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Lee's Decision

April 16th, 1861. Petersburg, Virginia

It was a warm Virginia afternoon as a pair of men on horseback made their way across the flat Virginia plains. While it wasn't uncommon to see riders traveling together, these men had stood out in the day with their bright navy blue uniforms. They were men of the United States Army. An Army which unknown to the two men was currently in a state of war with their southern neighbors. These men were from the local Union Army Base, Fort Jefferson near Petersburg Virginia. Fort Jefferson, like many others within the United States, was a new construction as it had been built in the aftermath of the Oregon War to not only help in the protection of the Atlantic coast, but most importantly the capitol of Washington D.C. The main reason why Fort Jefferson was at Petersburg was due to the town being the primary rail hub for Virginia and much of the south, making it a prime target for an assault on both Richmond and Washington. Their mission? To scout out the surrounding area and check and see signs of any dissent. While Virginia had not seceded like many of the other southern states, days earlier reports came in from farmers near the South Carolina border of a large group of men heading into Virginia. The two men had been deployed along with a handful of other cavalry troops to check on such rumors and report back if the mob was made up of citizens or traitors.

"Jim do you really think that we got them Confederates in Virginia? We're too far up North for any of their people to come here. It just don't make sense since not even North Carolina has pledged their allegiance to Toombs. Seems like a bunch of pissed off farmers who want to join Montgomery to me." said the tall blond Yankee riding a few feet back, his name was William Watts.

"Bill I don't think that there are Confederates, I know we got some Confederates." replied the shorter brunette up front, James Garland. "Just think about it for a sec. If these were nothing more than a bunch of farmers then why the hell wouldn't they just go to Richmond and bitch to Letcher like civilized folk? Besides, the reports we got said that they had canons and hundreds of horses. The horses are plausible, but canons? Smells like a bunch of idiot rebels to me."

"So your saying that the Confederates are traitors to the Union? You don't find any sympathies with them at all? Not a single one?" asked Watts nervously. In the past few months it had been rather tense between the men of Fort Jefferson as there was heavy talk of Virginia seceding the Union and joining the rest of Dixie. Such talk wasn't good for the mental health of Watts as he was a man from Pennsylvania surrounded by southerners who could turn against him at any moment. Garland, having been born and raised in Virginia, was of said opposite camp.

"Me, liking those damn rebels? Hell naw! Those rebs are as righteous as a goddamn drunken Jew in church. Anyone who cant accept the results of a fucking election should quit their wining and accept the fact that they live in a democracy. If they wanted to accept permanent leadership so badly they should've stayed in England with their ancestors. Don't get me wrong, I sure as hell never cast a ballot for Lincoln, I was Bell all the way. However just because I don't like the man it doesn't mean I should just turn coat to the nation I was born in. He's the fucking president and we swoar a oath to serve that man. After all two million people elected him for a reason. And don't even get me started on that slavery bullshit. I never once owned a man in my life cause my Pa taught me that real men do their own work. Any slothful rich bastard who owns slaves proves nothing more than the fact that their too goddamn lazy to do their own work, just waving their money in your face like they own the town. Cigars they make from the tobacco tastes like shit anyways."

"But what if Virginia secedes? What will you do then if your own state joins the Confederacy?"

"Now that is an excellent question. Truth be told I'd probably just quit and go get a plot of land, start a little family farm. I'm not going to betray the Union but I don't want to fight against my own brothers anyways. I served my time in Oregon so they can't call me a coward for quitting."

"Yeah I can feel you. This is some crazy times we live in. America's at war against itself, we got a president who ditched office for another country, Lincoln's in office. What's next? Texas going to war with Mexico."

"It's like the Book of Revelations or some- WHOA!!" Yelled Garland who called for his horse to stop. At the same time he motioned Watts to halt with the flick of his right hand.

"What? You see something?" asked Watts. Garland pulls out a pair of binoculars and stares into the distance of what appears to be a rising cloud of smoke a few miles down. After looking into the binoculars for a few minutes, Garland puts them down with a look on his face that is a mix of horror and shock.

"Aw shit! Couldn't be just some fucking Injuns making a campsite. Bill, tell me what you see." Garland then hands the binoculars to his colleague who puts them back into position to check out his partner's worries. At first sight it looks as everything is normal. Just a couple of men sitting around the campfire. However as Watts continued to look around he noticed more men congregated down in the forest. A few became dozens, and dozens became hundreds. Most men had various attire that were fit for living in the Appalachia, some however wore some type of uniform that could all be united by a dark shade of grey.

