Even before the sun appeared over the horizon, the Army of the Potomac was suiting up to head to Southern Illinois to defend the Union against Celestia and her armies. Many soldiers who had never left their home state were now heading to their destiny and the future of their nation which lay in their hearts, bullets, bayonets, shells, swords, and their souls. Grant spent the evening not able to sleep since he was still very troubled. What kind of tactics would Celestia employ? What would her soldiers be like and what would they look like? Would he be able to save the Union from this sudden evil? He was scared beyond belief. But, he also felt strong in his heart to do his duty for his country and with that he grabbed his hat, great coat, sword, pistol, and a lit cigar.
"Good morning General" one of Grant's subordinate's said with a salute. Grant saluted him back with a lit cigar puffing away between his lips. Many regiments were rushing back in forth getting into place for the long march down into Southern Illinois. Grant headed over to the mess tent for his breakfast.
"Good Morning General. What would you like this morning?" the cook said with a smile and salute. Grant saluted him back and then gave him his order.
"Let's see eggs, bacon, an apple, and a cup of coffee" Grant asked.
"Coming right up, General" the cook said as he began to prepare the General's breakfast. In the mean time, Grant headed over to a table and took a map of Illinois out of his coat pocket and laid it down on the table. He was heading for a specific city; Carbondale. The city lay right on the south western border of Illinois and looked like an ideal place for a raiding party. Grant took out another map but this time of Jonesboro. He studied specific locations near it such as the large forested areas, small ridges, and other little details that could shape a battle. Meanwhile, the cook brought Grant his breakfast.
"There you are General, do you need anything else?" the cook asked. The General looked up from his concentration put out his cigar and smiled.
"No that's good Thank You" Grant said. The Cook went back to packing up the kitchen. The General ate in silence while studying the map. They would have to march 325 miles to get to Carbondale. Soon, he finished and thanked the cook again and headed back towards the now assembled ranks of the Army of the Potomac. The Sun still had not risen across the horizon but, Grant could see the ocean of blue that stood ready for marching on that old road. His subordinate Generals were waiting for him along with his officers. He saluted them.
"Well Gentleman we have a long way's ahead of us and not much time to do it" Grant said. He lit a cigar but, before he began to puff and chew on it he screamed his orders.
"ARMY OF THE POTOMAC PREPARE" Grant yelled. Down the line Grant could hear generals and other officers yell Prepare to their divisions, brigades, and regiments.
"FORWARD" Grant yelled. Again down the line Grant could hear generals and other officers yell Forward to their divisions, brigades, and regiments.
"MARCH" Grant yelled. He put the cigar in his mouth and began walking without a horse down to Carbondale to meet his enemy and with him were 100,000 able bodied fighting men. The Army Of The Potomac.
*4 very uneventful days, 3 very uneventful nights, and 325 miles later*
"We have arrived" Grant said smiling a rather large grin even though his legs felt like jello and his feet felt like they had hundreds of sores. After 325 miles across rather hilly terrain and along old forests roads, across little streams, big rivers, they finally arrived at the city of Carbondale. The Army marched through the city and set up camp on the southern end of it. Grant immediately called an organization of his officers and generals. He displayed maps of Illinois, Southern Illinois, and Carbondale.
"Okay Gentleman we are here and ready. We must immediately begin setting up fortifications for an attack by Celestia. Now, we will build breastworks out of the surrounding forest and as you can see gentleman" Grant pointed towards the field of battle. The forest separated in two for a good 5 miles showing a small clearing that bared a resemblance to a small valley. "That Gentleman is the field of battle that is where we stand against Celestia and her Armies. Now the center will be occupied by George H. Thomas and his XIV Corps. To the left of him off near that small creek will be Winfield S. Hancock's II Corps. To the right of Thomas near that little lone group of trees will be George G. Meade and his V Corps. To cover the flanks will be John Sedgwick and his VI Corps and James M. McPherson and his XVII Corps. If Celestia decides to mount a cavalry attack I want the Cavalry Corps split between Phillip Sheridan on the left and Alfred Pleasonton on the right and a small detachment under John Buford and Henry Slocum's XII Corps will defend the wagon trains. I want reserves close to field if need be I have no idea the size of Celestia's force so I will need reinforcements close. Am I clear Gentleman?" Grant said puffing away at his cigar. All the Generals nodded. General Oliver O. Howard of XI Corps came up to the general.
"General how do you know that Celestia will attack here and does she know we are here?" Howard questioned. The rest of the Generals looked on while Grant stood in somewhat silence chewing on his cigar. Grant then pulled it out of his mouth and blew a cloud of smoke.
