Post by stevep on Jul 19, 2016 11:37:12 GMT
This is a short story I have been toying with for some time. Basically a glimpse of an encounter between two people seen through the eyes of the daughter of one of them. It should be fairly clear the POD, which is about 20-25 years earlier is the Trent Affair becomes nastier and more heated and results in the US engaged in a major conflict with Britain as well as the Confederacy, which is fought pretty much to the bitter end. The bulk of the conversation is centred around a union invasion of peninsula Ontario in the summer of 1864, the last major offensive the faltering union could mount and the impacts on that on one family, the forces involved and the wider conflict and world. There is reference to a later clash between Britain and the south.
Never really been much good at story telling so hope this isn't too stilted but would be interested to see what people think, both of it and the world depicted please.
******
Exerts from “Tales from Victoria”, the memoires of Jane Osgood, the former governor of Victoria province in the Kingdom of Canada, only the 2nd female governor and still the only non-Indian to be elected to the post. Published by Winnipeg Press, 1943.
------
I spent most of my childhood in Victoria, or as it was then, the Indian Territory. Due to the treaties with the tribes and also the clauses in the Treaty of Bermuda that ended the American war white settlement was very strictly limited. With the exception of a couple of small garrisons to watch the south east border and a limited number of people allowed at River Crossing, which served as the 'political' centre of the territory only a very limited number of white people, largely traders approved by the tribal councils were allowed into the territory.
As the daughter of Jason Osgood, the head of the Canadian diplomatic group at River Crossing I had a fairly privileged but also rather lonely childhood. While my eduction was of high quality and I lived in probably the largest and most comfortable house in the territory I had few friends of my own age and many of them were from the local Indian community. As such I grew up as rather a tom-boy and spent a lot of time on my own.
-----
I was 9 when I 1st started to realise the depth of the hostility between Canada and our southern neighbour and something of its origins. I knew of course that the US was viewed with mistrust by Canadians and had felt some sense of my father's own enmity towards them but it never really touched on my life.
It had been a sunny day and I had completed my morning lessons then had some time playing in the garden but had become bored so decided to visit my father, who often made time for me even when busy with his work. As such I quietly entered his office from the garden only to find he wasn't there and a stranger was present staring at the large picture over the fireplace. The look of rage on his face prompted me to keep quiet and I nervously slipped into the shadow of an armchair, uncertain whether to try and leave without being detected or stay silently.
Within a few seconds father entered with and started talking, “Hello Mr Hampton, what can I do for you?”
“I don't know if there's any point me being here” the stranger snarled. “Its obvious I'm not going to get any justice here.”
Father looked puzzled and a bit angry then noticed where the man was looking. “I assure you that I will do my job and I don't care where a person comes from.”
“When you glorify cold blooded murder.” He had turned an angry glare towards father but pointed at the picture. “How the hell do you expect me to believe any American can get fair treatment when you show the slaughter of prisoners of war?”
Father paused and I was uncertain of his intent as a range of emotions passed over his face. The stranger had looked irately at him.
I had seen the picture before and sometimes wondered why father had such a grim picture in so prominent a place in his study. It showed an image of four men hanging from the branches of two trees, their uniforms blue and others struggling with men in green who seemed intent on giving them the same fate. It seemed so unnatural a picture for father to have in his study given his normally cheerful and genial character.
Father drew in a slow breath then replied to the still enraged man. “Technically your half right.” which prompted a snort from him. “Strictly speaking it was murder under the law, but it definitely wasn't cold-blooded.”
“How the hell do you get that. They were prisoners of you Brits and you killed them in cold blood after they surrendered. They were heroes who had “
“They were no god-damned heroes.” Father roared angrily. “Unless you count heroic torture, rape and murder of civilians.”
“Bull-shit! That's all propaganda. The army was properly behaved, despite the attacks by Britain that threatened their nation's liberty.”
Father seemed to swell in rage and I thought he was going to strike the man. However he paused and took a long slow breath. There was a silence but the room was still tension and I feared there was going to be violence.
“Mr Hampton. Where were you during the summer of 64?”
“What the hell does that matter?”
“Judging by your age I doubt you were in Sherman's army during the peninsula campaign?”
