The American Dream: An American Officer ISOTed to the Revolutionary War

[okmangeez]

Orangeburg, South Carolina (Stateburg aligned)
May 5th, 1776

"Come on, move your feet! You call that running?" Major Poor hollered as he jogged ahead of the pack, "If you want to run down your former masters, then you'll have to run faster than that!"

The former slaves and Freedman of the 7th Free South Carolina Regiment were struggling behind the major, who was effortlessly running backward in front of the group. The major's words seemed to have some effect, as some of the men of the regiment let out a burst of speed to match the major's pace.

The main bulk of the Continental Army in the Western Theater was currently stationed in Orangeburg after it was liberated from the British. While General Kim wanted to push his troops towards the southeast to begin his trek towards Charleston, he restrained himself as General Washington and General Lee were defeated at Georgetown. It was the Continental Army's first major defeat in the war, with nearly one thousand dead and an additional four thousand captured. After General Washington moved his troops to support General Lee at Georgetown, the Continental Army attempted to dislodge the British and Loyalists within the coastal town. However, the defenders were well entrenched and utilized the superior British navy for bombardment. General Burgoyne, the Commander in Chief of the British forces in North America, made an aggressive and daring maneuver to isolate the two armies from one another. With the help of the local Loyalists, he managed to achieve a breakthrough and force General Lee to flee, leaving General Washington to hold the line along with his men. Outnumbered and outgunned, General Washington withdrew hastily and with General Lee's rapid retreat from the battlefield, entire regiments were captured by the British and their allies. The defeat at Georgetown forced General Washington to move back to Kingstree, while General Lee fortified himself several miles east of Kingston, a town near the North Carolina border.

As such, General Kim was ordered to hold his position at Orangeburg and was regelated to raiding only nearby plantations and estates. Until the Continental Army in the Eastern Theater managed to capture Georgetown, his army was to stay put and secure the western portions of the state. While he desired a rapid end to the war, the general did not want to place his troops at risk and overextend his units. The only good thing that came from his new orders was that he was able to focus on training the new recruits under his wing and liberate slaves from plantations nearby. After raiding each plantation, General Kim brought the former slaves back with him to Orangeburg to ensure their safety and health. Already, the small town was swelling in size from the influx and housing was being erected at a rapid rate to accommodate the soldiers and former slaves. Thankfully, the town's inhabitants were welcoming, due to their liberation from the British and Loyalists (the town was one of the pro-Patriot towns in the region and was forced to quarter and provide for the British and Loyalists when it was occupied). Along with a stream of supplies moving in from North Carolina and General Kim's own wealth, the town remained supplied and fed.

Many of the older men elected to join the Free Regiment, which was expanding rapidly in size. Major Salem Poor was placed as the official "trainer" of the group until the regiment was organized and trained enough to become "combat-ready." Already, he was earning a reputation for being a strict and fierce trainer, a grizzled veteran that fought battles from the very northern winter lands of Quebec to the swamplands of South Carolina.

After running for several minutes longer, he brought the one thousand men of the Free Regiment to a halt, "Attention!"

The regiment took some time to catch their breath and stand at attention, the slowest soldiers earning harsh glares from their instructor. Major Poor shook his head dejectedly and looked at his trainees, "I'm sure all of you have been told this multiple times since you started your training, but there is a reason why you are being trained harshly."

"All of you are here for one thing: to fight in order to keep your freedom and to help others gain their freedom! All of you are the faces of abolition, of freedom itself! If you perform poorly, you will only validate what the traitors are saying: that us Negro folks are inferior and are only good as slaves. General Kim is expecting great things from this regiment, and I will ensure that his expectations are met after I am through with you. Now forward, march!"

Major Poor led the unit to the firing range, which was set up in the grassy areas just outside of the town. There were dozens of soldiers already in the firing range, all of them being marines. The major brought his men to a halt and made them watch the marines practice their firing accuracy from a distance. The marines were hitting the targets with deadly accuracy while moving into various formations, to the awe of the Free Regiment. One of the marines noticed the large presence of soldiers and made his way to the group. He stopped in front of the major and saluted, "Good to see you, sir."

The major returned the salute. The marine that saluted him was a member of his very own 8th Company, 4th Battalion and was recruited into his unit before the South Carolina Campaign. "The same goes to you, Captain Hamilton. How are the others?"

