John Brown, holding a Sharps rifle, glared at Fate with blazing eyes.
“Don’t worry. If they attack, it won’t be today.”
The hatred and anger that had been pent up came out in an extremely dry voice, which made it even more eerie.
‘I finally softened my heart a little, but that guy hit the fuse.’
Max smiled bitterly.
John Brown’s name in history was his call for slave emancipation through extreme violence. This was still valid, and Marx wanted that violence to be directed at Border Ruffians, not ordinary people.
‘Then I need to be able to control it.’
In any case, the Battle of Osawatomie came to an end with the appearance of John Brown and the mediation of Commander Sumner.
Fate led the Border Ruffians into a retreat to Missouri.
If only he hadn’t been shot in the ear, today would have been a perfect day, for he had burned the town and taken John Brown’s adopted son and his men prisoner.
Whoever executed this operation was superior to Stringfellow and Jones.
His talent was beyond doubt.
‘It’s a shame that I can’t be more active as a soldier.’
The military is a piece of shit. They should have just kicked him out and let him join the Border Ruffians.
The town where Fate left was busy with post-war processing. Max went to see Commander Sumner.
He was giving instructions to his subordinates and was alone, thinking deeply about something.
“Who made you worry, Commander?”
“You are one of them.”
Sumner asked quietly.
“Is what Fate said earlier true?”
Sumner did not know that Charles, Lane, and Andrew Leader had escaped from Lecompton.
Max didn’t really want to confirm this fact either.
It would be ridiculous to tell the person who captured him that he had helped him escape. I tried to change the subject without saying a word.
“But who is that person?”
Max pointed to the man who had interrupted Fate’s conversation earlier. Sumner made a strange expression and suddenly called the man over.
“Did you call, Commander?”
A man in his 30s with a neat appearance and a broad forehead.
“I said this because I think my Asian friend is interested in you.”
Max and the man’s eyes met.
It was calm, but curious. But it soon disappeared and was filled with contempt.
How dare you show interest in me? That was the look on his face.
“My name is Max Joe.”
“So what business do you have with me?”
“I have a question. I can’t understand why the governor of Missouri would suddenly ask for the military’s intervention.”
The man’s eyebrows quirked at Max’s words.
“I think this is presumptuous. Do I really need to help you understand?”
One corner of the man’s mouth rose slightly and then quickly returned to its original position. His expression was one of satisfaction, as if he had won.
Sumner’s expression was stern, but he did not come forward.
Maybe it’s because I wanted to check this situation in conjunction with what happened earlier.
Moreover, it was even more cautious to criticize one’s subordinates for protecting Asians.
Max asked calmly with sunken eyes.
“What is your name?”
“James Ewell Brown Stewart.”
‘That name is really dirty. But, where have I heard it before…?’
As Max searched his memories, Stewart spoke to Sumner.
“I will make sure to finish the work.”
“You called me when you were busy. I’ll be back at the fort as soon as I’m done, so you know. Lieutenant Jeb Stewart.”
“Old story.”
Max turned his back and stared blankly at Stuart as he walked away.
‘Jeb Stewart?’
If I’m not mistaken, he is one of the greatest cavalry commanders in American history.
[Calm, firm, sharp, active and enterprising. A wonderful man born with the qualities necessary for a cavalry officer.]
This is an excerpt from the letter of recommendation written to the President recommending Jeb Stuart as a general.
And the most important fact.
Jeb Stuart was a general in the slave-owning Confederate States of America.
‘I think I know why you interrupted the conversation.’
Even in the most color-blind of armies, there are slavery advocates and abolitionists.
Among them, Jeb Stuart was an advocate of slavery, whose family owned slaves and ran a plantation in a slave state.
From his point of view, how could he possibly look favorably on Sumner’s actions in surrounding Lawrence?
It was ironic that future Confederate generals were under the command of Commander Sumner, who would become a Union general, even though they did not know their fate at the time.
“I tried to introduce you to someone because you seemed interested in me, but your attitude was really weird.”
“Are you interested in me?”
“If I had to choose one, I would say I was very interested in your tactics.”
Sumner continued with a smirk.
“He was ranked 13th out of 46 in the West Point Cavalry Officer Class in New York. It’s understandable that an Asian would dare to do something he never thought he would do.”
West Point is the United States Military Academy.
A place where future important figures such as General MacArthur and Eisenhower will graduate.
But the current West Point is not properly organized. And yet, they are treating Max like a joke, saying he is a prestigious cadet.
“By the way, I got a call from that guy Smith again a while ago.”
