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Grant in St. Louis
May 5, 1845, St. Louis, Missouri:
Ulysses S. Grant, Second Lieutenant in the United States Army couldn't believe the situation that he'd found himself in. Everyone had expected their assignment to Jefferson Barracks to be a quiet one, and it had been when they got here. Then Joseph Smith had been elected President and things had gone crazy with states trying to leave the Union over slavery. Missouri itself being one of the first. He was indifferent to slavery himself, but he was staunchly a Union man. Some had given up their commissions and sided with the rebels, but Ulysses Grant was no traitor.
That said, he wasn't indifferent to the plight of the people of Missouri. His thoughts of course went to his fiance Julia Dent, the sister of his West Point friend Fred Dent. Her family own slaves and Grant knew the army would not take well to that. He hoped sincerely for her safety in this conflict.
Grant shook his head, he couldn't think about that right now. Brigadier General Kearny had ordered the 4th Infantry and a few other units to secure this city.
Ulysses hadn't wanted to serve in a war, and he'd certainly not expected the war to be like this. Door to door fighting with no way of knowing if a rebel was hiding behind the next corner. All this because that Mormon Prophet had won the White House. In truth he wasn't sure how he felt about Joseph Smith, at the moment none of that really mattered to him. Here he was up on night watch hoping some rebels didn't ambush him. The smell of smoke filling his nose, both from expended gunpowder and the houses and other buildings that were burning in the city. War wasn't supposed to be fought in fields, cities were besieged yes, but something like this... So many of his comrades had already died...
Grant was drawn out of his thoughts by the approach of a Union courier. “Lieutenant Grant? I was asked to deliver this to you, I had a devil of a time finding you in this mess,” the courier said before handing him a letter. He opened it to find that it was from Julia. He had to read it three times to make sure he was seeing what he thought he was.
Julia was breaking off their engagement. Union soldiers had come to their plantation to free their slaves as per President Smith's orders. Her father had tried to resist and had been shot dead, their home ransacked and pillaged. She could no longer love him because he wore the Union uniform, and she never wanted to see him again. Grant crumpled up the letter his heart shattering from grief. The slavery issues didn't matter to him, but he'd lost the woman he loved because of Joseph Smith. Grant knew the preserving the Union was more important than any romance, he would not abandon his post, but when it came to the President he'd made up his mind. He hated Joseph Smith.
Ulysses S. Grant, Second Lieutenant in the United States Army couldn't believe the situation that he'd found himself in. Everyone had expected their assignment to Jefferson Barracks to be a quiet one, and it had been when they got here. Then Joseph Smith had been elected President and things had gone crazy with states trying to leave the Union over slavery. Missouri itself being one of the first. He was indifferent to slavery himself, but he was staunchly a Union man. Some had given up their commissions and sided with the rebels, but Ulysses Grant was no traitor.
That said, he wasn't indifferent to the plight of the people of Missouri. His thoughts of course went to his fiance Julia Dent, the sister of his West Point friend Fred Dent. Her family own slaves and Grant knew the army would not take well to that. He hoped sincerely for her safety in this conflict.
Grant shook his head, he couldn't think about that right now. Brigadier General Kearny had ordered the 4th Infantry and a few other units to secure this city.
Ulysses hadn't wanted to serve in a war, and he'd certainly not expected the war to be like this. Door to door fighting with no way of knowing if a rebel was hiding behind the next corner. All this because that Mormon Prophet had won the White House. In truth he wasn't sure how he felt about Joseph Smith, at the moment none of that really mattered to him. Here he was up on night watch hoping some rebels didn't ambush him. The smell of smoke filling his nose, both from expended gunpowder and the houses and other buildings that were burning in the city. War wasn't supposed to be fought in fields, cities were besieged yes, but something like this... So many of his comrades had already died...
Grant was drawn out of his thoughts by the approach of a Union courier. “Lieutenant Grant? I was asked to deliver this to you, I had a devil of a time finding you in this mess,” the courier said before handing him a letter. He opened it to find that it was from Julia. He had to read it three times to make sure he was seeing what he thought he was.
Julia was breaking off their engagement. Union soldiers had come to their plantation to free their slaves as per President Smith's orders. Her father had tried to resist and had been shot dead, their home ransacked and pillaged. She could no longer love him because he wore the Union uniform, and she never wanted to see him again. Grant crumpled up the letter his heart shattering from grief. The slavery issues didn't matter to him, but he'd lost the woman he loved because of Joseph Smith. Grant knew the preserving the Union was more important than any romance, he would not abandon his post, but when it came to the President he'd made up his mind. He hated Joseph Smith.
- Neshomancer
- Word Count: 510