//------------------------------// // Chapter Eleven // Story: North and South // by Tempest Wind //------------------------------// August 28th and 29th, 1861 =#===#= Staunton was once more under siege from a numerically superior Rebel Force, as Generals Charm and Wind wearily looked over their war-map of the region, as well as the attached cavalry scouting reports that Spring Rain had submitted. Outnumbered over two to one, with a combined force of fourteen thousand against a large rebel combined force of forty-one or so thousand, the Royal Army's Right flank was not looking particularly stable or tenable.  And yet, "If we can hold on for at least the day, there's supposedly reinforcement marching from up North, from towards Coltago." Charm began quietly, folding away her spectacles to give her weary eyes a rest, as the tent's lamp began to burn low in the misty pre-dawn. The aging general gave her forehead a rub with a Hoof, trying to will the headache away. "That's a big if," Wind began, equally worn down, as she rolled a cigar idly between her teeth. "Do we know how far to the North, other than, 'sometime tomorrow', at all?" "No." Charm began, shaking her head. "Just guesswork. At best, if they force a March and there's a train waiting for them at Grafton or Wheeling, and then the line's totally clear, they could be here late this evening. At worst, it could be a couple days. By which point, of course, we'll have been swept up from Staunton and probably back over the Potomac." "Mhn. Well," Wind drawled, deigning to light her cigar with a match. "We can probably hold for the day, at least. It'll take Johnny Reb a few hours to bring their Brigades on-line I figure, and March up the canal." "True." Charm nodded, snout creasing slightly at the cigar smoke, but otherwise not commenting on her fellow general's habits. "Then they'll have to actually cross the canal under fire. We've got Crescent Moon's Corps in front of us based on the flags, he'll want to take time to draw up his whole Corps before he decides to come and push us off the canal." "All respect Gen'ral;" Wind retorted softly, her Fillyseean twang giving a thick weight to her words, "he won't need his whole Corps. He figures that out, he'll just send whatever half shows up first and make us move, like at the cadet school last week." "You're not wrong, Wind." Charm nodded, after giving the warning fair consideration. "But I think we can use that, too. If Moon just throws whatever he feels like at us instead of forming on-line, well, we should be able to hold them off so long as the ammo is good. And Moon's particularly slow to put all his folks on-line." "Beats runnin' back up to th' Ferry with our tails tucked." The younger general groused, puffing away on her cigar gamely. "We'll hold the day, and figure it out from there?" Lightning nodded, tapping a hoof idly against the map as she replaced her spectacles. "We'll hold for the day, and figure out our situation from there." =#===#= As was quickly becoming traditional, cannonade opened up the temo of the latest battle for Staunton. Rebel cannons - a hodgepodge of Parrot Guns, Ordnance Rifles, and older Neighpoleon Guns - rang out from hilltops opposing the canal, over at the Rutledge Hills. The Southern guns blared, as Cheerilee's two twelve pounder field gun batteries and Wood's two thirty pounder Parrots responded in kind, sending shells roaring across the canal, whilst infantry on both sides laid low in place, trying not to be intersected by wayward shells or shrapnel.  The first Confederate Brigades began probing the Royalist line as the artillery began to peter out, about twenty minutes after their beginning - likely due to munitions concerns. The infantry marched directly up to the canal - at which point the Royalists stood and began peppering the advancing Rebels with their mixture of Whinnyworthe, Maresissippis, and Sharps rifles from the regulars, and Steedfield rifles from Tempest's finally reasonably armed veteran militia.  The Confederates stood firm in the face of the Royal troops' firepower and started returning rifle fire themselves, as minie balls began to fly back and forth like angry hornets, smoke clouds expelling out of the ends of rifles and filling the sky with the acrid smell of black powder and the coppery scent of fresh blood, as musket balls found targets and bodies began to drop.  