Fragments from Dixie

Montgomery, Alabama, Confederate States of America: January 1889

 

 

President Samuel Bell Maxey, looked out the window of his office and surveyed the sprawling, busy capitol of the Southern Confederacy. Until 1867 the city of Montgomery had played host to both the Confederate federal government formed in 1861 and the State government of Alabama which had been located there since Alabama had been formed as a State in the Union. The Alabama State government had decided to gradually relocate to the flourishing city of Birmingham, Alabama after 1870, to free up space for the ever expanding collection of confederate capitol buildings, bureaus and offices. It had been a good move for both governments, the other states had long been uncomfortable with the two governments being placed so closely together.

Maxey, reminded himself wearily was the Confederacy's seventh president, before him six other men had occupied and grappled with the problems that came with this office.  Jefferson Finis Davis who had been elected the South's first president and been in many ways one of it's most divisive and controversial. The War between the States of 1861-67 had been a long drawn out affair, lasting all of Davis's tenure and there had been times when Maxey and others had wondered if the Confederacy would last six years let alone the twenty-eight it had so far held together. Davis had fought his own Congress almost as bitterly as the Union! Of course, Maxey thought those twenty-eight years had not been easy or harmonious for everyone either, conflicts both external and internal had marred those years which ought to have been ones of peaceful recovery.

It had also set back much progress in terms of both Confederate citizens lives and already scare state and federal funds. President John Cabell Breckinridge who had been elected in 1868 had worked to repair the physical damages of the long civil war and mend as many political fences both internally and with the foreign countries who had been both enemies and allies.  Breckinridge's otherwise sterling presidency which had promoted widespread agricultural diversification, land reform, industrial and education developments and internal improvements in canals, roads and railways was marred only by an unwanted war he had sought to avoid . John Brown Gordon elected in 1874, managed to negotiate an end to the botched Mexican War in 1873 started in that year by Texas's maverick Governor John Robert Baylor. Gordon had then worked with a will to strengthen the confederacy and its institutions in every way he could and left the Confederacy in much better circumstances both politically and economically then it had been for a long time.

Robert Augustus Toombs, elected in 1880, on the other hand nearly managed to tear the Confederacy apart, with his destructive conflicts with Congress and even his own cabinet.  Fortunately, Toombs had died more then halfway through his six year tenure to be replaced by his vice-president Howell Cobb, who himself only lived long enough to be sworen in before dying three months later. Simon Bolivar Buckner, the former Governor of South Kentucky was sworn in by the unanimous agreement of the Confederate Congress to act as a custodial president til new elections could be arranged. Buckner served as president through 1885-1887, and gave the Southern people three years of sober, efficient and prosperous government. Buckner had by the end of his term managed to erase much of the political damage Toombs had inflicted and even improve things for many citizens both white and black and red.  Now, Maxey, thought his greatest concern was the ongoing quarrels with the Union over Missouri and similar entanglements with Spain over Cuba which threatened to strain working relations with both countries to the breaking point. That was something the president adamantly would attempt to avoid, the Confederacy did not need another war.

Maxey felt the country had turned a corner in the relations between it's white and black and red populations, although negro slavery was still a going institution with the fifteen states that made up the Confederacy. A decision Congress had made back during the Civil War, which Maxey and all the presidents that had followed Davis had lived to regret, since it cost the South it's good political relations with Great Britain and France, it's war time allies. All the negro soldiers who had been enlisted in the Confederate Army or Navy from the middle of the war on, had been freed along with their immediate families. They had been granted freedman status but that had been as far as Congress had been willing to go, and even that had been too far for the likes of  Bob Toombs and Howell Cobb; who had lead the opposition in both political and military circles to try and block even that concession. Maxey sighed, President Toombs had also tried to undue the good relations with the Indian Tribes he and others like Albert Pike, Douglas Hancock Cooper and Stand Watie in Oklahoma had worked so hard to build up and steadily improve.

Admiral Leonidas Holt Bullfinch stared at the tall, heavily bearded president's back, his own arms folded tightly across his chest as he regarded his leader through his one good eye. Beside Bullfinch at the conference table sat Admiral Richard Lucian Page, the outgoing uniformed Commander of the Confederate Navy, Secretary of War General Gustavus Woodson Smith and Secretary of State James Lawrence Orr along with the Secretary of the Navy John Lunsford. The meeting the president had called that morning had been both a long and at times tense one. All of the men around the table could see the president was wrestling with a black mood, they happened more and more often of late. Then again, they also could understand why, they felt it themselves it was this house and everything that went with it.