The man looked to reply, hesitated then more quietly said. “I was on my father's farm in Pennsylvanian.” There was a short break before he continued, sounding more thoughtful. “I was only 6 at the time and the war was still fairly distant, despite the economic problems and the bad news from so many fronts. “ His face took a distant look before he continued. “It was a bright light when we heard that Sherman's men were marching through Ontario and taking the war to our foes. Until...”
“I was twelve at the time myself.” Father filled in the silence, speaking softly but his voice carried across the room. “My family had a small farm on the west coast, not far from Lake Huron.”
I wasn't aware enough at the time of the geography of eastern Canada to realise the significance of what father was saying but there was a sharp intake from the stranger so I knew something important had been said although I didn't understand what.
Father nodded “Yes my family was in the way of Sherman's army. I have 1st hand experience of what happened.”
Mr Hampton looked at father and after a short delay asked “are you saying some of those stories were true?”
“On the way north, things weren't too bad. We were off the main line of march. They took a lot of food and most of our horses and both wagons and insisted on paying in union script, which I understand was already pretty worthless in the US let alone to us.”
Hampton grunted in partial agreement I thought.
“It was worse for some of our neighbours”. This prompted a look of puzzlement from Mr Hampton, then father continued. “There was a community of Mohawk Indians farming a little way to the north of us.”
“The savages probably did something to anger them.”
Father scowled angrily. “They existed, nothing more. We knew many of them and my father was good friends with Lone Eagle, their chief. He and I trust his word, said they offered no opposition but when the soldiers started raping their women some of the braves resisted and it turned into a massacre. The survivors fled.”
“Father knew the Americans would be back. Also that things would probably get worse.”
Hampton looked confused and father explained. “Things were already going against your people and we had reports of the victories in Maine and the Long Island campaign as well as defeat of the 63 attack on Montreal. Also rumours of the shortages of weapons and powder you were already suffering. I didn't know most of that at the time but my father did. Plus the soldiers we saw always seemed to be grumbling about shortages of equipment and overdue pay.”
“So you planned an ambush?” Hampton sounded both confused and angry, although the former seemed dominant.
“No, no. We were too few in number and barely armed. We just prepared some shelters in the forests. The lands were still mainly wooded at the time. Basically some hide-outs where we could avoid the troops. The surviving Mohawks and the local European farmers. Scrape together what food we had in reserve and did a lot of fishing and hunting to get more.” Father hesitated for a few seconds. “My dad knew something of what armies in retreat could be like. I didn't at the time.” His face darked and looked grim.
“The victory at Grand River stopped Sherman's advance then as forces arrived from the east his right flank was rolled up.” Father smiled briefly and spoke to the American again. “As you might have gathered I've studied the campaign since. Most Canadians have. The Americans had overstretched their supplies, especially since they had already looted so much as they advanced. The retreat crumbled fairly rapidly into a rout. What discipline they had quickly vanished.”
The silence lasted for a few seconds then he continued. “Unfortunately, being rather out of the way meant we got little warning as stragglers came back south. Dad tried to hurry us all away from the house.”
He looked at Hampton again. “I have a sister Donna. She once had a twin, Helen. They were fourteen at the time.”
I opened my mouth in shock. Of course I knew of aunt Donna, although I had never meant her, since she lived in Ontario. I never knew she had a twin.
“Are you saying they murdered a young girl?” Hampton's voice had a touch of anger but also a sense of despair.
“Helen was with my elder brother Henry and in the confusion they got separated. Father never let us see the bodies but from what he told me a few years later its fairly clear what happened. “ Father looked suddenly pale and his voice stuttered as if he was about to break down in tears before he continued.
“We guess Henry tried to protect her, from the way he was beaten. Helen they stabbed, after they had abused her for quite a while from what father said.”
I was too young to understand the full implications at the time but the deadly silence that followed for what seemed an age but may have just been a minute or so.
“That was disgusting but it sounds like the act of stragglers. You can't really blame Sherman or my country for the behaviour of a few thugs.” Hampton sounded sick himself and uncertain.
“Have you heard of Army Order 246?” Father stared at the American with anger rising again. “How that bastard called for his troops to take the war to the enemy and make Britain pay? He encouraged looting for its own sake, not just to feed his troops. With a commander like that it was virtually inevitable that troops would take even further liberties. Or Lincoln's Providence Declaration?”
