While they were now making progress, they still couldn't find a decisive victory in the east. The campaigns of Bristol and Mine Run didn't get them much progress and were ultimately repelled and that was bad news for Abraham because his presidency was now in its fourth year.
"Mister President, its 1864 and we got some news, there is an election coming at the end of this year. We need to start campaigning if we are supposed to stay in office." Ambrose mewed as he wanted to keep Abraham running the country. However, someone else knew this too as they wanted to figure out what to do.
Robert's POV
Robert and Jefferson were walking along as they were discussing on what their plans would be. Robert had felt sorrow for these past few months for a certain she-cat as he saw that she was distancing herself farther and farther away.
"You know I feel bad for Mapleshade, she doesn't want to talk to me or any of my staff. She's always locking herself away and she's throwing a fit every time I try to talk to her." Robert told Jefferson as he was outlying Mapleshade's predicament. It was clear, Gettysburg utterly shattered her morale and she was losing interest in the war. Jefferson thought about this as he was looking out for her as well.
"She might be going through a rough point in her life. She'll get over it." Jefferson mewed as he knew she could recover from this. Robert was uncertain.
"It's been months since Gettysburg and she hasn't recovered since. I'm worried that one of my finest fighters is going insane. Jefferson looked at him as he had more important things to focus on.
"Listen as much as we can try to figure out what is wrong with her, we have more important things to worry about. It's 1864 and we have an election coming. With little hope to threaten the north militarily, our last shot of victory maybe with the election, Abraham, emancipation and the war itself, aren't exactly popular. If we can just hold out and inflict more defeats, Abraham will be voted out and replaced with a southern sympathizer who is willing to negotiate." Now go get me more victories Lee." Jefferson spoke sharply to Robert as he knew he wanted every cat willing to fight armed and to charge forth. Robert wasn't so sure about this. But to Abraham he desperately needed a victory.
Abraham's POV
With General Meade announcing his retirement from the regular forces, Abraham needed a new general to command the army of the East. Winfield and Ambrose entered his office one day as they were now trying to figure out who was it going to be.
"Abraham, it's time that we picked a new general to command the campaign in the east and we need to act fast, with General Meade gone, we need a new commander to take charge." Winfield mewed as he laid out the files to see who he liked. Abraham looked through the files but sadly he saw no one that he liked.
"Ugh! Why can't I find anyone that I like? All of these generals are either too timid or old we need a general taken from the south and put in charge." Abraham shouted as he found no one. He was just ready to take one of the generals from the south and put them in charge. Winfield wasn't so sure but Ambrose got an idea.
"Hey Winfield, may I speak to you for a moment?" Ambrose mewed. Winfield nodded as he pulled him to another room alone to speak with him.
"Okay Ambrose, what is it that you want?" Winfield asked. Ambrose soon thought about it for a moment before coming up with his words.
"It might sound risky but we should give in to Abraham's demands and take one of the generals from the south and put them in charge of the army." Ambrose told Winfield his idea but Winfield wasn't so sure about this.
"Can you please elaborate a bit?" Winfield asked. Ambrose knew he had to put it in simpler terms but he could explain.
"Okay. We now might be asking for a new general but the readers are begging, but Mister Ida, if Abraham loves General Ulysses S. Grant so much than why doesn't he put him in charge of the campaign of the east? And we say, guess what loyal readers, you hit the nail on the head." Ambrose responded. Winfield wasn't so sure but if it was a general that could work, he would have to agree.
"It may sound risky but it's better than nothing." Winfield responded. They soon exited the room as they wanted to speak with Abraham directly. "Abraham we made our decision." Winfield began. Abraham raised his head curiously wondering on who they chose.
"Who did you decide to choose for me?" Abraham asked as he was wondering on who they decided to choose for him. Ambrose spoke.
"After much debate over it, we have the conclusion on making General Grant the new commander of the army of the east." Ambrose mewed his decision. Abraham was more than overjoyed since he hoped with these victories this general had been racking up, they would have a new general that would help win them the war.
"You've chosen the best general for that job." Abraham mewed as he wanted to meet Ulysses face to face for the first time.
Ulysses arrived a few days later as Abraham came out to greet him. Ulysses looked at Abraham as he was seeing the president for the first time since he was elected and Abraham got some words for.
"It's an honor to be meeting you for the first time." Abraham mewed. He sticks his paw out as Ulysses shook it in response.
"It's an honor meeting you too mister President." Ulysses responded as Abraham paused for a moment as he spoke.
"You're one bold General Grant, I'll Grant you that, and I ain't taking you for Granted, now I'm promoting you to general of all union armies and your task is taking Richmond in the east. Now go defeat General Lee for me. Grant me my wish!" Abraham mewed as he was using his name as a pun. Ulysses was beginning to find it not funny.
"Please stop." Ulysses mewed as he found it annoying. But he knew he had a promise to fulfill and he was going to follow Abraham's orders as he soon turned and left, he would promise the president a victory he was going to truly see. Ambrose and Winfield padded over to Abraham.
"Is he going to promise us that victory?" Winfield asked. Ambrose looked at him as Abraham turned his head and spoke.
"By all means, he will try everything." Abraham responded as he knew Ulysses managed to pull off victories before and now he was giving his biggest challenge and see what will happen. "I just hope he brings something new." Ulysses be the biggest turning point of the war.
Ulysses POV
Ulysses arrived in his tent as he took out a map as he would begin planning on how to do this campaign as they were around the area of Chancellorsville and Fredericksburg. He soon spoke to his generals.
"Okay I have a plan and it involves all of us and I want you to listen." Ulysses began. The other generals turned and looked at him as they were wondering on what he had in mind.