"It doesn't look like too much. Could just be a bunch of veterans coming together. Don't see artillery yet, several horses though. Maybe if we inch forward and take a closer loo- crap! That's the South Carolina flag. The hell are those fuckers doing up here?"

"I told you. I told you we got Confederates coming. Dammit, should've made a bet over it, could've easily won five bucks."

"Well we can't just stand here. We gotta head back immediately and alert the base! Tell the colonel we got fucking rebels coming."

"Hold your horses there son. Let's think this through. Yes we know that Confederates are coming, but that's yet. We know their coming. We don't know how many of them there are, why they're here. what they want, or how the hell they made it through so easily. Basically we'd be going back and give a report that's nothing more than a single sentence on a sheet of paper. What we need is hard facts. And I got just the idea. Strip!" Garland ordered Watts.

"Fuck no!"

"Not for me you idiot! Take off your uniform and put some of our backup clothes on. We're going to go incognito and get to the bottom of this whole fiasco." Ten minutes later both men, sans their bright blue uniforms, were traveling down the forest and approaching the Confederate camp, their horses having been tide up about half-a-mile away.

"So your idea is to waltz right in their, say hi, and ask them what their battle plan is? We're going to get killed down there!" said a fuming Watts.

"I'm not going to go up to whoever is the enemy commander and just ask him 'Excuse me sir, could you show us your battle plans?' I got more brains then that. All we're going to do is just talk with some of the grunts for a few minutes, get a feel of the situation, and then quietly make our way back to the horses and get the hell out of here. All we need to know is what they're doing and why. We'll leave the planning up to the Colonel. When we do go up there just try and keep your mouth shut and let me do the talking. They won't spill if I got a Yank standing beside me." The two cavalrymen approach the camp where they come across a set of two soldiers setting up a tent. From the similar looks of the two men they could easily be brothers. Garland and Watts walk into the clearing with Watts stepping on a branch, breaking their cover. The noise causes the two men to snap to attention with one of them pointing a pistol at the two who promptly raised their hands up.

"Halt right there. Hands where I can see them. Surrender yourselves in the name of the Confederate States of America!" shouted the larger one of the two.

"Leonard, what the hell are you doing?! We're supposed to be on a secret mission, and how you keep a secret, is NOT TELL THE ENEMY WHO YOU FUCKING ARE!!" yelled the one with the pistol.

"Sorry George, I'm just doing my duty." Leonard responded.

"Easy there fellas, we don't want any trouble. Just passing by to visit some of the folks in Charlotte. Names Jim and this here's my cousin William. We're from Manassas up North."

"Manassas, so you boys Virginia huh?" asked George.

"Damn straight. Born and raised all my life. If you don't mind me asking you guys those Confeddies down below?"

"What's it to you?" asks George again.

"Good Lord! Thank the Christ almighty! I've been praying each and every night since the election for that tyrant Lincoln to get thrown out of office. It seems my prayers have finally been heard. You see I feel for you guys, y'all the real heroes and good ol Bobby Toombs is the true patriot. Not that Lincoln bastard up in the White House no sir! Did Richmond finally vote to leave the Union? Cause it's about damn time!" Both Garland and Watts were curious if such a fact were true as they had been riding for a while and Richmond could've easily been sending signals that they wanted to up and leave.

"Virginia joining good ol Dixie, I wish. No we about to set ourselves on a truly great mission. We going to go to Washington, and we going to take the city back for the people. That way Lincoln will be hanged for his crimes and Toombs, the rightful President, can lead the nation once more and we won't have to secede nothin." said Leonard with a smile on his face. At this George instantly facepalmed and then smacked his brother with said hand.

"You imbecile! Your not supposed to tell any random yahoo about the plan? What have we been trying to do for the past few months? Keep our march secret that's what!"

"But George, it's not like we told nobody. There were plenty of people in North Carolina who supported us in the towns we visited. These two are Virginian anyways, not some Yankee from Pennsylvania." Leonard said with Watts silently gulping. 'Shit, these people are planning an invasion of Washington. They'll take the capitol before anyone can even do something.' Thought Garland.