“Be fair. That was just after you had bombarded the port to ruins.”
“The fortifications and some of the port but not the actual town. It was only after Sherman's campaign we stopped restricting ourselves to military targets only.”
“If you hadn't supported the damned rebels.”
“Crap. It was 8 months after the war started that we even formally recognised them. Two months after the French did. If that idiot Wilkes hadn't seized a British ship and murdered two sailors we wouldn't have been involved at all. Or if Lincoln had had the basic common sense to punish him.”
“He could hardly have handed Captain Wilkes over to trial like Palmerston demanded. “
“Possibly not but it was bloody stupid to laud him like an hero. “
“It was... Things were looking dark at the time with so much of the south in rebellion and Britain accepting those two so called diplomats.”
The two men glared at each other for a time but I noticed that Hampton lowered his eyes first.
“Do you know why that picture is up there?” Father asked.
“Isn't that bloody obvious?” Hampton's reply was snapped but rather uncertain.
“In part its what you think. Anger at the deaths caused by Sherman and his scum. You know nearly 60,000 civilians died?”
“It couldn't be that many? Surely.”
“Not all at the time but both in advance and retreat his army ravaged the land, left very little standing and stole or destroyed just about everything they could get their hands on.”
“So? That happens a lot in war. Especially when the men are hungry.”
“If it had been just their need it might have been understandable. However a lot of the destruction was gratuitous. It was wanton destruction for the sake of it.”
“Even so. It couldn't have caused the death toll you”
Father interrupted. “You know what a Pennsylvanian winter is like. Its even colder in Ontario. Imagine that without food or housing, with chaos everywhere. There were refugees and American stragglers, along with some of our own deserters. The army did what it could but getting any food in was difficult. Plus that winter was bitter anyway. We were lucky not to lose any more members of our family during that year.” The look he gave Hampton made the latter pause and I think I even saw him shiver slightly, although that could have been my imagination.
“As I said there are other reasons for that picture.” Hampton looked up at him in confusion.
“I'm older now and hopefully a lot wiser.” Father grinned briefly then continued. “I know how futile the entire conflict was and also how damaging uncontrolled hatred and rage can be.”
This drew a puzzled look from the American. “Technically, as you said, Sherman's lynching was illegal. He had surrendered to British forces along with his staff. However a lot of people had suffered like my family was and many Canadians were enraged. Its no accident that so few of his army were taken prisoner after everything collapsed. Also there's a personal factor.”
Hampton gave him a questioning look. “Father was one of the militia that operating against the remnants and he told me he was at the lynching. Sometimes afterwards he regretted it. But sometimes he didn't.” Father shook his head uncertainly.
“Overall I think the US was the biggest losers from Sherman's peninsula campaign.”
Hampton looked up with a puzzled expression. “It cost us nearly 60,000 men.”
“Not that.” father interrupted again. “For one thing the early success then the rage at the defeat and what happened to Sherman seems to have been key to Lincoln's re-election. Which since that fool refused to accept defeat meant the war lasted longer.”
Rather to my surprise Mr Hampton nodded “ I fear you may be correct there”.
“Even worse it angered my people, both British, as we still technically were then and Canadians. Until that point you could probably have got a fairly generous peace. Britain might even have not supported the Californian independence move and I very much doubt we would have enforced the border changes we did. The Indian Territory would have almost certainly stayed in your hands. Also the formal alliance with the Confederates may not have been signed.”
“Between the two of you, you really screwed my country.” Hampton sounded exasperated but also rather resigned.
“Now you know why. Although I think you should realise the main guilty parties were in your own leadership. If Lincoln hadn't been such an idiot, or if he had been removed sooner a lot of bloodshed would have been avoided. Possibly the entire conflict. You might even have suppressed the southern rebellion if the union hadn't decided to fight us at the same time.”
“I still don't see why you supported the damned slavers?”
“We didn't. There was some sympathy for the south in Britain, mainly in aristocratic circles and some concern about you as a neighbour but most opinion, both in Britain and Canada was pro-union. There were even people looking to volunteer to service in your army against them. Then Wilkes and Lincoln made such a mess of the Trent crisis and Lincoln just kept digging a deeper hole for the union after that.”
