"A lot of people want Grant out of his position," America mused aloud one day. He had been in an understandably odd mood since his return from his childhood home, thinking over the events that had transpired. Lincoln hadn't asked, sensing that it was a touchy subject and letting him get his thoughts straight. Yet another quality America liked about his current president.
"It's something they'll have to grin and bear," Lincoln sighed, tapping his pen on the desk. "He's making progress, unlike our last few generals. That's a quality I'm unwilling to give up, no matter the cost."
He paused for a moment, looking over the young Nation's face carefully before continuing hesitantly. "Do you agree with them? Is that why you're asking? I know you're determined not to take sides, and so such…decisive action might alarm you."
The blond hummed slightly to himself, weighing his options ahs he tried to put into words the epiphany that had been mulling over in his mind the past few days.
"I've decided," he announced finally, lacing his fingers in his lap to keep from fidgeting. "I want this to end. And for that to happen…one side needs win. I think you know which side I've picked. But you're still wrong. The Confederacy is not our enemy. Our enemy is this division, and all the corruption that has caused this rift. I'll side with the Union, but I'll take no pleasure in any victories. My objective is to end this war. Nothing more and nothing less."
Lincoln was silent for a moment, his hand grasping the pen still as he sat in obvious thought. "I couldn't have said it better myself," he commended at last, smiling brightly at his Nation.
For the first time it was seemed like decades, America found himself truly able to smile back.
"[We] must make old and young, rich and poor feel the hard hand of war…We have devoured the land…All the people retire before us and desolation is behind. To realize what war is one should follow our tracks."
~ General William Tecumseh Sherman
Destruction. That was the only word to come to mind when America saw the miles of blackened ground. Burned, empty, and eerie beyond words. A shudder ran down America's spine as he thought of the ghost stories England had told him as a child. If there were ever a ghost town, this was it. These were it.
Total war had seemed sensible in theory when Sherman had explained it to him. Appropriate or destroy everything that might help the enemy continue to fight. Logical, yes. Such a detached phrase, with so many possibilities.
That was part of why America had asked Lincoln to let him come and join up with Sherman, if only for a little while. Lincoln had been reluctant, but the blond had persevered. He wanted to see the aftermath with his own eyes. The aftermath of all the battles, the battles he had been turning a blind eye to. Four weeks, he had finally been allowed, though his president still seemed wary. He had made Sherman promise to do everything in his power to keep America out of harm's way. Sherman had replied he would do everything he could without inhibiting the troops. And Lincoln had agreed reluctantly.
And here he was, standing amid the destruction, feeling dwarfed by its magnitude. But oddly enough, he was glad, so terribly relieved that there hadn't been extensive causalities. Not like the battles Grant had been busy with, those Lincoln had forbidden him to visit. The ground was covered in soot, not blood. Black. Such a wonderful change from red.
And the reaction's of the blacks were inspiring. They were so indescribably happy, running to meet Sherman's troops and eager to help in the burning. It made an odd lightness tingle at the young Nation's heart, a phenomenon he had not felt in ages. Not since this whole war had started.
"They pray and shout and mix up my name with Moses," Sherman had explained with a sheepish laugh. Surely such a profoundly praised undertaking could not be all bad. Surely, they were not entirely in the wrong for doing this, not entirely evil or bad.
Though the voices in America's head claimed otherwise.
"Stealing our slaves, just as you've stolen everything from us."
"Ungrateful beasts…how dare they!"
"Taking our food, food from children and mothers."
"How do you justify this?"
"How can you pick a side?"
"Unfair…"
They were a harsh torrent, constantly springing up whenever he let his guard down, and raising doubts. Fears. If only America could feel half the conviction he had spoken with back in the office with Lincoln. If only…
"Grin and bear." Lincoln's smile. Encouraging. "I couldn't have said it better myself."
The first part became his mantra, repeated over and over in his mind as he tried to occupy himself with pleasant thoughts. It would all be over soon enough. This whole blasted affair. And then the slow process of healing would be begin, and it would be okay.
But more than the blackness around him, his stiff legs served as a reminder of the things were not resolved yet. Every time his crutches hit into a hard spot, or skidded too quickly amid the dust, he was reminded that the end was still to come.
Historical Notes: Grant's strategy was to attack Lee and try and capture Richmond, while General William Tecumseh Sherman would move from Chattanooga towards Atlanta, Georgia. The two would meet in a pincer-like movement, crushing all resistance in their way. Early in May 1864, they began operations. Grant marched directly into the tangled wilderness south of the Rappahannock, where Hooker had been defeated a year earlier.