"General Howard sir, scouts that were here during attacks have said that she is apparently in this vicinity and yes she does know we are. And I'm going to push her back to what ever god forsaken rock she came under from and make sure she stay's there" Grant said pounding his fist on the table. General Howard backed off slightly and joined the group of Generals. "Now do I make myself absolutely clear Gentleman?" Grant said through his cigar clenched teeth. Grant looked up away from the Generals and saw the sun was departing from the sky he became worried. "Gentleman get to your Corps and Divisions as fast as you can and begin building breastworks and await any further orders by me" Grant said fear in his throat. It was shocking and scary to see Grant frightened here was this big tough Western general who looked like a little kid who just broke his mother's china. The Generals nodded and began to walk towards the locations of their Corps and Divisions to prepare for the battle that was soon to come. "Wait!!" Grant yelled to them as he came up with a thought. His Signal Corps told him it was going to be completely overcast that night and he decided to use it to his advantage. "NO Fires. We must confuse Celestia into thinking we are all asleep and there are no more than a few guards out to watch over the Army" Grant said with a grin. The Generals nodded their heads at the great deception Grant just came up with. As soon as the Generals left, Grant went down to the immediate area where XIV Corps would be and surveyed the landscape. Other than the soon to be built breastworks and fortifications it was pretty bare and the sun was fleeing the sky quickly. Grant took out a handkerchief, removed his hat, and wiped his brow.
The rest of that evening Corps, Divisions, Brigades, Regiments, Company's, Artillery Battery's, Engineers, and Cavalry were all preparing for the gruesome battle that was soon to occur. Great piles of dirt and tree trunks were used as barricades. Cannons were put behind great mounds of dirt on small hills, large hills, and anything that gave a good vantage point on the clearing. The Cannons were loaded ahead of time in case the attack was quick and sudden. Sharpshooters, even hid in the trees and tall grass ready to pick off any of Celestia's soldiers. Just, before the attack came Grant passed on a message to all his commanders to read to his soldiers. It went like this:
"Gentlemen of the Army of the Potomac, tonight will be a battle of epic proportions. I trust in all of you that we will win this battle and crush Celestia's pathetic little Armies. No Fires as I have said before we must send Celestia into a false sense of security and make her think that she got us by surprise. One last thing, when Celestia's Armies approach from the other side of the clearing and get with in 400 yards of your fortifications your commanders will tell you to Open Fire and you give THEM HELL. We will win this fight for sure. Signed, General Ulysses S. Grant Commander of all Union Armies and the Army of the Potomac" the officers read. As Grant was getting ready to head out onto the field he heard the cheering of many of his soldiers who had gotten the message. Grant lit a cigar and with one last swig of whisky, with binoculars in hand, he headed down to meet General George H. Thomas in the center. The stage was set.
*2 hours passed and the clouds now were cast over the entire sky*
The first they heard was the sounds of something in the brush. A great rustling of the sorts. Grant was talking with Thomas just a little way off the field about what should happen if one of his lines was breached and where the closest reserve was.
"So the closest reserve is the 4th Division, 8th Cor-shhh. Did you hear that?" Grant said. Grant turned towards the front lines and looked through his binoculars. He could barely make out the bushes that encased the forest but they were most surely rustling and he could hear the clanking of equipment. Thomas waited for Grant. Grant turned towards Thomas and grinned with a cigar clenched between his teeth. "She is here" Grant said. Grant and Thomas quickly hurried towards the front lines. Many of the soldier's were extremely frightened and not sure what to expect.
Suddenly, something began to emerge from the forest. All the soldiers were quivering in their boots with their fingers turning as blue as their uniforms as they clenched their rifles. What Grant saw next made him drop the cigar from his mouth and remove the binoculars from his eyes. Great ranks of ponies with brightly colored manes and strange colors of fur began to emerge from the wood at least 3 ponies deep in some regiments stretched almost the entire length of the Union lines with torches, spears, swords, shields, and many more gruesome weapons. Grant was frightened at what he saw Ponies PONIES FREAKING PONIES!?!? He did not laugh because he was genuinely frightened if ponies could march in proper form with weapons. Grant looked up and down the Union line and made sure not a signal spark, colorful flag, or flame appeared. The Union Line was completely dark while the ponies line's were bright with their torches and white clad armor.