"They are doing fine, sir. I'm running through the exercises you instructed me to carry out with them and they are performing them admirably. We also have a few new local recruits and we're ah... "breaking them in" as we speak."

"Certainly good to hear," Major Poor replied with a grin, "If you don't mind, captain. Can you fetch the quartermaster and tell him that the 7th South Carolina will need muskets for target practice? I believe they are ready for the next step in their training."

Captain Hamilton nodded, "Will do sir. I'll tell the others to step off the firing range and work on some other drills."

As the captain saluted and walked away, Major Poor brought his attention back to the black soldiers, "Starting from today, you will be training in the firing range. You will practice here daily and work your damn hardest to be at your best when we fight the British once again. It may be a week from now, or it may be a month. But until that time comes, there will be no slacking off. Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir!"

+++++

AN: Yes, it's that Hamilton folks.

 

[okmangeez]

Roads between Amelia and Orangeburg (Stateburg aligned)
May 23rd, 1776
General Kim waited patiently with his men on the northwestern side of the road between Amelia and Orangeburg. With him were the First Marine Regiment and the Free Seventh South Carolina Regiment, approximately two thousand men in total. The remainder of his army was towards Orangeburg but were ready to deploy towards his position once they were given the signal.

The plan that was underway was the brainchild of Colonel Knowlton and himself. The operation's name was "Michael," named after the angel in the Bible. A White woman from Amelia was sent to Moncks Corner, which was under British/Loyalist control. The woman was the sister of one of the South Carolina militiamen and volunteered for the operation, with the approval from the militiaman himself. While General Kim thought of sending a slave woman to enemy lines for the operation initially, he immediately rejected the idea as it would most likely end up with the woman being enslaved again or even executed. The organizers of the operation's beliefs were that the British and the Loyalists would not attempt to interrogate or torture a woman and be more convinced of the woman's story using a fake personal story to draw away suspicion. The lady, by the name of Elizabeth Lane, was instructed to pretend that she had lost her husband due to General Kim's various raids and ran to Moncks Corner with "valuable information" about a "dire situation at Orangeburg." The dire situation was that an accidental fire caused much of the ammunition to explode and the units in Orangeburg, due to their extensive training under General Kim, were low on gunpowder and ammunition. To make the deception believable, a controlled explosion was carried out in the ammunition building where much of the ammunition and gunpowder were originally stored. Colonel Knowlton and his men were able to spot and predict the approximate times when a British or Loyalist scout made their patrol near the town and timed the explosion to match with when the patrols came by.

As such, Elizabeth was tasked with informing Major Marion and the other Loyalists/British that an emergency shipment of ammunition and gunpowder was being sent to Orangeburg from Amelia and was due to arrive within a week. General Kim and Colonel Knowlton believed that the Swamp Devil would take the bait and most likely follow up with a direct attack on Orangeburg itself. So while the marine regiment and the former slave regiment awaited for Major Marion and his ambushers, the remaining defenders of Orangeburg were preparing to intercept Major Marion if necessary and defend the town from an imminent British attack.

The decoy convoy, which consisted of wagons carrying bags and barrels filled with dirt and sand, was moving slowly on the road while General Kim and his men watched. The several dozen soldiers with the convoy consisted of marines wearing the regular Continental Army uniform. All of them looked on guard and peered into the surrounding woods carefully. The convoy was only several hours away from Orangeburg now, and Major Marion was still yet to be seen.

Suddenly, shots were fired from the southeastern parts of the woods and a thousand men charged towards the convoy. Several of the marines with the convoy were taken down immediately, but most of them fled towards the hidden positions of the marines and the Free Regiment.

Major Marion and his men did not give chase and instead began to tear apart the convoy. Only after they were distracted did General Kim commenced his attack, "For General Arnold!"

"Oorah!"

Disciplined volleys of fire, followed by a much less disciplined volley of fire, struck Major Marion and his men while they were distracted. Hundreds of Marion's men were downed by the volley, but Major Marion, who was still alive, barked orders to retreat. Immediately, the marine regiment moved forward along with the Free Regiment and engaged in hand to hand combat to prevent their escape. The Native American cavalry units thundered behind Major Marion and his men, cutting off their escape route into the forest.

The general himself rushed at the front of the pack with his men and disarmed several of his enemies directly. Within minutes, the fighting was already over. The initial volley from the Continental Army absolutely devastated the Swamp Devil and his unit, and with the escape route cut off, the Loyalist militiamen surrendered in droves.