"How are we on the progress towards completing the Garth Program?" Suddenly the president remarked from the window. Bullfinch and Page shared a glance. The Garth Program; named after Louisana Senator James Louis Garth, who had proposed it to the House and the Senate in 1884, for a comprehensive and large-scale construction program of both ships, shore installations and recruitment and training for the C.S.N. in particular the construction of a battle fleet worthy of the name. The Confederacy had a coastline of some three thousand five hundred and forty-nine miles with something like one-hundred and eighty-five openings for commerce: harbours, bays, channels, rivers, lagoons and swamps. It was a massive waterfront to both defend and patrol. Prior naval construction programs had built up a sizeable fleet but it largely consisted of riverine and coastal warships, steam screw or paddle-wheel driven vessels. One hundred gunboats made up the bulk of the Patrol Fleet, backed up by a small number of larger corvettes, while one hundred larger steam frigates and cruisers made up the balance of the Cruising Fleet, most of these vessels had been designed as long range commerce raiders so they were vessels with long endurance, good turns of speed but limited armaments as they were meant to fight merchant vessels not warships. The rest of the C.S.N.  that wasn't support or logistical vessels was composed almost entirely of casemate ironclads designed for one of three very specified roles: riverine, coastal and harbour defense.

Senator Garth, had recognized that the Navy lacked any real deep water force: it's largest casemate ironclads while powerful in their own right, were only capable of limited to moderate deep water operations, that could successfully carry a war to a nautical enemy. The Union and Spain being the case in point, when he proposed the highly controversial bill, both countries had powerful navies, and possessed considerable institutional experience of using naval power in all it's forms something the Confederacy was entirely deficient in some respects.

"It's proceeding well, in fact we might be just a bit ahead of schedule in the circumstances." Admiral Page said after a moment. "The heart of the new Atlantic Fleet will be out of dock and running trials by the middle of this year, and ready for duty by December at the earliest."

President Maxey nodded silently, the Atlantic Fleet, which would  augment rather then replace the existing four Atlantic squadrons (which covered the C.S.A.'s coast from Chesapeake Bay, Virginia to the southern tip of Florida) would contain some sixty new vessels being constructed at the various C.S.N. Dockyards and several privates slipways in Norfolk, Charleston and Savannah - seventeen turret battleships, sixteen armoured cruisers, sixteen torpedoboat-destroyers and eleven large sea-going torpedoboats. Admiral Page looked both pleased and not a little regretful, he and then Naval Secretary Robert Hubert had shepherded Garth's bill through Congress and the bitter opposition of then President Toombs and worked out the mountain of attendant details needed to implement it, and now Page was retiring - he would be eighty-two this December - from active service just as the ten year program was coming to fruition.

Nation States of An Age of Steam, Steel and Iron: Part Six

South America: 1889

Brazil, ruled by Emperor Pedro II, once a colony of the Kingdom of Portugal, which unique amoung the countries of South America won it's freedom and independence from it's mother country peacefully in 1822. In 1888 Pedro II's government took the unprecedented step of abolishing slavery within the Empire as part of it's ongoing program of internal and political reforms. Many of these reforms, particularly abolition, are opposed by both the Brazilian planter class and Brazilian Liberals in Parliament although they enjoy widespread support amoung the Brazilian people as a whole. The mainstays of the economy are rubber, coffee, bananas and cattle. The export of oil and bauxite have emerged in recent years to augment the largely agricultural character of the Brazilian economy.

Argentina, Brazil's chief rival for dominance of South American affairs, is also at constant loggerheads with Chile over territorial disputes, particularly over Chilean possession of the Cape Horn-Tierra del Fuego region. A similar situation mars Argentinian and British relations with reference to the Falkland Islands.  Argentina once a Spanish possession freed itself from Spanish rule in 1816, although it's current borders were only solidly defined by the 1860s. Argentina's political history has been uneven, since it's founding being frequently marred by internal upheavals, which only settled down in the 1830s and 1850s, followed by a stable period of internal peace and prosperity, with governmental policy being aimed at promoting schools, universities, immigration, railways and communications developments.  Argentine's booming economy, which is considered the foremost in South America, is chiefly fuelled by the export of cattle, silver, grain and oil.