The rebel infantry began their first withdrawal a few minutes later, not broken but clearly uninterested in sitting around and taking obscene levels of casualties as the Royalists used their hastily dug barricades to good effect of cover. =//[]\\= Major Cloud Jet, standing next to Colonel Shimmer of the Regular Corps, mopped a hoofkerchief across her brow, already feeling the heat of the exceedingly warm Virginia day. "Think they'll come again soon?" She questioned, gazing over to her regularly uniformed counterpart, who shrugged and lit up a small, wooden tobacco pipe. "Don't rightly figure they'll just leave." Sunset hummed, after a moment's consideration. "We've probably just gotten their dander up now. They'll be back in short order, question's really whether or not they've got friends yet or if they're still forming lines." "Well, whatever they decide to do, We've got the ammunition for it." Major Jet hummed, nodding down their line as small boxes of paper cartridges were doled out to the resting troops. "For now, sure." Sunset nodded. "But I'd still be sparing as you can. Fifty odd cartridges plus whatever reserve we can scrounge up isn't going to last all day." "No. They won't." Cloud agreed, rubbing her hoofkerchief across her face once more.  Damned heat. =//[]\\= The rebels came back about an hour or so later, with another fresh Division of troops in the vanguard, followed by whatever division had initially skirmished at the canal. Colonel Starry Night's section of the line was being pushed upon next, as her Sharps Rifles let out a withering rate of fire at the advancing Rebels. For their part, the Rebels made it up to the creek, and then made use of a shallow divot on their end of the canal - probably a wagon or cart track with a squat stone guiding fence - to crouch and lay prone, as they slowly but more safely returned fire. Starry swore beneath her breath and waved over her runner, who dipped and ducked their way across the firing line and over to the Colonel's position. "Colonel Night, ma'am!" He reported, sliding down next to the unicorn mare. "Corporal!" Starry began with a bark, as rifle shots whizzed overhead of the two. "Send my compliments back to General Charm! Advise, I need the artillery Guns to dislodge these entrenched Rebels to my front, along that wagon track dip on the South Bank!" "Understood, ma'am! Compliments to the General, need the guns to dislodge our forward rebels!" The corporal repeated with a nod. "Good stallion. Go." And with a snappy salute, he was off, headed back behind the line and towards Charm's Command line. =[]= Fireball Blast's thirty pounder guns hissed hot steam from their menacing black maps, shortly before a worm was rammed down the barrel and tugged free, yanking blazing embers along with it. A wet sponge followed the worm, leaving the massive parrot gun hissing again but properly doused and ready to load. Major Blast watched her crews with a practiced eye, as one of Spring Rain's cavalry fliers flittered over, the Sergeant snapping off a quick salute to the unicorn major. "General Charm's compliments, Major! General wants your guns adjusted to fire south of the canal and into the wagon track in front of Colonel Night's position, if practical!" Blast returned the salute, waiting until after the second battery's guns sounded out a roll of round shot at the rebel infantry to give her reply. "I'll see what I can make happen, Sergeant. Advise General Charm it won't be easy shooting, I won't know its efficacy until I have shells flying." "I shall advise the General. At your leave, Major?" "As you were Sergeant." Fireball nodded, sharply returning his salute before turning to address her gun crews. “All guns, all guns!” She barked, drawing their attention as she began to speak to the colts and fillies running her large bore guns. “Adjust ranging out to…” She trailed off with a pause, gazing out at the field through a pair of field glasses. “Adjust ranging, eight hundred and twenty yards! Give me a ranging shot of round with fuse at… let’s start with seventeen seconds if you would!” =//[]\\= Starry swore again, as the first shot from whatever red-leg’s batter was assigned to her line landed far ahead of the rebels to her front, sailing off over their low-slung heads as the two infantry formations continued to trade rifle fire. The second shot, a couple moments later, landed perilously short - actually splashing into the canal, and sending filthy water all over the damned place.  