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

[okmangeez]

After General Kim finished his farewell speech, he was going to march his units back to Philadelphia along with the four individuals selected as representatives of Quebec (Livingston, Pelissier, and two other individuals). General Kim peered into the crowd of seven thousand individuals in front of him. Some of them were soldiers of the Continental Army, both from his own units and from other units that have recently arrived in Quebec City to relieve him and his men. Most of the people in the crowd were ordinary civilians who came out of their way to listen to the general's final speech before he returned to the Thirteen Colonies. General Kim didn't believe that he was a great speaker, but he was going to do his best to leave a good final impression and inspire the gathered individuals to continue the fight against the British.

It had been eight days since the vote across the province was finalized, and it had become vividly clear that most of the population was supportive of working with the Continental Congress. New flags of the province of Quebec were raised everywhere (The flag was similar to the "other" Quebec's flag, though the flag was gold instead of blue) and enlistment for the 1st Canadian Regiment and the new 2nd Canadian Regiment expanded the number of French Canadians in the Continental Army to nearly one thousand individuals. There were no protests or riots against the decision, but a general acceptance of the province's future. While a minority desired independence, even they recognized the potential for a British invasion and the protection they were offered under the Continental Congress. Added to the greater liberties they were beginning to enjoy, even the harshest critics of General Kim and the Continental Congress grudgingly realized that a relationship with the Congress preferable at least for the time being. The few remaining dissenters (mainly pro-British individuals that were from Britain or traced their ancestry backed to Britain) had already fled the province once the colonials took over.

The general himself was proclaimed as "Le Libérateur" in the province, which both humbled and surprised him. The title served as a reminder that while his work was "done" in Quebec, there were still thousands out there that sought the same relief and liberation that the Quebecois received.

"It seems like just yesterday, I was at the very southern edges of Quebec. I was peering into the unknown, a land that was untouched by the war and firmly in the hands of the British," General Kim said as he started his speech, "I can not say that everything went perfectly and that the lives of everyday people of this land were not affected. Even so, I do no regret fighting and liberating Quebec from the British. I do not regret giving the people of Quebec a chance to seize their own destiny."

"We must not forget this; freedom is not free. Freedom will always come with a cost, but it will be up for the people to determine if the costs are worth the outcome. Just over a week ago, the people of Quebec determined that the risks were worth the benefits and chose to join in our struggle against the British. For that, I thank you. While there is a difference in culture and beliefs between Quebec and the other colonies, I assure you that your voices and determination have been heard by those in the colonies. We may not be united now, but we will be united soon through our common future; a future free from British rule and liberty for all!"

The crowd stirred a bit but continued to listen as the general continued, "Which is why, to my greatest regret, I must leave the province and help finish the war elsewhere. There are still so many people waiting for liberation, waiting for a chance to voice their opinions like the people of Quebec have throughout the entirety of North America. I love the people of Quebec, they have been the most welcoming people despite my own shortcomings. It is truly a shame to depart from a land that has welcomed me and supported my hopes and dreams. But before my departure, I will like to leave this final message for the people."

"We must be free not because we proclaim freedom, but because we practice it. Quebec has become, quite possibly, the first place in the world where its future was decided by the population as a whole regardless of race and gender. It is a radical idea, an idea that is untested and untried. But we must remember that we can not make freedom exclusive to certain individuals and groups, but allow freedom to be practiced by all that are willing. I sincerely hope that Quebec will be a shining example to the other colonies and provinces that will serve as a reminder that the people are able to control their own destinies and that freedom can be guaranteed for all. It will not be an easy fight, but it is a cause worth fighting for. And even as I leave this wonderful province, I hope that these words are taken to heart and guide the brave people of Quebec in their future endeavors. Thank you, and may God bless all of you here today."

After he finished, the crowd clapped and cheered for the general. In front of the crowd, General Kim was relieved of his duties in Quebec by Major General Benjamin Lincoln, who had been recently promoted to the rank of general and was placed in command of the defenses in Canada. With a final wave, General Kim, "Le Libérateur" of Quebec, parted ways with the French Canadians and started his journey back to Philadelphia.

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The journey back to the colonies was intentionally made longer so that General Kim and his men could rendezvous with General Washington and his own men. The two officers decided to meet in the city of New York, the same place where they had their first meeting together. With some coordination and effort, the two groups met together just outside New York City on January 27th of 1776 and began their trek together back to Philadelphia as victors. General Washington was also escorting the representatives of the Maritime province, which consisted of two representatives from Nova Scotia (as Prince Edward Island was still under nominal British control).

"It certainly seems like they were waiting for our return, General Kim," General Washington chuckled as the people of New York were cheering and welcoming the presence of the two most famous military leaders of the Continental Army. From the looks of it, it seemed as though the entire city was gathered to throw a welcoming celebration for General Washington and General Kim. The soldiers of the Continental Army proudly marched behind their respective leaders and smiled at the celebratory crowd.

General Kim failed to suppress a smile and grinned at the crowd, "The city seems a bit battered, but the people sure seem firey as ever."
New York City was one of the cities targetted by the British sea raids and was evidently recovering from a previous raid that destroyed parts of the docks and the city. Yet the people seemed lively and in good spirits, which was a welcoming sight to see for General Kim.