And towards the center of the pack was a single man dressed in a fancier uniform compared to the other Loyalists, surrounded by bayonets held by the soldiers of the Free Regiment.

 

[okmangeez]

Orangeburg, South Carolina (Stateburg aligned)
May 23rd, 1776

Brigadier General Robert Howe grinned as he watched the British and Loyalists futile attack the defenses of Orangeburg. He was leading from the front and directing troops to defend the town while General Kim was off hunting Major Marion. The townsfolk that were not participating in the fighting had been evacuated into the woods just a mile northeast from the town. Meanwhile, thousands of Patriots, both regulars and irregulars, resisted the British assault. General Kim's operation had worked dividends and the British, who were expecting the Patriots to be low on ammunition, were caught completely off guard by the organized and constant stream of fire coming from the Continental Army's lines. With nearly 5,000 soldiers, 1,000 militiamen, and a handful of former slaves that took up arms to defend their new home, the defenses were holding steadily and the British were finding themselves stuck in a stalemate against their enemy.

While General Howe wanted to rush the British positions and gain recognition for himself, he knew that he was doing plenty of damage already and held his men back until General Kim and the others arrived. The last thing he wanted was a repeat of General Lee's embarrassing retreat at Georgetown and destroy General Kim's carefully trained and collected troops. After all, while they had the advantage in morale, arms, and positioning, the British still outnumbered them by a margin.

A messenger from the 1st Canadian arrived and saluted to the general before delivering his message, "Sir, Colonel Hazen is requesting support from his position. The British are attempting to breach our defenses through the left flank and the 1st Canadian Regiment has taken numerous casualties."

General Howe looked at his current troop deployment and nodded, "Tell Colonel Hazen that the 1st Pennsylvania will move towards his position and help him wear down the British attack. Inform him that reinforcements will arrive soon and for him to hold his position as long as he can."

"Will do, sir."

The messenger ran off and General Howe scribbled a message for Colonel Thompson. He knew that the British often deployed their most veteran soldiers on their right flank, so it was expected that Colonel Hazen would come under pressure. This was why Colonel Hazen and his men were deployed to the very left of the colonial positions, as he and his men were well disciplined and veterans themselves. Colonel Hazen was commissioned as an officer of the 1st Canadian Regiment once the regiment grew in size and most of the members of the regiment partook in the Invasion of Quebec or fought in the Battle of Quebec City. All in all, they were somewhat of a match for the more experienced British troops that they were facing. Regardless, he could not leave them to wither away and needed the men for a potential counterattack if General Kim arrived.

After several seconds of writing, he called for one of his aides and handed the message to the man, "Tell Colonel Thompson to follow this order with due haste. If his position is contested, then tell him to send as many of his men as he can to Colonel Hazen immediately."

After an additional hour, it became clear that there were no clear winners, with a significant amount of casualties taken by both sides. However, that changed when a flurry of horseriders came charging from the northern road out of Orangeburg and directly towards the British right flank. There was a mix of Indian war cries and "Oorahs!" that boomed throughout the battlefield as the Indian cavalry units struck the British right flank swiftly and moved back into the woods before the British could reorganize their lines.

This was the moment he was waiting for.

General Howe himself moved to the front of the pack, "All the Massachusetts and 4th Pennsylvania regiments, fix bayonets and charge! The remaining units are to advance and fire upon the enemy!"

The British commanding general, Brigadier General Charles Grey, saw the immediate American counteroffensive and feared a potential flanking attack by General Kim and his marines. He had heard stories about General Kim's marines and his Native American horsemen and suspected that Colonel (who was promoted, which was unknown to the Colonials at the time) Marion failed in his attempt to ambush the convoy due to the presence of the Native Americans. Fearing the total loss of his 10,000 troops, General Grey ordered an immediate retreat, which was harassed by the advancing Continental Army.

When the British retreated, it became clear that the battle was an American victory, though it was a closer battle than the previous ones. The American casualties stood at four hundred casualties, with one hundred and sixty dead. The British casualties stood at nine hundred, with approximately four hundred dead.

By the time General Kim and his men returned to Orangeburg, the battle was over and the American flag in Orangeburg remained flying proudly.

 

[okmangeez]

Orangeburg, South Carolina (Stateburg aligned)
May 31st, 1776

"So you can't let the ball touch your arms or hands unless you're the "goalkeeper," correct?"