Her troops kept up their rifle fire regardless, albeit at a slightly slower rate than their Sharps rifles could manage so as to conserve their munitions as the rebels - still dug in for the time being on their divot - shot back in return. The unicorn officer grimaced as a third shell - hopefully just ranging shots - smashed directly through her ramparts - and really hopefully not causing a glut of casualties - and shook her head disparagingly. “If I survive this shit I’m going back to my farm and staying there.” A few moments later though, Starry considered eating her words - and her hat - as a fourth shot finally - and wonderfully - smashed directly through the low stone fence covering the divot, careening into the confederate forces that had been taking cover behind it. “Oh. Shit.” =//[]\\= “There, there’s my fucking fuse length.” Fireball hissed, beneath her breath as she exhaled a breath she hadn’t known she was holding. Dropping her field glasses to hang around her neck, she spun and gave snappy orders to her gun crews. “Give me a full spread of case, keep that twelve second timer and maintain elevation and ranging! We’ve got the bastards now!” The Major belted out, taking a moment to drink a swig of water from her canteen. “Fire until I can’t see the bastards anymore!” =//[]\\= “Damn, look at that over there.” Sunset whistled, having freshly lit her pipe again with more tobacco, and gesturing for Major Jet to follow her pointed hoof. The two had moved over to the center of their position to discuss ammunition concerns when Blast’s battery finally found it’s mark, and began to liberally spray the wagon divot with the molten steel of angry case shot as the munitions shrapnelled outwards and into the currently prone and easily targeted rebels. The Colonel and the Major watched as the Rebels decided not to subject themselves to the withering barrage for much longer, and stood up, quitting the field and retreating from the divot.  After watching the retreat for a moment as the Unicorn of the pair puffed away on her pipe, Cloud Jet retrieved her pocket watch, checking the time in reference to the slowly setting sun. “Mm. ‘bout four in the afternoon. They could bring up another attack if they wanted, they’ve still got a couple hours before dusk.” “Don’t think they will, Major?” Shimmer prodded idly, giving the pegasus mare a side eye as she watched the rebels withdraw under withering fire from Starry’s rifles and Blast’s cannonades.  “They could, but honestly? I think they’ll just mass up for a big attack first thing in the morning. We kicked their teeth in today, and they’ll be sore about that until first light I reckon.” “Unfortunately Major,” Sunset frowned from around her pipe, watching intently as the last few rebels left the field, “I feel that you are correct.” ===#=== Flurry Heart blinked repeatedly as she crunched her teeth on a few unground coffee beans, whilst her division marched along ahead of her. She herself was surrounded by her staff officers, who all looked equally exhausted as she felt, and likely were. It was getting late in the evening - near to nine at night - but the Army of Coltago showed no signs of stopping. Moondancer’s orders had been clear to all her divisional commanders: The Royal right flank was being threatened by a comparatively large rebel army, and the Army of the Coltago’s first field duty would be to relieve the flank.  The troops were weary, and fall-outs were definitely happening. Thankfully, her hospital wagons were following close behind, as the army kept up its blistering pace despite grumbling and exhaustion from the troops. If the right flank collapsed at Staunton, the entire Shenandoah River Valley would be opened up to rebel maneuver, and Luna’s Army of Equestria could then be dislodged. So on into the night Flurry Heart and her division marched. They were slated to stop marching at around three in the morning, take a few hours’ rest on the roadside - no time for camps or bivouac - and then they’d be on the march again at seven, so that Staunton could hopefully be relieved by at least midday.  Hopefully they could hold on for that long. =#===#= “Can’t sleep?” Twilight Sparkle shook her head, staring out at the railway line leading southwards out of Alexandria. There was a whole Confederate Corps down there, somewhere, keeping her and Trixie’s troops from moving off to reinforce Charm’s crumbling flank.  