"Well, you have inspired the people after all. Your legacy is spreading throughout the colonies, even the southern ones. Many have heard of your leadership during the Battle of Bunker Hill and have been made aware of your victory over the British in Quebec. Some are calling you undefeatable, they see you as a symbol of hope."

"But you have also achieved much success as well, general. I can not take all the credit for all the victories so far, especially so since Colonel Arnold was the key reason why my forces won the Battle of Quebec in the first place," General Kim protested.

General Washington shook his head in response, "Oh, the people have been made aware of his successes as well. He will be formally promoted for his heroics once we arrive in Philadephia, but my successes pale in comparison to your own successes. You won an impossible battle at Bunker Hill and not only drove the British out of Quebec, but also secured the loyalty of the Quebecois to Congress as well."

The Asian officer adjusted his hat and looked at the adoring crowd, "It still feels strange, sir. Sometimes, it feels like I'm in a dream as if this was all too good to be true."

"If this is a dream, then it is certainly a wonderful dream. Let us hope we do not wake up from it." General Washington replied.

The "parade" continued until the Continental Army marched to the western outskirts of the city to begin their trek to Philadelphia. Once they left the city limits, some of the civilians followed suit. Some of them wanted to continue to watch the formations of soldiers heading to Philadelphia. Others wanted to enlist their services in the Continental Army.

A small boy, no older than the age of sixteen, ran up to General Kim as he was guiding his soldiers and smiled brightly, "Sir! My name is Kayden Cox and I would like to join your marines!"

"And may I ask how old you are, Mr. Cox?" General Kim asked as he inspected the young man up and down.

"Fifteen, sir! But I have written permission from my parents to enlist!"

"Er," The marine commander looked to General Washington for help, but was greeted to the sight of the man smiling and motioning for him to carry on, "While I have no doubt you are brave and eager to join the marines, I must say that you are far too young to join the marines as a soldier. But, if you are willing, I will allow you to serve as a drummer or flag bearer for my regiment. Especially since the marines do love to sing a song that needs some drumbeats."

Some of the nearby marines chuckled at the general's statement, but Cox's smile didn't falter, "Sure thing, sir! Will I get your uniform and everything?"

General Kim grinned, "I believe that can be arranged. Major Poor! Please see to it that this boy is properly in uniform and ready to join our ranks. He will be placed under your command for the time being."

The boy didn't seem intimidated or frightened at the sight of the tall African American man coming to greet him. Instead, the boy enthusiastically began to ask the recently promoted major about his military career and his stories during the campaign. Major Poor seemed surprised, but was also infected by the young man's smile and guided him to the back of the lines.

It was a tough choice, allowing children to join, but he knew they had a better chance of surviving and getting fed properly under his command. Especially since the general was going to place any children in non-combat roles. While he was most definitely against the usage of children in warfare, General Kim knew that if he turned down Cox or any other children like him, they would attempt to join other units or even local militias. And while General Washington was a good man, he most likely didn't have any qualms using children for battles. It was a choice he didn't like to make, but General Kim had to make them anyways.

The march continued for a few hours longer before the two generals were intercepted by a messenger coming from Philadelphia. The messenger seemed out of breath, but he walked up and saluted to the two officers, "General Washington, General Kim. I have been tasked with delivering this message from the Continental Congress to both of you."

After being handed the message, the two generals looked at the content of the message together. Immediately afterward, General Washington and General Kim ordered his men to pick up the pace and rapidly march to Philadelphia.

The message from Congress was short, yet powerful, "The Declaration has been finalized. Independence is near."

 

[okmangeez]

The Final Draft of the Declaration of Independence (Awaiting Final Vote):

The unanimous Declaration of the fifteen States of the United States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that ALL men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

For forcibly conscripting men to serve his own interests and commit acts of violence against our people.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the honorable Native Americans, to bring misery onto the people of the colonies.

He has attempted to persuade the Native Americans to take arms against us, while treating them as inferior beings subject to treatment no better than those of slaves.

He has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating it's most sacred rights of life & liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating & carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere, or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither. This piratical warfare, the opprobrium of infidel powers, is the warfare of the Christian king of Great Britain. determined to keep open a market where MEN should be bought & sold.

He has prostituted his negative for suppressing every legislative attempt to prohibit or to restrain this execrable commerce; and that this assemblage of horrors might want no fact of distinguished die, he is now exciting the owners of slavery, and to purchase their loyalties through the continuation of this detestable practice, by murdering the people for whom he also obtruded them: thus paying off former crimes committed against the liberties of one people, with crimes which he urges them to commit against the lives of another.

In every stage of these Oppressions, We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free and sovereign people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies and Territories, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies and Territories are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. The Representatives of the United States of America stand concertedly behind this Declaration and proclaim the birth of a new nation, founded on the principles of liberty, into this Earth. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

 

[okmangeez]

"Connecticut?"

"Connecticut votes yes."

General Kim stared awe-struck at the representatives in front of him despite his best efforts. The Declaration of Independence, one of the most famous documents in American history, was being ratified in front of his very own eyes. The room was missing a few members that were present in the other history and housed several new ones, but the ratification of the Declaration was still well underway. It didn't help that all the Founding Fathers, including General Washington who was beside him, were present in one room as well.

