Blue River Rebellion: Incident at Rhed Station

Train hold up! More trouble in the Blue River Valley? 
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The Government announcement last month that the Blue River Rebellion had been laid to rest appears to have been premature. Word has been received of a bold ambush of a train near Rhed Station half way between Belmont and Brooklyn. Is this the start of a renewed outbreak?

Our correspondent has filed this report of the incident.

The Fusiliers and Sappers debark from the train at the first sign of trouble.

It was about ten after five when we approached Rhed Station. Thats almost 15 minutes late. Wouldn't have been tolerated under the old director but what with the unrest and a train full of armed soldiers we do what we can. As we came around the big bend just north of the station, we could see something on the track. Looked like a tree blown down but as we began to slow an alert soldier spotted rebels in the woods south of the station.  We hit the brakes and the redcoats went over the side. Soldiers to the right, pioneers with their tools to the left.

Pikes front!

The Rebels came pouring out of the woods, yelling like fiends. A volley from the soldiers bowled over great numbers but they came on anyway. Suddenly a burst of musket fire announced that more Rebels had been hidden up at the station and on the hill to the east.

The Pioneers regroup on the safe side of the train while the Fusiliers drive off the rebel pikemen after a surprisingly  hard fight.

There were some tense moments but the soldiers drove off the pikemen and held the enemy sharpshooters at bay while the axe men set to work on the felled tree. That Colonel MacEachern, the Engineer, he seemed to be every where ordering troops about, directing the work, all heedless of the bullets flying about his head.

 The Pioneers are equipped for building bridges but set to work clearing the track anyway.

At last the tree was dragged off the rails and we were told to move ahead. I thought the troops would clear out the rebels but they all climbed on board as we picked up speed. After all that, a bullet finally found the Colonel, laying him low with a nasty wound. The train was packed with wounded and dying soldiers and we waited for no more orders but got up a good head of steam and headed for Belmont Station. After all, rebellion or no, the Queen's Mail has to move.

A parting shot takes down the Colonel commanding the Queen's forces but the train moves out anyway.

(3+ on a control check)

The Blue River Rebellion: Assault on Brooklyn

THE BLUE RIVER REBELLION 

THE REBELS GROW BOLDER!

Following on their spirited resistance to Government Forces, the rebels seem to be growing in numbers and confidence. Their latest move was a raid to plunder the Brooklyn Armory. We have this report from an eye witness. 

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The town awaits attack. The rebel advance guard can be seen on the Belmont Road at the top. to the left is the road to Newport and to the right, the road to New Dundee.

On Saturday night a dusty courier arrived with news of the march of a strong column of rebels on the armory here in Brooklyn. Concern if not consternation was widespread amongst the citizens and many loaded their most precious possessions and headed for the coast. Colonel MacEachern, the senior officer, was cool as cucumber and quickly set about putting the town in a state of defence despite the small number of men at his disposal. Fortunately the usual company of guards was supplemented by a detachment of York Volunteers who had arrived that afternoon and by a company of sappers that had accompanied the Colonel. Messengers were sent to Newport requesting immediate reinforcement and work was started on barricades on the major roads. It was as well that the work was so readilt undertaken for fairly early on Sunday the rebel skirmishers appeared, first on the Belmont road to the east and shortly thereafter, on a small farm lane to the north.  

 The first rebel charge is held, just. Two casualties aside.

The rebels pushed forward and opened fire which our troops manfully returned. The main body however hung back while the party to the north disappeared into a small wood. It was almost like the rebels were waiting for something. When dust clouds appeared on the road to Newport, we feared that they had worked around and cut us off. Soon, however, lookouts on the buildings called down that they could see the flashes of bright bronze helmets. It was the Princess's Dragoons riding to our rescue! Huzzah! We were not abandoned or forgotten! The aproach of the Dragoons was like a signal, down the Belmont road rushed a mob of rebels brandishing pikes and muskets, yelling like fiends. The Ordinance Guards stood manfully to their barricades though outnumbered four to one. Their volley cut a swathe though the rebel ranks but on they came. Soon it was pike and bayonet on the barricades with  fierce hand to hand combat between redcoat and rebel. For one horrible moment it seemed like the rebel tide would sweep over the redcoat breakwater  but then they pulled back, just a little, as if to gather breath. Then, with a roar,  they charged again!

