Let Us Fight It Out - Chapter One

Room 5
Spotswood Hotel
Richmond, Virginia
May 5, 1863

Lieutenant General James Longstreet, commander of the Army of Northern Virginia’s First Corps, pushed back the faded curtains and gazed outside. The cadet gray sky was streaked with vermilion. Last night’s rain had moved out sometime after he had gone to bed. Puddles spotted the muddy streets. Quiet reigned except for a merchant across the way sweeping the sidewalk in front of his store.

Two days ago, the army had won a tremendous victory at a small village – no more than a crossroads in the Virginia wilderness – and sent the Union army scrambling back to Washington City to lick its wounds. A victory the army had won without him. He, along with Hood’s and Pickett’s divisions, had spent the winter in North Carolina securing food for Robert E. Lee’s starving soldiers.

In early March, Lee had sent a warning that the Yankees were preparing to cross the Rappahannock. Longstreet was to make immediate arrangements to return to Fredericksburg. It was an order Longstreet was in no hurry to obey. He had found something better to do than gather food. There were Yankees garrisoned in Suffolk, and he planned to seize the city and drive the enemy from North Carolina. But just as his plans were unfolding, the Yankees had crossed the Rappahannock in force. Urgent telegrams arrived from Richmond. Lee was in desperate straits and needed Longstreet and his men. Still, Longstreet took his time to move, hoping that the order would be rescinded and he could remain in North Carolina.

Hearing voices in the hall, Longstreet turned from the window and listened to Jeb Stuart implore his “good and gallant Jackson” to hurry up, for Stuart was starving. Jackson mumbled something in return.

Longstreet shook his head in amusement. That was one relationship he couldn’t figure out: the boisterous Stuart and the puritanical, devout Jackson. They were polar opposites except Stuart was the only man in the army who could match Jackson’s zeal for all things sacred. Longstreet gave the young cavalry leader credit though. Around Stuart’s teasing ways, Jackson was almost human…and likeable. Their footsteps faded and the hall was silent.

Longstreet sat down at the desk and opened his portfolio. The leather notebook released its tight grip on papers and marked-up maps and splayed them over the scratched surface of the desk. He unfolded a map of Vicksburg and the surrounding vicinity. Right now, his old friend, Sam Grant, was poised to seize the city and, with it, control of the Mississippi River. The Confederates, under General John Pemberton, were scattered throughout the Mississippi countryside trying in vain to stop the Union juggernaut. If Grant forced the Confederates into Vicksburg, both the city and army would be lost.

The situation cried out for the strong hand of a purposeful commander. A commander who could rally the demoralized troops and stave off the disaster threatening to consume the South and end its bid for independence. It cried out for someone like him.

But Longstreet desired to go west for another reason. He was slowly suffocating under the shadows of Lee and Jackson. Over the past two years, both men had cheated him of accolades that belonged to him. After all, it had been his brigade that had been responsible for the majority of the victories on the Peninsula when the Confederates had hurled McClellan’s great army from the gates of Richmond. It had been his corps that had withstood the bloody attack at Sharpsburg, and the victory at Fredericksburg had been due to his defensive line and nothing else.

But as a Georgian in an army named for Virginia, he received very little credit. Oh, Lee may affectionately call him “his old war horse,” but in the past year, Lee had turned more and more to the taciturn Jackson to shape the army’s strategy. Longstreet deeply resented being pushed aside in favor of the VMI professor.

He set the map aside and picked up the proposal he planned to present at this morning’s meeting with President Davis. He was confident Lee would propose an invasion of the North, and knowing Lee as he did, he was also certain that the plan would concentrate only on short term remedies and not long term solutions.

His plan, on the other hand, gathered up all the Confederate forces – the Army of Mississippi, the Army of Tennessee, and the Army of Northern Virginia – for an invasion of the North through Kentucky. This would force Grant to break off his attack on Vicksburg. The Confederates would cross the Ohio River, turn, dig in, and have the Yankees wreck themselves on the Confederates’ strong defenses. He would assume command of the western armies and overall command of the invasion. Yes, even over Lee.

Humming tunelessly, he updated the maps with the latest intelligence. The sun came up, the candlelight faded, and his papers were bathed in rich, golden light. A knock at the door roused him from his task.

“General!” It was his adjutant, Moxley Sorrel.

“Come in, Major. Door is open.”