It was simply hard not to stare like an idiot while spectating one of the most defining moments in American history. Especially since the Declaration was now modified and refitted to declare something even more radical: that all men were created equal.

John Hancock, who was presiding over the vote, gave a curt nod to the Connecticut representative before jotting down the vote. "Very well. Delaware?"

The Delaware representative, a man named George Read, stood up from his seat and looked at the group, "Delaware is in favor of the Declaration."

"Noted. Iroquois?"

Montagu stood up to represent the five tribes that have agreed to acknowledge the authority of Congress. With the British removed from Quebec, the Iroquois Confederacy was now even more pressured to accept the offer of joining the United States. Onondaga readily accepted General Kim's proposal after seeing the fall of the British in Canada and the Mohawks were on the verge of doing so as well. And with the changes made to the Declaration, the tribes were more receptive to accepting the document. However, even though they acknowledged the authority of Congress, it didn't mean that they were readily going to accept integration into the proposed United States. Technically, they could still remain a sovereign state or territory, though most definitely heavily influenced by the United States. The representatives of the tribes had been debating amongst themselves for days and finally, it seemed as though they have finally come to a decision. "Our tribes have agreed to the Declaration, we will join the United States."

Silence reigned in the room for several moments before Hancock continued, "Thank you. We will continue, gentlemen. Massachusetts?"

John Adams stood up immediately and declared his answer, "Massachusetts votes yes, your honor."

"Maryland?"

"Maryland votes in favor of the Declaration."

"New Hampshire?"

"New Hampshire approves of the Declaration."

"New Jersey?"

"New Jersey votes yes."

"New York?"

The New York representative, a man named Philip Livingston, glanced at General Kim before nodding, "New York supports the document."

"North Carolina?"

Representative William Hooper remained stoic as he spoke, "North Carolina will vote in favor of the Declaration."

The decision caused a small stir amongst the representatives, but Hancock banged his gavel to silence the room, "Order! We will continue the vote and discuss the repercussions afterward. Now then, Nova Scotia?"

Johnathan Eddy, a man who was one of the leaders against the British in Nova Scotia in the other history, looked around the room nervously before speaking, "Nova Scotia votes yes, your honor."

"Very good. Pennsylvania?"

"Pennsylvania will support the Declaration," Franklin stated as he glanced at his fellow representatives.

"Quebec?"

Pelissier, who was selected as a representative of the French Canadian province, gave an appreciative nod to General Kim before answering, "Quebec votes yes to the Declaration."

"Rhode Island?"

"Rhode Island votes yes, your honor."

"South Carolina?"

The South Carolina delegation looked significantly smaller than before, but Representative Rutledge looked undeterred, "South Carolina will vote in favor of the Declaration."

Some members of the delegation looked positively murderous, but they kept silent as Hancock jotted down the affirmation. "And to the final colony, Virginia."

Thomas Jefferson's eyes swept the room and smiled, "Virginia is firmly in favor of the Declaration."

Hancock placed down his quill and cleared his throat, "It is settled, gentlemen. With a vote of fifteen to none, the representatives of the colonies and territories have voted unanimously in favor of Independence."

A long silence settled into the room and the representatives all glanced at each other uneasily. Native Americans stared at the colonials. The Quebecois representatives stared at the Nova Scotian representatives. The room was much more diverse than the other history and an air of uncertainty loomed in the room.

"Then let it be declared, that on this day, February 4th of the year of our Lord 1776, that the United States of America is free and forever free from British rule. May God bless our American states." Hancock stated as he banged his gavel for a final time.

 

[okmangeez]

"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."

General Kim glanced up from the copy of the Declaration of Independence he was reading and looked at the crowd of people in front of him. Thousands from across the state, and from other colonies, gathered in streets in front of the Pennsylvania State House to hear the Declaration that would change American history forever. It had been three weeks since the ratification of the Declaration of Independence, three weeks since the United States was born. General Kim was given the honor of being the first to read the Declaration to the public. While the public suspected that something major was imminent, they were still waiting patiently as the general read the document.

The Continental Army was lined up beside him and was flying the new flag of the United States, which General Kim found in his room just the morning prior. The flag consisted of fifteen stripes and fifteen stars, representing the first official fifteen states of the United States of America. Seeing the flag fly in the air felt nostalgic, yet strange at the same time. It was a flag that was very similar to the one he constantly saw in the future, but different in a number of ways.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that ALL men are created EQUAL," General Kim emphasized those words heavily before he continued, "That they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

He continued to read the text of the Declaration and finally came upon the last paragraph, one of the most important parts that would seal America's fate in this new world, "We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies and Territories, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies and Territories are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. The Representatives of the United States of America stand concertedly behind this Declaration and proclaim the birth of a new nation, founded on the principles of liberty, into this Earth. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."

As he finished the paragraph, the general placed the document by his side and raised his voice, "May the people of our new nation, bless this United States of America."