 Up and over!

The redcoats stood to their posts to the last but the rebel tide swept up and over. Down main street it surged, right over a company of York Volunteers and down to the armory where it beat upon the door like a hurricane. Manned by the sappers, the doors held and eventually the tide faltered and then ebbed as the rebels ran back down the street leaving the bodies of their comrades to mark their path.

Ambushed!

The first rebel assault may have been held, but the battle was not over. As the pikemen were rallied by their leader, mister, now General, George Black, their skirmishers came darting forward, taking over the  houses on the Eastern end of the town. In the distance we could see the Dragoons wheel in column of troops and trot forward towards the rallying pikemen, the famous Flowerdew riding ahead of them, flourishing his sword. Slowly the horror dawned on us, they couldn't see the rebels in the wood !  A sudden volley rang out and Flowerdew was thrown from his horse! The squadron was thrown into disorder and soon trotted back the way it had come leaving bodies strewn on the field behind them. From the wood came a line of skirmishers running for the northen end of the town, while yet more skirmishers filled the fields behind them, hardened woodsmen and hunters rather than farmers by the look of them.  Suddenly from the South came fresh musket fire!

The Southern Column storms the barricades.

It is perhaps typical of how the amateur nature of the rebel forces that the second attack should have only been delivered after the first had been repulsed, or maybe life's dice fell in our favour. In any event, the attack from the south followed much the same course as the one from  the east. Their skirmishers came forward, keeping up a hot fire. Initially, the barricades on the south were manned by a single company of the York Volunteers, the odds were 24 to 4 but the Volunteers stood firm. The first attack was met and thrown back but it had been close and casualties were heavy.

The second repulse of the Southern Column.

Luckily for us,  chance (cards) favour the brave and the rest of the Volunteers had rallied from their earlier defeat, even the wounded returning to the ranks and now rushed to the aid of their comrades, arriving in time to repulse the second Rebel charge. 

A fierce and accurate fire from the Hunters throws back the Dragoons.

From the north, the steady beat of a drum announced the arrival of the Royal Veterans. Despite their age, these veteran soldiers must have stepped lively to arrive so early in the day. As the Veterans neared the town, the Dragoons rode forward but again  a heavy but accurate fire threw them into confusion and they rallied back to a safe distance to reform.

As the Veterans marched into town, the rebel skirmishers seized the houses on the north side and poured  a hot fire into them. Wheeling sharply into line, the Veterans fired a crashing volley, lowered their bayonets and charged. Fierce hand to hand combat raged in the yards and alleys and at one moment, against all odds, it seemed like the Veterans might have to pull back but their officers urged them on (ed "I'll try sir" chance card) and they fell to their work again and chased the last rebels from the town. In the end, the Veterans could barely muster 1/2 their men but they had retaken the North-Western corner of the town and dispersed the Rebels who had held it.

The rebels had been badly shaken but Victory for them was still possible. Their columns reformed and stormed down the streets but without the numbers and vigour of the earlier assaults and all their attacks were thrown back easily. To the North, as the reformed Dragoons trotted purposefully forward towards the rebel skirmish line, confident that the eerily accurate shooting of the enemy could not be repeated a third time and that the enemy must flee into the woods or be cut down. Behind them a bugle call rang out and a column of Victoria Rifles trotted down the road and into view! How they came there when they had spent the last night at Belmont on the far side of the rebel lines was a mystery to us. They must have marched all night but their arrival turned the tide irrevocably.  