Sorrel burst into the room. The young man, handsome with his dark hair and mustache, was a fellow Georgian and considered by many to be the best chief-of-staff in the Confederate army. Those in the Second Corps would vigorously protest that Sandie Pendleton was Sorrel’s superior, but they would be wrong. “General Lee wants to know if you’ll join him for a quick breakfast.”

“Tell General Lee I’ll be right down.”

Sorrel backed out of the room and closed the door behind him. Longstreet jammed the papers into the portfolio and forced it closed.

***

Longstreet sat in a rickety chair opposite the thick oak door of President Jefferson Davis’ office. He gripped and released his portfolio until his knuckles hurt. He shifted in his seat and leaned back. The chair squeaked in protest. Burton Harrison, Davis’ secretary, glanced up from his papers long enough to frown reproachfully.

Longstreet had been correct about Lee’s intentions. In this morning’s meeting, the commanding general announced that he wanted to go north. In the silence that followed Lee’s declaration, and before Longstreet could open his leather case, Jackson, always Jackson, had spoken. Of course, the Presbyterian had his own plan – some nonsense about occupying coalfields and damaging the northern economy.

It was folly, but Jackson had gotten Davis’ attention with high talk about defeating the Army of the Potomac, occupying Harrisburg, and perhaps affecting the presidential election. Davis was won over. Jackson left Richmond immediately to prepare his corps to march to Pennsylvania and Jeb Stuart went with him.

Longstreet sent word to a well placed contact within Davis’ office that he needed to see the president on an urgent matter. He warned his contact to approach the president only after Lee had left the White House.

Some might see such subterfuge as a betrayal, but Longstreet didn’t care about appearances. He knew Lee’s influence with Davis was so great that a simple shake of Lee’s gray head would keep Longstreet forever chained to the Army of Northern Virginia.

His contact was true to his mission. He sent word to Longstreet that Davis would see him at three o’clock.

Longstreet sat at his desk and gutted his proposal. Gone was any mention of the Army of Northern Virginia. He would leave the East to Lee and Jackson. He would go west and prove two things: that Lee and Jackson were nothing without him and that his defensive strategy was far superior to Jackson’s flank moves and Lee’s audaciousness.

The door opened and Secretary of War James Seddon motioned for him to enter. Longstreet unfolded his long frame and smoothed his jacket. He gripped his portfolio, cleared all doubt from his mind, and marched into the president’s office.

“General Longstreet.” Davis greeted him warmly. “I hope you don’t mind, but I thought it best if Secretary Seddon joined us.”

“Yes, sir.” Longstreet waited at the round table, his portfolio clutched in front of him.

“Sit, sit!” Davis ordered, settling back in his chair. “Now what’s so important that you had to see me immediately? I do wish you’d have given me more notice. I’d have liked General Lee to sit in on this meeting as well.”

Longstreet held his breath. Had the president sent for Lee?

“But my runner informs me that General Lee is unavailable. So, you’ll have to settle for us.”

“I’m very happy to do so,” Longstreet said in relief.

“Now what can I do for you?” Davis asked.

Longstreet cleared his throat and spoke quickly. “I believe the situation out west is critical. If we don’t do something in the next few days to change it, the war will be lost.”

Davis folded his hands on the table. “What do you suggest?”

“Consolidate all the commands scattered throughout the Department of Mississippi into a single army under my command.”

Davis shot Seddon a wary look.

Longstreet also glanced at Seddon, but the Secretary’s face didn’t give away what he was thinking. Seddon gestured for Longstreet to continue. “I believe I’ve proven my worth as both a corps and an independent commander.”

“You’re one of the best,” Seddon responded.

“General, how developed are your plans?” Davis asked.

Longstreet stared at the president for a long moment. How many letters had he sent Davis since the first of the year? At least a dozen, if not more. He opened his portfolio and selected a map. Unfolding it, he set it before the commander-in-chief. “There’s only one way to prevent Vicksburg from being captured. We need to concentrate our forces in Tennessee. I’m talking about gathering them all in. Pemberton’s army, Taylor’s small force, the army General Johnston is assembling in Jackson, General Gardner’s force at Port Hudson, and Bragg’s army at Tullahoma.”

Davis folded the map and handed it back to Longstreet. “Absolutely not! That will leave the entire river open to the Yankees.”

Longstreet appealed to Seddon but the Secretary sat impassive. Longstreet cleared his throat. “The river is threatened because Grant’s army is between Pemberton’s scattered forces and Bragg’s inactive one.”