"Yes, but the people in the towns we saw were all Confederate supporters with our scouts having made sure they got no Yankees on them. These two are just a bunch of random nobodies from the side of the road. Who the hell knows where they're from."George then takes a closer look at Watts. "Say, how come your cuz here's been silent the whole time? Don't you know its impolite to not make some conversation." says George while aiming the pistol closer.

Garland wanting to deescalate the situation, put his hands in the air with false nervousness and came up with an excuse. "Oh Bill over here. He's what you like to call a mute, couldn't talk since he was 2 when Auntie Gloria dropped his poor little head on the side of the road. It doesn't help that he's not very bright either. You'd be lucky if you could get him to understand you for a single minute. Ain't that right Bill?!" Garland says while knocking on his head multiple times to imply that he had a mental disorder. Watts merely nodded along with a dumb smile though on the inside he was wincing from the embarrassment. "Me, I always wanted to join the Confederates since South Carolina seceded. Just never got the chance since I got the farm to take care of. Who's leading you guys anyways. I bet its Bobby Toombs himself isn't it?"

"Nope, its General P.G.T Beauregard. Weird name for a man, PGT, but he sure is smart that's what I tell you. No other man could lead the proud boys of the South Carolina 3rd!" said Leonard while George once more got infuriated.

"Leonard, how damn stupid do you gotta be? While we're at it why don't we just give them our guns and horses, or better yet our rations?! Look I don't know you two and I don't care one bit. Just leave us the hell alone and keep on going South if you know what's good for you. If your real patriots like you say you are, then just wait a couple of months until we get Washington. Then the nation will be the what it rightfully what it once was.

"Okay Gentlemen, pardon the interruptions, we'll just be making our way back to the road and head on South. Good luck on your mission. Make sure to kill some Yanks for me!" Garland and Watts then scurried out of the area as quickly as they could while the two brothers got back to work on the tent. George continually scolding Leonard so loudly for his behavior that they could be heard for a couple of hundred feet. Once they got a short distance away both men breathed a sigh of relief and then collapse on the ground.

"I can't believe it. The rebels, they're going to take Washington. We gotta head back now to the Fort so they can send a message to Washington before its too late!" said Watts.

"Calm down man. It's not the end of the world, we got plenty of time. Thanks to that buffoon down below we now know the basic plan that they're going to take. What we need to do now is wait an hour or two and scout out the rest of the camp to check out their numbers." Garland said to Watts' disappointment. "Yes, yes, I know. It's just that we need to at least know the entirethy of what we're dealing with so that way we know just what kind of force we're dealing with. Once that's done we'll get back to the horses and ride like hell under the moonlight until we get to Jefferson. From there, it's the colonel's mess." After that both men scouted the rest of the camp in secret to find that the enemies forces was being made up of two whole regiments, not enough to take out Washington in peacetime, but enough to takeover the capitol right now which was currently undermanned with several troops spread thin. Once the job was done they made their way to the horses, put on their uniforms, and rode for Fort Jefferson in order to deliver the news.

11:00 P.M Fort Jefferson

Back at Fort Jefferson it was eerily silent for the most part as most of the garrison were currently asleep with those awake either being on guard duty or not tired enough at the moment. Despite the general silence there was still life going on at the fort as some of the soldiers would gather around the campfire and socialize, clean their rifles, write to loved ones, etc. One noticeable light was going on at a small cabin near the center of the fort. Here was the occupancy of the current base commander and one of the highest ranked officers in the Army, Colonel Robert E. Lee. While Lee wasn't much of an insomniac and could go to sleep rather easily from all the times needed during the Oregon War, for one reason or another the man couldn't help staying awake tonight. Perhaps it was the stress of maintaining leadership for the Virginia 2nd, or the fact that the nation was going to hell in a handbasket with word just arriving only a few hours ago that Fort Sumter had surrendered, thereby starting a civil war. There was nothing Lee could do about that however as in his minds he was hundreds of miles away from the enemy and as such could not order his men unless receiving a direct order from the President. Wanting to pass the time, Lee began reading another passage from a book he just bought a few months ago in Richmond, "The Alamo" by William Travis.

