city of Waldon. Waldon was the largest city in the country and was a major railroad hub. If the Federalists could take control of Waldon, it would damage the Royalists’ ability to supply their armies. The Royalists also knew this and predicted that the Federalists would try to capture the city as soon as they could. Months of stagnant fronts increased pressure on the Federalists to launch an offensive soon. On October 17, artillery shells rained down just outside of Waldon as Federalists began their advance towards the city. However, the Royalists were able to hold them outside the city limits. General Samuel Brett kept pushing into November, but ultimately his army was forced to dig in as cold temperatures began to arrive. Both sides would not attempt any offensive until the cold winter passed. What started as a string of Federalist victories in early 1891 now stalled into 1892.

### Offensives of 1892

The first major offensive of 1892 took place on February 14. Known as the “Valentine’s Day Offensive,” it saw the Federalists in western Horizo and southeast Boshamia pushed north to the banks of the Elizabeth River. Despite the Royalists victory, a new problem emerged with defectors from the army. Many men defected to the Federalists after being forced into the army by drafts in their province. In many cases, the defectors’ families were arrested as a result. Stone, who sought to instill discipline in every soldier through the use of fear, announced that the families of defectors would be arrested and executed. Hundreds of men, women, and children were killed, but it mostly put an end to defectors among the army.

Although the Royalists found success on the eastern front, they were slowly pushed back in the west towards Anbecsey City. The Federalists were unable to take the city due to defensive measures put in place on the Bridbury River. Keyes refused to shell the city knowing that many innocent lives would be lost. On March 14, Keyes decided to send a scout into the city to deliver a message to the inhabitants to escape within the next 10 days. When March 24 came, Keyes’ army commenced a massive shelling of the city. The shelling shocked both sides in the destruction it brought. Anbecsey was completely destroyed and instilled fear among the population in Royalist controlled cities that it could happen to them. Nevertheless, the Federalist controlled north remained an attractive destination for many in the Royalist controlled provinces who wished to escape the brutality of royal rule.

On April 2, Royalist General Dane Parsons who successfully pushed the Federalists north to the Elizabeth River, surprisingly turned east hoping to cut off a section of the Federalist army along the coast south of Novariso. Parsons reached the outskirts of Novariso and it looked as if a second battle would take place for the city. However, reinforcements from the northeast were quickly sent by train to help bolster defenses, holding off the Royalists from entering the city.

Still, the Federalist line remained fragile with the bulge to the south of Novariso becoming a worry. General Hewitt wanted to push the bulge west and meet up with Lieutenant General Louis Arwood who would push south. Doing so would result in the encirclement of the majority of the Parson’s forces. Arwood was reluctant to follow through, but General Brett, who ranked above him, agreed with the plan. On April 28, Arwood’s corps marched south to meet with Hewitt but the latter was held in place by Parsons. A weak spot was created north of Arwood’s forces that allowed the Royalists to push into. Now, it was the Federalists that risked encirclement. Despite pleas by Arwood to retreat, General Brett ordered him to continue pushing. Arwood was unable to break through and a successful Royalist offensive encircled his forces.

Confusion among the Federalists created a major opening for the Royalists. Parsons now focused on eliminating Arwood’s force, while General Roland Garnett who led the encirclement proceeded north towards Roclesbury. Garnett was able to force the Federalists to retreat into northern Porburia, further isolating Arwood. Despite the odds stacked against him, Arwood successfully escaped the encirclement meeting up with General Hewitt near Novariso.

Garnett’s army essentially proceeded unabated as the Federalists attempted to reorganize. If Garnett succeeded in reaching Roclesbury, it would divide the Federalists in two and cut off an important railroad link. Nichols ordered General Brett to push south into Boshamia to alleviate the pressure in Porburia. Brett’s army marched into the province, surprising the Royalists who expected the Federalists to reinforce against the Porburia Offensive. Upon the first sign of resistance, Brett retreated north. Although unorthodox, the small offensive by Brett was able to distract the Royalists enough to solidify the Federalist defence of northern Porburia.

No further major offensives were attempted for the rest of 1892 as the fronts of the war stalled once again. Frustration began to grow among both groups with the royals forced out of their provinces particularly annoyed by the lack of movement into the northeast. Federalists also became frustrated with the state of the war as they failed to make any significant gains. Things looked far better at sea where the Federalist navy overwhelmed  the Royalists. By late 1892, the Federalists established a naval blockade preventing goods from Royalist controlled provinces from leaving the nation by sea, further worsening their economy.