The young princess gave an exhausted gaze over at Luna, as the elder alicorn sat down next to the younger. “Nor can you, apparently.” Twilight nodded, offering a cup of long cold coffee to the Princess of the night. Luna shook her head in negative, leaving Twilight to retain her cup. She took a shallow sip of the bitter brew. “Nay, we are a nocturnal sort on the regular, though this war has already begun changing such habits. Which is… more the pity, we believe.” “Mnh.” “Thou- You are troubled, Twilight.” It wasn’t a question. “More than I should be, probably. I wasn’t expecting the rebels to hit our right with such a large force, considering what we have in front of us, out there somewhere.”  “Mnh.” Luna nodded, solemnly. “It’s a valid fear though, Twilight. Behind us lay our homes. Our ponies. Our families. We must stand and defend them, even if it costs us deeply to do so. But we can only do our best.” “And if our best isn’t enough, Luna? What then? What do we do after that?” “Then we do what we can, Twilight. And we keep doing what we can, until we cannot.” Luna sighed, wearily removing her campaign hat to run a hoof across her face. Her light blue mane fluttered in its invisible and ethereal breeze, as she rested the campaign hat down in her lap. “But how? How are you so… so calm? I’m- I’ll be honest with you I’m not sleeping because I’m afraid, I-” “We know, Twilight Sparkle. Luna raised her hoof to halt the stressed lavender alicorn. “We are the Princess of the Night - as well as of Dreams. We are… doing what we can to soothe such aspects of our subjects’ nights. It is an uphill battle these days, I am afraid. You do not have to explain yourself to me, my friend.” “I… I’m sorry, Luna. I don’t know what just came over me, I-” “Be not sorry, Twilight my dear friend. We all do what we can do. No more, and no less. For some, that is different than for their peers. You have done things for me and my sister that I could never hope to match. Let me comfort you in turn. You have nothing to apologize to me for.” “...Thank you.” “Anytime.” Luna nodded, following Twilight’s gaze out past the railroad tracks headed South. She kept her campaign hat in her lap, clearly intending not to move herself for some time either. “You should rest, Twilight. The war will still be on when the Sun touches the sky.” =//[]\\= The morning dew brought with it massed rifle fire, as Rebel infantry closed the distance once more to the Royal line. Sunset’s Walker revolver cracked angrily, levitated aloft in her magic as the massed confederate forces moved across the divot, across the canal, and directly up to the ramparts that she and her brigade were still currently holding with a firm grasp. Bullets flew to and fro on her left and right as Royal and Rebel alike fell - dead or wounded - aside and in front of her. Her hoofgun barked once, twice, thrice in as many seconds, as she emptied the rest of her six cylinders into the rebels to her front before ducking back below the ramparts her troops were using to protect themselves. To her side, Major Jet’s brigade - really by an extension the entire Royal line of battle - was in similar straits, as the massed rebel force battered away at them with reckless abandon and sheer weight of numbers.  Breaking open her revolver’s cylinder to reload, Sunset took a calming breath that did little to actually calm her jittery hooves, and began the lengthy process of actually reloading her cap and ball revolver, whilst her troops kept up their steady rate of fire despite increasing casualties. Clamping her revolver closed once more after several agonizingly long seconds, Sunset rose back up to her hooves alongside her troops and began dumping her freshly loaded bullets downrange once more at the slowly advancing rebels. Despite the withering fire being put out by the Royalist infantry with their impressive Whinnyworth and Sharps rifles, they were still being dogpiled upon by the confederate forces, and the line was beginning to strain. It was only a matter of time before that strain turned into a snap. =//[]\\= Starry Night hissed as a rifle bullet nicked her shoulder, jabbing a hoof down to the graze and coming back bloody. She’d attend to that during a lull, but right now, as she had her saber wedged in the dirt and a Sharps rifle cradled in her hooves, she had more pressing and immediate concerns.  