"Mhm, and you can only touch the ball with your feet, your chest, and your head. If you touch it with your arms or hands, it is a "foul" and the opposing team will get a "free-kick," which means that they will get to kick the ball freely without direct interference from where the foul happened. That is not the only way you can get a foul. If you purposely tackle, push, elbow, knock-down, or any physical violence on an opposing player, it will be called a foul. If the referee deems that you have committed a serious foul, then he will give you a "yellow card," which means you are being warned of your behavior. If you get a "Red card," which comes after the yellow card, then you are no longer allowed to play in this game. If you excessively argue with the referee then the ref can give you cards based on your behavior. The referee will determine if a play is foul or no foul. If he deems that something is foul, he will fire a blank shot into the air to signal for the game to stop so he can call out a foul. Also, one other thing, if a foul happens in the "goalkeeper's box," the box where the goalkeeper can use his hands and arms to block incoming kicks, then there will be a "penalty kick" for the player that got fouled on. Which means the player will face the opposing goalkeeper one on one in a measured distance to shoot the ball, without the interference of any other player," General Kim stated as he spoke to a group of forty soldiers that were all dressed in civilian clothing. He was giving them a rundown of the rules before the game, just to ensure that they understood the rules thoroughly. They were given instructions for the past few days, but he wanted to ensure that the game was as clean and entertaining as possible, "The point of the game is to enjoy yourselves while exercising at the same time, gentlemen. I want to see good sportsmanship and behavior on both sides. The players of the winning team will get a reward individually, so there is an incentive for you to try your best, along with the fact that the men of your own regiments will be cheering you on. I have told you the rules of substituting players, boundaries, and other basic rules. Any questions before I have you begin?"

To give the soldiers some entertainment and to take their minds off the constant battles that had occurred in the past several months, General Kim planned a sporting event for the soldiers under his command. The sports soccer and baseball from his time were chosen, with the equipment provided by his benefactor. The balls and other sporting supplies were different compared to the ones he was used to in the future. For example, the baseballs were made with an average size rubber core, loose winding, and leather skin. The baseball bats were all made of wood, and the gloves were fashioned with leather and strings. The soccer balls also held a large rubber core, with wrappings and animal skin on the outer layers. The soccer field and the baseball field were both drawn in paint, with the borders highlighted by white paint that was made on the field itself. The goalposts on the soccer field were made of wood with metal anchors on the back. The baseball field outfield walls were crafted with boards and crates. They were a far cry of what everyday Americans used in the future, but they were good enough to introduce the sport to the colonials.

Teaching soccer was fairly straightforward. Baseball was more difficult to explain, but an instruction manual was handed out to each regiment to review the rules of the bat and ball sport. The teams took some time to practice and get used to the sport, under General Kim's supervision. After a week of practice and learning, each regiment nominated a team for baseball and a team for soccer to compete in the first "Continental Army Sports Tournament," with the grand prize being fifty pounds for each individual on the first-place teams for either sport.

A few of the men that were more interested in training rotated between the training grounds and the defenses of the town. All the soldiers that were spectating or participating had their gear nearby, ready to go if the British and Loyalists decided to ruin their day of entertainment and sports. And there was no doubt that the colonials would be very angry due to the fact that they were planning to march towards the west once reinforcements from the north arrived in Orangeburg.

It wasn't just the soldiers that filled up the crowd to watch the teams play on the two fields; former slaves and town residents also gathered to see the large sporting spectacle that had raised the regiments into a frenzy. There were a few seats available, which were mainly from boxes, crates, and any furniture that the town residents lent out. As such, most of the spectators were either sitting on the ground or standing. Ingeniously, several of the town residents saw the large crowds of gathered soldiers and sold food items and beverages while walking between the groups.

When a blank gunshot was fired into the sky, four teams from four different regiments gathered onto their respective fields. The soccer field was occupied by the teams of the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment and the Free Seventh South Carolina Regiment. The woodsmen that consisted of the majority of the Pennsylvania team looked all too eager to play the game while the South Carolina members looked just as competitive as their counterparts. On the baseball field was the Marine Regiment, led by General Kim himself (who used to play baseball in high school) and the First South Carolina Regiment. Both of the South Carolina teams were the "home teams" for the games and when the matches started on both sides, the crowd waited in anticipation for the entertainment to begin.