The Alamo was a rather detailed memoir of Travis' time at the Alamo leading all the way from his deployment to their with the Texan regulars to the climatic battle that had killed the Mexican dictator Santa Anna and in many ways was able to bring Texas independence. It was a truly remarkable to Lee how this man and so many of his fellow soldiers who would become the founding fathers of Texas managed to win the battle at the end. By all rights they should've lost and the much larger Mexican force wipe them out before the end of the day. From what he read the Alamo truly wasn't too much of a perfect fort and it could've easily been overrun given the right tactics and use of manpower. What made the battle even more interesting was the fact that the Texans had virtually inflicted a 1-5 casualty ratio against the Mexican forces. Lee remembered how a few short years ago when he was superintendent at West Point, that Travis himself had come as a special guest to offer his views of both the battle and his time as head of the Texan Army. Since 1838 the Alamo had become an important part of the curriculum for the West Point cadets as it offered valuable lessons in both siege warfare and assaults on fortified defenses, making the visit even more important. From the short time that Travis was there, Lee didn't hold an impression of a strategic genius that the Texans had circulated so much out of the vast amount of tales of the Alamo. However what did impress Lee was that the man knew how to be an officer and a firm leader to his men with his high charisma and good organizational capabilities. For as it had been proven countless times in history, so long as one has a sound mind and an able leadership, then they shall have the ability to conquer the world. Just look at Alexander the Great for example. The man would've probably been average at West Point nowadays yet only at the age of 30 he had managed to conquer most of the known world.

Still despite how engaging the book was, Lee's mind couldn't help but stare off every now and again over the current state of the Union, in that there was no Union. Soon enough Lee would have to march down south in order to contain the rebellion as he would be forced to command battles where he had to kill fellow Americans. The idea of killing a fellow countryman left a poor taste in Lee's mouth. For in most wars there is a clear Us vs Them with one side emerging as the clear victor, such as how America liberated Quebec and received Oregon only a little more than a decade ago. In civil wars there were no winners, for when it has come to that then the entire nation has lost. Then there was also the issue hanging overhead that Virginia might secede any day soon. For the past thirty years Lee had been a proud patriot and had served all across America to defend the states from threats within and without. Yet could this sense of patriotism overcome loyalty to state? For Lee had also at the same time been a proud Virginian, just as his family had been for generations. Should Virginia secede then Lee would be forced to fight his fellow Virginians and many of his relatives. Lee just didn't know though if he could fight for a cause like Dixie. None of the reasons even mattered to him that much. While it was true that Lee did own slaves he had been wanting to free them for some time now and set his slaves up for a life in the Liberia colony. Even both Mary's (his wife and daughter of the same name) had set up a school in the Custis plantation to teach them how to read and write, though no one knew of it of course as it was illegal unlike Texas. While Lee had been an advocate of State's rights, at the same time he knew that the Federal government should come first as the constitution intended. Even on the issue of Lincoln did Lee find himself disagreeing as while he did not vote for the man (it went to Bell) he was still the president and as such Lee should do his duty to country and serve, just like he did under both Harrison and Webster.

Then there was the issue of fighting for the Confederate cause that would cause him to go against his Yankee friends that he had made during his many years in the Army. Thinking of the matter caused Lee to look at a photo of both him and Mary along with Ulysses and his wife Julie that they had taken while serving in Quebec. Though they had gone their seperate ways since the Quebec tour had ended, both Lee and Grant kept regular correspondence over the years and Lee was even the godfather of his eldest son Fredrick. The other day Lee had received a letter for Grant detailing that he was mobilized as head of the Ohio 1st and was currently stationed near the bank of the Ohio river on the border with Kentucky, most likely in an effort to keep the state in check should they decide to join the Confederacy too. Could Lee really throw away their friendship and fight for Toombs. What if they would be forced into a direct confrontation in open battle and one had to fight the other. How could Lee ever face his godson who he had not seen in years, if Grant were to somehow die in battle. This is why the man hated civil wars, it tore relationships apart and at the end of the day nobody would win. Resolving to sleep on the issue and prepare for tomorrow, Lee put down the book and was just about to make his way towards his bed for the night. Unfortunately for the Colonel he would have to stay awake far longer as two men suddenly barged into his door that would change his life, and the civil war, forever.

"Master Sargent James Garland and Sargent William Watts reporting with an urgent report for the Colonel, Sir!" shouted Garland as both he and Watts snapped to a brisk salute. Both men had noticeably haggard looks on their faces and their uniforms were covered in sweat and dust from the long journey that they had made to the fort. Lee didn't immediately notice however as he was far too annoyed at the breach in protocol.

