Frankenlisch-Cassadia War

Frankenlisch-Cassadia War
Part of King Malcom's War (1747-49)
Date 18th May 1744 - 18th May 1749 (5 years) Location Mount Zeon Result Summit of Henbane Cassadia recognises Frankenlischian control over all territory west of the Henbane River.
Belligerents
Cassadia	Kingdom of Frankenlisch Mount Zeon Colony
Commanders and leaders
Pavel II Karim Vakhov	Malcom Sir Owyn Glyphord Governor-General Sir Ralph Raisby Lord Farroway Sir Emmond Laire

The Frankenlisch-Cassadia War was a conflict fought in northern Acheron between 1744 and 1749 by the Kingdom of Frankenlisch and the Empire of Cassadia. Fought primarily in the Frankenlischian Mount Zeon Colony, the war became a part of the wider King Malcom's War and ended in 1749 with the Summit of Henbane.

Background

Frankenlischian settlement in north-western Acheron began in 1639 with Sir Henry Barfleur's Lorraine Expedition which established a colony on King Edric's Island. The Lorraine colony failed within a year and disbanded but a fresh expedition was launched under Sir Cecil Walshingham as soon as the colonists returned. Walshingham's Acheron Expedition established a new colony in the area, the first Frankenlischian colony on the Acheronian mainland, named New Gestoria in 1641. In 1649, the puritan Church of Zeon obtained a warrant from Edric III of Frankenlisch to establish a colony in the region. Bolstered by the efforts of Zeonite pilgrims, Frankenlischian colonisation in northern Acheron sped up and, over the course of the following 90 years, Mount Zeon Colony grew exponentially.

Frankenlischian expansion ended in 1735 as settlers reached the Whitetail Mountains and were shocked to discover outposts of the powerful Empire of Cassadia, a large nation on the eastern coast of Acheron. Initial meetings between colonial exploration parties and Cassadian outposts were hostile and, with Saint-John's Skirmish as a particular example, several meetings ended in violence and some settlers and Cassadian soldiers were killed. Reports of these encounters were received with intrigue in Frankenlisch. Admiral Richard de Troumaine was despatched to New Penchester with a squadron of frigates and diplomats were sent to meet with the Cassadians. Once it became clear that the Frankenlischian settlers were not scattered bands but, in fact, an empire in force, the Cassadians became much more receptive and permanent ambassadors were exchanged in 1740. Trade was opened between the two nations but did not particularly flourish as the distance between Cassadia and Frankenlisch was great. Trading over the Whitetail Mountains was more common, with Frankenlischian trapping posts seeing considerable profits from the fur trade.

With the fur trade along the fringes of the Whitetail Mountains flourishing and the increasing colonial population needing greater food production, provisional orders were provided for the establishment of new expansions in Mount Zeon. In 1741 and 1742 respectively, Vandalia and Corland were created (they would not be officially founded until the Organizing Act of 1751), providing Frankenlischian North Acheron with a direct border with the Empire of Cassadia. Settlers, acting against government orders, also ranged beyond the Whitetails, skipping past Cassadian patrols and outposts and traversing mountain passes or sneaking through the Blair Gap. Many of these illegal settlers were captured and returned to Mount Zeon and the colonial authorities agreed to pay a small fine for each settler recovered, many of them went unpunished although the official punishment was hard labour. In March 1743, however, a party of settlers was stopped crossing through the Blair Gap and undisciplined Cassadian militia killed 42 people in the Howarth Massacre. A severe diplomatic row ensued and Admiral de Troumaine returned to Mount Zeon with his squadron as a permanent naval station. A force of 600 regulars and 1,900 provsional troops under Colonel Abraham Faulkner encamped near the Blair Gap and, in Summer of 1743, constructed Fort Wilderness to defend the border with Cassadia and act as a refuge for settlers.

Early Fighting: 1744

Fort Wilderness

Though the crisis following the Howarth Massacre was dealt with diplomatically, tensions remained. The status-quo was officially restored but Sir Ralph Raisby, the new Governor-General of Mount Zeon, refused to abandon Fort Wilderness despite Cassadian requests (and later demands). Colonel Faulkner was officially appointed Castellan of the fort and twelve naval guns were emplaced on its walls. By this time, Mount Zeon had become a significant producer of brass and a new Zinc mine was built near Fort Wilderness to help supply increasing demand. The mine was worked by criminals and guarded by troops from the fort. When Karim Vakhov was appointed Military Governor of the Cassadian Mountain District, he wanted to make an immediate impression on his superiors and put pressure of the Frankenlischian colonists. Vakhov recruited several escaped Frankenlischian criminals as guides and planned a raid on the Zinc mine. 40 Cassadian dragoons, disguised as native warriors, snuck into Frankenlischian territory on the night of 1st May 1744 and encamped two miles behind the frontier. The following night, the audacious raid was launched: 20 Frankenlischian soldiers were killed and an officer kidnapped, the mine buildings were damaged but the shaft was unharmed. In the confusion, 200 prisoners working the mine were able to escape though many were later recaptured by patrols. There were no Cassadian casualties.

Colonel Faulkner, outraged at the raid, was convinced that the Cassadians were to blame. He raised his concerns with the colonial government but did not receive permission to investigate or to converse with the Cassadians. Acting against orders, he rode out on 10th May with a small force to the nearest Cassadian outpost to confront the officer in charge. Faulkner found the post deserted and returned to Fort Wilderness. On the way back to the fort, Faulkner and his party were ambushed and wiped out while crossing the frontier. A Frankenlischian patrol discovered the bodies the following day and news reached New Harrington on the 13th. Major Richard Cribbs took command of Fort Wilderness and was promised reinforcements by Sir Ralph Raisby. These reinforcements left New Penchester in the form of two troops of dragoons and a company of provisional troops on the 14th. A military delegation was sent to Vakhov on the 15th and returned unharmed the following day, reporting that Vakhov had offered his condolences for Faulkner's death and blamed it on native raids. Vakhov had also suggested that the Frankenlischians at least temporarily abandon Fort Wilderness as a show of reconciliation with Cassadia and the natives. The Frankenlischian delegation, led by Captain F.G. Edmont, refused and returned, offended, to the fort. Cribbs was now fully convinced that the Cassadians were behind the recent attacks and wrote a report to the Governor-General about the events. This was carried to New Penchester by Captain Edmont and Cribbs ordered his officers to prepare for war.

On 18th May, the engagement which opened the Frankenlisch-Cassadia War was fought. Under orders from Vakhov to survey Fort Wilderness' defences, a company of Cassadian light infantry under Captain Kamarov crossed the frontier at dawn and made camp in a copse around a mile north-east of the fort. Just after noon, a patrol of the 3rd Pavonia Regiment led by Lieutenant David Evans discovered the camp. When called upon to retire, the Cassadians panicked and began firing. Evans' provincials returned fire and a violent skirmish developed. Outnumbered, the provincials made a fighting retreat until they were reinforced by a company of the 1st New Gestoria Regiment which forced the Cassadians to withdraw. This incident proved that the Cassadians had been operating in Frankenlischian territory and the war is widely held to have begun in earnest on 18th May 1744. Reinforcements arrived at Fort Wilderness on the 21st and Major Cribbs rallied his forces for a counter-attack.