[center][b][u]The Battle of Bogotá[/u][/b][/center]

The USA was not the only country in 1861 facing a civil war. Now in the second year of a bloody conflict, the Granandine Confederation had faced struggle and hardship, and precious few victories against the rebels to celebrate. To many observers, it seemed certain that for the rebels, victory was inevitable. The Confederation was about to show to the world just how incorrect this was. An ambitious plan had been drawn up, and was now about to be executed.

Under the cover of darkness, government troops boarded transport ships for the long journey to the capital. At the same time, more troops began to move through the countryside, heading for the same direction. As dawn broke over Colombia, the attack began. The inital assault went well, heavy training in the past months paying off as troops disembarked the transports and entered the fray like clockwork, quickly routing the shocked rebel troops and sending them into a disorganised retreat.
(-780 regulars to Colombia, Bogotá retaken)

As the assault wore on, cracks began to show in the Colombian army. Communications between the two army groups had broken down and the second group was slow to respond to reports of fighting in Bogotá. As they moved to try and encircle the retreating rebel army, sluggishness allowed some rebel troops to regroup and bunker down in defensible locations, forcing the government troops to stop and besiege each one in turn. However, eventually they broke through and completed the encirclement, trapping the larger part of the rebel army inside. As the troops from Bogotá moved away from the city, the remaining rebels broke under the assault and surrendered.
(-1120 regulars to Colombia)

The surviving government troops began fortifying their new conquests, ensuring that a counterattack couldn't take them by surprise. However, it seemed an unnecessary move, as the rebels had been broken and disorganised by the shocking attack. Indeed, as pro-government supporters across the nation began celebrating, it seemed that the chance for a rebel victory had been lost. Spectators from around the world witnessed this sudden reversal in fortune by the Granadine Confederation with interest, particularily in North America - galvanising Union supporters, and hurting morale in the Confederacy, who now feared a similar attack on them.