Having only 60,000 men, Lee forced the battle in the roughest possible country, where grant found it difficult to make efficient use of his larger force. For two days (May 5-6) the Battle of the Wilderness raged. When it was over the North had sustained another 18,000 causalities, far more than the Confederacy, but grant did not fall back. Instead he moved his troops to the southeast, attempting to outflank the Confederates. Guessing his intent, Lee rushed his men southeastward and placed them behind hastily made earthworks in key positions around Spotsylvania Court House. Grant attacked. Five days later, the Union army lost another 12,000 men, while the Confederate lines were still intact.
Grant realized that the only way to win the war was to wear down the South. Northern losses of men and equipment were replaceable; Southern ones were not. Many were critical of the cost, but Grant was determined. Again he pressed southeastward, attacked the Confederate's strong defenses at Cold Harbor, 9 miles from Richmond. It was a foolish and one-sided battle, akin to that of General Pakenham's attack on Andrew Jackson's forces outside New Orleans back in 1815. Nothing was gained for the large Union cost. The numbers were piling up, 60,000 causalities in less than a month. Northerners were dismayed, demanding "Butcher" Grant be removed from command. But Lincoln held firm, because despite the cost, Grant was making progress. The Southern forces were dwindling.
Grant next attacked south of the James River towards Petersburg, Lee's troops rushing to that city to stop him. Both sides constructed complicated lines of trenches, running for miles in a great arc south of Petersburg. Methodically, Union forces extended their lines, trying to weaken the Confederates and cut of the supply trains for Lee's troops and the city of Richmond. Grant could not overwhelm his opposition, but by late June, Lee was pinned. Moving again would mean having to abandon Richmond, and—more importantly—surrender, in Southern eyes.
In the summer of 1864, the North was in a pessimistic mood. Grant was making little progress with Lee's forces, and General Sherman in Georgia was inching tediously forward against Confederate Joseph E. Johnston's troops. When Sherman tried a direct assault at Kennesaw Mountain on June 27 he was thrown back with heavy causalities. In July Confederate raiders under General Jubal Early dashed suddenly across the Potomac from the Shenandoah Valley to within 5 miles of Washington before being turned back. A draft call for 500,000 additional men did not help the Union's morale. In June, Lincoln was renominated on the National Union ticket, with Tennessee Unionist Andrew Johnson, a former Democrat, as his running mate. He faced opposition from both the Democrats, who nominated General McClelland with a policy of peace at any price, and from the Radical Republicans, who supported Secretary of Treasury Chase over him.
On September 2, General Sherman's army fought its way into Atlanta. When Confederates countered by sending troops northward towards Tennessee—(this force was crushed before Nashville in December by a Union army under General George Thomas)—Sherman did not follow. Instead he abandoned his communications with Chattanooga and marched unopposed through Georgia, "from Atlanta to the sea." Sherman was like Grant in a lot of ways, the two very close friends. "He stood by me when I was crazy," Sherman said of Grant, "and I stood by him when he was drunk." But Sherman believed in total war—destroying or taking possession of everything useful to the enemy.
The march through Georgia had many objectives: conquering territory, destruction of southern resources, and psychological intimidation. It left a path of "desolation" behind it, proving the Union had the power to march an army straight through the South, more or less unopposed. Blacks flocked to the invaders by the thousands—women, men, and children—cheering and praising Sherman. His victories staggered the Confederacy and anti-Lincoln forces in the North. In November 1864, the president was easily reelected, 212 electoral votes to 21.
Sherman entered Savannah on December 22, having destroyed a 60 mile wide strip of Georgia. Early in January 1865, he marched northward, leaving behind "a broad black streak of ruin and desolation—the fences all gone; lonesome smoke-stacks, surrounded by dark heaps of ashes and cinders, marking the spots where human habitations had stood." In February, he captured Columbia, South Carolina. Shortly after they reached North Carolina, advancing relentlessly. Each day, back in Virginia, Grant's vice grew tighter whilst Confederate lines became thinner and more ragged.
Sorry this is so late. Last weekend was busy with prom and birthday stuffs which will continue into this weekend, and family stuff for mother's Day, and my English research paper…and my DBQ for History, which we've gotten started on. Still trying to decide on a topic for that. I want to do something with Japan…but since it has to relate to American History, I was thinking either the internment or the bombings. Any other ideas? Too many topics in the world…
Not proofread --' Too tired...will do tomorrow sometime. I just want to get this up since it's been forever...
just another fma fan: Glad you enjoyed it ^^ Just so happened that you requested more filler right before this happened, as I've been planning it for awhile. But I suppose it isn't really filler if it relates…oh well.
I'm glad you think Russia came off well :] I'm still not quite happy with how he turned out in that chapter…but he's just so difficult to write.
I feel rather dumb asking this but…what exactly is Children's Day? I keep hearing of it, but I've never gotten around to looking into it.
Happy Cinco de Mayo…as I took Spanish for four years. I'm now in Italian but I don't think they have a holiday on the 5th of May, that I can think of. Thank you for the review ^^
PS: Sleep is a very good thing. I think I need to be getting more of it --'