"What's the plan?" One of the generals asked as he was wondering on what the plan was. Ulysses spoke.
"Well the plan is that I want to press the Confederates on all fronts. I want General Banks in New Orleans moving east to capture Mobile, Alabama, my good friend General Sherman to capture Atlanta and Me, myself joining the army of the East as we march south towards Richmond. And I will throw all of our forces against the enemy." Ulysses laid out his plan. The other generals seem skeptical about his plans especially his plan for the east.
"But sir, that's a way to draining our forces as we won't have the numbers to replace them quickly." One of the generals mewed but Ulysses seemed ready to counter his statement.
"Listen I know about this since we have an advantage over the Confederates. The Confederates are the ones running out of fresh bodies to use on the battlefield and the north by comparison has plenty. If we inflict heavy losses on the Confederates, they won't have enough cats to replace the losses and I will do it even if it costs ten thousand lives. If they try to inflict heavy casualties on us, we keep moving forward and flank General Lee." Ulysses responded as he knew that he could replace the losses, the south however could not. The generals didn't seem too sure about this but if it would work, it will guarantee them victory.
"Okay, we'll follow along with your plan." The generals responded. Ulysses nodded as he knew he wanted to put the plan into action as soon as possible.
Patch's POV
Patch was marching out with the Atlanta Garrison as he got the orders to defend the city from the oncoming union army that was now pouring into Georgia. Patch and the volunteers were ready but they were poorly equipped and only had a few musket balls. Patch knew they had to defend the city but were let down horribly by their forces. However, Patch had a somewhat much more complex plan. Instead of defending the city, he wanted to betray the forces of the confederates and join the union army as they were going to go take the city. Patch soon arrived on the western edge where the attacks would begin as they was busy spending the time to fortify their positions. A union attack was expected to come tomorrow as it was part of Ulysses plan. Even with confederate armies in the west trying to threaten their advance, it was too little too late. He just wanted to keep the family together.
The next day the attack came as General Sherman ordered the attack. The cannonballs from the Garrison fired as they only had one cannon with them as the crews with the cannon were very inaccurate as the shots were falling short of their targets. Soon the union forces began to charge as the cannon continued to fire with the shots still falling very short. Soon the muskets were raised as Patch was soon given the order. The leader of the confederates looked out as he shouted.
"Fire!" Everyone but Patch fired as they were very inaccurate as the musket balls were falling short of the attackers. He soon turned to Patch wondering why he didn't fire his musket as he was wondering about it. "Come on Patch, fire the musket now!" He ordered. Patch held back as the muskets fired once more, the shots were still very inaccurate. The commander seeing this looked at him. "Give me the musket!" He shouted. He grabbed the musket as Patch wrestled him away from his paws. He soon pointed the musket to the officer as he fired it into his head. Another officer ran over as Patch bashed him with the butt of the musket. He soon ditched the musket as he ran as fast as his legs could carry him as he hid into the bushes as the 2nd officer recovered.
"You get back here you scamp!" The 2nd officer shouted. He soon turned as the Union army fired a volley cutting the garrison down. The ones in the second wave soon retreated as they were shattered. Patch peered his head from the bushes as he watched the union infantry continue their attack as the cavalry galloped along as they looked around to see who they could capture. Soon Patch felt something yank him from the bushes as one of union cavalry had found him.
"Hey I found one of those confederates. We don't know what he's been up to." The tom mewed. Sherman soon came galloping along as Patch was held up to the general. Sherman looked at him as he saw that he wasn't over the age of 18.
"Great are the Confederates conscripting young kits into the army as well, looks like this fella is a long way from home." William responded as he hoisted Patch up onto his saddle and wanted to bring him back to camp. William galloped off as he went to join the rest of the troops. He soon turned back as he wanted to find out who this tom cat was. "Name's Sherman, William Sherman, I'm wondering on who you are you little kit?" Patch was eager to meet this cat as he soon looked at him.
"Names Patch and it's an honor to meet you." Patch mewed as he continued riding the saddle of the horse. Sherman nodded as they soon arrived at the camp. Sherman and Patch got off their horses as they walked forth to the spot they were at.
"So you know where you live?" William asked as he was wondering where in the Confederacy Patch lived. Patch looked at him as his mind snapped as he soon responded.
"I live in Atlanta sir, all my life. I mainly came to you as I wanted to rescue what remains of my family. My father was a northern sympathizer but he was kicked out by the masses and I completely forgot where my mother was, I haven't seen her for years." Patch responded as he told Sherman where he was and who his family was. He felt a pang as Mapleshade had been absent from his life for years and he was itching to see her again.
"Atlanta? That's where we're heading, We'll be moving out tomorrow if you want to help me survey the land as we continue and we might treat the citizens kindly as they are most likely starving at this point and it's clear you look hungry yourself." William responded. He soon slid a revolver to Patch as he knew he would be useful to them. "Keep that as self-defense since you don't know when the confederates will strike. You seem interested in joining our ranks despite not being of age. So want to join the union army?" Patch began to get excited as he wanted to fight in this war but he wanted to fight for what was right and seeing that the north had a noble cause. He looked at Sherman.
"I'm more than happy to say yes." Patch responded. The general nodded as he was determined to see what the young kit was capable of. They would move out in the morning.
[A/N]: Sorry for the long wait as I was in a bit of a writer's block however that wasn't the worse. First day of the month I was in pain as I felt like I had torn out a muscle and wasn't able to write and spent the next few days recovering.
Discord heard their calls and I got what they wanted. Ulysses is now in charge of the campaign of the east. I held a vote and seeing how my most loyal followers so far for the story overwhelmingly voted for Ulysses, I decided to put him in charge. Now let's hope this war will finally turn. That is all for now.