Shots were fired into the air to signal the beginning of independence, with the flag being proudly waved by none other than Private Cox in his small marine uniform. General Kim marched his troops down the streets of Philadephia as a stunned and shocked crowd watched on. Unlike the documentaries and movies that portrayed the crowds celebrating the news of independence, the reality was much different. The people were still reeling from the ramifications of the Declaration and the uncertainty that followed.

However, he had no time to wait for the people to accept the Declaration. General Kim had received new orders from Congress several days ago.

South Carolina was in a civil war, with the eastern coastal lands held by Loyalists sided with the British while the western portions of the state were controlled by the South Carolinians that remained loyal to Congress. The Loyalists in the state, many of them being slaveowners, surrendered Charleston without a fight and the Patriots were forced to evacuate to the west. There were two "official" state governments: the Patriot government in Stateburg and the Loyalist government in Charleston.

The orders from Congress were clear: March down south with General Washington and prevent South Carolina from totally falling into the hands of the Loyalists and the British. At the same time, the Continental Army was to deliver a decisive blow against the British and force them to bow out of the war.

 

[okmangeez]

General Kim looked around the town of Amelia and grimaced. While he and his troops (during his stay in Philadelphia, three additional regiments were attached to his unit, along with additional recruitment for the marines, swelling his ranks) marched down to South Carolina, he had received constant updates about the rapidly fluid borders between the two South Carolina factions. Unfortunately for the Stateburg government, the British utilized the capture of Charleston and rapidly expanded into the state like an infection. With troops pouring out from Georgia and the territories held by the Charleston government, the Patriots in South Carolina were holding on by a thread.

This was visibly evident in Amelia, which was guarded by fortifications and militiamen. The small sleepy town was in the center of the southern state and was a crucial junction between the eastern and western parts of the state. Additionally, the town was just twenty miles south of Stateburg, making it a crucial defense point. Many militiamen from South Carolina and North Carolina were already working tirelessly to build defenses near Stateburg, but losing Amelia would allow the British to have a straight path to the Patriot capital. Thus, while General Washington was deployed the town of Kingstree, which was about eighty miles east of Amelia, General Kim was tasked with defending Amelia from any British incursions.

As he and his unit entered the town, a militiaman approached the Asian officer and shook his hand, "General Kim, I presume?"

"Yes, I am. And you must be Lieutenant Colonel Sumter. Pleased to meet you, lieutenant colonel."

Lieutenant Colonel Sumter led the group towards the southern outskirts of the town, pointing out the hastily built defenses and the numerous militiamen improving them, "We've had a few scouting parties probe our defenses for the past several days. It seems the British have learned that General Washington was moving towards Kingstree and decided to shift units to the east. However, there is a very good chance that the British will attempt to strike sometime soon after they have gathered sufficient regulars and Loyalists for an assault."

The general nodded as he listened, "Do you need any of my units to assist your men in erecting the defenses?"

"That would certainly be helpful, sir."

General Kim ordered his troops to assist the militiamen on building additional defenses, defenses that the men under his command often utilized. The men all obeyed without question and began to assist the beleaguered militiamen on preparing trenches and earthworks. The marine commander turned back to the militiaman after he saw the orders being obeyed, "Did the militia suffer a defeat before being able to retreat to Amelia?"

"All of the men here are worn out and tired from the recent British invasion. The whole invasion has been defeat after defeat and the men you see here are the survivors of every defeat. Some of them even managed to run from Charleston all the way here, in hopes of avenging the betrayal they suffered at Charleston. Unfortunately, hardly any full-strength units have shown up to relieve us and we have been forced to constantly retreat. It doesn't help that the damned Swamp Devil and his men have been harassing any militiamen that are trying to reinforce our positions or any locals that are sympathetic to our cause." Lieutenant Colonel Sumter scowled.

Some of the militiamen began to curse at the name "Swamp Devil." When General Kim heard the name, his eyes widened in surprise, "I'm sorry, what is the true name of this "Swamp Devil?"

"A major by the name of Francis Marion. He was one of the officers that assisted the Loyalists in taking over Charleston and turning it over to the British. He's been impossible to catch and is the reason why we have so little information about the British in the area. Anytime we send out some of our men to investigate our surroundings, they are either killed or kidnapped. That damned bastard has caused the death of over two hundred militiamen. The Devil has also been burning down the plantations and farms of anyone that has sided with the Stateburg government. We call him and his men the "Devil's Brigade," as they raise hell everywhere they go."

Immediately, General Kim connected the dots in regards to the "Swamp Fox." Marion served directly under Colonel William Moultrie, who was known to be brutal to runaway slaves and was one of the men leading the defenses in Charleston at the time. Major Marion served under him and was also a known plantation owner. With the split in opinion over the issue of slavery, it was obvious why the Swamp Fox switched allegiance; he had a personal reason to do so and his commanding officer was most likely sympathetic to the Charleston government.

After hearing this, General Kim pulled Colonel (recently promoted) Knowlton aside, "Starting from tomorrow, you are to scout around the area and attempt to locate Major Marion and his men. You are to carry out this mission with extreme caution, as he will employ the same tactics as you do. Bring several of the Native American warriors with you as well. If you find them and come under attack, use the flare gun to signal your location and I will sent a regiment to your aid."