Following the rules of home-field advantage in baseball, the Marine Regiment team batted first. A catcher, wearing leather paddings and a large leather mitt, stood behind "home plate" (which was a wooden pentagon buried into the ground). The umpire, which was a soldier from the 1st Canadian and also wore paddings and a safety mask, stood behind the catcher intently. The umpires for each game were from regiments that were not playing in the match and were given personal manuals to study the game. The umpires had little official training, but they understood the more detailed rules of the sport, which was good enough for General Kim.

On the mound (a pile of dirt with a piece of wood on it) was a tall, intimidating South Carolina native right hander named William Smith. General Kim's manual did have instructions on how to throw various pitches, so he had no idea what the man could throw, but from the warmup pitches the man tossed, he threw the ball straight and fast. The first batter that stepped into the box for the Marines was Captain Alexander Hamilton, who looked a bit out of place but seemed determined not to make a fool out of himself. He adjusted the safety helmet made of iron and waited for the pitcher.

He hacked at two pitches out of the zone and held his bat in an embarrassed manner after his second swing. The next two pitches were also out of the zone, but Hamilton held back and watched them fly past by. The general watched carefully as he noticed that the pitcher threw two fastballs and two pitches that looked seemingly like sliders. The fifth pitch looked like a fastball and in the zone, which Hamilton took a heavy swing at. However, the pitch was slower than he anticipated and the ball landed in a thud in the catcher's mitt. The catcher had to slide to make the catch, as he misjudged the ball, but he held onto the ball and Hamilton was out on strikes.

"Strikeout!" The umpire yelled, waving his fist in the air.

The South Carolina regiment soldiers broke out into cheers, while the civilian spectators looked a bit more confused at the play, but cheered regardless. As Hamilton walked dejectedly back to the dugout, General Kim offered him a reassuring smile, "You still have plenty of chances, Captain and it is your first time playing. Don't look defeated. Remember, Semper Fidelis."

Captain Hamilton looked a bit more optimistic as he returned the smile, "Thank you, sir."

General Kim was the next batter up and he stared down the pitcher, who returned the stare. He got into a familiar batting stance and waited intensely. He knew that the pitcher had a fastball, a pitch that was similar to a slider, and a changeup, from what he saw. The speed and break of the pitches were just above an average high schooler, but he still waited cautiously.

The first pitch that was thrown to him was a pitch that broke outwards towards the outside of the strike zone. But the general was waiting on a breaking pitch and whipped his bat around, making solid contact with the ball.

While the ball was designed to travel less than a regular baseball, the ball streamed into the outfield and slipped right over the fences, which were only about three hundred and twenty feet away. This time, it was the Marine regiment that broke out into cheers as the general circled the bases with a satisfied grin on his face.

He hoped the sport caught on. He loved baseball.

 

[okmangeez]

June 16th, 1776
Near the town of New Windsor, South Carolina (Charleston aligned)

Oh, we'll rally around the flag, boys,
We'll rally once again.
Shouting the Battle Cry of Freedom!
We will rally from the hillside, we'll gather from the plain,
Shouting the Battle Cry of Freedom!

The Union Forever!
Hurrah, boys hurrah!
Down with the traitors, up with the star!
While we rally around the flag, boys
Rally once again,
Shouting the Battle Cry of Freedom!

We are springing to the call with a million freemen more,
Shouting the Battle Cry of Freedom!
And we'll fill our vacant ranks of our brothers gone before,
Shouting the Battle Cry of Freedom!

The Union Forever!
Hurrah, boys hurrah!
Down with the traitors, up with the star!
While we rally around the flag, boys
Rally once again,
Shouting the Battle Cry of Freedom!

We will welcome to our numbers the loyal, true and brave,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!
And although he may be poor, he shall never be a slave,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!