"Good Lord, do you know what time it is? It's near midnight and yet you barge into my quarters without a single pleasantry or warning and demand an audience. You two have better have a good explanation or else there will be harsh punishment in the morning." said an irritated Lee.

"Sir, it's a matter of security to the state! The Confederates are coming and their on their way to attack Washington any day now." said Watts. This certainly put some adrenaline in Lee's system at the news at the very disturbing report of the rebels making their way to take the capitol. 'Confederates, in Virginia? How is that possible. Their armies should be down in Charleston or at the North Carolina border, not less than a hundred miles from Richmond. What is even more disturbing is that war had just broken a few days ago and with the time to travel through North Carolina, it means that they were planning this all along.' Thought Lee. With an immense amount of worry now converging on Lee, the Colonel motioned the two cavalrymen to sit down at his desk while he gathered his uniform to prepare for what might come.

"Tell me everything you know from when and how you found the Confederates. I want absolutely no details left out, understand." Lee said with the two men nodding. And so for the next twenty minutes the two cavalrymen did just as ordered and spilled on how they had found the camp of South Carolina soldiers early in the day and how they had managed to obtain information from two simpletons that they were on the verge of invading Washington. 'Idiots, soldiers who can't keep a simple plan secret shouldn't be marching in the Army.' The two then told in detail of the enemy encampments. According to their observations their were three, maybe four regiments of men from South Carolina with three battalions of cavalrymen and around 200 canons to bombard the capitol. At the mention of Beauregard leading the charge Lee was certainly surprised. The two men had both served directly under General Scott in the Oregon War and time from time P.G.T would even lend some thoughts on the strategy of the campaign plan. For some reason though the man had an intense vendetta against Lee that the latter could never understood as he always glared at the Virginian when he thought Lee wouldn't notice and would routinely try to make a mockery of Grant for his alcohol habits. At least Lee wouldn't have to be going into battle against a former comrade that he liked.

"Good work you two. The information that we have today will be extremely valuable in defending both Virginia and the capitol from the rebel menace. While I would send you two off for some rest, unfortunately I'll be needing you two as the next few hours will be rather hectic. Go to the officers quarters and wake them up with the news. Spread word around the fort that all men will need to be assembled at the parade ground in an half-hour directly. I don't care if you have to poor a bucket of ice water on some of the men to get them to become awake, just make sure that everyone is present. Am I understood?"

"Yes sir!" both men responded. They then promptly ran out of the cabin and started shouting for the men to wake up and assemble at the parade ground. In the meantime Lee had begun to think of a possible way to counteract Beauregard with his new information. At the moment Lee was only in command of the Virginia 5th, the garrison regiment that belonged to Fort Jefferson. Against Beauregard's force of potentially around 15,000 men it would be sheer suicide to go at it alone. Yet there was one good thing that Beauregard may not have known about if he rushed the deployment of his men. Since South Carolina's secession nearly all states in the nation had been mobilizing their militias to prepare for the coming war. As of right now Virginia had 15,000 men in Richmond waiting around for what action the state would take. Due to his rank and US Army regulations created by the Department of War, Lee could take command of all the Virginia forces and mobilize to meet this new threat. All he had to do now would be to rush a few riders to Richmond as fast as possible and get them to come down south. If they were lucky enough then the Virginia militia could arrive by nightfall and then they could move out on the 18th. However there were two other important factors that no matter what could instantly turn the battle in Lee's favor. The element of surprise that they had against the Confederates who assumed that they were in friendly territory, and the layout of the land that Lee and most of his men had from living in the area for most of their lives. Yet while duty naturally compelled Lee to go and meet the enemy, his heart kept on pulling back. If he were to go out and face Beauregard in battle then he would be plunging Virginia into the war and declare his intentions for the Union. There would be no going back after this.

After getting his uniform together Lee then proceeded to exit his quarter and make his way to the parade grounds. When he arrived there most of the men of the Fort were present or were just arriving as well. Most of them had tired faces on while a good minority looked visibly irritated at the actions of their commander. Yet for all the trouble caused by the sudden order they knew deep down that it was not without reason. While Lee could sometimes be strict in his discipline he was overall a firm and fair commander. Whatever was happening right now had to be of the upmost importance. Lee stepped up onto the small wooden platform directly in front of the grounds along with many of his subordinates who were confused upon the sudden call. After waiting a few minutes until it appeared that most of the Fort was present, Lee motioned to Sargeant Major Green who called the soldiers to attention.