The final defeat of the rebels.

It was the last straw, the masses were dispersed and now the Rebel skirmishers faded back into the woods. In 15 minutes there were only the dead and dying, the broken glass and a wafting smell of smoke to show that they had ever been here.

Blue River Valley Insurrection

Armed Revolt in Blue River Valley! 
The Government calls for Loyal Volunteers. 
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After the recent troubles in the Blue River Valley, the Government dispatched a military expedition to arrest the leaders of this revolt and seize caches of arms and ammunition. We have this report from the field.

The Queen's forces approach Bois Vert (to the right) and the Mission (off to the left ).
The livestock and non-combatants represent possible Rebel units.

 We left Belmont early on the 3rd of September. No one seriously expected trouble but this area had been a popular recruiting ground for the FTC Voyager Companies and there if there was trouble, there were bound to be veterans amongst the Rebel companies. General Glasse took no chances and deployed two companies  of the Victoria Rifles in skirmish order as an advance guard.  Four companies of the Royals followed by a 9 pounder and then four companies of the Dover Regiment.

 The Rifles respond to an ambush but take heavy casualties.

About half a mile from  Bois Vert there was a patch of woods that ran down close to the road. As the Rifles approached the woods a ragged volley rang out. Wheeling sharply right, the Rifles returned fire and entered the wood. Leading the Rebels, we could see a tall man in black. Waving a book in one hand and an old sword in the other, he passed up and down the line, holding the men to their work and no bullet seemed to be able to touch him.

 The rebels from the Mission are driven off by canister and musket volleys.

Completely unfazed by a bullet which whistled past his ear, (ed: chance card) General Glasse deployed the Royals and sent them to search the Mission while the Dovers were sent straight down the road. As the Royals approached a small rise, a group of Rebels appeared out of the dead ground and pushed rapidly forward around their flank. Quick as thought the Nine Pounder unlimbered and poured round after round of canister into the rebels while the Royals wheeled left, fixed bayonets and drove the remnants into the woods.

 The Rifles are shaken by heavy casualties as the Rebels stop retreating.

As the Dovers approached a sturdy stone house at the crossroads, a fresh fusillade erupted. Hurriedly deploying line they returned a lively fire but the enemy had a strong post. An officer was sent back to fetch the artillery.

To their left, as the Royals approached the abandoned Mission, two fresh companies of rebels came rushing down the road. (ed Another chance card.) If they deployed into the Mission, we could expect a stiff fight. To everyone's surprised, instead of turning into the mission or deploying into line, they rushed straight down the road cheering and firing into the air. (ed failed control check) The Royals waited steadily then unleashed a devastating volley, leveling the front of the column and bringing it to a halt. Without pause, the Royals leveled their bayonets and charged.  Surprising everyone again, the Rebels did not flee at once but stood and traded blows manfully for several minutes before fleeing.

 Rebel reinforcements are driven off with the bayonet.

The road to the Mission was open but in the confusion as the officers tried to rally their men, the regiment fell back several hundred yards. (ed: Another bloody chance card).  By the time it was all sorted, a small group of rebels had reoccupied the mission but the Royals soon drove them out again. A quick search turned up nothing but it was obvious that there had recently been some high status guests who had left in a hurry. The defenders had done their job and held us long enough for them to get clean aaway.

 The Dovers storm the Stonehouse while the Royals sack the Mission.

Back at the crossroads, the gun had pounded the rebel stronghold and they were seen to waver. The Dovers fixed bayonets and a party forced their way in and captured the last remnant.  Suddenly all was quiet but the silence was soon broken by a ragged volley and wild cheering from the woods. Moments later a scattering of riflemen burst out of the wood and ran down the road for a short distance before their Sergeant could halt the men and begin forming them again.  Moments later, the tall man in Black appeared at the head of his men. Still waving and yelling he led them, not towards the rallying riflemen but towards the rear of the gun!

