The War Court and Lap Pillow, Austria's Mandate of Heaven

Chapter 1889 Bad News for America

However, Franklin Pierce and a group of high-ranking American officials were still shocked by the British army's actions.

"They burned New York down. They're really capable of doing that."

Jefferson Hamilton Davis couldn't help but gasp; he was now starting to admire the British.

Politicians in the American South were shocked, but also somewhat gloating. They had been ripped off by New York financiers before. They worked hard to earn money from farming, only to have it all taken by those guys through price scissors. It was no wonder they were resentful.

Without the help of Wildcat Bank and Franz, the major transportation, communication, finance, and warehousing industries in the South would have fallen into the hands of wealthy Northerners.

Historically, Vanderbilt single-handedly plunged the entire American South into misery, but now he's in a terrible predicament.

Not only was his Manhattan mansion burned down by the British, but the US government also considered him a top traitor to the United States. Almost all of the Vanderbilt family's properties were confiscated, and their wealth was almost entirely extorted by the British.

He was truly on the verge of tears.
Seeing the posture of both Britain and the United States, Vanderbilt knew that there was little hope of the British occupying America.

Therefore, the most sensible choice now is to leave North America to avoid being purged by the US government in the future.

Having been America's richest man for so many years, Vanderbilt still possesses considerable insight and knowledge. He knows that Britain and Europe have long been divided up by those powerful figures.

If the Vanderbilt family wants to make a comeback, they can only go to more distant places; otherwise, they can only make a living at the mercy of others.

Actually, with Vanderbilt's connections, he could return to the United States, but he would need to go abroad and hide for a few years first, since the current public opinion is unfavorable to him.

But Vanderbilt knew very well that money couldn't stop flowing; once it stopped, it would depreciate, so he had to find a new path.

He had no place to stay in Europe, and no normal person would go to that godforsaken place in Africa.

The Far East is not bad. Vanderbilt heard that it's easy to make money from the Qing Dynasty, but many important figures have already gone there. They all have state backing, which Vanderbilt can't compare to at all.

Then there's another untapped blue ocean: Australia. Once a land of exile, it now seems to have discovered a goldmine, and Vanderbilt has already figured out how to make a fortune.

But what he didn't expect was that he would be ripped off by Codlington before leaving the United States. Codlington's logic was simple: if his governor was gone, what use was there in keeping the fish in the pond?

It wasn't just Vanderbilt; those who had previously sided with Britain and believed Codlington's empty promises were also blackmailed.

However, when they arrived at the port with the documents given to them by Codrington, they discovered that these pieces of paper were completely useless.

When they angrily went to confront Codrington, they discovered that he had already boarded a ship bound for India.
Others were not as calm as Davis. Many still couldn't believe that the British would actually dare to burn down New York, the financial and cultural center of North America.

The largest shipyards, garment factories, printing plants, and mold factories in North America are all located here. In addition, New York is the telegraph network center of the entire northern United States. It is no exaggeration to say that it gathers one-third of the wealth of North America.

The Americans were completely taken aback by the British doing this; they had been considering how to cause as little damage to New York as possible.

New York is not the same as Pittsburgh. The latter is just a lump of iron that you can easily knock on; but the former is a piece of gold that you'd be afraid to touch if you were afraid it would melt.

But now the British have made the decision for them.
After the shock came anger, a Northern congressman living in New York was the first to speak out.

"It's all because of you slave owners! If you hadn't refused to abolish slavery, why would the British have burned down New York?"
Selfish wretch! Miser!

Southern lawmakers were incredulous, but immediately retaliated.

"You lost New York yourselves! What does it have to do with us in the South? Now it's us Southerners using our money, and our lads fighting for you."

Shameless bastard! Trash!

"The British didn't attack you directly; if they attacked you first, you wouldn't have been able to hold out!"

"We should be independent to avoid being implicated by you!"

The argument between the North and South erupted again, and Franklin Pierce's forehead veins throbbed as he listened; he wished he could shoot both of them in the head.

