The Civil War (2)
The Montgomery Capitol, the temporary capital of the Confederate States of America.
The standard-bearers of liberty, bound by their devotion to the South, were supposed to unite as one body to confront the North for the sake of their homeland...
“Come now, we must listen to the opinions of experts on matters like this.”
“And who is it that brought the information those experts are using to judge, if not me!”
...But the reality was not so simple.
Alexander Stephens, the newly elected interim Vice President, rubbed his forehead with a thin, dry hand.
“Gentlemen, please calm yourselves. We have a nation to manage from this moment forward. Before Lincoln takes office, we must formally send a delegation to Washington! We must demand the peaceful transfer of federal assets and legally secure our independence...”
“Negotiation? Did you say negotiation!”
Robert Toombs, a radical from Georgia now serving as the Confederate Secretary of State, roared as he heaved his massive frame up from his chair.
“Vice President Stephens! With whom are you suggesting we negotiate? That man Lincoln? Or Douglas, who betrayed us and became Lincoln’s dog! They have labeled us traitors. Where in the world is there a government that negotiates with those who call them traitors!”
“Secretary Toombs is correct.”
The eyes of the entire room converged on one man.
John C. Breckinridge, the first former President of the United States to be impeached in history.
He was sifting through a stack of documents with the relaxed air of a man who still owned the White House.
Davis, watching the scene, narrowed his eyes slightly.
That. That was the problem.
The top-secret federal military intelligence he had stolen from the White House.
“Vice President Stephens, it seems you still think of them as gentlemen.”
Breckinridge tossed a single document onto the table.
“This is the content of the secret pact between Douglas and Lincoln. The moment we made our move, they were prepared to vacate the Southern seats in the Senate and impeach me. They must have thought we would stop at a mere declaration of secession.”
He looked around the room and added,
“But we were faster than them. Lincoln is nothing more than an electee who cannot lift a finger until March 4th. Douglas is legally the acting President, but politically, he is a corpse with zero votes. Washington right now is like a lion with its head cut off.”
His logic was ironclad, and the weight of those documents made it impossible for anyone to refute him.
“If we waste time on things like negotiations during this golden time, we are only buying Lincoln time to reorganize. We must immediately neutralize all federal forts within our territory and capture Fort Sumter in Charleston to show Europe our resolve.”
In the end, the heated debate tilted toward a preemptive strike.
Strike Fort Sumter before the North could regroup to secure a favorable turn in the war.
President Jefferson Davis pressed his throbbing temples.
As a West Point graduate and former Secretary of War, he did not care for the impulsive war-mongering of these agitators, but he could not ignore the weight of the intelligence Breckinridge had stolen.
Of course, he did not disagree with the preemptive strike itself.
But what were they going to do if they based their entire strategy on this intelligence, only for it to become useless later?
“...Very well. I will leave the timing of the strike to General Beauregard. More urgent than that is the formation of the cabinet.”
Regardless, he had no choice but to rely on the power of that information for now.
“Comrade Breckinridge. Your intelligence and your experience as a former President are the most powerful weapons of our Confederacy. I had hoped you would take the position of staff at the newly established Intelligence Bureau...”
Breckinridge chuckled and shook his head.
“Director of the Intelligence Bureau? President Davis. Are you trying to use me as a mere spy?”
“That is not what I meant...”
“I do not want a position that collects information; I want a position that utilizes it. What was the charge Lincoln used to try to impeach me? It was the act of treason for attempting to transfer federal weapons to the South.”
“Hmm...”
“I must finish that act of treason. Give me the position of Secretary of War.”
Davis’s complexion turned cold.
Secretary of War, not an intelligence advisor.
He was being asked to hand over the core position overseeing the military power of a nascent nation to this Kentucky politician?
However, the hardliners, including Toombs and Yancey, all stood up in support of Breckinridge.
“He is right! He is the right man to complete the President’s plan to transfer weapons!”
“To have a former President take charge of the military himself—there could be nothing more reassuring!”
Davis bit his lip.
If he were to persecute a former President who had rendered such immense service, the cabinet would be divided from the very start.
“...Very well. Considering your contributions, you should be able to handle the position of Secretary of War.”
Breckinridge sat down with a satisfied smile.
To think that two Presidents were sitting in the same meeting room.
Davis suppressed his displeasure and moved to the next agenda item.
“Then we must hurry with the appointments for the military command.”
He unfolded a list. They were the elite from the federal army whom he trusted most.
“First, if Fort Sumter falls and the war begins in earnest, I will appoint Samuel Cooper, a master of administration and a former senior general of the federal army, as the senior general of the army. Next, I will entrust the Western Front to Albert Sidney Johnston, whom I trust most. General Joseph E. Johnston and General P. G. T. Beauregard of Charleston will also be the core of our military. And finally...”
Davis spoke the name of the talent he had been eyeing since the war broke out.
“As soon as Virginia joins, I will promote Colonel Robert E. Lee to General. These men will be the five generals of our army, so I hope everyone keeps this in mind and provides them with unstinting support...”
Just as everyone in the room was nodding at the weight of those names,
“I object.”
Once again, the voice of the new Secretary of War, Breckinridge, echoed through the room.
“Cooper, Johnston, Beauregard. All excellent. But... did you say Robert Lee?”
