The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 843 The General Manager is brilliant!

1868 8 Month 1 Day.

In the temporary headquarters in the small town of Iliff, Colorado, the dim light from the kerosene lamp on the long pine table illuminated Grant's face, which was full of clouds. The fingers of John Logan, commander of the 11th Army, who was holding the "Report of Deaths to be Approved", were trembling slightly - not because he felt sorry for the unfortunate people waiting in line to die, but because he was worried about Grant's presidential election.

These people fought an eight-year civil war, but instead of creating a "great America", they made America more divided, and also attracted six imperialists: Britain, Germany, Russia, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Japan, and North Korea - well, now there are British troops stationed in the United States, German troops stationed in the United States, Russian troops stationed in the United States, Chinese troops stationed in the United States, Japanese troops stationed in the United States, and North Korean troops stationed in the United States!

There are so many foreign troops on the land of the United States, the chosen country. Where is the Manifest Destiny? Where is the promised greatness of America? Where are they?
If Grant could not be elected as a "Civil War hero" and the Northern Democratic Party candidate became president, would these "Civil War accomplices" have anything good to gain?

This civil war has now been fought not for the greatness of America, nor even for the unification of America, but for these people to avoid being held accountable later.

"General," Logan said in a low and tired voice, "I have already sent 4,000 Indian soldiers to my Indian regiment in just three days. Those guys wearing turbans have now refused to fight... and there are more than 500 white soldiers waiting for approval to be killed in battle!"

"Five hundred killed in the 11th Army." Grant wrote a string of numbers in his notebook.

Major General Thomas also had a worried look on his face: "My troops suffered 3,600 casualties, and eight heavy artillery pieces were destroyed. The minefields on the Strasbourg defense line... It's simply a prank of Satan. They actually laid mines in their own trenches!"

Major General Sheridan stood aside in silence. His Sixth Army suffered heavy losses in the charge at Kiowa Pass, and the elite commandos were almost wiped out. He stared at the Denver Line, which was covered with red flags on the sand table, with a frown on his face.

Grant was holding a cigar, puffing smoke, and no one knew what he was thinking. Suddenly, a smile appeared on his elongated face: "Okay, our plan to attract the enemy to come back to Denver for reinforcements has been accomplished!"

Lieutenant General Meade raised his head suddenly, his face full of surprise: "You mean..."

"The attack on Denver is a feint," Grant said, "the purpose of which is to draw all the rebels in the West to the Denver area."

The generals present stared at Grant blankly, wondering, "Does this guy really have some magical trick or is he just trying to save face?"

"Starting tomorrow, the entire army will turn south!" Grant's pencil drew a big arrow between Colorado and Oklahoma. "We are going to burn the Indian ranch to ashes and raze their holy city of Tahlequah to the ground. This will be an epic victory!"

It seems interesting.
Logan swallowed and said, "General, is that Indian reservation so important?"

"Of course. We can view it as an Indian reservation, or as a state!" Grant interrupted him with a sneer on his face. "Besides, when we turn an Indian-dominated state into ruins, what will the cotton planters in Arkansas, Texas, and Louisiana think? Will they accept the generous conditions offered by the federal government and return to the big family of America, or will they become another Oklahoma?"

He stood up, placed his hands on the table, and glanced at every general: "Denver's attack has achieved its goal - the main force of the rebels has been attracted here. Now, it's time to let them see where the iron fist of the Federation will hit!"

Sheridan nodded slowly, "Oklahoma doesn't have defenses like Denver, and the Indians don't have Gatling guns."

"That's right." Grant's voice was filled with unquestionable determination. "The Seventh and Eleventh Armies will move south immediately. The Twelfth Army will continue its feint attack on Denver. The Sixth Army will serve as a reserve force to provide support at any time."

After the meeting, Grant called his adjutant and said, "Send a telegram to Washington and tell the president to prepare a victory speech for me! Although I can't take Denver, I can at least turn the Indian state into ruins and take Louisiana, Texas, and Arkansas for the Union. Including Oklahoma, that's four states!"

In the Governor's Mansion in Denver, Hong Tiangui slapped the battle report on the mahogany table: "Please read this, King Wu! The Union Army's casualties at the four major passes are over 2,000 per day. The corpses piled up at La Junta Pass are enough to build a Jingguan! Grant secretly withdrew his troops last night! Now the Union Army is burning farms on the plains, and black smoke is covering the sky..."

Luo Yaoguo frowned slightly: "Grant's withdrawal was strange"

Hong Daquan, who was standing by, squinted his eyes and studied the map. After hearing what Luo Yaoguo said, he whispered, "Your Highness, Prince Wu, is Grant planning to go south to attack the Indian reservation in Oklahoma?"