"ATTEN HUT!" Green shouted with the assembled men snapping into salutes. Many of them were rather haphazard though it was generally understandable considering the conditions. Lee cleared his throat and then proceeded to address his men.

"At ease soldiers. Many of you are probably wondering why you are up at this godly hour and of what reason your commanding officer has possibly called you here today. Men I have some rather unfortunate news that while I was planning to share tommorow in the morning, due to recent events cannot be delayed any longer. As of this moment the United States of America is at war."

The announcement caused much commotion within the ranks as the men suddenly began to awaken and shared gossip of who they could possibly be fighting.

"We're at war who the hell could we possibly be fighting?"

"I bet you anything it's those damn Limey scum! Those bastards didn't learn a thing from Crimea and now they want to take Oregon from us."

"It's probably Texas. Those cowboys are sure crazy enough to do such a thing."

"Nah, it's gotta be Spain. We're going to go down there and liberate Cuba from the greasers!"

"ENOUGH!" Lee shouted which gained the attention of the men who fell swiftly silent. "It is not any foreign nation from Europe, the Americas, Asia, or anywhere else across the world who we are fighting. We are in a state of war with ourselves. For earlier today Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina has fallen to the rebel forces who call themselves the Confederacy. Such an act is clearly a provocation of war and as such the armies of the United States shall be mobilized to meet this threat." Talk once again spread among the men as most were southerners who had sympathies for the Confederacy. Before more unnecessary chatting could begin, Lee continued his address. "However, currently we are facing a threat far graver than what is going on in Charleston. For the sanctity of not only Virginia, but Washington itself is at stake. The Confederate States of America has sent a force of four regiments under the command of Brigadier P.G.T Beauregard to take the capitol while the nation lies unaware. As we speak they are violating Virginian territory by marching 20 miles from our current position. At most they will be within the Petersburg area by the morrow. As such we must do our sworn duty as American soldiers and repeal this foe at all costs. For failure to do so will mean the end of America itself."

While the men had been whispering before, they were now loudly conversing among each other as panicked cries spread throughout the ranks. The men of the Virginia 5th didn't really know what to think of the situation as they were shocked upon receiving the news. While yes they had to defend Washington by combating the Confederate forces, the real question is should they. Many of these men, mostly the officers, were slaveowners and as such they could sympathize with the cause of protecting such an institution through rebellion. The Virginians and others from the south felt that it would be morally wrong to fight against their Dixie brethren. The Yankees while dedicated to protecting the capitol, were a minority and as such were afraid to sympathize support with President Lincoln. Had Virginia seceded then it would be more than likely that most of these men would gladly join the Confederate ranks. However Virginia did not secede and as such it was a Union state being invaded by a Confederate force.

Eventually one men had the gall to defy the Colonel and gathered his voice to be heard among the large crowd. "And why should we go out and fight the Confederates?! If anything I say we let them take Washington from Lincoln. The man is nothing but a tyrant who is going to bring ruin to our great nation. As a Virginian I will not fight for a Yankee cause just to liberate slaves. And I will most certainly not fight against my brothers. Robert Toombs did nothing wrong and he is the rightful president!" This little speech actually got some amount of applause from those around him and various chants began to spread for Dixie, Toombs, the South, and whatever the men felt going on about. Before this, Robert E. Lee had his doubts about which side to pick. Now, after hearing such a treasonous speech from one of his own men, he knew which path to take.

"SILENCE!!" Lee shouted shutting up the previously chanting soldiers who now had a fearful look on their faces upon seeing the livid Lee. The Colonel in his command could be said to be a very calm person with little causing him to lash out in anger. The last time such a thing had happened was last summer when an idiotic recruit had been playing with his rifle and misfired, shooting one of his fellow soldiers. Upon seeing the act Lee beat the man with the butt of the rifle he had misfired with and promptly put him in a stockade in the middle of the fort for all to see until his court martial took place. As such the soldiers knew not to mess with Lee.