The Union Forever!
Hurrah, boys hurrah!
Down with the traitors, up with the star!
While we rally around the flag, boys
Rally once again,
Shouting the Battle Cry of Freedom!
General Kim and his men (1st Pennsylvania Regiment, 4th Pennsylvania Regiment, 1st Canadian Regiment, 1st Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Regiment (3/4 strength), 2nd North Carolina Regiment, Free 7th South Carolina Regiment, 1st South Carolina Regiment, 4th Massachusetts Regiment, 6th Massachusetts Regiment) were on their way to the town of New Windsor, the westernmost town held by the Loyalists in the colony of South Carolina. The group was in high spirits as they marched, as they had received some good news before their departure to New Windsor. The first one was that the British military willingly exchanged survivors of the Battle of Black River (the battle in which General Arnold perished) for prisoners of war, so the trial for Colonel Marion was set to go forward. The trial, which was set to happen in Stateburg, was under the supervision of the South Carolina government (with the current "governor" being John Rutledge of South Carolina in Stateburg, while the governor for the Charleston government was Rawlins Lowndes). The lawyer for the case of John Mathews, who was also supposed to be a Continental Congress delegate in another world, but was still an ordinary lawyer in South Carolina at the time. The case was highly controversial, as it seemed as though the British military had also given up on trying to prove Colonel Marion's innocence. Nearly all the new "states" of the United States were swept with fervor to witness the case involving the man that killed one of their war heroes, Brigadier General Benedict Arnold. The soldiers under General Kim's command was livid and eager to see the traitorous slaver be sentenced, preferably life in prison or outright execution.

The other piece of news that reached his troops a week or so before their departure was just as noteworthy. France had joined in on the war, and Spain was on the verge of doing so also. With the news of the British being defeated at nearly every turn in North America, France seized the chance to capture the Caribbean colonies from the British. While France refused to support the United States with any significant material aid (with the exception of gunpowder and weapons, which Congress purchased from them directly), the European nation offered diplomatic recognition instead. This was gladly accepted by Congress and France declared war on Britain and accepted the United States as a legitimate nation, with the first ambassador Benjamin Franklin set to arrive in August. Additionally, General Kim was pleased to hear that Layfayette had already contacted and he was set to arrive in North America by early August. Due to the fundings that were given to them by General Kim, Congress was able to pay for the young man's voyage and avoid the controversy that surrounded Layfayette when he left in the other history.

The war was coming to an end, General Kim could feel it.

While the "Huns" (a name given to General Kim and his marines, but also adopted by the rest of the men) were marching to their target, a messenger from the rear guard came up to him and saluted, "Sir, the men of the 1st South Carolina have found a few boys that have been tailing us for some time. They have been captured and they have asked me to inform you that you are needed in the rear."

General Kim returned the salute and brought his men to a halt, "I will be there shortly."

As the messenger returned to his post, General Kim raised his voice to speak with the troops, "Spread the word! We will be making camp here tonight and we will strike New Windsor at dawn! Your commanding officers will know what duties to carry out, so get to work!"

The men immediately heeded his orders and the lines of troops dispersed to set up camp. Meanwhile, the general, flanked by a platoon of soldiers from 6th Company, went to the very end of the group and walked up to the dozen or so men holding several young boys captive, "Are these the boys that have been tailing us?"

There were six boys in total, their ages varied from a young child to a teenager. All of them looked frightened at the sight of General Kim, but he only raised an eyebrow as he inspected them. Colonel Sumter, who was leading the 1st South Carolina Regiment, nodded, "These are the boys, sir. They appeared near our columns approximately earlier this morning and have been tailing us every since. I captured them as I suspected they may be British or Loyalist spies. They refused to answer any of our questions and demanded to speak with you, general."

"I will take care of this, colonel. Take care of your men and have them carry out their duties for the night."

Colonel Sumter nodded respectfully and walked away with his men. Behind General Kim, his marine escorts were gripping their firearms tightly just in case the situation turned violent. However, General Kim walked up to the boys without any hostility and offered them his hand, "Lieutenant General Samuel Kim, commander of the Western Theather of the Continental Army and commanding officer of the Marines. I heard that you wished to speak with me?"

"We do, sir!" One of the older boys yelled as he clumsily saluted, "We wish to join your army!"

"The Continental Army? And how old are you, Mr.?"

"Jackson, Hugh Jackson! And I am Sixteen, sir! And my brothers here are fifteen and nine."

"Jackson..." General Kim muttered, he was so used to seeing famous historical figures now, it didn't faze him as much, "And the name of your brothers?"

"Robert and Andrew, sir! And the other boys here are from where we live and came to join up with us!"

General Kim nodded, "Well, I can see if something can be arranged. Your youngest brother might be a little bit too young, but he can stay with us and help the army."