Chile, Achieved it's independence from Spain in 1810, although not formally recognized until 1818. Chile became the most preeminent naval power in South America, with it's very considerable successes in the 'Nitrate War'. This military lead is stubbornly maintained by the Chilean government with each passing year. The country's robust economy is based on copper and saltpeter mining, grain production, cattle products and oil production. Chile's internal peace and harmony is sometimes threatened by a tendency towards revolutionary changes in governments.

Bolivia, Became independent of Spain as part of the Republic of Peru, from which it promptly succeeded, although it was not recognized as an independent state until 1825. Like Peru and Chile, Bolivia was a participant in the 'Nitrate War', which cost Bolivia its coastal province of Atacama and thus all access to the sea. This did not as adversely affect Bolivia's economy as was initially feared due to Bolivia's extensive and inreasingly profitable mining and exportation of tin and silver. To date, Bolivia, maintains the strongest sky fleet both military and merchantile of any of the countries of South America.

Venezuela, Like it's neighbours Colombia and Ecuador, it became independent of Spain in 1811, but opted to join the State of Gran Colombia, which disintegrated as a working country by 1830. Venezuela, consequently reformed itself as a republic with a federalist constitution, which came under threat with the internal conflict termed the Federalist War in 1861-68. Dictatorial rule became the norm for the country after this period. The country's economy has developed towards the widespread cultivation of coffee, cattle and oil products for export.

Colombia, A former Spanish colonial possession, which was once a part of the state of Gran Colombia (the future states of Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela) which was proclaimed in 1819 but disintegrated in 1830. Briefly becoming the United States of Gran Granada, until 1861, whereupon the country became the Republic of Colombia. The country has suffered constant civil wars between unitarians, federalists, liberals and clericals. This situation only stabilized in 1858, when a confederation was agreed upon and finally reformed as a formal republic in 1861, through the intervention of the American Union. Colombia, virtually lost control of the province of Panama, through Imperial French political, financial and military intrigues during the 1850s.  Panama to Colombian chagrin, later declared it's own formal independence in 1871. The country's developing economy is driven by the export of bananas, cattle, coffee and oil.

Peru, The Last former Spanish colony to gain independence, in 1821 Peru immediately fractured into two countries, as Southern Peru, declared it's own independence in 1825 to become the State of Bolivia. Peru was nearly splintered apart by the consequent Civil War of 1842-45.  The national government of Peru increasingly took dictatorial powers both during this conflict and from this period on. The following 'Nitrate War' of 1879-1883 between Peru and Chile, resulted in Peru's defeat which was occasioned by the discovery of widespread saltpeter deposits which had international economic applications both in the production of powerful explosives and agricultural fertilizers. The economy of Peru, is both strongly agricultural and increasingly industrial being based on the export of oil, cattle, grain products, and silver, copper and saltpetre mining

Paraguay, Gaining it's independence from Spain in 1811. Paraguay, particularly under the Lopez family which dominated it's politics and as often as not acted as the country's dictators, attempted to build itself up into a significant power in South American political scene. President F. Solano Lopez, through his excessive territorial ambitions for his country pitched South American into the devastating Paraguayian War in 1865 only ending with Lopez's death in 1870 and the virtual destruction of his country. Paraguay is still recovering from losing between fifty and seventy percent of it's population and the destruction of both it's capital city, it's military and economic inferstructures along with many of it's more prosperous towns and villages.

Uruguay, Found itself in the extremely awkward position of being desired by both Brazil and Argentina, even before it was a formal country and being briefly annexed at one time by both countries in 1817 and 1822. Only in 1828 with the Peace of Montevideo, did Uruguay gain it's own independence from it's two larger neighbours. Uruguay found itself the target of it's neighbor Paraguay's territorial ambitions in the 1865-70 Paraguayian War. Uruguay survived the war by allying with Brazil, Bolivia and Argentina. Quietly prosperous, Uruguay's economy is based on acting as a major transfer and storage point for foreign sea and air trade and the local production and export of grain and cattle products.