As Colonel Knowlton left, the general began to feel extremely uneasy. Governor Carlton was a headache to deal with, but now he had to deal with the "Swamp Fox" and his men. And knowing the man's tactics, General Kim knew that defeating Major Marion was not going to be a simple task.

 

[okmangeez]

"I bring urgent news from General Washington!"

A lone rider wearing a Continental Army uniform rode his horse into the center of the town, where General Kim and several of the Continental Army and militia officers were gathered. The general was marking a map of Amelia in order to organize the defense of the town from any enemy assaults while the officers offered suggestions and comments. When the rider stopped in front of the group, all the officers halted their activities and looked at the messenger.

"What do you have to report?" General Kim asked as the rider took a few moments to compose himself. After a few moments, the rider handed General Kim a letter and the general read it immediately.

"General Washington is under attack by thousands of Loyalists and British regulars at Kingstree, while the British are bombarding and assaulting General Lee just north of Georgetown! General Washington is asking for any available units to reinforce his position, as the general has sent some of his own men to assist General Lee."

General Kim frowned, "The roads from here to Kingstree is not safe. If I send a sole regiment towards General Washington, it will take them at least eight hours for them to get to him. During that time, they can be ambushed at any given point."

The messenger grimaced, "I was fired at by several hidden woodsmen several times, but I managed to arrive here in one piece. However, General Washington believes that it is unlikely that the British will strike at Amelia for the time being. While the numbers are uncertain, a large number of British soldiers and Loyalist militiamen are striking the Kingstree and Georgetown. The commander believes it is an attempt to flank around Amelia and strike at Camden."

It was a tough choice, but Colonel Knowlton was still in the wilderness and General Kim needed all his units to be at full strength. If the colonel found the Swamp Devil, then the marine general needed to deploy his men and defeat him rapidly before Major Marion became a bigger threat. However, if General Washington was dislodged from Kingstree, then General Kim's forces would be cut off from the eastern parts of the state and be suspect to a two-way frontal assault.

"I will go, sir."

Brigadier General Benedict Arnold, who was promoted for his heroics in Canada, was now the leader of the 3rd Connecticut Regiment and the 4th Connecticut Regiment. The two regiments combined consisted of nearly two thousand men and were well trained due to the rigorous training set by General Arnold. After the marines, the Connecticut Regiments were most definitely the best-disciplined regiments under General Kim's command.

The general looked at his counterpart uneasily, "Are you sure, General Arnold? The roads will be treacherous and if Major Marion's men saw the messenger, then the enemy may be expecting your men to pass by."

"Then we will break through them and reach General Washington. You are needed here, sir. I will guide my men to help our commander."

"If you and your regiments leave, then it will leave our defenses significantly weakened."

General Arnold didn't disagree but locked eyes with his superior, "The defenses around Amelia are nearly complete and you still have nearly three thousand regulars and two thousand militiamen under your command. Just like in Quebec, a small force attacking from the flank can make the difference between victory and defeat."

A moment of silence passed between the two of them before General Kim nodded in agreement, "Ready your men for combat and march east immediately. If you are ambushed along the way, you are to fire your flare gun into the air."

"Understood, sir. I will not let you down," General Arnold saluted before moving towards his units.

After about half an hour, the two regiments under General Arnold's command was on the move to the east with the messenger. Shortly afterward, a flare round was shot into the air southwest of the town.

The officers, who had just resumed the meeting, looked at the flare and then at their leader for orders. General Kim barked his orders at the officers, "Colonel Warren, you are to lead First and Second Company to assist Colonel Knowlton. I will watch over the defenses and ensure that the British do not attempt to attack. If you are outnumbered and outgunned, you are to do your best to rescue Colonel Knowlton and his men and commit to a fighting retreat."

Colonel Warren gave the general a crisp salute and left the meeting with the officers of the First and Second Company of the Marines. They were out of the town within a span of ten minutes and rapidly began their march towards the location of the flare.

During this time, General Kim hastened the remaining defenders to take positions in the defensive lines in case of a British attack. However, an hour passed and there were no British troops in sight.

Instead, two flare rounds were fired just minutes apart from each other. One of them came from the southwest awhile the other came from the east.

Before the general could deploy any troops to help the two groups, the British attack descended upon Amelia.

 

[okmangeez]

General Kim watched as the British and their colonial allies retreated away from Amelia and towards the east. The fact that General Arnold and his men were also towards the east did not escape him, but there was little he could do at this moment.

The fighting raged on for approximately three hours and after some time, it became clear that the British did not intend to break the colonial defenses at Amelia. Instead, they harassed and picked off any colonial units towards the outskirts of the town, as the attackers were clearly outnumbered by the defenders. Both sides received few casualties, as they cautiously remained out of each other's firing range. The battle only escalated after Colonel Knowlton, Colonel Warren, and the marines with them approached the town and flanked the British positions. When the general saw the marines flanking the enemy lines, he pushed his men forward to engage the British head-on. After taking a number of losses, the British retreated to the only open road available to them and abandoned their attack on Amelia.

Even though Amelia remained secured, it did little to improve his sour mood. He couldn't risk sending his soldiers towards the east to rescue the beleaguered Connecticut Regiments, not after they and the marines were ambushed when they stepped out of Amelia. Additionally, the men under his command were exhausted from defending the town, leaving only a handful of soldiers that were willing and able to wander into hostile territory.

