(It’s been 4.5 months since my last post in this series. Oops.)

Deeds of the Dukes of Chariton

IV: Victory and Succession
April 2676 – July 2680

In early April 2676, Duke Truman mustered his levies and became known as a skilled fighter.

Prince Salathiel of Iowa, King Franklin’s fourth son, was born on May 15, 2676.

Duke Truman’s friend and chancellor Lavon began to speak in tongues, so he was replaced as chancellor by Milo Trenton, a knight in Duke Truman’s service. Lavon was given overall command of Duke Truman’s 1400 men once they had all gathered at Kirksville, and the army began marching south to Moberly in early May.

In early June the improvements to Maryville’s walls were complete and, a few days later, Duke Truman’s 1400 men met Count Napoleon’s 600 men near Carrollton.

After some initial skirmishing saw Lavon Graham’s 700 men put the Thompson pickets to flight, Theophile Lucerne and Lavon Graham, commanding the Chariton right and left respectively, advanced in support of the Chariton center as Lavon and his 500 men charged Count Napoleon’s 500 men.

Some 200 men of Duke Truman’s army were killed and wounded, while 500 of Count Napoleon’s men were killed and wounded. Only a few of Count Napoleon’s light horse and light infantry managed to flee East, and Duke Truman’s men began to lay siege to Moberly.

Count Napoleon’s surviving men raided near Hannibal and Kirksville, but Duke Truman decided that Count Napoleon’s 80 men were not going to cause any real threat and taking Moberly would bring about a faster end to the rebellion.

In January 2677, Duke Truman’s daughter Evanora was betrothed to Roquat, the eldest son and heir of Duke Poynter of Driftless. After Phineas resigned as spymaster, Duke Truman made his friend Lavon spymaster.

In March 2677, Moberly and Count Napoleon surrendered to Duke Truman. Count Napoleon was taken into custody and imprisoned in Maryville.

In June 2677 King Franklin created the Duchy of the Quad Cities. In August, Duke Eustace of Iowa’s ambition to become King of Iowa was discouraged by a visit from King Franklin, and in September King Franklin inherited the barony of Moline from Baron Otis of Moline, who died of a sudden illness at the age of 39 years. Duke Truman sent Milo Trenton to improve relations with King Franklin, but this failed to have the desired result when Milo Trenton accidentally insulted King Franklin.

On Christmas Day 2677 King Franklin of Iowa summoned his vassals and declared his intent to return Rock Rapids and the surrounding lands to Iowan rule as opposed to its current rule by the 15-year-old Queen Lacotawin of Lakotah, the granddaughter and successor of Tasinagi the Lame. Tasinagi the Lame ruled Lakotah for 32 years before his death at the age of 63 in July 2676.

In early April 2678, King Franklin’s army of 3200 men crossed the Iowan border with Lakotah and began to lay siege to Rock Rapids. At around the same time, the lords of Iowa approved new laws that increased the power of King Franklin and obligated his vassals to provide more men when the king called up their levies.

In May 2678, 1900 Badgerlings crossed the Mississippi River and raided the country around Dubuque. King Franklin led 2000 men from Rock Rapids to Dubuque, but the Northmen managed to repel the Iowan defenders at the cost of 600 Northmen and 900 Iowans.

In late November, 230 Northmen from the Republic of Superior raided near Hannibal. Once Duke Truman was informed, he mustered 650 men from the lands around Kirksville and dispatched them under the command of Theophile Lucerne and Lavon Graham to drive the Northmen back to their ships. Before he departed with the army, Lavon Graham was married to Betsy.

Duke Truman’s men commanded by Theophile Lucerne met the Northmen near Hannibal in January 2679, and put them to flight at the cost of 150 Chariton dead and wounded and about 100 dead and wounded Northmen. Later the same Northmen would raid the Canonate of Shoquoqon.

In March 2679, Emma, the wife of Duke Truman’s steward, was the subject of vicious rumor which claimed she had been seen in a compromising position with Count Zedkiah of Prairie Rapids.

In May 2679, Mayor Isaac of Rock Port presented a petition to Duke Truman to lower taxes on the city of Rock Port, but Duke Truman was able to flatter Mayor Isaac and avoid lowering taxes.

In early June a thousand Badgerlings sacked Dubuque after its surrender.

In July 2679, Countess Diana Dedale of Icaria was betrothed to Duke Truman’s son and heir Lyman.

On September 4, 2679 Count Napoleon of Thompson died as a prisoner of Duke Truman after 2 years in captivity at the age of 51. He was succeeded as Count of Thompson by his 10 year old son Napoleon, who did homage to Duke Truman later that month in Kirksville.

In the autumn and winter of 2679, the Iowan army took Rock Rapids and began marching toward Dubuque to repel the Northmen still raiding the area. 1500 Iowans commanded by Baron Pelham of Humboldt met 1000 Badgerlings near Dubuque, and after weeks of skirmishing the two armies met in mid-January 2680. Some 500 Badgerlings and 400 Iowans were killed and wounded, and the remaining 500 Badgerlings fled across the Mississippi River to Galena in early February while 1100 Iowans began marching toward Lakotah to return to the war for Rock Rapids.

In March 2680, the wife of Lavon, Duke Truman’s spymaster, was supposedly seen in a compromising position with Count Zedkiah of Prairie Rapids.

On April 2, 2680 Duke Truman and his friend and spymaster Lavon were practicing with blunt training swords when Duke Truman was wounded.

On June 22 2680, after ruling as Duke of Chariton for 16 years, Duke Truman died at age 45 of a sudden heart attack while recovering from wounds he sustained in mock combat 2 months earlier. He was succeeded as Duke of Chariton by his 10 year old son Lyman, who did homage to King Franklin in July 2680, and Duke Truman’s friend and spymaster Lavon became Regent of Chariton.