Ecuador, Once part of Gran Colombia, Ecuador was forced to forge it's own independent path when that country ceased in 1830. While formerly the government emphasized friendly relations with the Roman Catholic Church, current relations - particularly after the assassination of President Moreno - between Ecuadorian liberals and clericals is becoming increasingly hostile. The local economy is geared to large scale cultivation and export of coffee as it staple cash crop.

Acre, A South American republic, which was originally part of Bolivia, which was settled largely by Spanish Bolivians and Portuguese Brazilians immigrants from 1860 onwards. A series of revolts starting in 1863 occurred against Bolivian rule over the region. These revolts largely instigated by the Brazilian immigrants were generally unsuccessful until the Acre Revolutionaries adopted strict military discipline, organization and hired better leaders and built an army of some thirty thousand soldiers, which won battle after battle against the Bolivian Army. The Arcean Republic occupies territory claimed by Peru, Bolivia and Brazil and has been involved in three wars - it's 1863-1883 War of Independence, the 1865-1870 Paraguayan War and the 1879-1883 Nitrate War/Pacific War in order to expand, hold and survive the efforts of the three countries attempts to erase it. The Republic of Arce was not formally recognized by Peru, Brazil and Bolivia until the 1883 Treaty of Cidade do Arce.  The pillar of the Acrean ecomony is large scale rubber cultivation, with subsistence farming and animal husbandry making out the balance.

The Serpent's Isles (Part II)

Both the Imperial Army's and Imperial Navy's steady withdrawal from the Isles bothered Totani, as it did everyone connected with both the garrison and the residents. According to many of the local villagers, a fortress division made up of army infantry, samurai and various fortress, regimental and battalion artillery units had occupied the islands since at least the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate. The Navy had during much the same period, place a third class naval station at Fang Bay with a flotilla of gunboats to patrol the local waters.

Since 1881, various units forming the permanent garrison had been pulled out or reassigned temporally never to return, causing the garrison to steadily dwindle. In 1885 the Navy had pulled out all but one of the gunboats and reduced the naval station to the barest minimum. Only a handful of steam launches and their crews remained to perform routine patrol amidst the isles or check the papers and cargo manifests of visiting vessels. Only a few scattered artillery companies and one field battalion of mixed regular infantry and samurai companies remained in place, under a major of the artillery Oda Mitsuru, to hold all the isles in the Emperor's name. The beginning of 1889 was not shaping up to be a good year for the garrison, as still more cuts to the establishment were rumoured to be contemplated by the Imperial Government.

Totani shook off these grim thoughts, as the heavily bearded, burly Ainu waved an arm towards her in cheery greeting. Akagi Tomi, was like her a Go-cho in the infantry branch of the Imperial Garrison, born and raised like herself in the Hokkaido Prefecture of Japan and as he admitted to her on one occasion, good for nothing but the army, fishing and drinking. Totani liked him for his rough good sense, good humour and his candor. His Ainu name she did not know nor did he confide it to anyone outside his own family or extended clan. Like many Ainu and Lemurians he had taken a Japanese name to accommodate the dictates of the Imperial Government, and learned to read and speak the Japanese language, and patiently observed Japanese customs that were not his own, although he remained just as intractably fluent in his native dialect and still faithfully followed many of his people's ancient customs. Joto-hei Sasaki Sata, was a Lemurian, and as different in looks and background as Totani and Akagi were to each other despite both coming from the same part of Japan.

First of all, Sasaki, was not human, she was a Lemurian Draconian one of the two non-human species the other being the Lemurian Snake-Folk, to inhabit the islands of Lemuria and Mu within the Japanese Empire. Standing easily six feet tall, she fairly towered over both sturdy Ainu and slender Japanese alike. Her features suggested both the reptilian and the human strangely mixed together, in her case rather alluringly. She had a pleasing oval face, full lipped with a delicate chin, high cheekbones and deep, lustrous almondine eyes. Sasaki's eyes were by contrast to any human eyes however cool and alien, being slitted like a cat's and a glittering topez in colour, her skin was a rich jewel tone green set off by her neck length jet black hair.


Note: (1) Joto-hei, IJA rank for a lance-corporal in the 1880s or superior private by the 1930s. (2) A 3rd class naval station, was a naval post or anchorage that could refuel and resupply naval vessels in most particulars but was only capably of very limited repairs or engineering services. Such a base generally wasn't capable of constructing major warships, although building small craft like steam or motor launches, gunboats or gunvessels might just be within it's means.

