A Confederate Victory

General Robert E. Lee makes a crucial decision at the Battle of Gettysburg. The Confederacy earns support from both Great Britain and France leading to a partitioned North America and a South America, unprotected by the Monroe Doctrine, that faces the same imperial fate as Asia and Africa.

01 July 1863- POD Confederate General Robert E. Lee, at the suggestion of General James Longstreet, decides not to confront Union Maj. General George Meade's Army of the Potomac at Gettysburg while the Union is dug in on the high ground. Instead, Lee Marches North, around the Union Army and places himself between Meade and the Union Capital of Washington, D.C.

General Meade, realizing Lee's Army of Northern Virginia is now between him and the capital, has no choice but to follow Lee back into Maryland.

07 July 1863 Lee crosses the Patapsco River and entrenches his forces.

08 July 1863 While Meade's Army of the Potomac is crossing the Patapsco River, Lee surprise attacks Meade and route's his army at the Battle of New Windsor. Meade, inflicted with heavy casualties, retreats to Baltimore. The successful Army of Northern Virginia Now marches towards Washington D.C. The U.S. government,upon hearing of the tragic loss, hastily evacuates the capital by sea and relocates to Philadelphia, PA.

10 July 1863 Seeing the major confederate victory at New Windsor and nothing between Lee and Washington, D.C., Great Britain and France recognize the Confederate States of America and declare war on the United States.

Union General Ulysses S. Grant is forced to abandon his siege of Vicksburg, MS in the western theater to reinforce the now vulnerable east.

15 July 1863 Lee begins a siege on the Union capital. Washington, D.C. will fall to the Army of Northern Virginia after a 3 week siege.

August 1863 France, then in Mexico, invades California.

Great Britain conducts a three pronged attack on the United States, invading at Detroit, MI, Niagara, NY, and Plattsburg, NY.

The British Army at Detroit marches south into Ohio where it encounters Grant's Army on its way to reinforce Meade's Army of the Potomac. The Battle of Marietta was a route for Grant's unprepared forces, but they managed to retreat across the Ohio River and on to Washington, with The British force in pursuit. Grant reaches Meade, held up in Baltimore. But shortly after the combined Army of Grant and Meade is ordered to Philadelphia to protect the interim capital

The British Army at Niagara first marched south to capture Buffalo. Then, the British advanced eastward through Western and Central New York, finally meeting with the British Army from Plattsburg in Albany.

The British Army at Plattsburg quickly moved southward meeting up with the British from Niagara to siege the New York state capital of Albany. From Albany, the first British Army headed south toward New York City and the second British Army headed east toward Boston.

Autumn 1863 By the end of the campaigning season, British and Confederate forces were entrenched on the outskirts of Boston, New York, and Baltimore prepared to starve the major cities come spring 1864.

Also, the Union blockade of the confederacy is broken in September of 1863 by the British Navy, allowing British and Confederate forces to liberate New Orleans and open the Mississippi River.

Spring 1864 All three major cities fall by May of 1864 for after long sieges and British Naval blockades.

June 1864 Confederate and British Forces head from New York and Baltimore toward Philadelphia. Meade and Grant take their well rested, but much smaller armies to intercept the British and Confederate forces. Both sides suffered heavy casualties, but ultimately, the British and Confederates were too much for Meade and Grants Armies. Both Union Generals Surrender, leaving the interim Union capital unprotected.

Threatened by a siege, the U.S. government agrees to negotiate a peace with the Confederates, French and British.

July 1864 The Treaty of Havana, ironically signed on 04 July 1864, granted the 11 secessionist states their independence, ceded the states of Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri, and the District of Columbia to the Confederacy and ceded the Arizona territory and Oklahoma territory to the confederacy. Britain did not ask for any concessions from the United States hoping to re-establish friendly relations with the country. France, however, hoping to garner support for Mexican Emperor Maximilion I, whom the French placed on the throne, wanted to re-acquire California for Mexico. But, British pressure forced the French to concede their demands.