Grey Revolution Redux

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Chapter 84: Judgement
Weeks after the failed attempt to overthrow the Confederate Government Vice President Bismarck addressed both chambers of Congress during a closed secession. The mode was somber as the nation was dealing with the death of its leader, and with the coming warmer weather more death would follow. Communication with Richmond and the rest of the Confederacy was closed down and monitor by the Army and the Secret Service.
Bismarck laid out the full scope of the plot to assassinate President Quitman and overthrow his government. He read off the names to the members of Congress of their colleagues who took part in the putsch. He detailed to the Congress how the legislature of both the states of South Carolina and Georgia were in on the conspiracy. As well as members of the military that had joined in the conspiracy. The list was long but Bismarck reminded the many of the members of Congress who wanted the conspirators to be executed that a military tribunal will convene to tend to their fates.
Bismarck called on his followers in Congress to grant Emergency Powers to the President and the military.

Bismarck meeting with Congressional Members to draft legislation giving him more Executive Powers

On March 19th the Vice President Bismarck was sworn in as the 2nd President of the Confederate States of America. The day before all newspapers were subject to military censorship and the most unlikely man was made Director of Communication Major General Robert Barnwell Rhett that answered to the Postmaster General John Reagan. Rhett for his part was a “Fire-Eater” but was commissioned and commanded a brigade of South Carolina Infantry in the Army of Northern Virginia and was a vocal defender of the military. When word of the coup reached his camp in Maryland Rhett denounced the traitors as “men of privilege that were determined to keep their status even if it meant the death of the Southern Republic.” Many in Bismarck’s circle were curious that such an ardent fire-eater had changed his affiliation, but the crafty head of the Selected Service knew where his loyalty lie.

Robert Barnwell Rhett was the man who controlled what, when, and how much information the Confederate citizens would be exposed to

Other laws that were passed was the Confiscation Act of 1863 that allowed the military to seize lands, property, and personal effects of any Southern who was found guilty of treason. As prisoner of war camps were emptied a special camp in Georgia was redesigned in Andersonville Prison to handle persons found guilty of treason to the CSA.

 

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Chapter 85: A rebellion inside of a Revolution: the planters rebellion in South Carolina
Not to be outdone during the Toombs Putsch was the rebellion of the states of South Carolina and Georgia. While the events in Richmond were going on the state legislature of South Carolina took their lead from members of the conspirators within the Congress and threw their support against Bismarck and his government. When Governor Milledge Bonham refused to back the Putsch the state legislature impeached the governor and installed James Hammond as the “President “ of the Palmetto Republic. Not to be outdone Governor of Georgia Joseph Brown declared that the bond between the state of Georgia and the Confederate States of America was severed on March 1st, 1863.
On March 3rd, 1863 Vice President Bismarck still trying to secure his support in Richmond dispatched a force to South Carolina. In command of this force was Major General Frederick Wilhelm Hohenzollern and his brother-in-law Major General Wade Hampton III. Both men and a family grudge against the newly proclaimed President of the Palmetto Republic.

The Hampton & Hohenzollern/Hammond feud going back some twenty years when Hammond sexually abused the daughters of his sister-in-law Ann Fitzsimmons and her husband Wade Hampton II. Frederick Hohenzollern when he came to America in order to inter grated into southern society married into the Hampton family not out of status but out of actual love to his wife Mary Hampton. Now it was payback to Hammond and his cronies.
With local militia called out to defend the breakaway state these forces were no match for the veterans that Hohenzollern and Hampton commanded. Using a lighting strike that was reminiscent of Stonewall Jackson Hohenzollern and his mostly South Carolina forces swept in from the north. With small skirmishes littering the March toward Columbia the state capital fell after being its own government for less than ten days. When it was put out that Hammond had a price on his head even his own supporters turned him in to elements of Wade Hampton cavalry that were chasing him. Former Governor Bonham was installed as Military Governor as he was given a commission of Major General and given instructions from Richmond on how to handle the situation. Flushed with victory Hohenzollern and Hampton now turned their attention to the rebellion in Georgia.

 

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Chapter 86: Marching Through Georgia
When the events of the Toombs Putsch began to unfold Lieutenant General Braxton Bragg was stationed in Atlanta, Georgia and was training a dozen regiments of “Free Men of Color” forming them into brigades to be shipped northward. When Georgia State authorities under Brigadier General Henry R. Jackson tried to disarm and “Re-enslave” the recruits Bragg and his soldiers made quick work of the state authorities. Trying to make sense of what was happening Bragg declared his loyalty to the Richmond government of Otto von Bismarck and sent word to General von Moltke for r assistance.
Bragg’s loyalty wasn’t the case where Confederate officers stayed true the national government. Colonel George Rains commanded the Augusta Arsenal in Augusta, Georgia defied Georgia State authorities and turned the city of Augusta into a fortified city. The actions of Bragg and Rains helped thwart Governor Brown attempt to gain total control over the state but received not as much attention as Hampton’s March Through Georgia.

Braxton Bragg and George Rains the unsung heroes who thwarted the Toombs Putsch


After securing South Carolina Hohenzollern and Hampton moved immediately into Georgia. Newly promoted Lieutenant General Frederick Hohenzollern moved to relieve Augustus while Major General Wade Hampton III moved to secure Savannah, Georgia.
Meeting little resistance Hampton and Hohenzollern marched toward the state capital of Milledgeville, Georgia the state capital of Georgia. The State Forces of Georgia under Major General Pleasant Jackson Phillips commanded the Army of Georgia defending the capital. Both “President “ Brown and Phillips demanded that Hohenzollern and Hampton vacate the Republic of Georgia and demanded that all Georgia troops be released from Confederate service. Hohenzollern and Hampton’s response was answered with a cannon shot.
The ensuing battle of Milledgeville March 22th saw Joseph Brown the rebel President of the breakaway state of Georgia sent fleeing while Phillips severely wounded and near death surrender his army and the capital. The city of Milledgeville was then dismantled as state capital and governor mansion was torched the individual civilian structures were left untouched. The city of Milledgeville would no longer be the seat of government of the state of Georgia.