Luo Yaoguo turned around and asked, "How is Oklahoma's defense? Can it hold?"

Hong Daquan and Hong Tiangui shook their heads together.

"Oklahoma is undefendable. There is no fortress city like Denver, nor the natural barrier of the Rocky Mountains," said Hong Tiangui. Hong Daquan smiled bitterly and said, "More than that, Oklahoma is different from California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, and Colorado. It is just an ordinary ally of ours!"

In fact, the so-called Western "Black, Red and Yellow" alliance itself is a loose alliance. The relationship between the states is that of allies, and there is no strong center. It is only because California is the largest among the twelve states, and the True Covenant Archdiocese of North America coordinates, that a large alliance is formed with California as the center, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Colorado, and the Canadian Dominion of the City of Kings as the backbone, and Idaho, Montana, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico and other states as the periphery.
At this time, a staff officer from the West Coast Militia Joint Staff suddenly rushed in from outside the door: "Report! The Black, Red and Yellow Corps encountered the Union Army's inland ironclad warships on the Missouri River in Dakota Territory. In addition, the Union Army's Fort Pierre on the Missouri River has strong defenses... The Union Army also laid barbed wire there, dug trenches, and built artillery positions!"

Luo Yaoguo nodded and said to himself: "Yes, after all, the United States is the world's third largest industrial country along with the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom! Barbed wire and Gatling machine guns were invented by the United States."

He considered for a moment, and then ordered: "Tell Zhao Si to go north along the Missouri River and find a suitable place to cross the river. At the same time, build Fort Logan in the western part of Dakota!"

On the west side of the winding riverbed of the middle reaches of the Missouri River, Xianfeng stood on a high slope on horseback. Through the telescope, he could only see the tranquility of the fields on the opposite bank, and there was no movement at all in the woods and bushes near the river bank.

As soon as the American cavalry entered the river, the glaring red light of the signal flare rose from the other side. A breech-loading gun lurking in the woods roared, and the shells exploded into a turbid column of water on the river surface. The Union snipers hiding in the reeds opened fire at the same time, and the bullets whizzed over the cavalry's heads. There was also a Gatling gun firing from a machine gun bunker disguised as a mound.

Seeing that the situation was not good, the American cavalry quickly retreated, and this attempt to cross the river ended in failure again.

"Governor, it seems that this place is not working either." Black Tom came close to Xianfeng.

"Retreat! Go north along the river!" Xianfeng gritted his teeth and ordered. The 70,000 troops left the river bank like a receding tide and continued to move north.

In the Oval Office of the White House, Stanton's hands trembled slightly as he held the message: "General Grant has burned down seventeen villages on the Cherokee Reservation. The golden altar of the Choctaw Temple is being smelted. The entire Indian reservation is shaking..."

"No, it's not the Indian reservation, it's Oklahoma!" Lincoln interrupted Stanton immediately, "That's a southern state telling all the major newspapers that our war hero, General Grant, has conquered another southern state. Then let our victory propaganda team parade the Gurkhas through the streets..."

"Yes, President!"

That afternoon, five hundred "Taiping prisoners" wearing red turbans in the style of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom walked dejectedly along Pennsylvania Avenue, escorted by a team of "victorious veterans" in blue uniforms, and the onlookers cheered.

Lincoln in the Oval Office finally showed his long-lost bright smile - now, as long as he could convince the seven southern states of his victory, the American Civil War would end with the victory of the North.

Although this victory is a little lacking.
However, at this moment, a White House secretary rushed in: "Mr. President, urgent message! The Black, Red and Yellow Army appeared on the west bank of the Missouri River!"

Lincoln's face suddenly turned pale: "What? Where are they?"

"Thirty miles north of Fort Pierre, looking for a crossing point."

Lincoln stood up suddenly, paced back and forth, and finally gritted his teeth and ordered: "Call California Senator Jamie O'Connor immediately!"

Half an hour later, a fat Irishman came into the office, panting.

"Mr. O'Connor," Lincoln said in a low and rapid voice, "tell your true friends in the Union that as long as the Western Union does not cross the Missouri River, the federal government can accept the surrender of the six western states belonging to the South, just as we accept the surrender of Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana."

O'Connor's pupils shrank slightly: "Mr. President, you mean..."

"Yes," Lincoln stared into his eyes, "the federal government can recognize their autonomy and even retain their militia - but the premise is that Zhao Si must stop moving eastward."

O'Connor was silent for a moment, then nodded slowly: "I will convey your meaning."

Lincoln looked at his departing figure and murmured to himself, "I hope...it's not too late."

(End of this chapter)