The rebels had brought the entirety of their force on-line finally, which spelled bad times ahead in the immediate term for the Royalists, as ammunition was expended and casualties were beginning to mount. So far they were holding their positions, but her Sharps rifles were quickly proving to be a bit of a double edged sword; they were fast-firing rifles and accurate ones to boot which, while her troops were maintaining good speed and good accuracy, also meant they were rapidly running out of ammunition - and it was still only about ten in the morning. Starry Night mopped the sweat off her brow with a hoof, as the Rebels finally called off their assault with a pair of choppy bugle calls to re-organize themselves back into something assembling cohesion. She then took a scrap of loose fabric out of a pocket to tie around her grazed shoulder, tying it off with a stick as it began to soak red with blood, though not at a rate which would be cause for concern. The Unicorn sat down against the shooting parapet, looking around at her worn brigade. “Okay… Okay. Post sentries for when they decide to sally at us again. Everypony else, gather rifles and ammo, and get the wounded back down to the surgeons’ tents. Take a few minutes and get some rest. They’ll be here again shortly, folks.” Faust, was she tired all of a sudden. Concerned suddenly, Starry double-checked herself for injuries and winced as she placed a hoof to her upper thigh, scowling as it came back slick with red blood.  “And someone help me with a Faust-damned bandage, I appear to have been shot.” =#===#= General Charm rubbed a forehoof across her muzzle in frustration, before nodding over at the newly present Corporal. “Report.” “We’ve held off another assault ma’am, but it’s not looking to be doable for much longer. Colonel Night’s reporting she’s been injured, but the surgeon gave her a look-over and declared her fit to return to her troops. Colonel Shimmer additionally reports that the right flank is drastically low on shot, and Starry herself reported about three shots left to a soldier, more or less.” “Suppose it’s time to prepare the withdrawal then.” Tempest sighed wearily, and clearly unhappy with the idea. General Charm didn’t call the Filliseean on the grousing - she was feeling much the same way after all. Rifle fire in the distance shook the two out of their despairing thoughts however, as Lightning Charm frowned, folding away her spectacles. “Already? Dammit they’ll force a rout at this point if they keep pushing us like this.” “Bit far off for our folks.” Tempest noted with a hum, giving Charm a pause, before continuing, her ears twitching to the sounds of rifle fire. “Sounds like that’s off over the hill.” “Over the hill?” “Hm? Oh, yes’m. Sounds like it’s off on the far side of Rutledge Hills, not the canal.” “Wind, that’s fairly deep into the Rebel Flank.” “Well yes, I am aware, General Charm. That was sort of my point, actually.” “So I am corrected.” Charm nodded neutrally, as the two officers followed by the reporting Corporal left the tent to try and observe the new skirmish. Smoke and shot-cloud flew, rising from the rear of the Rutledge Hills, as the two mares shared a confused look. Moondancer’s Army was still supposedly a fair way out at the last report given around six in the morning. “Just what in the hell is going on over there?” ===#=== Flurry Heart swore beneath her breath, gasping for air as fire - hot fire - shot through her lungs, bullets crashing off and finally shattering her pale pink shield and knocking the youthful Division Officer off her hooves.  This would turn out to save her life in the short term, as heated shrapnel soared overhead, spearing several troops of her division as the alicorn watched with a slack jaw from her position on the hard ground. Things had started out well enough, as her troops - recently rested from their excruciating overnight march - finally reached the Staunton battlefield ahead of schedule, and were ready to help the Royal defenders give a whipping to the rest of the Rebel Army. Of course, about that time Flurry’s Division finished cresting Rutledge Hill, and the young Alicorn came face to face with the Confederate Artillery Train - currently sighted down and towards the canal. With a fast quarter turn of their guns as her own troops continued forwards into the maw of the rebel cannons, Fluffy froze in the face of such massed guns, and only lived as her Division’s front rank was shredded by doubled loads of canister due to a Confederate Brigade being held in reserve knocking her over onto the ground by breaking her shield with gunfire. Rolling back onto her hooves, having shaken herself free of her momentary stupor, Flurry nearly barked at her bugler to call for a retreat, and get themselves the hell out of this killing field. She bit her tongue though, seeing the pennant battle-flags of General Melody's Division waving at the base of the hill, and instead called out to her troops. "Hell with it, return