Georgia State Capital and Governor Mansion going up in smoke

Following their victory at Milledgeville Hohenzollern and Hampton resumed their March toward Atlanta. For Bragg his standoff was never in doubt as supplies and reinforcements arrived from von Moltke but was told from Richmond to hold the insurrectionists in place. By March 30th Joseph Brown was arrested by soldiers under Henry Jackson state troops and officially surrendered at Decatur, Georgia to Wade Hampton. With the last part of the Putsch finally subdued the armies of the Confederacy could finally focus on their Union counterpart while the lawyers in Richmond could put the traitors on trial for their treason.

 

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Chapter 87: New Priorities
With the coming Spring Offensives the Union Government needed victories and quickly. Secretary of War Edward Baker saw the the defeat of the Confederate armies second to the capture of Nashville. When word had finally gotten northward of the Toombs Putsch and the Assassination of President Quitman both Generals McClellan (commander of Union forces in the East) and Halleck (commander of Union forces in the West) failed to grasp the opportunity that had presented itself. In the East McClellan’s plans utilized the fortifications of Baltimore and Philadelphia to protect his left flank while the reconstructed Army of the Potomac and a new Army of the Susquehanna focused on Joseph Johnston’s armies in Maryland. Here McClellan would be pestered with no stop directives to drive the Confederate forces from Maryland and liberate Washington D.C.
In the West Major General Halleck was given command of all armies in the West. Utilizing Buell’s Army of the Cumberland to keep von Moltke Army of Kentucky fixed upon Nashville. Halleck planned on using his army of the Tennessee under Major General Charles F. Smith to sail down the Tennessee River to get between the Confederate armies of Kentucky and the Army of Mississippi At the same time Major General John Pope’s Army of the Mississippi was tasked with taking the Confederate River strongholds of Island No. 10 and Fort Pillow

 

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Chapter 88: Island No. 10
On March 31, 1863 Major General John Pope and his Army of the Mississippi boarded transports in St. Louis, Missouri and was protected by a dozen gunboats with three of them newly commissioned under Rear Admiral David D. Porter. Their destination was the Confederate stronghold of Island Number 10.

Porters flotilla open up on Confederate positions

With the new year Confederate fortunes rested upon Pennsylvanian born Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton as his corp of the Army of Mississippi defended the waterway’s of the Mississippi River. Pemberton for his part had spent the majority of 1862 fortifying Island No. 10, New Madrid, Fort Pillow, and Memphis. This section of the Mississippi River was under the command of Major General Dabney H. Maury.
Maury for his part spent most of his time at his headquarters stationed in Memphis, Tennessee so Island No. 10 and New Madrid was under the command of Brigadier General Edward Higgins. On April 2nd Porter’s flotilla opened up on the fortifications on Island No. 10. While Higgins focus was on his front Pope and his forces marched overland and fell upon unsuspecting troops stationed at Point Pleasant, Missouri capturing well over 500 mostly sick, and incapacitated troops.
From his headquarters in New Madrid Higgins began to work with Rear Admiral Karl Brommy who commanded the Northern Mississippi River Defense Force. When word had come through that Pope was behind them both Higgins and Brommy had already stopped Porter , but realized that was just a feign to keep their attention.
On April 4th Brommy gathered what troops he could carry and ran the gauntlet past Point Pleasant. Higgins for his part transferred his headquarters to Island No. 10 and with about 1500 men vowed to buy much needed time. The rest of his command was instructed to make its way to Memphis, Tennessee.
The siege of Island No.10 continued for three more days with Porter’s mortar boats lobbing shells upon the Confederate defenders. All the while Pope’s troops planned their main strike. On the morning of the 7th Higgins decided that honor had been satisfied and enough time had been saved that he asked for terms. Frustrated that he had been denied an even greater victory Pope accepted unconditional surrender. As Higgins and his troops were marched onto transports to be sent to POW camps up north Pope and Porter sent their news of their great victory.

 

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Chapter 89: Fight or Flight
The mood in Nashville was one of uncertainty in early April 1863. The rebellions in Georgia and South Carolina had shaken the civilian population. Word was being spread of the city being cut off. Food prices skyrocketed, and civilian s trying to purchase any means of transporting their families out of the state capital were unavailable. Tennessee Governor William H. Polk, brother of former US President James K. Polk, worked tirelessly with General von Moltke to prepare the city for a siege. Price controls were established, non-combatants were sent southward, all able-bodied men were placed into state militia and placed at von Moltke’s disposal.
When word reached the city that a Union flotilla was sighted coming down the River and was deploying forces outside of Corinth, Mississippi. General Jefferson Davis reported he he could field barely 10,000 troops and needed reinforcements. Moltke faced a dilemma if he reinforced Davis that would leave Nashville open to attack for the Union’s Army of the Cumberland stationed barely 45 miles away. If Nashville fell then that would leave an opening for invasions into Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama. Instead of staying on the defensive von Moltke decided to change tactics and go on the offensive.
Orders were sent out for all troops to prepare rations for four days and 100 rounds of ammunition. The Army of Central Kentucky was going on the offensive.