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The Hero of Arlington
The tale of a Union Virginia
Author's Note: Welcome to my first TL on AlternateHistory.com. I have always been interested in history since I was a little child, and the Civil War was one of the first pieces of American history to interest me. So I decided to write my first alternate history on this subject. Thank you and enjoy. :D
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Chapter 1

Fort Sumter, South Carolina
7 April, 1861


Captain Gustavus Fox was walking around the newly manned Fort Sumter the day after his arrival with the 350 troops he brought after convincing Lincoln that holding out would convince the other slave states that defiance would send the message of a strong united union [1]. Under the cover of darkness, his small fleet of ships passed into Charleston harbor undetected. A moment after staring out at the rebel city of Charleston, Fox decided to talk with Anderson.


“Captain Fox, it is wonderful to see these reinforcements, but how has the South reacted to this?” Anderson asked.


“The Confederacy, as far as I know, hasn’t even noticed the reinforcements, but I think we should let them know by making our presence obvious.” replied Fox.


“All that would do is…” Anderson trailed off as his second in command, Abner Doubleday, walked in.


“I overheard Captain Fox’s idea and I believe we should go through with it.” Doubleday proclaimed. “Not only will it show our willingness not to back down from this fort, it will also get this fort defended in case of a Confederate attack on this fort.”


Anger swelled up in Anderson’s face and he screamed, “NO! All that will do is provoke General Beauregard to attack this fort and kill everyone here, along with starting an armed conflict with our Southern brothers that would ruin the North and South. Now, both of you GET OUT!"
After being booted from the commanding officer’s office, Fox felt an urge of sin in his mind. He wanted to eliminate Robert Anderson before he destroyed the US’s hold on Fort Sumter. That night, he snuck into Anderson’s bedroom with rope. Fox tied down Anderson to his bed and put a pillow over his face and suffocated the Major in his sleep. The next day every one at Fort Sumter was in shock as their commanding officer lied dead. Doubleday then took over and went with Fox’s plan, and coming up with one of his own.
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From “The American Story: A History of the United States”
McDonald Publishing, 2011
Chapter 7: The Civil War


The mysterious murder of Major Robert Anderson was a mystery that has eluded historians and investigators to this day, with many rumors floating around as early as the day after his death. Under Anderson’s successor, Abner Doubleday, possibly under the influence of Captain Gustavus Fox, Fort Sumter was geared up for war. After Gustavus Fox’s resupply of the fort, the Confederacy sent an ultimatum to evacuate Fort Sumter. On 12 April, 1861 at approximately five AM in the morning, shots rang from Fort Sumter to the nearby Fort Johnston and Cumming’s Point, setting fire to both instantly. General Pierre “Iron Man” Beauregard [2] was awoken to the screams and gunshots. Scrambling out of his bed, Beauregard stormed out and sent the order to fire on Fort Sumter. For the next five hours, shots rang in Charleston harbor until Fort Sumter was set ablaze. Filled with adrenaline, the Confederate forces stormed Fort Sumter under the orders to kill any living survivors for nearly destroying the innocent city of Charleston. Only 60 men were found alive, excluding Abner Doubleday, who had been found with a broken skull and bullet wounds. Only one piece of information was gathered that day, the rumor that Doubleday had killed Anderson for his pro-slavery sentiment.


The news from Charleston that day sent shockwaves throughout the nation. Pro-secessionist talks in Virginia had ceased due to the horrors of the Confederate massacre of soldiers without trial, causing it to stay in the union. However, that did not stop the secession of Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, Kentucky, enraged by the tale that Doubleday had murdered Kentucky native Robert Anderson, and Missouri [3]. By 1 June, 1861, a total of twelve states and the Arizona Territory had seceded from the United States with claims over the Indian Territory. The Civil War had just begun, but the maelstrom was yet to come.


[1] In OTL, Gustavus Fox was sent to Fort Sumter only to resupply it. In TTL, he was able to convince Lincoln to send troops as well.

[2] Known as P.G.T. Beauregard in OTL

[3] With the murder of pro-slavery Major Robert Anderson sending shockwaves throughout the South, Missouri governor Claiborne Jackson was able to persuade the Missouri General Assembly to secede from the United States with Anderson’s murder as reason.



Below: Map of the Earth on June 1st, 1861 as the Civil War is just beginning

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