The Dovers push on to seize Bois Verte.

 Leaving the gunners to handle the approaching rabble, the Dovers pushed on towards Bois Vert. Wheeling the gun about, the gunners calmly unleashed round after round of canister, bringing the approaching rebels to a halt. A ragged volley rang out from the buildings and streets as the Dover lads approached but with a cheer the men rushed forward, bayonet crossing with homemade pike. Again the rebels fought hard and did not run but again a  second push did the job. Suddenly, all over the field the rebels were running. The tall man in black, the infamous Father Michael we presume, was the last to leave the field. Turning to face us,  he held up his book and sword. We couldn't make his words out clearly, but it was obvious that he wasn't blessing us.

Little of interest was found in the buildings but the tracks of many pack mules and carts could be seen heading from the empty General Store into the woods. We collected our dead and wounded, torched the buildings as a judgement on rebels and a warning to others, and headed back towards Belmont. Much blood had been shed and little accomplished. I fear this rebellion is far from over.

The Blue River Rebellion, Atlantica September 1842

Quite apart from several hours cleaning up and converting 8 castings into rebel pikemen, I managed to find out a bit about the Blue River Valley Rebellion  of 1842.

Father Michael leading a ghostly horde of rebels in defence of their rights.

The Blue River Valley can be located by finding the triangular Sloy Lake which is nearly in the middle of the map, north of the word "Faraway". The river runs from the Western tip of the lake  to a junction with the Grand River not long before it empties into the ocean at Newport. Brooklyn and Belmont are the two major towns in the valley but there are various small hamlets scattered about.

The valley lies north of the traditional Kingdom of Faraway but ownership was included  in the original charter of the Faraway Trading Company.as were rights over Skraelingland and the Origawn Territory. It should perhaps be noted that the inhabitants of these areas were not consulted at the time. The valley was useful for access to the interior and also became the defacto border between the Wapti, the inhabitants of Skraelingland and Faraway. Since the company was interested primarily in fur, hides and minerals, the area was left pretty much to itself apart from a few company posts each with its small community of farmers and traders. Many of the FTC employees and supporting farmers were Scottish immigrants but others were descendants of a long abandoned French interest in Atlantica. As the Origawn Territory began to be opened up, an increasing number of settlers from Oberhilse  began to cross the Lake and settle in the Valley rather than pushing farther into the wilderness.

The trouble began when Faraway itself took formal possession of the Blue River Valley. Teams were dispatched  to survey the Valley and inhabitants were asked about the title to their lands. Since the FTC had paid little heed to the settlers, most had no papers granting title to the land they had farmed, sometimes for generations. The Queen proclaimed that rights would be observed and that there would be no mass expulsion but trust was low and soon meetings of alarmed settlers were being held in Churches and taverns up and down the valley.

On the edge of the Great Forest, north of Belmont, is the little community of Bois Verte. Soon after the surveying began, Father Michael, the parish priest, went on one of his accustomed walks through the forest. Caught in a sudden thunderstorm, the worst ever seen in that region, he disappeared for three days. When he returned, with a wild glare to his eyes, he announced that he had been visited by an Angel. and commanded to protect his parishioners from the rapacious stealers of land.  Each Sunday thereafter and on every other occasion he could find, he preached the duty of his flock to resist tyranny. Matters came to a head when the survey teams came to the door of the parish church in Bois Verte. They were met at the door by Father Michael and sent packing with cries of money changers and defilers of the House of the Lord. As a crowd gathered, things  turned ugly as the surveyors' equipment was seized and smashed and their books burned. The survey party was lucky to  escape with their lives. Up and down the valley, armed men began to gather and blacksmiths began to beat out pikes for those without muskets. A congress of communities was summoned and John Watt, a  radical and newspaper publisher was elected as interim President.

Outrage was the reaction in the capital and in short order an expedition was dispatched to arrest the ringleaders and seize stores of powder and ball.