Davis held up his hand. “I’ve heard all of this from General Johnston.”

“General Johnston is essentially correct,” Longstreet insisted. He reopened the map and slid it over to Davis. “If we don’t concentrate our forces, Grant will drive General Pemberton into Vicksburg and besiege the city. Then he will march to Murfreesboro and combine his forces with the Army of the Cumberland. A quick march to capture Chattanooga and from there, Atlanta and Savannah.”

“But Vicksburg!”

Longstreet unfolded another map. “Vicksburg isn’t Grant’s true target.”

Davis turned his head to stare out the window.

“Go on, General.” This came from Seddon.

Longstreet turned his attention from the President’s averted head to the approving face of the Secretary of War. “Before General Grant can take Vicksburg, he must defeat Pemberton or risk being shut up in Vicksburg himself.”

Davis turned back from the window and stared at Seddon, who slowly nodded.

Confidence shot through Longstreet. He had an ally. He passed another map to the Secretary. “I know Sam Grant. Before the war he was one of my best friends. I know the way he thinks and how he will react in most circumstances.”

Davis leaned back in his chair. “Really?”

Longstreet’s nod in response was authoritative. He did know Sam Grant. “Grant will push Pemberton into Vicksburg and starve him out. We can’t allow that to happen. If we combine all our forces, we can match the Yankees in manpower. We move swiftly against Rosecrans, defeat his army, then march through Tennessee and Kentucky and invade the Ohio Valley. Grant will have no choice but to leave Mississippi and chase us. We maneuver around him, find good ground, and make him attack us.”

Davis pulled on his iron gray goatee as he contemplated Longstreet’s words “No, we can’t lose Vicksburg!”

From the expression on Davis’ face, Longstreet knew he was in danger of being dismissed. “We can if it helps us drive the Yankees from our land.”

“You sound more and more like General Johnston,” Davis declared. “His telegrams are filled front to back with tactical retreats and dire warnings.”

“Except General Johnston’s only strategy is to retreat. He never commits his troops to battle. I do and I will.”

Davis’ gaze returned to the window.

“That’s true,” Seddon said.

What was true? That Johnston didn’t put his troops into the fray or that he, Longstreet, would fight. Longstreet wasn’t sure.

“The Army of Northern Virginia is heading north,” Davis said to the window.

“Public relations.” Longstreet was dismissive.

It was the wrong thing to say. Davis went rigid with anger. Another surreptitious glance at Seddon revealed that his remark had also angered the Secretary.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Longstreet swiftly backpedaled. “I believe Lee’s march is the right strategy for the eastern theater, but west is where we’ll win our independence.”

Davis relented. Longstreet handed the President his proposal.

Davis quickly read the first few pages and handed them to Seddon. “Why not just give this plan to General Johnston. He’s already in Mississippi.”

Longstreet’s blue eyes revealed his fear. What if they accepted his plan but rejected him?

Before he could speak, Seddon did. “I think the most important component of any winning strategy is the commanding general.”

Davis opened another map and studied the Mississippi’s winding curves. “General Johnston feels that the department is too much for one man to handle.”

Longstreet sensed a trap. Either Davis was planning to dilute his command from the outset or he was seeking assurances that Johnston was the man for the job. He leaned back in his chair. His fingers rifled through the edges of his papers while he thought his way clear of the snare. “I’d have to disagree with General Johnston’s assessment. I believe the situation calls for one commander.”

Davis studied Longstreet. “Is General Johnston that one commander?”

Longstreet paused. Johnston was a good friend, and he didn’t want to harm Johnston’s reputation. “If General Johnston had fully recovered from his wounds, then, yes, he’d be that commander,” he said slowly, “but he hasn’t and that hinders him.”

Davis seemed to agree with Longstreet’s assessment. He picked up the proposal and scanned it again. “Having a steady leader would certainly solve an enormous problem,” he said to Seddon.

“As I have suggested several times,” Seddon replied.

“Yes, you have,” Davis said tightly. “General Longstreet, whereas I appreciate this proposal, I do have to say that with the army headed north, I believe your place is with your corps.”

Longstreet swallowed deeply. “There are many capable generals in the army who can lead the First Corps: A.P. Hill, Generals Ewell or Hood. I’m needed out west.” He swallowed again. That last sentence made him sound desperate.

