Abraham and Winfield were in their office as they were looking for a new general to help take the capitol of Richmond, after Ambrose being fired. Abraham needed a new general to put in charge of the army.

"Well Ambrose Burnside was completely useless, let's try this hooker fellow" Abraham mewed as he was ready to put this fellow in charge of the army. Abraham was hoping to at least have a general that can do the job. Soon the general was ushered in as he looked at Abraham.

"My name's Joseph, Hooker and I heard I was going to be the new general of the army and I will be more than happy to take the army of the Potomac to Richmond." Joseph responded. Abraham knew he finally had a general so he decided to dispatch the new general southward. Abraham sighed as he knew that he had vigor as he turned to Winfield.

"Let's hope he brings something new to the theater." Abraham was praying that General Hooker would be able to get him the victory he needed.

For the winter and spring, nothing much happened. Both sides were busy consolidating their forces for further attacks and operations and many cats had to hold their ground. Mapleshade had got sick with the flu but made a recovery and in time too. Things were going to get bloody.


Harriet's POV

A black she-cat was walking along as she wanted to be part of the abolitionist movement. While the slaves were considered free in the north, in the south, they were still property and now, some were looking for their way out. Harriet was one of the, she saw the tom and some reinforcements stepped off the train as she decided to approach them.

"Oh hello, miss what are you doing here?" Joseph asked the She-cat what she was doing. Harriet soon turned to the Sealed point Siamese who was busy getting his stuff off of the train.

"I would like to help the Union army in some shape or form." Harriet mewed as she wanted to help. If she did, she knew her family will no longer be held in bondage. The cat turned to her as he helped her on the horse.

"Sure we can decide on what you can do." Joseph mewed as he wanted to see what he could let her do. He soon thought of an idea. "We're short on cooks; want to cook for the army while we hang around?" They soon began marching off with the force as they were going to meet with the army of the East.

"I'll do it." Harriet responded as she knew it wasn't enough to make much of an impact but it was a start. They soon marched down as they were consolidating their strength. They soon arrived at camp a while later as the two cats hopped off of their horse. Joseph went to his tent to plan.


Hooker, Joseph's POV

"So the plan is we'll have the infantry tie the main force down while the cavalry sweeps their sides and cuts them off, also a second force will finally take Fredericksburg and we'll finally begin moving south once the army has been neutralized, I hope that we don't get pushed back." Joseph told the generals the plan as he knew that once they attempted to sweep around, they would be surrounded with no way out and would surrender. They can take the she-cat and the two generals that were being a thorn in their sides out. They nodded as the plan will go into action. However, spying on them was Mapleshade as she got on her horse and raced back to find Robert.


Mapleshade's POV

Mapleshade arrived at the camp that night as she had been taking notes on the plan. Robert watched as she dismounted her horse and walked straight for him. Robert looked up wondering where Mapleshade was as she was back so late.

"Maple leaf where were you?" Robert asked her wondering where she ran off to. Mapleshade soon puts down the paper as she was spying on them and gathering some information about the enemy.

"I went off to go spy on the enemy, they are pretty much planning to surround our forces and take Fredericksburg, I can't allow that to happen so we better devise a plan. I say we divide our forces and take both armies on at once." Mapleshade explained to Robert her whereabouts and she soon suggested of splitting the force up into two smaller groups. Robert was shocked as the forces had been together for the entire time.

"Split up the forces, you must be crazy aren't you?" Robert mewed as the gray and white tom looked at the calico she-cat. Mapleshade nodded as she spoke.

"Yes I am and I am telling you that we can truly get ourselves that victory if we divide and conquer. I heard they were also taking Fredericksburg too when the attack begins. So we have no choice so we need every single cat in both locations." Mapleshade mewed as she firmly ordered for every cat in their army to be on their paws and up and ready to fight. Robert seemed skeptical about this.

"Listen Maple leaf, I know you want to commit to the risk and I am willing to following through but not everyone is able to fight. I got 5,000 cats unfit to fight because they are sick with smallpox, I don't want the sickness to spread." Robert spoke as he knew that if he committed the sick cats too, the army would crumble. Mapleshade knew she was making a huge gamble and she wanted to pull this off. Robert turned to her as she knew they needed everyone up and fighting.

"Do we really have a choice, send those cats to Fredericksburg and keep all the healthy cats here. We need to take on this attack." Mapleshade mewed to Robert as she knew if they didn't act fast, they could lose the battle very quickly and Richmond would be exposed. Robert soon knew she was right and he gulped.

"Well if you're willing to pull this off, I am going to follow up on that." Robert responded. Mapleshade nodded as she turned and began to leave the tent. Robert soon spoke to her again. "Wait." Mapleshade turned her head to Robert as she was wondering what he had to say. Robert spoke. "I got my horse there, if you want to help coordinate the battle between two groups, I am willing to let you take command of this opportunity." Robert told her as his horse was the best of the best and he was trusting Mapleshade to use it for this battle. Mapleshade nodded as she walked off to prepare the plan.

May 1st - 6th, 1863, Chancellorsville, Virginia

Robert and Mapleshade were taking a big risk in splitting their army in two, their enemy outnumbered them two to one and they knew they needed a miracle to pull it off but Robert knew he was full of surprises. On the first day, Mapleshade took the sick cats to Fredericksburg where they would defend their rear before running off to find Robert. Joseph missed an opportunity to flank them and with the help of Thomas, they were able to catch the union army off guard the next day as Mapleshade was racing from one group to the next with the messages. Robert and Thomas were holding out all right but the sick cats were slowly dropping like flies either from being killed in battle or the small pox getting to them. Mapleshade continued pulling the healthy cats over to patch up the Fredericksburg holes as they continued fighting, The three days of battle were slowly sapping their strength but Mapleshade was doing her best to keep the pressure on. Robert even refused to send cats to replace the Fredericksburg casualties due to disease. With Thomas flanking around and attacking them from the left, it was clear that they were going to break through. Mapleshade continued to race around the clock.