"Forward, let's get the Union scum" one of the so called pony officers said rather loudly. The ponies war drums beat loudly against the ears of the Union soldiers who still sat silent. The Union soldier's grew wide eyed and even more scared ponies that could talk that COULD TALK! Grant felt shivers from head to toe surging through him, he puffed more heavily on his cigar to calm himself. Soldier's tried to run but their officer's encouraged them to stay since they would be considered cowards and let the ponies walk all over them. Grant could see the ponies getting closer and so he slowly started to walk towards the back of line near the artillery batteries so he would not be able to get shot but he stopped near General Thomas.
"As I have told you before when the ponies get within 400 yards you open fire. But, when they get that close scream out the order to fire and tell the flag bearer's to wave their flags valiantly and with pride" Grant whispered to General Thomas as he continued to walk up towards the artillery batteries. General Thomas went to a couple of regiments and told the flag bearers when he gave the order to fire to wave their flags vibrantly and that every regiment up and down the line would follow suit. The ponies got closer and closer and you could almost see their faces and then they got within 400 yards.
"OPEN FIRE" screamed George H. Thomas. The Union banners went up like a shot of lightning waving vibrantly in the night air and the line erupted with gunfire. The ponies were shocked beyond compare and began to gallop quickly towards the Union lines in the hail storm of bullets. Grant turned to his artillery commander.
"You may open fire" Grant said. The artillery commander gave the order and great fire blasts could be seen from the many various hills and small knolls where the cannonballs rained down on the ponies. The Union soldiers poured on volley after volley trying to keep Celestia's soldiers back all they could. It was a massacre for the ponies. They were simply raked with gunfire and many fell dead or mortally wounded but, they kept going. Soon a couple of regiments managed to get behind the breastworks in certain areas of the Union lines. Many couriers came to General Grant telling him that the ponies had broken through certain sections of the lines. Grant immediately sent in 2 regiments of infantry one to finish off the ponies and then a second one that would join with the first and plug in the hole. Many of the ponies did retreat back into the forest and the soldier's began to celebrate thinking they had won but, soon more ponies were coming but this time with something far worse. Out of the woods, came bolts of magic that hit the Union lines and blew up great gaps in certain areas where the line was strong and then made virtually powerless.Then, ponies would gallop in from the brush and fill into that hole making the line begin to waver. Soldiers began to panic and start to run from the bolts of weird magic that were coming out of the woods but their officers stopped them smacked them a good one and told them what they were truly fighting for to defend their homes and sweethearts. Grant feared that if he didn't deal with whatever that was firing magic on his lines then he would most certainly be defeated. He called over his chief of artillery.
"Use your fire charges on those woods and stop that magic wielding" yelled Grant. The Artillery Commander told his batteries to start using fire charges on the opposing wood. A fire charge was essentially a shell which encased was pure alcohol with gunpowder and it would explode in mid air and then send the alcohol down in an almost liquid wax affect and seriously burn or kill who ever was in its way and even possibly start fires. As the fire charges were shot into the woods the magic began to slowly dribble away and then completely stop. The woods caught on fire but, the ponies continued to come and Grant continued to put in more reserves. The battle was becoming a slogging match with extremely fierce hand to hand combat. Grant's soldiers were seasoned veterans and they fought ruthlessly in their breastworks against the pony attackers. Grant observed up and down the battlefield that ponies were trying to wheel around the Union lines and strike from behind. Grant sent out couriers as fast as he could to cavalry leaders Sheridan and Pleasonton to charge at them. He made the orders just in time for when the ponies had just begun to wheel behind the lines the cavalry charged in with full might and drove them back. Grant wiped his brow and chewed on his cigar heavily. The battle was only getting more and more intense and places were already getting nicknames for the savage fighting that had broken out such as the "Broken Knoll, Bloody Stream, and many other names". The ponies kept coming and coming and Grant only put in more reserves. But, just as the ponies seemed to be getting the upper hand they retreated back into the fiery woods they had come out of. The field and the breastworks were littered with the bodies of both sides. Many dead with missing limbs or with very severe mortal wounds. The soldiers were exhausted and again they thought they won but, Grant sensed something very big was coming.
Grant then heard it the very loud flap of many wings. "WINGS!?!" he thought this was the big one. Grant ran down to the main lines himself to see what it was. Out of the sky came many flying pegasus's led by one pegasus who also had a horn and had a weird mane and black fur it was an alicorn. Grant was scared beyond belief as were his soldiers. Suddenly, the pegasus's made a b-line for the center of Thomas's line's where Grant was. Grant ran as fast as he could to his chief of artillery.