fire at those damned cannons!" She cried, snapping up her service pistol into her magic's grasp and beginning to return fire at the Confederates that had ambushed them. Her position wasn't great, but if she could just keep her troops together for long enough that Melody's division could reinforce her - and if Melody was here then Snow was shortly behind her and Redglad would be just behind Snow, with the gun train. They might have a chance here. Flurry Heart grit her teeth and dug in her hooves where she was, letting her shield flare back to life weakly as her troops gave out jaunts and jeers at the rebels to their front, rifles clattering out their shots like an angrily rattlling drum. The alicorn mare dug herself in like a stubborn tick and refused to move herself or her Command, even as the Rebel infantry around the hill began to shift in reaction, even as Melody's Division swept up and around Rutledge Hill and onto her flank, even as Snow came up on her other side and then parallel to Flurry's Division, and the Confederates were shoved, forcibly, down the hill - leaving their cannon train behind them. Then, Flurry finally let herself sink back to the ground, let her battered shield flicker and die, let her weary eyes close but for a moment, blinking and shaking herself as she felt hooves reaching for her. "Shit 'm up. I'm okay." Flurry mumbled, as she shook herself back to wakefulness, leg flinching in pain as she stepped wrongly upon it. "I'm okay." "Just checkin', General. You took a quick dive there." One of her Colonels nodded, dusting her off. "Further orders for us, ma'am?" "Let me up, let me see what's going on." Flurry began, as her Colonels pointed her in the direction where Melody's Division and Snow's Division were continuing up and over the hill and into the Confederate rear-line. "Okay." Flurry nodded, then looked out at her wounded division. Her troops still had their wits about them from the looks of things, but they were disorganized, and looked a bit lost. All fixable issues. "Okay. Get the ponies rallied and back on-line, we'll wedge in behind General Melody's Division and act as her reserve. Make sure we're formed up and cohesive before you move out. Understood?" Met by nods, she gave her own sharp nod. "Go." =#===#= "Well, the timing was all messed up, and General Heart's lucky she only ran face first into Johnny Reb's cannons rather than their rifle lines, but I suppose it's worked out for the best." Moondancer snorted, spitting a wad of chewing tobacco onto the ground outside Charm and Wind's command tent. She and her Command Staff had made their way along the backside of Staunton to re-group with Charm and Wind's beleaguered staff, as her army marched up the Rebel Flank and began splitting the Confederate Army in twine. "Can't fault her for taking the fight to the enemy." Charm began, chuckling dryly. "Sure I can, ma'am. I gave her strict orders not to out-run the rest of the column, and if Melody's Division hadn't double-time marched to keep up, she'd have been fighting half the damned rebel army by herself. She's a damned nuisance." Moondancer snorted, derisively. "But she has turned the Rebel Flank, and I will thus forgive her initiative as it's turned out for the better. She'll have to learn, and learn fast, that there's time to be creative in interpreting orders, and times when she shouldn't. She got lucky today, she made it work. But you can't count on luck to win a fight, and most definitely not a damned war." Wind shrugged, as she continued to accept casualty tallies from the three generals' division and brigade officers. "Luck's nice. Luck helps. But you're right, it ain't everything." She hums idly, scribbling away at a small pad of paper. "But I'll definitely take a Lucky officer over an un-lucky one." "Hear hear." Charm chuckled dryly, before shaking her head. "How are the casualties looking, General Wind?" "Rough, General Charm. No two ways about that. It's still preliminary, but I'm wagerin' about a thousand on our end just dead outright. Probably four times that in wounded. Bout three hundred or more missing or deserted." "Nnh. And the Rebels?" "Dunno. Eight thousand easy, and still counting. Took their whole artillery train, too, thanks to that Brigadier of Moondancer's." Tempest would grin, nodding in the scowling unicorn's direction. "Largest damned battle of this war so far, and we came out on top - just about." "Small mercies, General." Charm nodded, polishing her glasses once more. "Small mercies, and hard fighting."