## Federalist Advances and Successes, 1893-1894

### Military Reorganization among the Federalists

As the civil war entered its third year, Nichols shook up the command of the Federalist Army. The entire army was placed under the command of now Field Marshal Keyes. Keyes’ former command of the 1st Army stationed in Anbecsey was given to his right-hand man, newly promoted General Garret Davis. Generals Brett and Hewitt remained in command of the 2nd and 3rd Armies respectively located in Boshamia and Horizo.

A new 4th Army was established in Porburia to focus on the defense of Roclesbury. Impressed by Lieutenant General Arwood’s success during his encirclement outside Novariso, Nichols promoted him to a General, giving him command of the 4th Army. Its main purpose was to defend against the Royalist offensive spearheaded by General Garnett. Garnett launched a surprise attack on January 12 despite the snow covered fields that lay in front of him. The attack pushed the 4th Army back to Roclesbury where they dug in. The Battle of Roclesbury would be the longest battle of the war, lasting until the summer.

### Success in the Northwest

Nichols hoped to see the Federalists advance to Halseaton by the end of the year, taking full control of the northern coast of Araika. General Davis came up with a plan to get it done. His forces would be split with the main force marching west towards Halseaton. A smaller force would land north of the city and march south, joining right outside Halseaton and catching the Royalists by surprise. Although risky, Nichols placed his trust in Davis to see the plan through.

In March, preparations for Davis’ multi-pronged attack on Halseaton were ready. The bulk of the 1st Army began marching west pushing the Royalist forces led by General Colin Dent into Barland. The army soon arrived outside Halseaton on March 24, where Davis began a siege of the city. Two days later on March 26, a naval landing north of the city at the mouth of the Dunster River went unnoticed until they marched further south to Halseaton. The city was surrounded on all sides by March 31 and the surprised garrison were quickly overwhelmed. Halseaton fell on April 4, and the Federalists established control over the majority of Barland by the month’s end.

The success of Davis’ plan stunned both Royalists and Federalists alike at the speed in which the city fell. Dent’s army had been completely overwhelmed and fragmented in the retreat south to Harton. Davis hoped to strike again, marching the 1st Army south right behind the retreating Royalists. The Battle of Harton would decide the fate of the northwest. If the city fell to the Federalists, any Royalists to the west would become trapped between them and the Northern Kine Mountains. It would also free up battle hardened soldiers who could be placed on other fronts. The Royalist garrison at Granhers was also brought to Harton, abandoning the city to the Federalists.

The Battle of Harton would be the bloodiest battle of the entire civil war. Over 14,000 Federalist soldiers and 27,000 Royalist soldiers were recorded as casualties after fighting began on April 5. The Royalists greatly fortified the city in the lead up to the battle and packed the city with the Granhers garrison. After three weeks of sieging and little progress, Davis changed his strategy to one of attrition. By surrounding the city and ensuring nothing could enter, Davis hoped to starve the defenders into surrender. By May, supplies in the city began running low and desperate citizens began to flee. Despite the harsh measures placed on defectors and deserters, many of Dent’s men chose to flee the battle. Ultimately, the situation became untenable, and Dent was forced to flee the city and head east with his remaining men on June 9.

### Defence of Roclesbury

With success in the northwest achieved, the Federalists turned their focus to the ongoing Battle of Roclesbury. While the city held Garnett’s offensive back, the Royalists inched closer to the main rail station every day. City streets became the front lines between the Federalists and Royalists as the realities of modern urban warfare were realized. Field Marshal Keyes knew that the city would eventually fall if the attackers kept their pace and devised another daring plan to alleviate the situation. With Dent’s force recuperating from the losses at Harton, Keyes assumed that the Royalists thought further offensives would be made from General Davis. The Royalists would likely fallback to the hills of southern Anbecsey and build their defenses there. Keyes also knew that the Royalists knew Waldon remained a key target for the Federalists. Keyes chose to strike south instead by sending a detachment from the 2nd Army towards Penbeck, the headquarters of the Royalists. The first Army would continue pushing east once again surrounding Dent’s army and threatening the core of the Royalists.