"BRING DOWN THOSE THINGS!!!" he yelled. The cannons elevated into the sky and fired at the pegasus's bringing a couple down but not the whole of them. The pegasus's crashed into the center and then suddenly the giant final waves of Celestia's Armies came out of the brush and charged at the bewildered Union defenders. The line was cracking and many troops began to rout. Grant took all his reserves and put them into the battle. More and more Ponies also emerged from the wood what followed was an epic firefight. Many soldiers fired their rifles into the sky at the incoming pegasus while others used their bayonet as a cutlass like a pirate against a unicorn's sharp horn. Grant lit a cigar, unholstered his pistol, unsheathed his sword, and ran into the firefight his subordinates chasing after him. This black alicorn was tearing through Grant's lines and freshly arrived reserves. It stabbed his soldiers in the gut, shot intense death magic at them, shouted in a booming voice, and took them into the air and dropped them from the sky. Soldier's saw Grant join in the fight and began to feel courage run through them. Their very own general was joining them in this terrible fight. The Army of the Potomac and Celestia's Personal Army were evenly matched in tactics, strength, hardiness of soldiers, and seasoned veterans. The On both sides of the battlefield either the Union, Ponies, or no one was gaining the other hand. Gruesome hand to hand fighting reigned supreme as both sides had the other at their throats. Grant soon got to the center of Thomas's lines after slashing, shooting, and brawling his way through many ranks of Celestia's soldiers. As he passed many of his soldiers he sang in a very loud voice that made him almost hoarse the lyrics to the Battle Cry Of Freedom:
Yes we'll rally round the flag, boys, well rally once again,
Shouting the Battle Cry Of Freedom,
The Union Forever! Hurrah, Boys, Hurrah!
Down with the traitor, up with the star;
While we rally round the flag, boys, rally once again,
Shouting the BATTLE CRY OF FREEDOM!!!!
Then he confronted the black alicorn.
"YOU,YOUR MEN, AND YOUR PATHETIC LITTLE UNION WILL FALL TO CELESTIA. PREPARE TO DIE!!!" the black alicorn said as it charged at Grant. Grant tried to shoot it with his revolver but the black alicorn shot his pistol from his hand leaving Grant only with his sword. Grant met the black alicorn's horn with his sword and they were deadlocked. Grant still held the cigar between his grinding and angered teeth.
"What gives you the right to disturb our homeland?!" Grant screamed as his sword and the black alicorn's horn were in deadlock. Grant mustered all his strength and held his ground against this terrible foe with its pure white eyes of terror. Grant held his own as his troops continued to battle with the ponies, unicorns, and Pegasus's. Slowly Grant began to feel his footing loosen so he dug his feet into the ground. He was essentially sinking with his sword still locked with the alicorn's horn. Grant looked to the sides of him and saw his men begin to triumph over the ponies and the ponies began to retreat in mass back into the woods. The black alicorn looked about with her eyes and saw her ponies retreating but, she wanted to finish off Grant. Grant assembled the last of his strength and the alicorn's horn and his sword met with another mighty clang. Fire blazed all around them and the field was shrouded in smoke almost covering the dead in a fog. Grant spat out his cigar and positioned himself and began to get the better of the alicorn until it knocked him back.
"You haven't see the last of me" the alicorn said as it looked as though it was about to take off. Grant saw a loaded rifle and just as the alicorn was about to fly off Grant shot it in the wing. The alicorn let out a screech and fell to the ground in pain with blood gushing out of its wing. It shot magic at Grant who barely missed a couple shots to the chest. Grant dared not get close to it but, he had it now as his prisoner. He yelled at some soldiers to get some rope. The soldier's got rope and Grant pointed at the black alicorn who was slowly drifting between fainting from the loss of blood and the present. The soldier's tied up the alicorn tightly and put a special harness over its horn and wings so that it could not fly off or use it's magic. They then took it to a field hospital for the wing to be patched up. Grant took out a cigar and lit it and saw a Union flag in the lying in the mud still clutched by a dead soldier's cold fingers. He picked it up out of the soldier's hands and stood atop the breastworks. His men saw him and cheered great cheers. They had successfully repelled Celestia's attack but at a very heavy price in men. But, Grant had done it he had beaten Celestia's Personal Elite Army. He knew the war was not over but he had won the first major battle and saved the town of Carbondale from certain destruction and taken quite a worthy prisoner that being the black alicorn. Grant was a very tough man but he sobbed tears as he held the flag of the Union over the breastworks with his soldiers cheering him on in their valiant effort in repelling the attack. That day in Southern Illinois the Union Stars and Stripes waved vibrantly in the face of danger and near defeat and came back to win a tremendous victory against a terrible foe.