“You can see that by what happened in the Cuban conflict. How quickly Britain moved to stop the spread of slavery, although I was amazed how quickly the Confederacy was defeated.”
“I wish we could have played a part in that but we were still in the last stages of the chaos caused by Custer's coup attempt.” Hampton sounded embittered and unhappy.
“If you hadn't been I doubt the Confeds would have risked an attack on Spain. Even during their war with us they still kept nearly half their forces garrisoning the border with you.”
“That's always puzzled me? I don't see why they did that?”
“Partly those forces were largely fortification units. But more I think because they know the union is the real threat to them. Elements in your country still seek to annex them.”
“But you overran a fair part of their country after destroying the units sent to Cuba? Furthermore your government insisted on the ending of slavery.”
“Technically while the kingdom supported the operation and three regiments served during the war it was a British operation. Canada was formally at war with the south but also mainly watching the union for potential threats.
“In terms of your main points, Britain didn't pose a threat to their continuation as an independent state. Once the war was over we withdrew without claiming an inch of territory.”
“You still think of yourself as British then, despite what you said earlier.” Hampton pointed out.
Father nodded “True to a large degree. Technically we're largely independent but we still have close blood and economic links. Plus the fact that despite the developments in the past two decades and all the problems your nation has suffered we're still fearful about possible attacks. For all the political disorder your seen a lot of economic development and you still outnumber us nearly 3-1.”
“But, given how much they fought for it in the 60's why did the south give up on slavery so easily?”
“They didn't really. From what I can tell it took a lot of political pressure, plus the fear of a long war that would permanently alienate Britain and leave them vulnerable to union attacks. Also their society had been in tension since 66. While the plantation owners still dominated politically a lot of poorer whites, who had done most of the fighting were eager to gain more power themselves. Furthermore between British forces liberating slaves and some nasty revolts and massacres the plantation system was crumbling. As such it made sense for the new leaders to make a quick peace, before they lost too much and for many of them stripping the planters of economic power, especially after they have prompted such a disastrous conflict, was if anything a bonus. Of course the repatriation deal was vital for this.”
“I'm amazed Britain agreed to relocate all the blacks to west Africa.”
“Its a long process. Still going on now. However with steamships and modern communications its practical and they provide a friendly population in our Sierra Leone colony that helps develop it. Most of all however it removes the big barrier both to continued alliance with the Confederacy and also the latter's development. Since that agreement their started to develop considerably and also attracting a lot of new setters from Europe. Even more than Canada the last couple of years.”
“Which means you keep us in a vice, locked between two enemies.”
“Definitely, but then who's choice is that?”
“What do you mean by that comment?” Hampton asked with some annoyance.
“Since the treaty of Bermuda ended the conflict with the union both Britain and to a lesser degree the south have looked to improve relations. However the union has continued to maintain a sizeable army, despite the economic burden and made frequent aggressive comments seeking to re-fight the war.”
“We lost something like 2/3 of our territory and 40% of our population. You can't expect us to accept that!”
“That was because you insisted on fighting both of us at the same time and to the bitter end. Other than areas that wanted to leave, in the south and west most of the Canadian gains had little white settlement and the bulk of your core population and settled lands that were loyal remain in the union. With sizeable elements of your population supporting groups like the National Democrats who arguing for 'reclaiming' the lost lands there can't be a stable peace between us. Not to mention the political instability that racks your country. There have been two Presidents assassinated and a number of other attempts on political figures, most noticeably those who want better relations with us. “
“All three of our countries, along with California and even Mexico would benefit from more peace and economic interaction and less military spending and tension. Its just how long before your leaders accept that.”
“I notice you didn't mention those fanatics in Utah.”
“I don't think anyone likes them. They only really exist because no one else wanted another of the major powers to control that region. Its a useful buffer but a bloody repulsive one.”
“On that we can agree.” Hampton said with some humour.
After that the two men seem to relax, Mr Hampton accepting a drink from father who started to ask what his initial query was. I took the opportunity to slip out while they were getting drinks. For a long while what had been said confused me, although it did inspire my own interests in history in part to find answers to the many questions raised.
I never saw Mr Hampton again and it was three months later I got most of the answers when I admitted to my presence at the encounter and asked about some of the things said. This didn't include know more about the Uncle Henry and Aunt Helen I had never known until some years later but father started talking to me more about his work and the wider world.