The offensive commenced almost immediately as Davis continued pushing Dent east. The detachment of the 2nd Army led by Lieutenant General John Melton proceeded south to Penbeck catching the Royalists off guard. Dent eventually fell back to Penbeck’s border where he finally was able to stabilize the front on June 14. However, the rest of the 2nd Army soon began to push towards Waldon. With the Royalists overstretched, Waldon would likely fall to the Federalists, opening the door to further offensives south. Stone ordered Garnett to fall back from Roclesbury on June 25 to help bolster the defence of Waldon. As Garnett retreated, Arwood and the 4th Army followed behind, once again gaining control of southern Porburia for the Federalists.

### The Fall of Waldon

With renewed momentum, the Federalist army continued to slowly push south, beginning in the east. The 3rd Army under Hewitt had been bogged down by the Royalist force led by Parsons. Hewitt thought that if the 3rd Army could successfully break through and push west, Waldon would finally be surrounded and the city would be forced to surrender. Hewitt launched his attack on July 6, but was unable to break through Parsons’ defence. Initially, Hewitt wanted to throw more men at Parsons to overwhelm his position, but fighting capable men was the one resource the Federalists lacked in supply. The population of the territories they controlled along with those who fled north at the beginning of the war was around 1.9 million while the Royalists had a population of 5.3 million. The previous successes of the Federalists were largely due to their superior tactics and high-risk-high-reward strategies playing out in their favour.

The Royalists had solidified their positions seeking to win the war with their superior manpower. Effective propaganda campaigns within the provinces in addition to harsh punishments for those with Federalist sympathies had largely stopped the bleeding of fighting capable men to the north. Stone personally involved himself in a propaganda campaign calling on each province’s inhabitants to fight for their province. In doing so, Stone hoped to erase the idea of a united Araika from the people’s minds. Small Federalist advances were quickly repelled by the Royalists, stalling movement on the frontlines into October.

With the incremental attacks failing, Field Marshal Keyes devised a new plan. Despite the potential high losses he ordered General Brett to push east between Waldon and Penbeck, crossing the Elizabeth River, and take the town of Grahamsville. If successful, it would sever the rail connection between Penbeck and Waldon, leaving the city unable to receive reinforcements. Upon learning of the plan, President Nichols was initially hesitant to approve it as failure would likely result in a collapse of Federalist positions. However, with no other options available Nichols approved the offensive on October 17.

General Brett’s 2nd Army began their attack on October 29. The first week of fighting saw over 5,000 Federalist casualties. Leading the Royalist defence was Prince Edward of Boshamia. The Royalists held the Federalists back with each attack, but slowly they were pushed to the Elizabeth River. Prince Edward decided to cross over the river and use it as a natural defence. Brett, who was no stranger to stiff defences, continued throwing men at the Royalist force. The Battle of the Elizabeth River Crossing became a slaughter for the Federalists with no end in sight as the Royalists maintained their positions. Things took a turn for the worse as December came and winter settled in. Now it was the Federalists who had to deal with desertion as many left Brett’s army.

However, as the new year arrived, temperatures plummeted to record lows. The Elizabeth River froze overnight and the Federalists seized the moment. On the night of January 3, the 2nd Army crossed the frozen Elizabeth River completely catching the defending Royalists off guard. Prince Edward’s army was soundly beaten and retreated towards Grahamsville. The reinvigorated Federalists made quick work of them there and on January 6, the town was captured, the rail station secured, and Waldon was finally cut off from the rest of Royalist territory.

News of Grahamsville’s capture put into motion the second phase of Keyes’ plan. Immediately, Arwood’s 4th Army launched an offensive against Garnett’s Army, pushing them towards Waldon. The 2nd Army continued marching from the other direction and Waldon was threatened with encirclement. Hoping to alleviate the pressure on Garnett, General Parsons marched his army west to assist in the defence. Hewitt’s 3rd Army followed him from behind. The largest battle of the war soon occurred as three Federalist armies converged on Waldon against the two Royalist armies. Fighting was brutal as temperatures remained below freezing for the rest of January. But on January 21, the greatest prize of the war had been won by the Federalists as Waldon finally fell. The royalist armies had frantically tried to escape a potential encirclement but General Garnett's forces became bogged down. Garnett would be cornered by Federalist cavalry and brutally murdered. While Parsons’ army escaped the carnage, the general would be severely wounded.