To put it simply; General Arnold and his men were alone. And General Kim would only know about their fate after the battle was decided.

Colonel Warren stepped up to him along with Colonel Knowlton and saluted, "Sir, I'm here to report on the incident with Colonel Knowlton's men and Major Marion's men."

"Did you manage to catch the Swamp Devil?"

"No, general. Unfortunately, the Swamp Devil was not with the soldiers that attacked us. I fired the flare because I believed we would be overrun, but the militiamen that attacked us retreated shortly after I fired. It seemed as though the forces that attacked us were smaller than we thought and took heavy losses before they retreated. We hastily counted the number of dead attackers, and we counted approximately two hundred."

The general nearly cursed as he scratched his chin forcefully, "And your casualties?"

"One hundred and seventy, sir. Fifty-seven are dead."

"Treat the wounded and have the men rest up. The British may return if General Arnold and his men are defeated," General Kim ordered, "Let us hope he managed to break through and reach General Washington though."

+++++

News regarding the fate of General Arnold and his men reached General Kim five days later. During the five days, the general improved the defenses surrounding the town and managed to gather precious intelligence that revolved around the town. Many of the patriot sympathizing civilians were fleeing en masse to the western and northern parts of the border, and only a three-mile radius surrounding Amelia was cleared of any hostile activity. It seemed as though the British and Major Marion decided to withdraw from the area for the time being.

On April 3rd of 1776, a single soldier wearing a Continental Army uniform approached the northern borders of Amelia. His uniform was dirtied and ragged, and the man wearing the uniform looked just as worn out as his uniform. He was limping and using his musket as a form of support as he appeared in front of the colonial defenders.

"Don't shoot! Don't shoot! I'm Colonel Gold Silliman. I'm with the 3rd Connecticut Regiment!" The man cried as he laid down his musket onto the ground and collapsed onto the ground.

The soldiers that were posted as guards in the northern parts of the town cautiously moved into the forest surrounding the northern roads as one of the soldiers rushed to the fallen soldier's aid, "Are you alright?"

"I'll live," The ragged soldier answered, "But I must see the general. I have news regarding my commanding general and the men under his command."

General Kim rushed to the northern entrance and ran to the injured soldier as he was brought into the town, "I apologize if I sound crude, but may I ask what happened to General Arnold and the Connecticut regiments?"

Colonel Silliman grimaced as he held onto a nearby soldier for support, "He's dead, sir."

"Dead?" General Kim echoed as he looked to the sky in frustration, "What happened?"

"We were ambushed by the British about an hour east from Amelia. We were outnumbered and they caught us out in the open. They were hiding behind the terrain while shooting at us. We lost dozens in the initial few minutes, so General Arnold ordered the majority of the men to keep on moving east to support General Washington. He refused to retreat with the others and ordered the remaining men to continue without him. I was one of the few that stayed behind with him and we moved into the forest to try and fight them on even footing. We might have held our ground if a few dozen of the British soldiers didn't have some new rifle that could fire every few seconds! We lost more than half of our men before General Arnold was shot through the chest and collapsed onto the ground. He died shortly afterward and the surviving men surrendered. I was shot in the leg when that happened and they didn't notice I was still alive because they began to chase the fleeing regiments soon after," The injured colonel winced again before looking serious at his leader, "But there's something else I must tell you, sir."

The general's face looked dark as he listened to the man's story, but became curious at the man's sudden change of composure, "Something else, colonel?"

"The Negro folks we had in our rank, sir. A few of them stayed behind with us to help the others retreat. A good number of them died fighting, brave men they were. But the ones that surrendered after General Arnold's death... they were shot. Not by the damned British, but Major Marion and his men."

"Major Marion and his men shot them? He was there at the battle? And he shot the surrendering black soldiers?"

Colonel Similiman nodded, "Aye. He was there alright, most likely the reason why the British and the Loyalists were fighting from the woods then out in the open. I was watching from the ground when the prisoners were rounded up and the Negros were singled out. I recognized Major Marion since one of the Loyalists called him by his name, but he and his men executed the dozen or so Negro soldiers that surrendered before they went on their way. After they left, I bandaged my leg as best as I could and then began my way back to town to let you know what happened.

General Kim had a fiery look in his eyes as he scanned the men surrounding him, "Those damned Loyalists will pay for every single life they have taken these past several days. Mark my words; not a single Loyalist town will remain standing after I am finished with South Carolina."

 

[okmangeez]

"They're on both sides of the road general! We need to keep moving!"

General Arnold dropped to the ground and fired into the forest blindly. The Britsh and their allies were hiding behind the trees and bushes and firing on his units from two sides. While his men were responding appropriately, he saw a few dozen of his soldiers on the ground. And they weren't firing back at the enemy.

While he and his men could attempt to outrun their attackers, his units would take far too many casualties and his enemies would not sit still either. As much as he reviled the idea of leaving some of his men behind, it needed to be done. Some of his men needed to stay behind in order to buy time for the others to make their way to General Washington.

