Jack of Harts

The early Confederation lacked any kind of central Federal structure. The member States did not want to replace the former Federal government with a new version of the same thing, so they selected one of the State Governors to act as President of the Confederation. They chose Governor John Jefferson Freemon of Virginia, and the Virginia Defense Force became the closest thing they had to a Confederation army in the years that followed. Just as Lexington became the effective capital. He retired in time, and the Governor of Florida became the new Confederation President. Florida provided the core of the Confederation army, and a new temporary capital. By the time that Governor retired, each Member State of the Confederation was expected to provide a single regiment to fill out the Confederation Army, and a new town to govern from when their time came.

Everything that happened in Virginia, from the arrests to the attempted nuclear bombardment, showed everybody what they had to lose. Which is why it was so important that West Virginia quickly announced their support for the Petersburg Assembly’s government. North Caroline, Tennessee, and Kentucky followed shortly thereafter. Over a dozen States recognized them within the week, and more followed in the weeks after that. By the time Convention of States met, it was Governor Freemon they welcomed as the official representative of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Richmond government protested that inclusion, and it is one of the many historical objections raised that question the legality of the Convention of States. But the Convention was clear on who it wanted to hear from, and who they considered the legitimate Commonwealth government.

The Petersburg Assembly grew to control the majority of Virginia’s landmass, if nowhere near a majority of its population. It started in the Shenandoah Valley, stretching from Winchester to Lexington to Bristol and beyond. Most of the counties bordering the Blue Ridge Mountains also followed them, including the fairly major cities of Charlottesville and Lynchburg. And the counties surrounding Norfolk and Hampton also joined what some called the breakaway Virginia. They controlled the majority of the military and law enforcement in the end, though the much larger land area diluted their strength greatly. The other Virginia ran many successful raids for valuable materials and people because of this. How else did a legitimate government deal with rebels? Damn Rebels for the more salty. Or worse. Many outsiders called them South Virginia, to their utter and complete disdain. They were the only “real” Virginia after all.