The Serpent's Isles (Part I)

Go-cho Totani Tayo, walked along the rough cut stone pathway on her way to the Green Lagoon's defensive batteries to collect the morning reports, the balmy early morning sea breeze caused her long black hair to stream out with the wind from under her service cap. The sun was just making it's way lazily up over the horizon the same way it seemed to every day since she'd been posted here. The Serpent's Isles were not much to look at really, being an irregular clump of palm forest and jungle covered mountainous volcanic islands and atolls coiled around two deep water lagoons and an equally deep water bay hedged by jagged coral reefs and sandy beaches. The name of the place came from it's overall shape, which from the air suggested the look of an open mouthed serpent half coiled back upon itself.

The isles, had been inhabited on and off over the centuries, Totani knew from that from both her history books and first hand knowledge. The signs were to be found all over the islands, the place had been visited by the Ainu, Polynesians, Chinese and Lemurians of ancient times and all of them had settled here. Although none it seemed had stayed in possession or prospered for long if they did. Totani's dark brown eyes surveyed the distant horizon, out across the foaming waters capping the reefs, the sun glintered off the endless waves of the Pacific. These islands were a lonely spot amidst the endless water, the islands of the Japanese Empire themselves were barely visible even on a clear day from the mountain tops. The Serpent's Isles stood like a lonely sentry out beyond a fortress gate. A sentinel was what the islands were: taken by force from the Wako, the dreaded pirates of Asian waters during the first Oda Shogunate, and then held against them thereafter.

The Nests of the Red Serpent, the pirate folk of the Lemurian snake-men had tried to retake the isles to use as a permanent privateering and slaving base during the Toyatomi Shogunate and they had succeeded for a time before imperial forces under the Tokugawa Shogunate had won the isles back and purged the vile Nests. Totani felt herself shuddering despite the heat of the day, there were still spots on these isles that spoke of that old carnage; areas of sprawling ruins, fire blacked, broken stone and crumbling wooden timbers, creeping vines and jungle undergrowth wrapped around and through rusting weapons and armour. Sometimes decaying bones were visible, a half hidden skulls of inhuman origin leered from the vegetation or watched mournfully with darkened eyeless sockets. These places, mercifully few now, were shunned by both the Japanese soldiers and sailors of the garrison and the small communities of Japanese and European fishermen, whalers and petty merchants and their families that resided both seasonally and semi-permanently in the isles.

These days the place was a quiet outpost of the Empire used sometimes as a victualing, watering and coaling station by ships making a passage to the distant Midway islands and still more distant Hawaiian and North American shores. The islands yielded fresh water, tropical fruit and vegetables in some abundance and there was enough wild game and fishing to top off any visiting ship's onboard supplies. Certainly they served the Imperial Army garrison;'s needs sufficiently, that a military supply ship only needed to show up once or twice every few months.

The Soryu Battery, a roughly circular pillar of living volcanic rock and coral some eighty feet high loomed on the horizon. It stood just inside and to one side of the entrance of the smaller of the two atoll lagoons, called by the locals the Green Lagoon. Its name referred to both it's relative shallowness and the resultant colour of it's waters, the place made a suitable protected anchorage for seagoing junks, larger sailing sampans and European seagoing sailing craft of moderate size. The larger windjammers, clippers and steamships typically used either the Blue Lagoon or Fang Bay, both of which had deeper and wider entrances and greater depths within their confines. The Hiryu Battery stood on the other side of the lagoon entrance and between them, they effectively covered both the lagoon's mouth and it's relatively spacious interior. Hiryu was built upon a roughly triangular ledge of rock nearly forty feet high surrounded by coral reefs at it's base. Almost an island in itself, it was reached by a long causeway that traced along the top of the atoll that encircled the lagoon and a short bridge.

Totani saw a tall Lemurian and a heavily bearded Ainu stride down an adjoining path that emerged from the hillsides to her left, she picked up her pace to meet them.


Note: (1) Go-chu is the Imperial Japanese Army rank of roughly equivalent to a full corporal or junior sergeant. Historically the non-commissioned and lower ranks of the IJA were in a state of flux at various time from the 1880s to the 1940s. (2) Japanese names in this story are given under the traditional Japanese style/convention: that is family name first, followed by personal name.