“Oh, you mean the copper warhead patent. I’ll make an appointment when Kansas gets quiet.”
Sumner burst out laughing.
“That sounds like we’ll never meet again. Kansas will never be quiet again.”
“Well, wouldn’t there be a peaceful day, even if only for a moment?”
What we’re looking forward to is the new governor.
A rather interesting person, unlike before, brings a brief moment of peace to Kansas.
Of course, if history changes, someone else could come. But considering that President Pierson, who is less affected by Max’s wingbeats, is the one who appoints him, the chances of that changing are slim.
Meanwhile, Jeb Stewart laughed as he watched Max converse amicably with the commander.
‘Your limitations have been revealed by the plan I have devised.’
Today is a test of sorts. A test to properly cook an oriental guy.
‘Commander Sumner. I respected you, but I can’t stand seeing you acting on the side of the free states any longer.’
It was after Samuel Jones’ death that Jeb Stuart, an advocate of slavery, met David Acheson.
Sumner’s actions in the Wakarusa War had aroused his resentment, and he was very sorry for the slave owners who were repeatedly defeated by Orientals. And he also began to desire to defeat Orientals through tactics.
When Acheson saw Jeb Stuart, he welcomed him as a West Point graduate and actively supported the day’s operation.
I also received in advance a letter from the Governor of Missouri requesting mediation, which was to be delivered to Commander Sumner.
As a result of my careful planning, I was able to understand Max’s actions.
Jeb Stewart looked at Max and reaffirmed his plans for the future.
‘Provocative tactics won’t work on me. Your biggest weakness is that you focus on defense and overthinking. If you keep getting hit without thinking, your true colors will be revealed soon.’
If random attacks are launched in the future.
Even if you rush to Osawatomi today, all you’ll see is a burnt-out village.
The intervention of Jab Stewart, which would never have happened in the original history, was shown a few years before his colors were revealed in the Civil War, as he watched the bloody battle in Kansas.
*
After finishing his conversation with Commander Sumner, Max went to see John Brown.
The injured foster son, Frederick, was led by his brothers to the hospital, and he looked out at the village with a sad expression.
“I regret what happened today.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to the meeting place.”
“The rescue was successful. You don’t have to worry.”
John Brown’s gaze was still fixed on the ruined village.
“If you kill a worm, another worm will crawl out. So what’s your next move?”
Given the intensity of his anger, it’s likely that John Brown’s next target will be indiscriminate slaughter.
Although he was a civilian, it was clear that he would not hesitate to go through fire and water if he was a pro-slavery advocate.
To prevent that, we needed to create a reason to come together.
“I intend to launch a preemptive strike.”
“hmm?”
‘Why think deeply? They just attack as soon as they gather information.’
John Brown looks at Max as if he is surprised.
“Haven’t you endured enough?”
“I see your path has changed since the last incident. Is this why you quit being sheriff?”
“There are many reasons, but this is definitely one of them.”
John Brown, lost in thought, looked at Max with solemn eyes, as if he had made up his mind.
“The path you take is no different from mine.”
“I think so too.”
“I will join in the future actions.”
Until now, each side had led its own forces and moved independently.
Even if we combined our strength, it would only last for a short time.
But John Brown goes a step further and says he will move as a member of the same group.
What I’ve been thinking about for a while has finally become clear today. However.
‘We need to control traffic before that.’
Max said with a troubled expression.
“As you can see, I tend to make my own decisions and moves.”
It means that even if I die soon, I cannot be under someone else.
And John Brown nodded, as if he had expected it.
“Who can command you?”
John Brown looked at Max slyly, the corners of his mouth raising.
“I’m just satisfied with the 3rd platoon.”
It was a radical statement. John Brown, who even James Henry Lane found difficult to deal with, lowered himself.
“It’s very burdensome, but… I’ll organize you into an independent platoon for now. I may give you some instructions, so please understand in advance.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
John Brown’s decision was also for the benefit of the town of Osawatomie.
As long as you stay here, danger can strike at any time.
It would be better to leave this place and help the villagers.
There has been no word yet from Governor Charles, Lane, and Andrew Leader, but it has been confirmed that they have crossed the Kansas border into Illinois through the escorting squad.
In the absence of a de facto commander-in-chief and commander-in-chief of the Jayhawks, the natural chain of command falls to Blood, the mayor of Lawrence. However, his talents shine in the financial sector.
– Max, I’d rather you take charge of Jayhawkers as my proxy.
– All right.
– You’re answering without even thinking about it.
– I plan to clear my head for a while.