This group has been creating division all along. They're about to win the war, and now they're continuing to hold us back.

"Shut up! We must expose what's happening here and let the whole world see what the British really are like!"
The most important thing now is to save New York! Let's see how much can be saved!

Franklin Pierce wasn't particularly noble, but his desire to save New York was genuine, because New York was simply too important to America.

For Franklin Pierce personally, saving New York could also change his public image to some extent, since he was, in a sense, the one who started this war.

While Britain was able to use the pretext of aiding Mexico, Tassan Anna, seeing the United States in a predicament, also considered taking advantage of the situation.

However, the Americans were still quite arrogant towards the Mexicans, and all of Tassan Anna's demands were rejected.

Forget about ceding territory or paying reparations; what we can do is open our markets to each other.

However, given Mexico's economic strength at that time and its close ties with the United States, it was essentially destined to be exploited. Enraged, Tassan Anna ordered an attack on the American mainland.

However, there's a reason why Americans look down on Mexico: Mexico's military strength is truly terrible.

After several battles, the Mexican army suffered losses in every one. Internal warlord conflicts within Mexico further exacerbated the situation, leaving Tassan Anna with no choice but to reach a ceasefire agreement with the United States.

Mexican troops retreated back home to quell the rebellion, while American troops marched north to fight the British.

And it all stemmed from Franklin Pierce's grand plan.

Suburbs of New York City.

There weren't nearly enough tents, and besides, the soldiers weren't generous enough to give up their own tents to others.

People could only build some makeshift shacks using hay scavenged nearby and beams that were almost carbonized from the ruins.

People huddled inside, wrapped in nearly charred blankets, curtains, sheets, or similar items.

Very few camps allowed people to cook their own meals, but most camps had to wait for relief.

On a makeshift stove, a large pot was simmering with a jumble of food, and a strong soldier was vigorously stirring it, the ingredients of which were no longer distinguishable.

Other soldiers were adding firewood and food nearby, and bags of food were being thrown on the ground, peeled, and then thrown into the pot.

But what's most striking is the entire squad of heavily armed soldiers standing to the side. Back in Austria, those returned officers couldn't understand why a guard company was stationed next to the mess hall. Now they finally understand: without someone maintaining order, people could really die while eating.

The fights and stampedes over food resulted in hundreds of deaths in just a few days, during which time they also tried a delegation system.

That is to have each camp select a few camp leaders, who will then lead their people to collect food and relief.

But the problem remains unresolved because these leaders use their power to profit themselves and their families.

Americans at this time were full of martial spirit; a man who had lost his loved ones, his home, and was starving was capable of anything.

In desperation, they recalled the Austrian Empire's approach, but doing so was very un-American.

A long queue formed in front of the pot, and no one was allowed to cut in line or make a sound. Soldiers patrolled back and forth on both sides of the queue, which finally calmed the restless crowd.

Furthermore, what to use to collect food became a new problem. In fact, because the fire came so suddenly, many people only had time to take away their most valuable belongings.

A normal person would not take the cutlery first, which led to the scene before us.
Some people were carrying wooden buckets, some were carrying hats, some were carrying broken plates, and some were even carrying leather boots, large leaves and tortoise shells, creating a rather magical scene.

However, when people are hungry, they don't care about so much; their primary goal is survival, not dignity.

Of course, there were also some lucky ones who happened to bring out a set of gold and silver tableware, or expensive porcelain from the East.

They, on the other hand, can openly display their tableware and collections.
Among the people queuing were many injured people; some had severe burns, while others had broken bones and were only given simple treatment with a stick and bandages.
Unfortunately, the entire army had very few military doctors. Those doctors were neither able to handle all the cases nor willing to do so, since they wouldn't get paid for treating refugees and might even have to give up their precious medicines.

Apart from a small group of officers who wanted to accumulate political resources and prestige and some soldiers who were genuinely moved, the other officers and soldiers had a more relaxed, detached attitude.