Davis chewed on the remark as he reread the proposal. “Have you spoken to General Lee about this?”

Longstreet stepped warily around the subject of Lee. “Since my detachment from the army, my communication with General Lee has dealt mainly with supplies. I left any talk of strategy for a face-to-face meeting. Due to the extreme emergency we find ourselves in, I haven’t had the opportunity.”

“What do you think he’d say?” Seddon asked.

“I think he’d agree with me.”

Davis sighed. “The Confederacy is in extreme emergency and I have no confidence in General Johnston or General Bragg to successfully deal with the Yankees.” Davis’ head dropped down on his chest. He closed his eyes. “What do you think, Secretary Seddon?”

“I believe General Longstreet’s an answer to prayer,” Seddon said, smiling at Longstreet.

Longstreet held his breath.

“I agree,” Davis replied, opening his eyes and raising his head. “General Longstreet, I approve your proposal. How soon can you leave for Tennessee?”

Longstreet wasn’t ready to accept Davis’ offer just yet. He hadn’t received everything he wanted or needed. He splayed his large hands on the table. “Sir, I am a lieutenant general…”

“Yes, yes.” Davis waved his hand dismissively. “I’ll recommend your promotion to full general to the Congress.”

Longstreet swallowed his triumphant smile. “Then I can leave for Tennessee at first light.”

“Excellent!” Davis stood, followed promptly by Seddon.

Longstreet kept his seat.

“What else?” Davis questioned impatiently.

“General Lee.”

“I’ll inform General Lee of my decision at dinner.”

Longstreet stood.

Davis offered his hand. “General, I don’t need to tell you what’s at stake.”

Longstreet gripped Davis’ hand. “No, sir, you don’t.”

***

Robert E. Lee stood across the street from the Spotswood Hotel and stared through the hotel’s wide windows at the hectic activity in the lobby. He spied Major Sorrel hurrying through the room. Where was Longstreet? He wasn’t visible, but Lee was certain his old war horse was in the middle of the crush of men, orchestrating the commotion.

Two couriers exited the hotel on the run and headed toward the telegraph office. They clutched slips of papers in their hands; most likely orders to Longstreet’s new subordinates out west – the most fractious and ambitious bunch of men in the entire Confederate army. Well, Longstreet was welcome to them.

Dinner was winding down when Davis had brusquely informed him that late this afternoon the Congress had approved Longstreet’s reassignment to the Department of Mississippi and promotion to full general. Davis paused so Lee could object, but Lee said nothing. In the silence, Davis stammered out justification after justification for snatching Longstreet away on the eve of the army’s invasion of the North.

As Davis stumbled through his list of reasons, Lee could only nod in agreement. The situation out west was deteriorating rapidly. But if there was going to be a change in command, then Jackson was better suited to lead an army against the aggressive Grant. Lee was preparing to offer Jackson but stopped before he did. It was a selfish impulse, yet it snatched the words clean from his throat. He didn’t want Jackson to leave his command. He would miss the reticent professor. Over the past winter a friendship had grown between the two men – a friendship Lee took pleasure in.

When Davis’ last reason had faded away, Lee acquiesced because he didn’t really have a choice. The decision had been made and the orders given. All Lee could do now was make a list of candidates to replace Longstreet.

Another courier dashed down the street. Major Sorrel stood framed in the doorway. As he turned to go back inside, he spied Lee and waved. Lee waved back and headed across the street toward the hotel.

***

“Sir, General Lee is coming,” Sorrel announced.

Longstreet suddenly felt like a disobedient child about to face a disapproving father. He steeled himself and forced the panic away. He had no reason to be intimidated. This afternoon he had become Lee’s equal. When he chased Grant from Mississippi, he would finally usurp the Virginian in the public’s affection.

He drained the whiskey from his glass and set it down on the table with a thud. He stood as Lee approached.

Lee waved him back into his seat and fell wearily into the chair across the way. In the candlelight, Lee looked older than his 56 years.

“Robert,” Longstreet said in greeting.

“General Longstreet.”

Longstreet ignored the reprimand in Lee’s voice. “When will you be returning to the army?”

“I’ve a few things to wrap up here first.”

“I’m headed for Tennessee tomorrow morning,” Longstreet said, careful to keep his voice free of triumph.

“So I’ve heard.” Lee rose. “Well, it’s late.”

“Robert, before you go, I want to talk to you about Stuart.”