He ordered the platoon that accompanied him to take them back to the other marines and warned them not to "break them in" too much. As they walked away he stared at the young boy named Andrew Jackson and sighed. The boy had no idea how famous/infamous he was in the other history, but General Kim was going to make sure the boy's destiny was changed. Perhaps under the influence of himself and the other soldiers of the Continental Army, Jackson would become a better person and be seen by historians in a more positive light. Especially since his army group had Native Americans and African Americans mingling with whites.

 

[okmangeez]

New Windsor, South Carolina (Stateburg Aligned)
June 18th, 1776
The town of New Windsor had been evacuated prior to General Kim's arrival. The border town was small and nearly devoid of life as the Continental Army marched in. According to the civilians that remained within the town (many of them being Swiss or Palatine, as they were descended from the original settlers of New Windsor), New Windsor was occupied by the Loyalists around mid-April, when the Continental Army was still trying to secure their lines in South Carolina and was defeated at Georgetown. The town was lightly occupied, as most of the Loyalists and British troops were stationed in the east near Charleston. A few units had been probing the settlements further west, but after the fall of Orangeburg, those units were withdrawn back to the east. Prior to the general's arrival, the Loyalists had only a few hundred men stationed in the town and withdrew immediately upon being alerted of the Asian general's presence.

"Are there any slaves in the settlement?" General Kim asked the head of the town as his men set up camp and built defenses around the small town.

David Zubly Sr., a man in his late thirties, hesitantly nodded his head, "There are a few, but most of us have heard about your Proclamation. We will set them free, but please do not raid or destroy any of our fields."

"The soldiers under my command will only raid the plantations of Loyalists and those that do not free their slaves willingly. As long as you ensure that the slaves of this town are freed, no harm will come to New Windsor or any of its inhabitants,"

"Thank you, sir. And what of the slaves?"

"If you wish to hire them to work in your fields, then you may do so. However, I will not allow any of the freed slaves to be exploited. They are to be accommodated and decently paid. I will also compensate any former slave owners with a fee to ensure that you do not face immediate hardship during these times," The general replied cooly.

Zubly bowed his head and looked around at the thousands of soldiers occupying the town, "Will you protect us from the Loyalists and the British, should they try to occupy this town again?"

General Kim rubbed his chin, "Most of my forces will remain within the town, so do not worry about the British coming back. I will allow all of you to return to your normal lives, provided that you follow my terms regarding slaves."

The Swiss man nodded without a word and ran off to inform the other townsmen of the news. Meanwhile, General Kim gathered the Marines and made them line up in the center of the town, as a show of strength and to also announce his next course of the attack. He noted the faces of several "important" figures in the other history standing in the ranks. This included, but was not limited to, Colonel Knowlton (who was now a grizzled, seasoned soldier who had seen through hell and back), Colonel Warren (from Bunker Hill all the way to South Carolina, the man served with distinction that he failed to display in the other history due to his early death), Colonel Poor (one of the highest-ranking black soldiers under his command, if not the entirety of the Continental Army, the man was a fierce soldier and capable leader in charge of the 2nd Marine Regiment), Captain Hamilton (the future (?) statesman was a decent soldier, but showed flashes of brilliant leadership), Colonel Daniel White (who was unknown in the other history, but was one of the most efficient and unwavering Marine officer the general had), Private Jackson (at age nine, he already showed signs of his future self and was adapting nicely to the rather foreign presence of African Americans and Indians), Colonel Silliman (the man survived Marion's ambush and was placed as an officer of the newly formed 2nd Marine Regiment), and Colonel Hazen (the Canadians were a tough bunch, and Hazen was the perfect embodiment of the ideal Canadian soldier).

All in all, the Marines accounted for up to around 1,800 men and came from various backgrounds. However, they were united as one under General Kim's command, the man who had gone above and beyond during their war against Britain. Even with the mistakes that he made, the men trusted him and respected him to great heights, and General Kim wasn't planning on disappointing them.

"Marines of the Continental Army," General Kim shouted as the Marines stood at shoulder arms in front of him, "Many of you have come a long way to be here. Some of you have even been with me since the Battle of Bunker Hill, a battle that seems like it was decades ago."

Scattered laughter rang out amongst the original Marines, but the general continued, "And all of you, despite my race and alien tactics, have decided to stand behind me and fight the British with me to the very end. And for that, I thank you. I had the pleasure of serving with thousands of different men during my time as an officer. And during that time, I had never served with finer men, fighters, than the Marines."

"Oorah!"