"Do you spineless wretches possibly hear what your saying. Your advocating treason against the very nation whose uniform you wear. The nation who you took an oath upon to protect. The nation that your forefathers died to create and protect. What would they say now? Seeing such cowards dare legitimize insurrection such as this? What utter disgrace you lot are if you so openly defy the flag which you pledge allegiance to! I know many of you here may not like the policies that Lincoln has pledged. Many of you may own slaves or believe that states rights triumph above all else. Yet while you do have a right to such views under freedom of speech, there is no such right to openly rebel for the sake of said views. For God's sake, the man had not even done a single thing after the election and yet South Carolina had the never to dare commit treason. I'm not saying that you have to like Lincoln or praise his acts. Heck, I did not even vote for the man. Yet no matter what my viewpoints I will still give my life in service to him. For he was democratically elected as the leader of our nation. As soldiers of a democratic republic it is our sworn duty to serve him until his term expires. If you dislike his policies or want to go against him then vote for the opposition or create a protest. Don't start a violent coup to overthrow the nation, showing the same hypocrisy that you spout put him in office. We are a democracy, and in a democracy one side tends to lose a election! Did the North secede when Andrew Jackson was elected twice? Did Massachusetts try to become its own nation when Jefferson won the election? Did the Republicans ever try to create a new nation with their states when Douglas won re-election? NO! For in all of these times the losing party held to the same viewpoints of democracy that our founding fathers held so dear. To have elections where the people are free to chose their own leaders without fear of oppression. Having only one side or view in power is nothing more than an autocracy. Who are we, England?!

Your own state of Virginia has had its sovereign borders violated by rebels who seek to take the capitol. If you will not do it for Lincoln then do it for the defense of your home state. For your families who could fall victim to their wrath. Do it for the nation whose capitol would fall to a hostile force for the second time in its existence. Fourteen years ago, thousands of Americans were fighting for their lives against the British menace in the Battle of Washington D.C. Many of you may even be veterans of the battle. Those hundreds of patriots who lost their lives during that time, gave it so that they could defend the city that is the beacon of democracy and liberty to the people of the world. Yet you would dishonor their sacrifice by letting it fall to a pack of wild dogs? For shame! Never in my life have I been disgraced to call myself an American as now. For if you represent the finest that our nation offers for defense then I say that it is a sorrowful state that it has become." Lee then proceeded to promptly walk himself off the stage. While most of the regiment had thought his was a sign for dismissal, they were suprised instead when Lee drew his sabre and began making a line across the dirt. 'This is either the bravest or stupidest thing I have ever done.' Thought Lee.

At first many of the people had thought the general had gone mad. Yet when Lee continued making the line, several people who had relatives in Texas or knew of the nation started to take notice of what the Colonel was doing. He was copying William Travis and his famous Line in the Sand to the defenders of the Alamo. He was giving them a choice.

Eventually Lee stopped his drawing after creating a line that was a couple dozen feet long. "This here represents a choice. To see whether you are true patriots or cowards that would dare disgrace the uniform. On my side will be assembled the men who will join me and the Virginia militia in the fight against Beauregard tomorrow. On the other shall stay those who do not wish to take up arms against their "brethren". Doing so will allow you to not participate in the battle. However as such you will be dishonorably discharged from the United States Army immediately for failing to live up to call of duty. Chose now or forever hold your peace."

At first the men were silent and still for several minutes. No one knew what to do with what the Colonel was giving them. Eventually two brave souls made a choice and decided to go on the side of the Colonel. It was Garland and Watts, the two men who reported the Confederate approach. Upon seeing some of their comrades join Lee, many more men began to cross the line, deciding that duty to country was more important then fellowship to the Confederacy. After several more minutes the sides were finalized until no one dared to move from either group. To Lee's great relief, most of the regiment had decided to join him and the Union, along with all the officers. The few who did decide to quit were a couple of dozen men on the other side including the heckler who advocated for the Confederacy. The looks on many of their faces indicated that they were starting to regret their choice. However they had done so under their free will and as such had to live with the consequences.

Satisfied with the outcome of his little gamble, Lee turned and faced the loyalist troops. "Men, it is of great pleasure to see you making the right choice and it will be an honor to serve with you on the field of battle. In a minute it is imperative that you return to your quarters and prepare for the coming battle. As of right now the enemy does not know we are coming so we have the element of surprise. However, time is of the essence and as such we must act immediately and without delay. A telegram shall be sent out to Richmond at once to mobilize the men and couriers sent to guide them towards Fort Jefferson. Upon the morrow we set out and meet the enemy in battle. Some of you will not make it back. For those who die however they shall have given their lives in service to country and as such shall be seated at the Lord's right hand side in providence. Good luck and may God save the Union!"