Fragments from the Vistula

Royal Castle, Warsaw, Kingdom of Poland: January 1889

"There are times when being a Poniatowski, is a certified prescription for hair loss, heart attack or ulcers." Prince Witold Sobiestian Poniatowski, remarked half aloud to himself. His gaze was directed out a window on the second floor of the red bricked, white trimmed Royal Castle. The beautiful vista of the city of Warsaw sprawled before him, lite by the coming spring sun, which only served to make his glumly reflective mood worse.  The room, was one of the royal studies used by his father, the King of Poland, for confidential or informal cabinet meetings. With both Papa and Josef, his older brother the crown prince on diplomatic visits to Paris and London, he was stuck with the job of acting as prince regent till they returned. Which made him glummer still, as they both were likely to be away for at least another six weeks.

Prince Witold, sipped his cup of hot coffee reflexively without noticing it or even enjoying it. Dealing with the demands of the cabinet, the Sejm and the Senate, always put him in a black mood he thought. It's not like the work isn't unimportant, or even unworthy. He thought. It was just so... mind numbingly complicated. He quenched the thought with another sip of coffee. Prince Witold vastly preferred his work as a General Dywizji within the Polish Royal Army, at least it was relatively straightforward absorbing both his personal and professional interest, whatever went on in the Ministry of War, and it's various staffs, branches and bureaus. Commanding an infantry division competently was the height of his ambition a present, perhaps a corps in the fullness of time when he was both a great deal older and more experienced as a soldier.

Prince Witold turned from the window, to glance at a map of Europe that covered one of the study's walls. Poland's problem was that politics and what could only be called accidents of history had put it in a perfect devil's triangle, as Papa put it more then once. The Kingdom of Poland, reconstituted by the Congress of Vienna, stood squarely between three of the Great Powers of Europe, who for their own historical reasons would much rather it not exist at all. At present neither Germany, Austria-Hungary or Russia was actively hostile to their credit, but they were not going out of their way to help Poland prosper, at least not to the point it would actively present a threat to them, at any rate. Great Britain was mildly sympathetic to Poland's predicament but not inclined to do much, save make the usual vague promises to help and bland expressions of polite sympathy.

France on the other hand was at least a bit more proactive in it's expressions of sympathy, providing financial aid, favourable trade pacts and some military aid in the form of advisors, technicians and the like. The Polish Army had reached the point where it could said it was adequately equipped as regards small arms and the production of most of the munitions it required. Although there were still pressing shortages in medium and heavy artillery that couldn't yet be filled fully domestically. Many artillery batteries had two or three guns on their establishments when they should have had four or more. The Air Force, was much the same having decent aircraft at its disposal both French and domestic designs to chose from for reconnaissance, air patrol and light bombing duties. the small Navy was much the same, although, the thought of Poland, a landlocked country having any thing called a navy, seemed ludicrous at times to Prince Witold. The bulk of the naval ships possessed by the Polish Royal Navy were in fact riverine monitors and gunboats to patrol the various rivers that crisscrossed Poland, the rest were sky ships, many of them unfortunately of the first and second generation, not unlike those first launched in the Crimea War of the 1850s. Poland's arsenal of armoured fighting vehicles, land ships and land fortresses was almost as unimpressive, in fact compared to it's possible enemies it was downright disheartening when he thought about it.

Prince Witold frowned, if war broke out with even one of the states surrounding the kingdom, without outside help from either France or Great Britain, it would go ill for Poland whatever pride might  say and the valour of it's soldiers and citizens might accomplish. He turned back towards the desk and sifted through the reports and dossiers, enough brooding, Witold, the business of the kingdom will not wait. Finding the next folder he had been directed to read, he broke the tap and began turning the pages.

Nation States of An Age of Steam, Steel and Iron: Part Five

Central America: 1889

Mexico, ruled by Emperor Maximilian I, has struggled for stability and prosperity ever since it won it's freedom form Spanish colonial rule. Civil wars, wars with the United States in 1846-48 and Confederate States of America in 1873 have marred Mexico's steps towards both peace and plenty that are the earnest hope of it's citizens. Under the House of Habsburg, a corner has been turned with the future seeming much brighter and internal peace a solid reality after much strife and conflict.