We never fought the US again, although there were some close calls and their own attack on the southern Confederacy during the Great European conflict caused concern in Canada. However since their costly defeat in that conflict and the passing of time relations have mellowed and it seems unlikely this continent will face major bloodshed again. At least that is my hope and desire.
Never really been much good at story telling so hope this isn't too stilted but would be interested to see what people think, both of it and the world depicted please.
******
Exerts from “Tales from Victoria”, the memoires of Jane Osgood, the former governor of Victoria province in the Kingdom of Canada, only the 2nd female governor and still the only non-Indian to be elected to the post. Published by Winnipeg Press, 1943.
------
I spent most of my childhood in Victoria, or as it was then, the Indian Territory. Due to the treaties with the tribes and also the clauses in the Treaty of Bermuda that ended the American war white settlement was very strictly limited. With the exception of a couple of small garrisons to watch the south east border and a limited number of people allowed at River Crossing, which served as the 'political' centre of the territory only a very limited number of white people, largely traders approved by the tribal councils were allowed into the territory.
As the daughter of Jason Osgood, the head of the Canadian diplomatic group at River Crossing I had a fairly privileged but also rather lonely childhood. While my eduction was of high quality and I lived in probably the largest and most comfortable house in the territory I had few friends of my own age and many of them were from the local Indian community. As such I grew up as rather a tom-boy and spent a lot of time on my own.
-----
I was 9 when I 1st started to realise the depth of the hostility between Canada and our southern neighbour and something of its origins. I knew of course that the US was viewed with mistrust by Canadians and had felt some sense of my father's own enmity towards them but it never really touched on my life.
It had been a sunny day and I had completed my morning lessons then had some time playing in the garden but had become bored so decided to visit my father, who often made time for me even when busy with his work. As such I quietly entered his office from the garden only to find he wasn't there and a stranger was present staring at the large picture over the fireplace. The look of rage on his face prompted me to keep quiet and I nervously slipped into the shadow of an armchair, uncertain whether to try and leave without being detected or stay silently.
Within a few seconds father entered with and started talking, “Hello Mr Hampton, what can I do for you?”
“I don't know if there's any point me being here” the stranger snarled. “Its obvious I'm not going to get any justice here.”
Father looked puzzled and a bit angry then noticed where the man was looking. “I assure you that I will do my job and I don't care where a person comes from.”
“When you glorify cold blooded murder.” He had turned an angry glare towards father but pointed at the picture. “How the hell do you expect me to believe any American can get fair treatment when you show the slaughter of prisoners of war?”
Father paused and I was uncertain of his intent as a range of emotions passed over his face. The stranger had looked irately at him.
I had seen the picture before and sometimes wondered why father had such a grim picture in so prominent a place in his study. It showed an image of four men hanging from the branches of two trees, their uniforms blue and others struggling with men in green who seemed intent on giving them the same fate. It seemed so unnatural a picture for father to have in his study given his normally cheerful and genial character.
Father drew in a slow breath then replied to the still enraged man. “Technically your half right.” which prompted a snort from him. “Strictly speaking it was murder under the law, but it definitely wasn't cold-blooded.”
“How the hell do you get that. They were prisoners of you Brits and you killed them in cold blood after they surrendered. They were heroes who had “
“They were no god-damned heroes.” Father roared angrily. “Unless you count heroic torture, rape and murder of civilians.”
“Bull-shit! That's all propaganda. The army was properly behaved, despite the attacks by Britain that threatened their nation's liberty.”
Father seemed to swell in rage and I thought he was going to strike the man. However he paused and took a long slow breath. There was a silence but the room was still tension and I feared there was going to be violence.
“Mr Hampton. Where were you during the summer of 64?”
“What the hell does that matter?”
“Judging by your age I doubt you were in Sherman's army during the peninsula campaign?”
The man looked to reply, hesitated then more quietly said. “I was on my father's farm in Pennsylvanian.” There was a short break before he continued, sounding more thoughtful. “I was only 6 at the time and the war was still fairly distant, despite the economic problems and the bad news from so many fronts. “ His face took a distant look before he continued. “It was a bright light when we heard that Sherman's men were marching through Ontario and taking the war to our foes. Until...”