In reality, they are enjoying a rare holiday. Many people go to the refugee camp to have fun, since they can get what they want by exchanging a little food.

Even if they are taking advantage of the chaos, this kind of person is considered one of the more conscientious members of the US military.

Some soldiers even harbored resentment towards the civilians who had just suffered, because the civilians had taken their food and supplies, and even if they didn't need them for the time being, those soldiers didn't want to share them with others.

After all, those people's suffering has nothing to do with him; it should be the enemy who surrenders.

Many American soldiers choose to loot or rob, and some, under pressure, will even act out while drunk, venting their pent-up stress through foul language and violence.

Those officers were even more cunning; they would use the pretext of "requisitioning" whatever or anyone they fancied.

This move was flawless from any angle at this moment, and the person who was conscripted had no way to refute it, having neither the reason nor the ability to do so.

Some officers even colluded with soldiers to run pig butchering scams, since everyone joined the army to make money, and it didn't matter whose money they made.
Even someone with a high moral compass like Robert E. Lee would deliberately turn a blind eye to such things.

However, former sheriff Stonewall Jackson, with his strong sense of justice, could not tolerate such behavior, but would stop those he disapproved of, and even punish soldiers and officers who went too far.

The next day, Stonewall Jackson was shot in the back, a bullet shattering his left kneecap. The shooter was a young black boy he had helped.

This completely ignited the anger of the officers and soldiers in the American South, who already had little affection for the enslaved people.

"What kind of bullshit free people are you? Those monkeys that haven't fully evolved should wear collars and be locked in cages; that would be better for everyone!"

Although Stonewall Jackson had a notoriously bad temper and was stubborn to the point of being obsessive, most people still recognized his character and called him a good man who was too strict and upright. His soldiers also held him in high esteem.

Overall, Stonewall Jackson was more popular than he had imagined.

Meanwhile, soldiers from the South in the U.S. Army generally opposed providing aid to Black people as war refugees.

However, the support of Northern troops, coupled with orders from Washington, forced them to make concessions.

"Don't make things up before the facts are clear! Why did that black boy have to shoot him?"
Perhaps General Jackson had some shady hobby!

"You're talking nonsense! General Jackson was a tough guy! He would never do such a thing!"

The Northern officer on the other side immediately retorted.

"Do you have any proof? I also said Billy is a good kid!"

The Union officer successfully provoked the Confederate officer on the other side.

"Fuck you!"

The two sides started fighting, and the scene instantly descended into chaos.

During the brawl, someone fired a shot, but the person who was shot was not one of the two people fighting, but the black boy named Billy.

Both the North and the South believed that the other side was trying to frame them, since they both felt they were innocent and that only the other side wanted to die without any evidence.

Once a chain of suspicion is formed, it is almost impossible to eliminate. Robert E. Lee was already quite prestigious in the U.S. military at this time, but he could not quell the anger of both sides, and it seemed that the North and South were about to fight a civil war on the front lines.

Suddenly, even more shocking news came back: the British had burned all the cities and villages along the way, and even the farmland and mines were not spared.

This news came like a bolt from the blue, bringing both sides, who were initially furious, back to calm.

"Those British bastards have gone too far!"

This time, even Robert E. Lee couldn't hold back anymore; the British had set fire to the country, creating millions of refugees.

New York alone was already overwhelming for the US troops on the front lines. Now, even if all the US soldiers were slaughtered like pigs, they still wouldn't be able to feed ten times that many mouths.

The other generals were also terrified. Regardless of their original beliefs, they had all made up their minds at this moment.

"Let's give chase! Forget everything else, if the British keep burning, America is truly doomed!"

Robert E. Lee also wanted to give chase, but he knew very well that calmness was essential in such situations. The enemy might be waiting for this move, and a hasty pursuit could lead to falling into a British trap.

Despite the apparent winning streak of the US military, there remains a significant gap in combat capabilities between the two sides, a gap that becomes even more pronounced in skirmishes.

Robert E. Lee feared that the British army's true objective was to engage in a decisive battle with the American army.