"The war is coming to an end, gentlemen. Whether the British know it or not, we will bring this to an end. Many have died for our cause in order to give our nation a chance at victory, and we will not forget or waste their sacrifices," General Kim frowned for a moment, and all the Marines knew that he was thinking of one individual in particular. His death was something that the general blamed himself for even after all this time.

"We will not march onto Charleston, for the moment. Instead, we have another goal that will shatter the Loyalists and break the British resolve. As your commanding general, I will lead the Marines into Georgia and bring the traitorous slavers to their knees!"

"Oorah!" The marines cheered, all of them well aware of the atrocities and sins committed against slaves by the slaveowners. Many of them had personally liberated plantations and freed slaves, and was made aware of the fact that the institution of slavery was wrong. Even those that were actively supporting slavery before, could not justify some of the things they had seen during the plantation raids.

"To maintain security in South Carolina, most of the men under my command will remain in New Windsor and Orangeburg. But we, the Marines, will march onward! If the traitor Colonel Marion was the Swamp Devil, then we will be the Devil's Horde to sweep the colony of Georgia and rid it of the disease called slavery. And carve a path of liberation and destruction to Savannah! The time is now, Marines. For General Arnold, and the United States!"

 

[okmangeez]

Stateburg, South Carolina, United States of America
June 30th, 1776

"Order!" Judge Aedanas Burke banged his gavel as the jury stirred from the sight of Marion entering the courtroom.

The disgraced colonel was the subject of hatred for most of the South Carolinians in the room. Even the few delegates and observers from the other colonies and the Continental Congress glared at him in contempt.

The prosecutor was Thomas Heyward Jr,, who returned to the colony after signing the Declaration of Independence. His opposition, Marion's lawyer, was John Mathews. The two of them were on cordial terms and interacted with each other on a regular basis due to their law backgrounds. Both had agreed to keep the case a civil affair and to carry out this case professionally despite the mixed feelings they had for the defendant.

Colonel Marion stood tall and proud at the defendant stand. Despite the hostility stemming from the jurors and observers, he stood unwaveringly at the stand.

"Colonel Marion," Judge Burke said neutrally, "You are charged with high treason against the legitimate government of South Carolina and the Continental Congress, execution of surrendering prisoners of war, crimes against humanity, murder, destruction of property, theft, and aiding the enemies of South Carolina and the Continental Congress. How do you plead?"

"Not guilty." Marion replied with a frown.

The trial went underway immediately. Witnesses after witnesses were brought forth to testify against the colonel for his actions. The few survivors of the group that fought with General Arnold until his death were the most descriptive about their testimonies. They painted the colonel as a sadistic man that executed the African Americans in the Connecticut Regiments in cold blood. One of the witnesses broke out into tears on the witness stand, claiming that one of the men executed had saved his life in an earlier battle. He described his frustration at his inability to prevent the former slave's death and proclaimed that the African American man died with his head held high. The personal stories stirred the jury even further, but the judge banged his gavel to silence them.

The last few witnesses were men from Marion's own brigade. They supported the stories of the others and confessed that Major Marion ordered them to execute the African Americans due to the Loyalist governor's orders. They also revealed that the group had executed up to three hundred runaway slaves before they were captured by General Kim, along with burning and pillaging properties owned by Patriots.

Even despite Mathews attempts to cross examine the witnesses and defend his client, it became evidently clear that the evidence against Marion was undeniable.

The jury dispersed into a private room and came out with their decision within minutes.

"Guilty."

The decision was unanimous and swift. The jury was picked to be as least bias as possible, but Marion caused terror and destruction upon the civilian population living in the areas controlled by the Stateburg government. And it was hard for the jurors to stomach the fact that the colonel executed surrendering soldiers, regardless of their color, and killed General Arnold, a renowned hero. The testimonies also affected their views of the colonel's actions and displayed him in a negative light.

"This is outrageous, I was merely carrying out orders given to me by my superiors! Crimes against humanity? Murder? I partook in a war, not a jousting match! And the prisoners of wars that you mentioned were Negros, slaves!" Marion shouted, to the dismay of his lawyer, "This court is a sham!"

"Those Negros fought more honorably and bravely than you did, colonel." Heyward stated in passing.

"For the crimes you have committed against the lawful government of South Carolina, the inhabitants of South Carolina, and against the people of the United States themselves, I herby declare that your sentence will be death by hanging," Judge Burke hardened his gaze towards the defendant as he banged his gavel.