Lee frowned and retook his seat. “What about General Stuart?”

“I’d like him to come to Tennessee with me.”

Lee’s frown deepened. “I don’t think I could do without General Stuart’s services.”

“Now, don’t be stingy, Robert,” he scolded. “You’ve plenty of officers to take Stuart’s place.”

Lee pulled hard on his shirt cuff.

Longstreet gave him a stare. “Are you not even open to the possibility that my need for Stuart could outweigh yours?”

“No.” Lee was abrupt.

Longstreet chuckled. “Perhaps we should bring the matter up to the president.”

Lee raised an eyebrow. “You’ve had quite a day, General. Why not be satisfied with the victories already won?”

Longstreet wanted to speak angry words, but Lee was on his feet.

“I wish you success in your new command. I know how much you longed for it and what was involved in securing it. I hope all your corps commanders obey your orders as swiftly as you obeyed mine last week. Goodnight.”

Without turning back, Lee disappeared from the lobby.

Let Us Fight It Out - Chapter Two

The Big Black River

East of Vicksburg, Mississippi
May 7, 1863

Lieutenant General John Pemberton read the telegram again. “You’re sure this is the latest telegram from Richmond?” His northern accent was a stranger in the sea of soft, drawling voices that constantly surrounded him. He was Pennsylvanian by birth but had married a Virginia girl. When the war came, he faced a difficult choice. Go home to Pennsylvania or remain with his adoptive state. He chose the latter and though he had served with honor in both South Carolina and Mississippi, to many in the South, his foreign birth caused his every move and retreat to be viewed with suspicion.

“Yes, sir,” his adjutant, John Waddy, replied. “I verified it myself. Twice.”

Pemberton rubbed his brow and reread the telegram. Since Grant had crossed the Mississippi River in mid-April, Davis and Seddon had bombarded him with hourly telegrams ordering him to defend Vicksburg at all hazards.

As if he needed Richmond’s constant hectoring. He was fully aware of the stakes. If Vicksburg fell, the Union navy would take control of the Mississippi River, split the Confederacy in two, and deny the armies much needed supplies from Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas.

That is why this latest telegram made no sense. It was from General Longstreet, one of Lee’s lieutenants. Pemberton had served under Lee in South Carolina and knew him to be an aggressive commander. But Longstreet’s first order was the opposite of aggressive. The telegram instructed him to abandon Vicksburg, march to Tullahoma, Tennessee, and join up with Braxton Bragg’s Army of Tennessee. No reason was given for the order; just a time frame – immediately.

“What do we do, General?” Waddy asked. He pointed at the telegram crumpled in Pemberton’s hand.

Pemberton released his grip on the slip of paper and smoothed the wrinkles. He handed it to Waddy. “We have our orders. We obey them and pray to God that Longstreet knows what he’s doing.”

***

Tullahoma, Tennessee
May 7, 1863
Evening

General Braxton Bragg stared down at the recent telegram from Richmond, not really thinking what it meant for the army but what it meant for him. General Johnston had been replaced and one of Lee’s lieutenants was rushing to Tennessee. Did this Longstreet finally bear the orders that would relieve him from command?

Bragg knew his position at the head of the Army of Tennessee was tenuous. When he had inherited the army from the ailing Beauregard, he had immediately written to Richmond asking that the rules of promotion by seniority be set aside so the higher-ranked, politically appointed generals, dead weight was his precise phrase, could be removed from command in favor of younger, harder fighting generals who were quick to obey their orders. Richmond refused.

This refusal bore its fruit at Perryville last summer. Bragg ordered General Leonidas Polk to attack the Union forces at Bardstown, Kentucky. Instead, Polk held a war counsel and convinced his fellow generals that they, in good conscience, couldn’t obey Bragg’s order.

To disguise their insubordination, the generals wrote Bragg lengthy letters instructing him on correct army protocol. “Never divide your army in the face of a larger force,” General William Hardee had intoned. Bragg had to wonder if it ever occurred to Hardee that his insubordination was the direct cause of the army’s division. Bragg’s letters to Richmond asking for Polk and Hardee to be reassigned went unanswered.

Last December, his commanders had urged him to retreat after a hard won victory at Stones River. At first Bragg refused, but Polk and Hardee insisted. Against his better judgment, he accepted their counsel and retreated to Tullahoma.