“That is correct.”
“Robert Lee has not even joined us yet. You intend to appoint a man who hasn’t even taken off his federal uniform as a General of our Confederacy? President Davis, isn’t this a bit too blatant a case of ‘Virginia favoritism’?”
Ha... damn it.
The thought crossed Jefferson Davis’s mind that it would have been better if that man had just been caught in the North.
If that had happened, he could have at least packaged him as a martyr.
Honestly, it was infuriating.
“The South has attacked Fort Sumter.”
“It is said that the army led by Brigadier General Beauregard, who joined the South following Louisiana, has completely surrounded Fort Sumter. Major Robert Anderson is sending requests for rescue, stating that resistance is impossible if he cannot receive supplies.”
Had it finally begun?
No, to be precise, it would be more accurate to say that what was bound to explode had finally exploded.
Unlike Douglas, who was agonizing, Lincoln nodded calmly, mentally sketching the approximate current war situation of the United States.
“Mr. Chairman, the Republican Party interprets this as a declaration of war by the South and suggests an immediate response.”
“Is there no room for negotiation?”
“No. Their intentions are clear. It is a scheme to deal as much damage to the North as possible before my term begins, to gain even a slightly more advantageous position.”
“I agree. We can no longer hesitate.”
“However, I hope we can reach an agreement on the appointment of commanders in advance. I will not replace the personnel decided upon this time, even after I assume the presidency.”
In fact, the South, having started the war now, must be hoping that the North is suffering from headaches over personnel issues.
Douglas, who is temporarily acting as President, would surely want to staff the military command with those close to the Northern Democratic Party.
But if Lincoln, a Republican, takes power, there is a high possibility that they will all be replaced, which would naturally affect the morale of the Northern army.
Lincoln knew this, so there was no reason for him to fall for their trap.
The advice of James Seuret, who had foreseen this situation, also certainly had an influence.
‘Do not trust the man who is touted as the next Napoleon or the young Napoleon, whoever is pushed forward as commander-in-chief first. If you do not appoint a real soldier, not a political soldier, as commander, the war might drag on for years.’
Certainly, avoiding civil war is the best policy, but if it has started, ending it in the shortest time possible is the lesser of two evils.
“Chairman Douglas, regardless of other things, how about we appoint the commander-in-chief based solely on ability and qualifications, leaving political relations aside? I think someone active and who prefers the offensive is more suitable than someone defensive and overly cautious.”
“What is the reason?”
“Because the South’s goal is to drag things out. If we make someone too cautious the commander, there is a concern that the war will drag on endlessly.”
“...That is certainly a valid point. However, if I really appoint them by agreement between both sides, will you not dismiss them even when the President-elect’s term begins?”
“If they commit a massive blunder or lose consecutive major battles, I won’t have a choice. But since they are appointed by the agreement of both parties, I will never replace them without cause.”
This proposal was certainly one that Douglas could never refuse.
If the commanders he appointed finished their terms safely, he would save face, and above all, he could appeal that the Northern Democratic Party had done a great service in ending this civil war.
“Then who do you have in mind?”
“Actually, even if I say this, I don’t know who is suitable yet. For now, why don’t we put generals with good reputations in temporary positions, watch the situation for about two months, and then coordinate the final appointments before you step down, Chairman Douglas?”
It was a near-perfect mediation proposal, so Douglas had no reason to refuse.
“The President-elect really does wish to end this civil war quickly rather than pursue party interests. If you are willing to go that far, I have no choice but to go along with it.”
On one side, suffocating tension; on the other, cooperation for a swift end to the war.
It felt like he was getting a head start, but Lincoln did not let his guard down.
In the end, war was a demon’s playground, more full of variables than a gambling den.
If the war were to begin, he needed one more trump card to chill their bones.
And fortunately, he still had one secret weapon that he hadn’t revealed to anyone.
‘Seuret, I’m counting on you.’
He had said he would completely flip the South from behind, but even if he failed, there would be no blowback to him, so there was no reason to hesitate.
What if the South was flipped as he boasted?
Then he would have to give him what he wanted.
Honestly, he didn’t know what kind of results it would bring, but he was ready to keep his promise.
“Everyone, the more we fight this war, the more we must pay attention to the defense of our rear.”
“Haha, Seuret. I understand your intention, but since this war started with our preemptive strike, they will have no choice but to be dragged around by us for a while.”
“No. I have heard that suspicious movements are being detected all over the South. It might be that the Northern bastards are conducting sabotage from behind.”
“Hmm... is it the work of John Brown? I will tell the Secretary about it for now.”
“Aaaaaah! Really, I clearly warned you. If something happens, I really don’t know anything.”
“This man worries too much. Don’t worry, they will surely be unable to come to their senses from our attack.”
Yes, yes, I’m sure you’re right.
You’ve already scrambled to gather troops and landed a preemptive blow, so if you had troops to spare for the provinces, that would be the real problem.
But if an uprising truly occurs, shouldn’t I make sure I have an escape route prepared in advance?
I need to do thorough groundwork so that my graduates, whom I’ve spread to the corners of the South, aren’t blamed as the masterminds of this uprising.
So, everything that happens from now on is the fault of the infidels in the South who did not listen to the prophet’s warning.
I clearly warned you!