Hispaniola, the only other empire in Central America, formed by the union of formally French ruled Saint-Dominque (Haiti) and Spanish ruled Santo Domingo (Dominica) during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. This sometimes turbulent country, ruled by an elective monarchy and inhabited by the descendents of self-freed African slaves has effected a measure of political and economic stability, further it has successfully resisted repeated attempts by the Great Powers and the Union and Confederacy to dominate it. The Emperors of Hispaniola have typically been selected from members of the Dessalines, Toussaint L'ouverture or Christophe families.

Tortuga, the fabled Pirate Isle, ruled for centuries with an iron fist by the mysterious Captains Council: a body of thirteen individuals who's identities are concealed behind decorative masks and body armours, nothing goes on in Tortuga without them either knowing about it or taking a cut of the profits. Tortuga is considered the informal capital and home of nearly every pirate, privateer and mercenary in the Western Hemisphere. A strange land of towering mountains, menacing castles and glowering fortresses, tropical forest shrouded plantations, crowded shanty towns and sprawling dockyards, colourful street markets, storehouses, alehouses, brothels and inns. Here in Tortuga, everything is negotiable and everything has it's price.

El Salvador, reckoned the smallest but most densely populated country in Central America, it's people largely being Mestizos of European and Indigenous American descent. Home to several Mesoamerican nations of the past, the Cuzcaltecs, the Lenca, and the Maya, and later the Spanish Empire, the country has a rich history. Chronic political and economic instability is almost a fact of life here however, as are coups, revolts and a succession of authoritarian rulers. Indigo and Coffee planting are twin motors of it's economy.

Honduras, sometimes refered to as Spanish Honduras, to avoid confusing it with neighbouring British Honduras (Belize), has been like it's neighbours a home to several important Mesoamerican cultures, particularly the Maya. Honduras won it's independence from Spain in 1821, becoming a republic shortly thereafter and has endured much social strife and political instability and poverty since then, despite the country's rich resources, which include minerals, coffee, tropical fruit and sugar cane as well as a growing production of textiles.

Panama, this small country holds the key to swift passage between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific. Formally a province of Colombia, Panama won it's independent through the intervention of Imperial France, who financed and built the great canal and lock system during the 1850s and 1860s that allow ships to pass, safely and with reasonable quickness from one ocean to another. With France's defeat in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, Panama took direct control of the Grand Canal, and with it the tolls and revenues generated by it's operation. Recently the canal has been shut down to oversee the widening and dredging of the canal and the rebuilding of the locks, to allow the passage of more modern and larger shipping, then were previously able to use the system including the largest ironclads.

Guatemala, reckoned the most populous state in Central America, with a functioning representative democracy, was once the core of Maya civilization it's culture representing a interesting, rich and distinct fusion of Spanish and Indigenous influences. While conquered by the Spanish Empire, the country won it's freedom in 1821 and formed a part of the Federal Republic of Central America (along with El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica), until it dissolved in 1841. Like many of it's neighbours, Guatemala has suffered through periods of chronic instabliltiy and civil strife.

Nicaragua, since gaining it's independence from Spain in 1821, the country has undergone periods of political unrest, dictatorship and fiscal crisis. The population of the country is more diversified then perhaps anywhere else in Central America, representing an unusual mix of indigenous peoples, Europeans, Africans and Asians. The warm tropical climate, active volcanoes and rich culture are beginning to make the country a attractive tourist spot for the fashionably wealthy of Europe and the Americas.

Costa Rica, is reckoned as perhaps the most sparsely inhabited of the countries in the area, although Spanish colonial rule changed that to some extent, although it remained a very peripheral colony of the empire. Following membership in the Federal Republic of Central America, Costa Rica declared it's formal independence in 1847. Unlike the majority of it's neighbours, Costa Rica has remained largely stable, prosperous and progressive without the revolts, coups and counter-coups that have so marked and troubled the other nations of Central America.

Memories of Past 2016 Conventions

Sir Leo and Cosplayer Vickybunnyangel, Hamilton ConBravo 2016

Sir Leo and Cosplayer Yaya Han, Toronto Fan Expo 2016

Sir Leo and Cosplayer UndeadDu, Toronto Fan Expo 2016

Sir Leo and Cosplayer UndeadDu, Hamilton Comic Con 2016