Chapter 25: The Plan of Attack
Finally it has arrived. The moment of all moments. Though this is a short chapter, I have tried to present it in such a way that does justice to the moment that Lee decides what his plan of attack will be. I hope you like it.
Zim yawned as he stepped into the front room of the house that Lee was utilizing as the headquarters of the Army of Northern Virginia. Irkens rarely needed sleep, but for some reason, Zim felt really comfortable resting on the long couch-like-thing in the room General Lee had given him, and had gotten a few hours of sleep. He had forced himself to sleep only as long as necessary however, and now he looked around in the morning light for his commander. The general was not in the room. He walked out onto the porch. Something was definitely going on, so it seemed. There were officers milling around, and an odd sort of feeling in the air. The day was already growing hot and stagnant, and Zim sighed. How could it be so hot all the time?
"Excuse me…sergeant?" Zim asked. A burly man turned and nodded his head. "Do you know where General Lee is?"
"Ah, yeah, ummm…" The man said, thinking. "He went that-a-ways a few minutes ago, him and General Longstreet, a ridin off to talk. You might still catch up with 'em if ya hurry."
"Thank you." Zim said. The sergeant nodded, and Zim ran off in search of the generals. It seemed that the man had pointed him in the direction of the large building with the round thing on top, and slightly forward, toward the enemy. Zim wondered what the generals could be doing so far forward. Observing the enemy strength? But why? Zim remembered the awful defeat the evening before, and the loss of so many men. He remembered General Hood, whom he had heard did not have to have his arm cut off after all, but would never be able to use it again. Could General Lee be thinking about disengaging, about leaving? It seemed that Longstreet wanted to do that, but Zim couldn't conceive of General Lee ever retreating. He came out onto a field, amongst what seemed like an endless line of cannons. There was Lee and Longstreet, standing near one of the enormous guns. Longstreet had his binoculars out, and seemed to be talking seriously with General Lee. Zim hurried up.
"General Lee, sir." Zim said, saluting. "Sorry about my oversleeping, and sorry if I'm interrupting anything, sir." Lee gave him a kind smile.
"Not at all." The grey-bearded general said. "You may stay. General Longstreet and I were just observing the enemy line." He turned back to Longstreet, who was gazing toward the long ridge across the field. "Do you see what I was meaning, general?" Longstreet lowered his glasses and sighed. "We attacked him on right, then on his left. His flanks are well defended and reinforced. Which means the weakest part of the line must be there, in the center of that ridge." Zim peered out across the expanse of flat land toward the hill. He could see small flags on the rise in the distance. What was Lee talking about?
"Sir, I do not believe they may be as weak there as you hope." Longstreet finally said. Lee didn't answer for a moment. He seemed to be thinking deeply about something. "Sir, if we stay here, we have to attack, but they have the high ground."
"I understand that, general." Lee said. "And I do believe that if we hit them in the center, their line will falter there. Then, once the enemy is cut in half, we can rout them as we have done before." Zim now began to understand Lee's plan: Hit the Yankees in force right in the center of their line, where they wouldn't be expecting it. Then came the strategy. "Colonel Alexander is commanding this entire line of artillery. His guns will be used to break up their lines, and hopefully drive most of their cannon off of those hills. After the feu en farve, then it will be up to you general. You have Pickett's division now, and I will give you Pettigrew and Trimble as well. That would give you close to…15,000 men I believe."
"Yes sir…" Longstreet said. Zim could detect the apprehensiveness in his voice again.
"With 15,000 men, under your command sir, I have no doubt that we will take that hill." Longstreet stared at the ridge in silence a few moments, and Zim felt compelled to look upon it as well. It seemed further off now. It seemed like a great mountain in the distance, and though Zim had absolute faith in his general, he was beginning to grow nervous about the plan as well.
"General Lee, sir…" Longstreet finally said, breaking Zim out of his trance. "May I speak frankly?"
"Of course general."
"I have been an officer in this army since Mexico, as you know. We have all won and lost battles, and you know that I have always had an eye for good ground."
"Yes sir." Lee agreed.
"Well sir…I do not believe that there were ever 15,000 men under God that could take that hill. I do believe that if we execute such a charge…" Longstreet blinked and sighed, as if unable to continue.
"I know your quality as a commander." Lee said. That is why I chose you to command this assault, If anyone can take that hill, it is you, Peter." Longstreet nodded, but he had a faint sadness in his eyes. "This war has lasted longer than I think anyone of us could have thought possible. And more men…more friends have fallen than we could have ever wanted. We have a chance here to end it. We will break the enemy here, and maybe tomorrow, it will be finished." Longstreet nodded again. "Sir, we will take that hill."
"Yes sir." Longstreet said. Zim stared wide-eyed. So this was it. There was going to be a huge battle, a battle that Lee wanted to be the last. The air seemed to get thicker, heavier. Could it be done? Could 15,000 of these brave warriors, even under the leadership of such great commanders as Lee and Longstreet, and the regal cavalier Pickett attack a position like that and win? Zim felt light-headed, and he knew somehow that no matter how this battle ended, everything would change.