“I was twelve at the time myself.” Father filled in the silence, speaking softly but his voice carried across the room. “My family had a small farm on the west coast, not far from Lake Huron.”
I wasn't aware enough at the time of the geography of eastern Canada to realise the significance of what father was saying but there was a sharp intake from the stranger so I knew something important had been said although I didn't understand what.
Father nodded “Yes my family was in the way of Sherman's army. I have 1st hand experience of what happened.”
Mr Hampton looked at father and after a short delay asked “are you saying some of those stories were true?”
“On the way north, things weren't too bad. We were off the main line of march. They took a lot of food and most of our horses and both wagons and insisted on paying in union script, which I understand was already pretty worthless in the US let alone to us.”
Hampton grunted in partial agreement I thought.
“It was worse for some of our neighbours”. This prompted a look of puzzlement from Mr Hampton, then father continued. “There was a community of Mohawk Indians farming a little way to the north of us.”
“The savages probably did something to anger them.”
Father scowled angrily. “They existed, nothing more. We knew many of them and my father was good friends with Lone Eagle, their chief. He and I trust his word, said they offered no opposition but when the soldiers started raping their women some of the braves resisted and it turned into a massacre. The survivors fled.”
“Father knew the Americans would be back. Also that things would probably get worse.”
Hampton looked confused and father explained. “Things were already going against your people and we had reports of the victories in Maine and the Long Island campaign as well as defeat of the 63 attack on Montreal. Also rumours of the shortages of weapons and powder you were already suffering. I didn't know most of that at the time but my father did. Plus the soldiers we saw always seemed to be grumbling about shortages of equipment and overdue pay.”
“So you planned an ambush?” Hampton sounded both confused and angry, although the former seemed dominant.
“No, no. We were too few in number and barely armed. We just prepared some shelters in the forests. The lands were still mainly wooded at the time. Basically some hide-outs where we could avoid the troops. The surviving Mohawks and the local European farmers. Scrape together what food we had in reserve and did a lot of fishing and hunting to get more.” Father hesitated for a few seconds. “My dad knew something of what armies in retreat could be like. I didn't at the time.” His face darked and looked grim.
“The victory at Grand River stopped Sherman's advance then as forces arrived from the east his right flank was rolled up.” Father smiled briefly and spoke to the American again. “As you might have gathered I've studied the campaign since. Most Canadians have. The Americans had overstretched their supplies, especially since they had already looted so much as they advanced. The retreat crumbled fairly rapidly into a rout. What discipline they had quickly vanished.”
The silence lasted for a few seconds then he continued. “Unfortunately, being rather out of the way meant we got little warning as stragglers came back south. Dad tried to hurry us all away from the house.”
He looked at Hampton again. “I have a sister Donna. She once had a twin, Helen. They were fourteen at the time.”
I opened my mouth in shock. Of course I knew of aunt Donna, although I had never meant her, since she lived in Ontario. I never knew she had a twin.
“Are you saying they murdered a young girl?” Hampton's voice had a touch of anger but also a sense of despair.
“Helen was with my elder brother Henry and in the confusion they got separated. Father never let us see the bodies but from what he told me a few years later its fairly clear what happened. “ Father looked suddenly pale and his voice stuttered as if he was about to break down in tears before he continued.
“We guess Henry tried to protect her, from the way he was beaten. Helen they stabbed, after they had abused her for quite a while from what father said.”
I was too young to understand the full implications at the time but the deadly silence that followed for what seemed an age but may have just been a minute or so.
“That was disgusting but it sounds like the act of stragglers. You can't really blame Sherman or my country for the behaviour of a few thugs.” Hampton sounded sick himself and uncertain.
“Have you heard of Army Order 246?” Father stared at the American with anger rising again. “How that bastard called for his troops to take the war to the enemy and make Britain pay? He encouraged looting for its own sake, not just to feed his troops. With a commander like that it was virtually inevitable that troops would take even further liberties. Or Lincoln's Providence Declaration?”
“Be fair. That was just after you had bombarded the port to ruins.”
“The fortifications and some of the port but not the actual town. It was only after Sherman's campaign we stopped restricting ourselves to military targets only.”
“If you hadn't supported the damned rebels.”