The two generals began a new letter writing campaign. This time, they directed their complaints to Davis, the War Department, and members of Congress. Oh, no, it wasn’t their choice to retreat, the two assured the letters’ recipients. They had wanted to stay and fight, but Bragg’s ineptitude had cost the army a sure victory. If the Confederacy’s fortune was to change, Bragg had to go.

Bragg was stunned by this blatant betrayal. He circulated a letter throughout his command, asking his corps and division commanders if they had confidence in his leadership. Their frank replies caught him by surprise. Most of his generals thought it’d best for the army if he resigned.

Bragg wrote an angry letter resigning his commission. He never mailed it. He refused to be forced out by his back-stabbing lieutenants.

Joe Johnston arrived in Tullahoma with instructions from Davis to relieve Bragg if his leadership had been damaged. Fortunately for Bragg, Johnston didn’t believe a change of command was necessary.

Now Johnston had been relieved and another general was coming from Virginia. If Damocles’ sword was going to fall at last, Bragg prayed it would do so quickly and mercifully.

A knock at the tent door roused him from his musings. “Yes, come in,” he barked irritably.

The flap opened to reveal General Polk. Bragg grimaced. There was only one reason the tall, lean Polk had come to his tent. He must have heard the news about Longstreet and had come to gloat.

Without waiting to be asked, Polk collapsed in the chair opposite Bragg. He brushed the silver gray hair from his forehead, placed both elbows on the small table, leaned across and tried to read the telegram. Annoyed by the antic, Bragg retrieved the telegram and stowed it inside his jacket pocket.

“I hear the army is getting a new commander,” Polk crowed.

Bragg refused to take the bait. He shrugged and poured a cup of coffee.

Polk was speechless; a rarity for the Episcopalian Bishop turned warrior, but he quickly recovered his tongue. “Personally, I think Richmond has a shake-up of the entire command structure in mind. About time, if you ask me.”

Bragg hadn’t asked.

Polk pointed to the coffee pot in the center of the table. “May I?”

Bragg consented.

“As you know, President Davis is an old and dear friend…”

It was this friendship between Polk and Davis that was directly responsible for the rancor that now existed in the army. Davis refused to hear any criticism against his friend, no matter how egregiously Polk behaved. This gave Polk immunity to act anyway he chose, knowing he was safely protected by presidential favor.

“Did you want anything in particular?” Bragg asked impatiently.

“Just came to flesh out the rumors floating through the army. General Hardee…”

Bragg flushed angrily. Hardee was the Bishop’s most devoted acolyte. He dissimulated Polk’s lies through the army with stunning zeal. Polk must have asked a question, for he had stopped yammering and was looking at Bragg expectantly.

“Do you know when General Longstreet is to arrive?” Polk repeated his question.

“I’m sure he’s coming with all haste.”

Polk drained his tin cup. “He can’t come quickly enough for me.”

The nerve of this man! To come into his tent and insult him so! Bragg’s mind raced for a retort, but wrath choked out all thought. “It’s late, General.” He stood, giving Polk no choice but to say goodnight.

***

Northern Alabama
May 9, 1863

General Nathan Bedford Forrest rolled over and shut his eyes against the invading rays of the rising sun. He had spent the last eight days chasing a Union raiding party through Tennessee and Alabama before catching up with the Yankees at Cedar Bluffs, a small town near the Georgia border. Forrest employed some trickery and convinced the worn-out Yankees that he had numerical superiority. They surrendered 20 miles from their goal of Rome, Georgia.

He rolled back over. His eyes were filled with the sight of scarred cavalry boots. He glanced up. “It had better be important, Major Kelley,” he growled.

“Courier came in late last night.” Kelley collapsed on the ground next to Forrest. He held up two telegrams. “From Bragg.”

“What’s that numbskull want?” Forrest gave up on the idea of sleep. He sat up and jerked his fingers through his graying hair “Well?” His fingers combed through his jet black goatee. He was in desperate need of a hot bath and some breakfast.

Kelley read the telegram out loud. “Report to me at Tullahoma immediately. General Johnston replaced by General Longstreet.”

Forrest snatched the telegram from the adjutant. Reading and writing weren’t skills he had mastered, but between the two, he knew enough words to understand the gist of the telegram.

“Longstreet? Ain’t he one of Lee’s generals?” He handed the telegram back to Kelley and pulled on his boots. He could smell coffee brewing and felt a powerful thirst deep in his gullet.

“I believe he was a corps commander. At least that’s what I read in the newspapers once.”

