THE NIGHT OF THE FIRST MISSION

By Andamogirl

Author's note: pre-series.

Artie: "Why, Mr. President, I seem to recall General Lee paying a tribute to your patience when you took Petersburg after a 10-month long siege."

President Grant: "It was that event that exhausted my supply. I've had no patience since then."

The Night of the Colonel's Ghost

Warning: graphic depiction of violence.

Many thanks to my beta readers Mithras 90 and Old Toad.

TEASER

WWW

Petersburg, Virginia, 1865

The day was over or almost – it was sunset, and General Grant was heading back to his headquarters encampment after a long day on one of the many battlefields around Petersburg.

Riding his horse tirelessly for hours, he had encouraged his officers and men to fight with courage, promising them that the end of the war was near. He galvanized them with his presence on the front, and while doing it, he had been grazed on his shoulder by a rebel's bullet.

Ulysses S. Grant glanced at his young aide de camp riding on his right side, and hid a smile. Captain James T. West was scanning the area anxiously. "Calm down Captain, the place is safe and I'm safe," he said. "There're no Confederates in the area. We control it entirely." He looked over his shoulder at Dr. Henderson, his physician and CMO of the Army of the Potomac, riding behind him, closely followed by a whole company of soldiers also scanning the area. Then he looked again at Jim West and added; "That escort wasn't necessary… I repeat: the area is perfectly safe…"

He stopped his sentence as a confederate soldier suddenly appeared on the way in front of the riders, coming out from a group of trees. He was holding a gun.

Captain West's first reaction was to protect the General riding beside him. He instantly grabbed his revolver and aimed. He fired a split second later at the Gray soldier, square in his chest.

Grant suddenly said, "No! Don't shoot!" but it was already too late. The enemy soldier was hit and he crumpled to the ground like a rag doll.

The General dismounted in a flash and hurried to the wounded man's side as he was writhing in pain on the muddy ground. "It's going to be alright, son, hold on," he said as he pressed his hands against the other man's chest, trying to stem the blood flow seeping between his fingers. "Hold on Artemus."

Captain Artemus Gordon breathed, "No, no, no… I'm such an idiot… I'm sorry General." Then he closed his eyes and passed out.

Tbc.