"Colonel Wyllys! Are you still alive?" General Arnold shouted as a bullet whizzed by him.

"I hear you, sir!" A voice shouted over the din of gunfire and cries.

"You are now in charge of the Second and Third Connecticut Regiment. I will stay behind with some of the men to cover your retreat to General Washington! You are to help him in any form or shape and give the damned British a beating!"

Colonel Wyllys responded immediately, "You can't stay behind, general! You're our commanding officer!"

The general gritted his teeth as he reloaded his rifled musket, "My orders are final, colonel! Do as I say!"

After he fired off another shot towards the woods, General Arnold bellowed as loudly as he could, "Men of the Connecticut Regiments, Colonel Wyllys is now your commanding officer. You are to follow him to the east and obey his orders! 1st Company and 2nd Company of the 3rd Connecticut Regiment, remain behind as we cover their retreat!"

Hundreds of men reacted to the order in various ways, ranging from moving closer to the prone general to fleeing rapidly towards Kingstree. The attackers made no maneuvers to intercept the fleeing men and focused on the few hundred that remained behind. General Arnold noticed that a few of the men he ordered to remain behind also fled, but turned his attention back to the battle at hand.

"Run to the southern forests and find cover! We won't last a minute out here!"

The remaining men charged into the southern forests near the British positions and battled with a few British troops that were hidden nearby. General Arnold managed to disarm and stab a man himself with a bayonet, earning a sharp cry from the British soldier he stabbed. After a few minutes, the remaining Continental soldiers managed to carve a small area for themselves in the forest, hidden away from the other attackers. When they managed to fight back using cover, they managed to hold their ground and the members of the 3rd Connecticut Regiment even blunted a British charge.

General Arnold never stopped firing his musket, even as he was running low on ammunition. He was towards the front of his soldiers, yelling out commands and inspiring the men to fight harder. "Keep on fighting! Do you want to live fifty more years, or be remembered for fifty more generations?"

But after several more minutes, it became increasingly clear that the British were utilizing their numerical advantage to their advantage. More and more of the general's soldiers felled from British fire and the general noticed that some of the British soldiers were firing several times within a single minute. Even so, he never wavered and continued fighting. He wasn't going to be remembered as a coward or a traitor but as a hero.

And knowing his luck, he would only get injured in the leg like in the other history. Or be captured. Either way, he wasn't going to surrender willingly.

After firing his musket, General Arnold fumbled while reloading and dropped the ball he was trying to ram into his musket. Before he could grab the ball, he felt a single shot slam into his chest.

Time slowed down as he saw the ball drop onto the ground and his musket following soon after. His body swayed backward before landing onto the grass, his eyes now facing the sky and the numerous trees that covered his field of vision. He turned slowly to look at his surroundings and saw that a nearby soldier saw him get shot. The man, a colonel by the name of Gold Silliman, ran up to him and lifted his torso gently, "Sir! Don't worry, I'm sure there's still a medic somewhere. We'll find one for you and get you patched up! You'll be fine."

The general knew it was a lie, as he felt the man's hands trembling. He coughed up a spray of blood before gripping the man's sleeves, "Put me down colonel and continue the fight. I am finished."

"But you are not dead y..."

"I am done, colonel. My time is finally up," General Arnold muttered as he relaxed, "Perhaps this is my punishment from God... But tell the general this; my only regret is that I did not do more for my country."

Some of the soldiers nearby saw their fallen general and rushed to his side, but the general was already closing his eyes as his lifeforce faded, "I will see you soon... Margaret."

+++++

AN: If you're wondering who Margaret is... It's Arnold's wife that died back in 1775.

AN 2: This battle is officially called "Battle of Waverick Creek," named after the creek nearby Arnold's death place.

 

[okmangeez]

Credits to @holyknight on AH.com for idea for the Semper Fidelis line at the end. And big thank you to all of the readers for your continued support and contribution

+++++

The following two weeks were quiet, as the British did not attempt to attack Amelia. General Kim received several reports regarding the status of troops elsewhere and was satisfied to learn that the boundaries in South Carolina was somewhat stable. The Continental Army wasn't winning, especially in the coastal areas, but they were holding. And that's all he needed to bring his hammer down on the Loyalist and British. When the route to North Carolina was clear enough to send messengers, General Kim wrote a briefing about the atrocities committed by the Loyalists in South Carolina and the urgent need for further men and aid to drive the "tyrannical and anti-human" British out of the colony. Additionally, he suggested that Congress utilize this news to spread throughout the colonies to turn them firmly against the British and also notify other European powers to turn the general opinion against the British. Afterward, he began to look inwards and began focusing on his troops.

During the two weeks, the general studied the tactics employed by Marion extensively. Using the laptop he had at hand, he read through various textbooks and articles in order to discern the major's strategies and guerilla warfare methods. The general also read up on various battleplans and tactics utilized by guerillas over the centuries, ranging from the jungle tactics of the Viet Cong to the urban disruption methods employed by the Polish partisans. He looked through the terrain map of South Carolina to determine the best routes for discreet movements and to predict the location of British and Loyalist units in the wilderness. It was a new experience for him, as he never encountered insurgents as a marine lieutenant in modern times. But he was more than willing to learn and sharpen his skills as a leader, for himself and for his men.

