The Pig War

Hat tip to Surviving the World for bringing to light the near-conflict between the USA and Great Britain in 1859. It occurred near Vancouver, over possession of some channel islands, and the military buildup was triggered by a voracious pig, which was the war's only casualty.

With the American Civil War looming, it was vital that open conflict was avoided. Deaths in the Pacific would have made it much easier for the British to openly support the Confederacy two years later, although the first commander of the US forces which would have been engaged was none other than Captain George Pickett, later a Confederate general noted for his eponymous 1863 charge.