1824: The Arkansas War

1824: The Arkansas War (2006) is the second in the American Frontier series, following 1812: The Rivers of War. In the previous volume, the British crossed the river and attacked Morgan's Line on the west bank. After initial success, they are defeated by Houston's infantry, the Cherokees and Driscol's battery. The untried freeman of the Iron Battalion stood against everything the British threw at them. Pakenham realized that Jackson would have slaughtered his men on Chalmette field and soon returned the troops to their ships. Shortly thereafter, news of the peace treaty ended the current hostilities. In this novel, some time later, a Creole grandee had one of Driscol's freemen castrated for drawing the attention of a quadroon demoiselle. So Driscol mustered the Iron Battalion and led them into the French quarter, where they hung every slavecatcher in the vicinity. Then Driscol ordered the death of the high-handed grandee. When the Louisiana militia came to put down the "servile insurrection", Driscol had them raked with grapeshot; this massacre was later called the Battle of Algiers. Then Driscol led the withdrawal of free blacks to the Arkansas territory. There he joined with the Indians in that region and formed a mixed confederation. Now Patrick Driscol is the "Laird" of the Arkansas Chiefdom, which is the strongest province in the new republic. The capital of this confederation is New Antrim, also called Little Rock by the Indians and Driscoltown by the blacks. This confederation welcomes settlers of any race, including runaway slaves. The politicians in the Southern states are strident in their demands that this practice be stopped, but the slaves, freemen, Indians and even whites keep migrating to Arkansas. Sam Houston was appointed as the special commissioner for Indian affairs shortly after the war ended and has been the son-in-law of President Monroe since 1819. As the Hero of the Capitol, he was one of the most eligible bachelors in Washington, but he married Maria Hester Monroe after a nationally famous whirlwind courtship. She had been only seventeen at the time, yet he had been only twenty-six years old himself. Houston had been somewhat of a womanizer prior to the marriage but settled down afterwards. He even cut down on his drinking at home, especially after the birth of their son. Of course, he still drank in the taverns and on his many trips to Arkansas and other Indian areas. Richard Mentor Johnson is a Kentucky Senator and a good friend of Andrew Jackson. Johnson is also notorious for living with a black woman and having two acknowledged daughters with her. Houston drops by to visit their farm on his way to the Hermitage. After telling Johnson some disappointing news, Houston offers an Army escort for Miss Julia and his daughters in their travel to a school in New Antrim. Houston later asks Lieutenant-Colonel Zachary Taylor to provide this escort. As an old friend of the family, Taylor takes the duty

The basic premise of alternate history books is to take a minor point or two and write a novel about how history might have changed. In Eric Flint's 1824, the state of Arkansas has been given to or taken over by the Americna Indians and free (or escaped) slaves. This has created a situation that the slave owning Southerners cannot abide. The result, of course, is war. If you like alternative history, this book is likely to become a classic. It has a good story line, excellent characters acting reasonably intelligently or at least as intelligently as they did in the real history. What strikes me as more interesting, is the impact that such a set of circumstances might have on the real history of our country. Could the existance of a sale free country on the border of the United States have provided a safety valve that might have prevented the Civil War? This is the second in a series of books. The first, 1812, gives an alternative view of the War of 1812. I can't say if a third book comes in the seies -- I suspect that if it is it will be caled 1836 to coincide with the Battle of the Alamo. If there is such a book, I'll buy it. I'd like to see what happens to some of these characters. I know, it's fiction, but I still like them.

