This timeline speculates what would have happened if the events of the Pig War in 1859 had culminated into an actual war between the United States and the British Empire over the San Juan islands. The Pig War is so called because it began with the shooting of a pig on San Juan islands resulting in a buildup of US troops, Royal Marines as well as several warships in the area. For some time the Americans and the British would often come in contact with each other but simply hurl insults at each other attempting to provoke them. The timeline diverges here when an accidental discharge from a British warship killed Captain George Pickett on August 10th 1859. The news spread to the Americans who were so enraged they razed several buildings of the Hudson Bay Company's sheep ranch to the ground. This prompted a shelling of the American forces and a landing of 400 Royal Marines under the command of Captain Geoffrey Hornby to protect British interests on thee island. They soon came into contact with the 460 American troops on the island commanded by Colonel Silas Casey resulting in the Battle of Laughing Meadow on August 25th 1859. This led to a quick retreat from the Americans who then focused on keeping the British from entering San Juan Valley by holding up at chokepoints between Mt Dallas and Mt Cady. Re-inforcements and warships were sent to the San Juan Islands resulting in the Battle of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
The majority of the war was a series of skirmishes and battles along the coast of what was Washington territory. The British however did begin arming and assisting the various native tribes in the area who were already fighting the 9th Infantry regiment stationed throughout the Northwest. In the midwest the war was typified by several small cross border raids. As news spread about the bloodshed the populace in both the United Staes and Britain were shocked that two great nations had gone to war over the shooting of a pig (although in the US the accidental killing of Cpt. Pickett was played up as a major factor of the war).