Without thinking too much, he strikes and retreats, constantly jabbing at his enemies. Isn’t that the charm of a slap fight, being so quick, simultaneous, and demoralizing?
Max tripled the size of Peach’s intelligence unit and launched an information campaign targeting pro-slavery Kansas towns and border towns.
Two weeks after the Battle of Osawatomie.
Max gathered John Brown and the Jayhawks leaders together and spread out a map.
“There are five places we will attack tomorrow: Atchison, Leavenworth, and Baldwin in Kansas, and Belton and Raymond in Missouri. We will attack the Border Ruffian gathering places listed on the list, but we will not kill any civilians.”
Everyone nodded, but Max emphasized the point again.
“If you kill civilians, your abolitionist beliefs will be tainted. You could lose the support you’ve built up in an instant. The operation can last up to 30 minutes. If this time passes, immediately stop the action and retreat.”
There was no one who disagreed with Max’s instructions. They had already experienced a lot of time and events together, so they trusted Max completely.
Same time.
Jeb Stuart, an elite officer from West Point, was writing a long letter, or rather a plan, to Acheson.
The content is as follows.
Simultaneous guerrilla warfare targeting villages inhabited by abolitionists.
He explained in detail the organization and operation methods of the Border Rufians, and did not forget to include the phrase at the end, ‘Orientals can only sit back and do nothing but suffer this.’
“Now is the time to really crush the abolitionists.”
This very thought is the decisive difference between a West Point graduate and a groundless Oriental.
Jeb Stewart folded the report, the ink still wet, and put it in an envelope.
< Let's go together >
Slavery began with the election of the first House of Representatives in Kansas Territory. The liberal counterattack, which had been dragged around by the Border Ruffians, began.
Coincidentally, this was the day that Jeb Stuart’s operation fell into the hands of David Rice Acheson.
The scent of ink-soaked paper permeated the office, but no one had time to read it.
“Towns in Kansas and Missouri have been attacked by the enemy!”
“They say three Border Ruffians in Baldwin are dead, and the meeting house in Atchison Village has burned down!”
The news that followed completely shook Acheson’s spirits. A total of five villages were attacked and fifteen Border Rufians were killed.
Acheson called together the leaders of the Border Ruffians, including Henry Clay Pate, who had led the Battle of Osawatomie, and Missouri Representative John William Reed.
“Can we just sit by and watch those free-spirited bastards run wild?”
“Let’s take this opportunity to level the town where the abolitionists live!”
Acheson prepared a counterattack based on the plan provided by Jeb Stuart.
“Our counterattack will be immediate and brutal. It is our mission to destroy every abolitionist in Kansas, to the point where they will have no place to stand.”
Lawrence, where the Jayhawks were gathered, would be on the defensive, and the surrounding villages would be attacked first. In this way, Acheson prepared for a counterattack by the Border Ruffians.
*
Lawrence, the heart of liberalism.
Max’s base, about 2km east of town, has been one of the busiest in recent times.
The large barracks served as a supply base for the Jayhawks, and the building next to it served as a meeting place for the leadership.
After receiving a report on the success of the first day’s attack on the Border Ruffians, Max gathered ten Jayhawks’ leaders and planned a new operation.
“Once you’ve stirred it up, the next step is to prepare thoroughly. Where they’re going to attack.”
Here, here, here···.
He continued, pointing with his baton to a map of Kansas hanging on the wall.
“The common denominator is that they are places where abolitionists like us gather.”
The number was not large. The population of Kansas Territory itself was small, and even that was mixed with pro-slavery people from Missouri, so the villages that the Border Ruffians could actually attack were limited.
“Just defending is ineffective. Our goal is to make them realize that the more we touch them, the more they lose. So let’s have the 1st Battalion defend, and the 2nd Battalion continue the guerrilla warfare as planned.”
There are currently 568 Jayhawks, including the Lawrence militia.
Max reorganized it into two battalions for efficient organization. He then divided each battalion into four companies, which were then divided into platoons and squads.
There was something that piqued people’s curiosity here. It was John Brown’s position. He remained a platoon leader, not a company commander.
Isn’t the position a bit shabby compared to the fame?
Is it really appropriate for John Brown to be under the command of an Oriental?
But far from complaining, John Brown actively followed Marx’s instructions. In fact, it made the onlookers uncomfortable.
When Max and Holliday were alone, he asked about this matter. He was in charge of supply this time too.
“Do you intend to keep John Brown as your platoon leader?”
“why?”
“I think everyone is uncomfortable.”