The second battle of Fredericksburg came as Mapleshade advised the replacement force and what was left of the first force to pull out to much more defendable positions and they came running. Mapleshade continued to dispatch the messages between the two groups but as the third day of battle ends, the next three days would only be minor skirmishes as the Union troops were withdrawing from the area, and then finally on the 6th, the union troops had withdrew from the area, giving the confederates another victory. Robert was surprised about the very risky plan and it worked.

"It's my master piece." Robert shouted excitedly. He soon patted Mapleshade on her back as he knew they were able to divide and conquer. "You definitely deserve some credit on that part, we scored ourselves another victory but it's sadly not the victory I was looking for." Robert turned away as Mapleshade turned to follow him as she was wondering about what he was looking for.

"What victory are you looking for then?" Mapleshade asked wondering what victory Robert was after. Robert turned to her as he spoke for her.

"At Chancellorsville we gained another victory. Our people were wild with delight, I on the contrast, was more depressed than after Fredericksburg; our losses were severe, and again we had gained not an inch of ground, and the enemy could not be pursued." Robert responded. He sat as he had the look of hopelessness on his muzzle. It was clear racking up these victories were coming with a cost and it was not a cost that could not be paid or exchanged. To make matters worse, Robert suffered one significant loss during the battle.

On the night of May 2nd, Thomas was riding back to the confederate lines at night time. The confederate cats guarding the camp were unable to recognize him.

"Halt who goes there?" one of the guards asked, they soon raised their rifles as they looked at Thomas and his horse that had just stopped there. Another cat turned to him.

"It's a damned Yankee trick! Fire!" The second cat shouted as they all panicked, they soon raised their muskets firing into Thomas. Thomas was hit three times. One round in in the front right paw and two in the front left leg, Thomas collapsed to the ground as he laid there bleeding on the ground. The horse looked around seeing an injured cat lying on the ground as he turned back to the night guard.

"You boys dun goofed up." The horse responded as it was clear they shot their second in command by accident. Thomas would be whisked away to the medical tent to be tended to but he was beginning to get sick. As the days wore on, his condition became worse and worse. Robert and Mapleshade couldn't see their close friend go like this as they decided to go pay him a visit.

May 10th, 1863, Medical tent

Robert and Mapleshade walked to the medical tent where Thomas was laying for the past few days. They walked in as Thomas' front left leg was amputated to prevent the disease from spreading to the rest of his body but it was the sickness that was wearing him down.

"How is he?" Robert asked the medicine cat who was tending to a very sick Thomas as he turned to Robert.

"He's even worse than yesterday, I'm afraid to say this but, he's going to die." The medicine cat responded. "Everyone should be prepared to say their goodbyes since we're going to lose him." The medicine cat turned and walked away as he knew there was nothing more he could do for him.

"Thomas I wanted to say…" Robert began but Thomas interrupted him as he spoke, his voice rasped as he was on his last legs.

"It is the Lord's Day; my wish is fulfilled. I have always desired to die on Sunday." Thomas spoke as his voice croaked with pain. It was clear that if he was going to die, he had chosen the right day. Mapleshade's eyes began to tear up as she began crying almost she was going to lose her friend that she made so far during the war. Robert turned to comfort her as Thomas spoke his final words. "Order A.P. Hill to prepare for action! Pass the infantry to the front rapidly! Tell Major Hawks…" Thomas then stopped, leaving the sentence unfinished. Presently a smile of ineffable sweetness spread itself over his pale face, and he said quietly, and with an expression, as if of relief, "Let us cross over the river, and rest under the shade of the trees." Thomas wheezed his final words before his eyes closed. Soon his body fell limp and lifeless as his breathing stopped. Mapleshade was still crying as Robert looked at his friend. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson finally passed away. Robert and Mapleshade walked away as he wanted to take the time to get their feelings together.

"Mapleshade, I have lost my right arm, and I'm bleeding in the heart." Robert began to weep with her. They knew they only had each other to rely on now, it was clear that they had just lost their major ally. However Thomas would be looking over them from the clouds of Starclan as he knew he was still with them.

Thomas would soon be buried as both sides came to pay their respects to the cat that helped the south so far in the war. Mapleshade and Robert were going to be running the show now and neither of them knew what to do.


Abraham's POV

Joseph Hooker entered the office as he was reporting back from Chancellorsville as he had held the reports from the battle. Abraham was looking up seeing what was going on.

"General Hooker, what are the results of the battle?" Abraham asked wondering what the results of the battle were. Hooker's face was with disbelief.

"I'm sorry mister President, it's another loss." Joseph responded as he knew that he wasn't expecting Robert to pull a victory off like this. Abraham looked at him.

"What will the north say? And sadly I'm letting you go from the position of leader of the east. I'm sending you out west." Abraham mewed softly as he knew that northern support was continuing to waver. Things were still going to go roughly.

[A/N]: Major events happened in this chapter as I decided to kill off a major character from the story. Robert and Mapleshade will still be weeping from this loss so the first half of the next chapter wouldn't focus on them as much as the other events that will be happening so yes, Generals Sherman and Grant will be getting the spotlight. It's time to finally take Vicksburg. See you next chapter, that is all. Goodbye.