“If Richmond was gonna go through all the trouble of sendin’ us another general, why didn’t they send us that Stonewall feller. Now there’s a man who knows how to fight. And we certainly need us one of them.”

Kelley chuckled. “Why don’t you ask our new commander that very thing when you see him?”

“I might just do that,” Forrest snapped. He had run out of patience for incompetent, cowardly generals who surrendered forts and field armies whenever the going got a little tough. If Richmond had sent another sissified general who gave up wide swathes of ground instead of fighting, he was going to raise hell. “What does the other telegram say?”

Kelley ripped open the envelope. He turned as pale as his shirt front. “General Van Dorn is dead.”

Once again, Forrest snatched the telegram out of Kelley’s hand. He saw nothing about how the dashing general had met his untimely death, but if he had to make a wager, he would put his money on a cuckolded husband finally getting his revenge.

The blood returned to Kelley’s face and he grinned. “Do you know what that means? You’ll be given the cavalry. Longstreet may even promote you to major general.”

Forrest made a face. “I don’t want to be no major general in an army that don’t fight.”

“But…”

“I don’t want to talk about it no more.” He gave up on the idea of breakfast. “Get the men up and in the saddle. We’ll be headin’ out in the next fifteen minutes.”

Kelley nodded and pocketed the two telegrams. Forrest could hear him shouting orders to the men. With a groan, he stood and stretched wide his arms. He was so tired!

Let Us Fight It Out - Chapter 3

Bragg’s Headquarters
May 20, 1863

Bragg stared across the table at an exhausted Pemberton and watched him drain his fifth cup of coffee. Next to Pemberton sat a dusty Forrest snoring quietly, sound asleep in the chair he had plopped down in.

Bragg and Pemberton made surreptitious glances at the tent door. An hour ago, word had arrived from Longstreet’s adjutant that Longstreet wanted to meet briefly with his commanders. Bragg had a million questions about the future and he was sure that Pemberton did too.

Obviously, the assembling of the two armies meant one thing. The Confederates were going on the offense. But against whom? Grant, who had seized Vicksburg two days ago, or Rosecrans’ Army of the Cumberland now encamped at Murfreesboro?

The sound of horses. Forrest woke with a start. The tent flap opened. A captain entered followed by a major. A brief moment passed as if staged for dramatic effect, then General Longstreet strode into the tent. The moment of truth had arrived. Here was Richmond’s champion! The generals rose.

Longstreet handed his hat and gauntlets to the captain and accepted a weather-beaten portfolio from the major. He faced his gawking generals and took them in with one sweeping glance.

Bragg stepped forward. “Good evening, General Longstreet. I’m General Bragg.” He held out his hand. Longstreet’s grip was firm. Bragg turned toward Pemberton and Forrest, both standing somewhat at attention. “This is General Pemberton and General Forrest.”

“General Pemberton,” Longstreet said, “General Lee wanted me to give you his warm regards.”

“How is the General?” Pemberton asked. A smile graced his weary face.

“Preparing to follow General Jackson’s corps into Pennsylvania.”

Forrest sat back down and grabbed a coffee cup. “We shoulda done that a year ago,” he snorted.

“General Forrest!” Bragg snapped, irritated by the cavalry leader’s bluntness.

Forrest glared at him before splashing the rest of the pot’s content into his cup.

Longstreet gestured toward the table. “Let’s sit, gentlemen.” He sat next to Forrest and opened his portfolio. Pemberton and Bragg returned to their places.

“You may not be aware of it, General Longstreet, but Vicksburg has fallen,” Pemberton announced.

“Yes, I did know that.”

“It needn’t have happened. My army could have protected the city.” Pemberton was defensive.

“Perhaps,” Longstreet replied with a casual shrug.

Pemberton bristled. “Perhaps!” He jerked back in his chair and folded his arms.

Longstreet gave a small smile and held up his hand. “General Pemberton, smooth your ruffled feathers. I’m not belittling your men or their fighting prowess. I’m sure they are the finest in the Confederacy. But, gentlemen, let’s not deceive ourselves. The war is being lost, here, in the west. Richmond has sent me to right this sinking ship. And I mean to do just that.”

Bragg took umbrage at the statement. Maybe not with the statement’s truth but certainly with the cold, hard way it was delivered. He followed Pemberton’s lead, leaned back in his chair, and folded his arms across his chest.