“Crap. It was 8 months after the war started that we even formally recognised them. Two months after the French did. If that idiot Wilkes hadn't seized a British ship and murdered two sailors we wouldn't have been involved at all. Or if Lincoln had had the basic common sense to punish him.”
“He could hardly have handed Captain Wilkes over to trial like Palmerston demanded. “
“Possibly not but it was bloody stupid to laud him like an hero. “
“It was... Things were looking dark at the time with so much of the south in rebellion and Britain accepting those two so called diplomats.”
The two men glared at each other for a time but I noticed that Hampton lowered his eyes first.
“Do you know why that picture is up there?” Father asked.
“Isn't that bloody obvious?” Hampton's reply was snapped but rather uncertain.
“In part its what you think. Anger at the deaths caused by Sherman and his scum. You know nearly 60,000 civilians died?”
“It couldn't be that many? Surely.”
“Not all at the time but both in advance and retreat his army ravaged the land, left very little standing and stole or destroyed just about everything they could get their hands on.”
“So? That happens a lot in war. Especially when the men are hungry.”
“If it had been just their need it might have been understandable. However a lot of the destruction was gratuitous. It was wanton destruction for the sake of it.”
“Even so. It couldn't have caused the death toll you”
Father interrupted. “You know what a Pennsylvanian winter is like. Its even colder in Ontario. Imagine that without food or housing, with chaos everywhere. There were refugees and American stragglers, along with some of our own deserters. The army did what it could but getting any food in was difficult. Plus that winter was bitter anyway. We were lucky not to lose any more members of our family during that year.” The look he gave Hampton made the latter pause and I think I even saw him shiver slightly, although that could have been my imagination.
“As I said there are other reasons for that picture.” Hampton looked up at him in confusion.
“I'm older now and hopefully a lot wiser.” Father grinned briefly then continued. “I know how futile the entire conflict was and also how damaging uncontrolled hatred and rage can be.”
This drew a puzzled look from the American. “Technically, as you said, Sherman's lynching was illegal. He had surrendered to British forces along with his staff. However a lot of people had suffered like my family was and many Canadians were enraged. Its no accident that so few of his army were taken prisoner after everything collapsed. Also there's a personal factor.”
Hampton gave him a questioning look. “Father was one of the militia that operating against the remnants and he told me he was at the lynching. Sometimes afterwards he regretted it. But sometimes he didn't.” Father shook his head uncertainly.
“Overall I think the US was the biggest losers from Sherman's peninsula campaign.”
Hampton looked up with a puzzled expression. “It cost us nearly 60,000 men.”
“Not that.” father interrupted again. “For one thing the early success then the rage at the defeat and what happened to Sherman seems to have been key to Lincoln's re-election. Which since that fool refused to accept defeat meant the war lasted longer.”
Rather to my surprise Mr Hampton nodded “ I fear you may be correct there”.
“Even worse it angered my people, both British, as we still technically were then and Canadians. Until that point you could probably have got a fairly generous peace. Britain might even have not supported the Californian independence move and I very much doubt we would have enforced the border changes we did. The Indian Territory would have almost certainly stayed in your hands. Also the formal alliance with the Confederates may not have been signed.”
“Between the two of you, you really screwed my country.” Hampton sounded exasperated but also rather resigned.
“Now you know why. Although I think you should realise the main guilty parties were in your own leadership. If Lincoln hadn't been such an idiot, or if he had been removed sooner a lot of bloodshed would have been avoided. Possibly the entire conflict. You might even have suppressed the southern rebellion if the union hadn't decided to fight us at the same time.”
“I still don't see why you supported the damned slavers?”
“We didn't. There was some sympathy for the south in Britain, mainly in aristocratic circles and some concern about you as a neighbour but most opinion, both in Britain and Canada was pro-union. There were even people looking to volunteer to service in your army against them. Then Wilkes and Lincoln made such a mess of the Trent crisis and Lincoln just kept digging a deeper hole for the union after that.”
“You can see that by what happened in the Cuban conflict. How quickly Britain moved to stop the spread of slavery, although I was amazed how quickly the Confederacy was defeated.”
“I wish we could have played a part in that but we were still in the last stages of the chaos caused by Custer's coup attempt.” Hampton sounded embittered and unhappy.
“If you hadn't been I doubt the Confeds would have risked an attack on Spain. Even during their war with us they still kept nearly half their forces garrisoning the border with you.”