Eric Flint covers a period of time that is very often ignored by others in the field of alternate history. His first book in this series, 1814: The Rivers of War and now this one, 1824: The Arkansas War is a period that has often been forgotten with there being a greater emphasis on the American Revolution, the Civil War and World Wars One and Two. It is a rich period with some of the most fascinating characters from the pages of our American History Books and Eric Flint has done his research. This series surpasses his excellent 1632 plus novels and he has proven himself a true master in this genre. Unlikely as the idea may seem to some, there is a second republic in North America thanks to the efforts of Sam Houston and Patrick Driscol as described in the first book. Arkansas is a confederacy made up of pioneers like Houston, Native American tribes and African Americans. The latter group makes up the majority and includes both freedmen and escaped slaves. The big issue is slavery and how a slave free republic with black leaders would influence the United States. It is ultimately what leads to war. While the author spends ample time on ordinary citizens it is the leading figures of the day that will attract the reader and how the author uses excellent insights to explore the character of each. Especially strong are the portrayals of John Quincy Adams, John Brown, William Cullen Bryant, Henry Clay, William Henry Harrison, Sam Houston, Andrew Jackson, James Monroe, Winfield Scott and Zackary Taylor. The political interaction among these great names is as fascinating as the reader would desire and makes the military campaigns described almost an after thought. Don't worry, there is plenty of miliary action and strategy if that is your cup of tea. There is also attention paid to social issues outside of slavery with religion being given fair coverage. The l632 series established Eric Flint as the new master of alternate world history and this series will solidify it for generations to come. It makes me wish I was still teaching history full time as these books would be required reading.

Flint blew apart most of my vague assumptions about this period that generally gets a hurried treatment on most histories that focus on wartimes. The characters are richly drawn and fit what I've read of the actual ones while brought to life as funny, passionate, puzzled, and struggling folks. The storylines are reasonable, but surprising, so racing to see how they unfold is a severe temptation with a book that deserves to be savored. There's a lot here, even more than I found in rereading the first book "Rivers of War" and it shows you what could have been just as Houston's defense of the capitol and other choices did. It's a superb book full of fun, struggle, surprises, reluctant heroes and few villains (other than John C. Calhoun of S.Carolina who comes off badly so many times in 19th Century history he's one of the great "wreckers", precipitating the Civil War probably more than any one other person...Calhoun's a natural pivot point for any alternative history and Henry Clay's ambiguities with great skill make an even better one. Well worth the hardcover price (always a pain for fiction) and as the other reviewers comment, this might be Flint's best book yet and he's consistently very,very good.

It's been a decade since the War of 1812, and the 'solution' to the American Indian problem that Sam Houston dreamed up is coming unraveled. The new Republic of Arkansas has become a destination for runaway slaves and freedmen, who now make up more of its population than do the Indians. And the fertile bottomland along the Arkansas River, is a tempting prize for slave-owning whites. Even Houston's longtime mentor, Andrew Jackson, warns Houston that he can't hold back the tide. Hoping to create a nationalistic fervor, Henry Clay and other leaders fund a raid by white filibusterers. Even if they're defeated by the mostly-black army of Arkansas, they won't be missed and many Americans will call out for vengence. In our own history, the election of 1824 was split between Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, and Henry Clay. Adams and Clay reached a deal in Congress, with Adams becoming the new President. In this alternate history, the massacre in Arkansas territory tilted the election to Clay--but at the cost of him selling out to the pro-slavery forces of the deep south. Author Eric Flint continues the story he begain in THE RIVERS OF FIRE. Although the American Indian issue remains, the question of slavery, which had already become a running wound in the young Republic, was brought to a head by the existance of a militarily strong Black Nation in its midst. Flint uses a variety of historical figures--starting with Sam Houston who, in our history was badly wounded in the opening battles of the War of 1812, but in this universe became a popular military hero, but also including the young John Brown, John Quincy Adams, William Jennings Bryant, many others, as well as creating a variety of characters who never became known in our universe but who different circumstances cast to the fore in this. 1824: THE ARKANSAS WAR is very strong alternate history. Flint uses his alternate history to shed a different light on our own history. The process of manifest destiny worked its way out largely through filibustering rufians (at best) as much as through high-minded patriotism. And the question of slavery was a deep injury to our nation long before it cast us into the most deadly war of our history. It's easy, as well, to see reflections on our current history as we embark again on illegal wars sold to the public with the idea that they will result in quick victory. Certainly one can quibble with the history. Henry Clay is Flint's villain--and it isn't clear to me that the historical Clay is really accurately depicted. The alliance between Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson also seems a bit far-fetched, although if you buy the Clay picture, it certainly makes sense. And I like to think that even a minimally talented military officer like future-president William Harrison wouldn't have protected his flanks during an assault on a fortress. That said, however, 1824 is emotionally strong, an interesting and valid use of alternate history to shed a different ligh