Longstreet didn’t seem to notice that he had offended two of his generals. “Gentlemen, the blame doesn’t belong with you or with your men,” he continued, “but to a strategy devised in Richmond that has tried to defend too much land with too little men.”

Bragg repented of his hasty judgment. Longstreet had pinpointed a major source of the failure suffered by the commands in the west. He unfolded his arms.

“It’s time to change that strategy and give our armies the opportunity to show the Yankees their mettle,” Longstreet finished.

“What do ya have in mind?” Forrest asked. He emptied his cup.

Longstreet opened his portfolio and drew out a map. He unfolded it and slid it over to Bragg.

Bragg placed a finger on the map. If he was to be relieved, then he wanted to be relieved now, before Longstreet unfolded whatever plan he had been sent west with. “Sir, before you go on, what happens to the armies and their commanders?”

Pemberton leaned forward. “That’s a question I’d like an answer to.”

Longstreet looked Bragg in the eyes. “As far as I’m concerned, everyone begins with a clean slate. Obey my orders, and you’ll keep your commands.”

At the news, relief swept through Bragg. He raised his eyes to Heaven and uttered a silent prayer of thanksgiving.

Longstreet unfolded another map and set it before Pemberton. “We’re going to push Rosecrans out of the way and head toward the Ohio River.”

Forrest slapped his hand on the table. “It’s about time!”

Bragg raised a hand. “Hold on,” he said to Forrest. He turned his attention to Longstreet. “Push Rosecrans out of the way, where?”

“Toward Shelbyville,” Longstreet answered. “We’re going to force him to either do battle with us as we pour through Guy’s Gap and Bell Buckle Gap or retreat.”

Bragg shook his head in disagreement. “He can easily flank us through either Liberty Gap or Hoover Gap.”

Longstreet pointed at the map. “Not if we cut the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad.” He reached over and drew Bragg’s map to him. “For Rosecrans or any other Union commander, their most pressing concern is protecting their supply lines. It’s their Achilles’ heel.

“That’s how we stopped Grant cold last December,” Forrest said. “When Van Dorn burnt the Yankees’ supply depot at Holly Springs, Grant had no choice but to break off his attack on Vicksburg.”

“Thank you for the history lesson,” Bragg sharply rebuked.

Forrest warded off the reprimand with a shrug of his shoulder.

“We cut the railroad and Rosecrans will have to attack or retreat. The Barrens will protect us from an attack through Liberty or Hoover Gaps,” Longstreet explained.

“That made sense,” Bragg thought. His army had stripped The Barrens of what little it had produced months ago.

“Once we dispatch Rosecrans, the way to the Ohio will be wide open,” Longstreet continued. “Mr. Lincoln can’t have both the Army of Northern Virginia and our combined forces tramping unopposed through the North. He’ll have no choice but to send Grant after us.”

Bragg reclaimed the map from Longstreet. “I think it’s a mistake to plan a strategy based on what Lincoln will or will not do. He could easily order Grant south toward Atlanta. We would have no choice but to break off our invasion.”

Longstreet took a cigar from his pocket. He twirled it between thumb and forefinger. “There is that possibility and I won’t deny it.” He bit off the end of the cigar and spat it on the ground. “But we have two choices. We can wait for Grant to combine with Rosecrans and then push toward Atlanta, or we can take the initiative and force the Yankees to dance to our tune.” He lit the cigar and puffed out a cloud of smoke.

Of the two scenarios, Bragg preferred the latter. “When do we go?”

“General Pemberton, when will your men arrive?” Longstreet asked.

“They’re about two days away. But sir, they’ve fought hard for the past six months and have marched hard for the last few days. They’ll need rest.”

“They’ll have it.” Longstreet rounded on Forrest. “General, I’m going to give you the task of cutting and holding the railroad.”

“I’ll need Morgan’s and Wheeler’s brigades put under my command.”

“Major Sorrel,” Longstreet called. The adjutant retrieved a piece of paper from his pocket and wrote quickly. He handed the note to the captain, who exited the tent. “Gentlemen, I know it’s late and General Pemberton and General Forrest have ridden many miles today. Let’s meet here tomorrow morning after we’ve all had a good night’s sleep and discuss the particulars. I’ll give out specific assignments then and answer any questions you may have.”

Longstreet stood. The generals followed suit. “If there’s nothing else.” He didn’t wait for answer. He exited the tent.