“That's always puzzled me? I don't see why they did that?”
“Partly those forces were largely fortification units. But more I think because they know the union is the real threat to them. Elements in your country still seek to annex them.”
“But you overran a fair part of their country after destroying the units sent to Cuba? Furthermore your government insisted on the ending of slavery.”
“Technically while the kingdom supported the operation and three regiments served during the war it was a British operation. Canada was formally at war with the south but also mainly watching the union for potential threats.
“In terms of your main points, Britain didn't pose a threat to their continuation as an independent state. Once the war was over we withdrew without claiming an inch of territory.”
“You still think of yourself as British then, despite what you said earlier.” Hampton pointed out.
Father nodded “True to a large degree. Technically we're largely independent but we still have close blood and economic links. Plus the fact that despite the developments in the past two decades and all the problems your nation has suffered we're still fearful about possible attacks. For all the political disorder your seen a lot of economic development and you still outnumber us nearly 3-1.”
“But, given how much they fought for it in the 60's why did the south give up on slavery so easily?”
“They didn't really. From what I can tell it took a lot of political pressure, plus the fear of a long war that would permanently alienate Britain and leave them vulnerable to union attacks. Also their society had been in tension since 66. While the plantation owners still dominated politically a lot of poorer whites, who had done most of the fighting were eager to gain more power themselves. Furthermore between British forces liberating slaves and some nasty revolts and massacres the plantation system was crumbling. As such it made sense for the new leaders to make a quick peace, before they lost too much and for many of them stripping the planters of economic power, especially after they have prompted such a disastrous conflict, was if anything a bonus. Of course the repatriation deal was vital for this.”
“I'm amazed Britain agreed to relocate all the blacks to west Africa.”
“Its a long process. Still going on now. However with steamships and modern communications its practical and they provide a friendly population in our Sierra Leone colony that helps develop it. Most of all however it removes the big barrier both to continued alliance with the Confederacy and also the latter's development. Since that agreement their started to develop considerably and also attracting a lot of new setters from Europe. Even more than Canada the last couple of years.”
“Which means you keep us in a vice, locked between two enemies.”
“Definitely, but then who's choice is that?”
“What do you mean by that comment?” Hampton asked with some annoyance.
“Since the treaty of Bermuda ended the conflict with the union both Britain and to a lesser degree the south have looked to improve relations. However the union has continued to maintain a sizeable army, despite the economic burden and made frequent aggressive comments seeking to re-fight the war.”
“We lost something like 2/3 of our territory and 40% of our population. You can't expect us to accept that!”
“That was because you insisted on fighting both of us at the same time and to the bitter end. Other than areas that wanted to leave, in the south and west most of the Canadian gains had little white settlement and the bulk of your core population and settled lands that were loyal remain in the union. With sizeable elements of your population supporting groups like the National Democrats who arguing for 'reclaiming' the lost lands there can't be a stable peace between us. Not to mention the political instability that racks your country. There have been two Presidents assassinated and a number of other attempts on political figures, most noticeably those who want better relations with us. “
“All three of our countries, along with California and even Mexico would benefit from more peace and economic interaction and less military spending and tension. Its just how long before your leaders accept that.”
“I notice you didn't mention those fanatics in Utah.”
“I don't think anyone likes them. They only really exist because no one else wanted another of the major powers to control that region. Its a useful buffer but a bloody repulsive one.”
“On that we can agree.” Hampton said with some humour.
After that the two men seem to relax, Mr Hampton accepting a drink from father who started to ask what his initial query was. I took the opportunity to slip out while they were getting drinks. For a long while what had been said confused me, although it did inspire my own interests in history in part to find answers to the many questions raised.
I never saw Mr Hampton again and it was three months later I got most of the answers when I admitted to my presence at the encounter and asked about some of the things said. This didn't include know more about the Uncle Henry and Aunt Helen I had never known until some years later but father started talking to me more about his work and the wider world.
We never fought the US again, although there were some close calls and their own attack on the southern Confederacy during the Great European conflict caused concern in Canada. However since their costly defeat in that conflict and the passing of time relations have mellowed and it seems unlikely this continent will face major bloodshed again. At least that is my hope and desire.
- This might have been on the old CF site?
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