Lincoln's Surrender

You have more than enough plausibility feedback, so I hope you won't mind if I approach from another angle.

I've enjoyed this chapter and the character of Benjamin and Davis, but it feels a little sparse for so literary a timeline. It's very dialogue heavy, and having more description of the space around them will make the writing more immersive. Body language is a great start, but description and memory will strength the story a thousandfold.

It might suit you to vary your narrator a bit -- this narrator seemed little more than a Confederate version of your last chapter's narrator. Even his writing style was almost identical. You might consider varying your language from character to character. You might try writing a greater variety of characters, or sticking to one POV with your first narrator.

I liked the first paragraph about the narrator's upbringing and his father, but once the "real" characters entered, the narrator seemed to disappear. That's something I might try to avoid. We can't lose sight of who the story is coming from. Even an outside observer like Nick in the Great Gatsby must always be present in the story so as to anchor our attention. By making sure we're always aware of the narrator's presence and his perspective, you make the story mode cinematic and the imagery more vivid. Your sentences are the camera, and if you don't describe the shot, we don't see it. Information will come from outside, but your narrator's perspective will add color and make us care about what's happening.

I'm happy to see a timeline with less stickling attention to the gritty historical details, but you might want to compensate with more atmospheric details that enrich our sense of the story and the narrator.

Thank you so much! Well received.
 

jahenders

Banned
Given the numerical disparities, coupled with the fact that DC is on a river, it's going to be VERY hard for the CSA to fully surround DC in such a way that no one can get in or out and still be able to repel whatever relief forces are sent.

As far as Sedan, what was the strength comparison between the French and Prussians? It's VERY unlikely that the CSA could ever enjoy a similar comparison.

That being said, his security forces could probably have gotten Lincoln out if things were going poorly.

How?
Suppose that ANV captures Maryland, liberates Baltimore etc. - and Washington DC is under siege.
Washington is fortified. But so was Sedan.

How likely would it be for Washington DC to fall in a few days after investment, like Sedan?
 
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