And for General Arnold.

Nobody blamed him for General Arnold's untimely death, even though the soldiers knew the risks that General Arnold was taking when he decided to march east. Regardless, General Kim felt responsible for the man's sudden demise, as none of his soldiers knew the truth. He was the one that revealed the future to General Arnold and made him more reckless and daring. He was the one that gave the general the green light to reinforce General Washington. And he was the one that sent hundreds of men to their death due to his carelessness as a commanding officer.

No matter what anyone told him, General Kim held himself responsible for General Arnold's death. The man died a hero, but he died decades earlier than the other history and never got to see himself be hailed as a hero.

It was a mistake that the general was never going to repeat. He was going to command his troops aggressively and wreak havoc on the enemy, but he was also going to carry out his orders carefully and with more intelligence.

During the wait, General Kim also drilled his men on guerilla tactics and asymmetrical warfare. While his troops were already employing unconventional tactics, he developed new doctrines to make them fight better independently and strengthened the roles of the various platoon and company leaders. They were taught strategies and tactics individually, in order for them to carry out their own maneuvers and plans if they were cut off or stranded from the top leadership. The men were taught to maximize the terrain to their advantage and use them to ambush any roving enemy patrols and units. Additionally, the general taught the men how to dig holes and to cover them up with branches and leaves, both as traps and to use as hiding holes to surprise enemy troops.

This training was not exclusive to the soldiers of the Continental Army but was extended to the militiamen as well. As many of the militiamen were locals that knew the surrounding areas, the militiamen met with the general frequently to discuss their plan of attack and mark the settlements that supported the Loyalists. General Kim also took a list of names of local plantation owners and merchants that sympathized with the British and contributed to the rapid fall of Charleston. He didn't like to target civilians, it was unethical and was against the marine doctrine. But he knew it was necessary. Sapping the wealth and influence of the Loyalists was critical to his campaign and he was planning to turn the slaves against them.

Between watching slavery go on and pillaging the property of "traitors," he very much preferred the latter.

His benefactor also supplied with him additional goods for his upcoming offense. While the general wasn't angry at his benefactor of General Arnold's death, he was disappointed in himself for not being able to do anything about the man despite his noticeable benefits and boosts. As if he could hear his thoughts, the benefactor provided General Kim with an array of woodland uniforms (more green/brown colored marine uniforms, along with dark leather hats to blend with the surroundings), mosquito nets, rubber boots, maps, compasses, and bowie knives. The usual "good luck" was written on the message parchment after he received this and the general distributed the new equipment to his men. With the new equipment at hand, he carried out training exercises in nearby forests and trained all the men under his command effectively. While the militiamen were definitely behind the soldiers (the 1st Marine Regiment, the 1st Pennsylvania Rifles, 4th Massachusetts Regiment, the 1st Canadian Regiment, and the 6th Massachusetts Regiment) of the Continental Army. However, they were hardened survivors of previous battles and were determined to drive out the Loyalist and British, especially after hearing about the horrific atrocities carried out by Major Marion (while many of them had neutral or hostile opinions on abolition, nearly all of them were disgusted by the blatant execution of surrendering soldiers).

Within two weeks, his troops improved and familiarized themselves with the new doctrines and tactics. All of them were burning for revenge in the name of General Arnold and the brave three hundred that sacrificed themselves while fighting traitors and invaders (the story of General Arnold and his last stand was already being spread to nearby units and towns).

It was April 15th when General Kim received reinforcements, along with some news from Philadelphia. The reinforcement group, headed by Brigadier General Robert Howe and Colonel Anthony "Mad" Wayne (or at least, not mad yet), consisted of nearly three thousand men to help defend Amelia and strengthen the Patriot's control of South Carolina.

That was when General Kim learned of his promotion to Lieutenant General (a completely new rank in the Continental Army), along with confirmation that the story of General Arnold was spreading like wildfire throughout the colonies.

Several days before the offensive towards Orangeburg (a town that was approximately 25 miles southwest of Amelia), a town occupied by the British, he rallied his men together and stood in front of them.

He only said a few sentences, but it was enough.

"General Arnold did not retreat and carried out the motto of the marines to the very end: Semper Fidelis. We will not retreat, because he did not retreat. We will show the traitors that our cause is right and just, and strike them down for what they have done. For General Arnold and the United States!"

 

[okmangeez]

Sergeant Benjamin White's (Continental Army, 1st Marine Regiment) letter to his mother in Boston, April 20th, 1776
Displayed at the American National Museums of History and Culture, _______ D.C.

To my dearest mother,

It has been a while since my last letter and I apologize for that, but my unit was isolated for some time in a town called Amelia in South Carolina. The British and the damned traitors attacked us ferociously and we lost many good men during the fighting, including General Arnold. The men are grieving for his death, as he died fearlessly while looking down hundreds of muskets pointed at him. But we're already on our way to avenge his death.

By the time this letter reaches you, I hope that we are marching through South Carolina and causing chaos across the rebellious parts of the state. What I have seen so far during my time with the Marines has been an experience, but the reason why I sound so vengeful in this letter is due to the things I have seen in this cursed state.

Just yesterday, my regiment raided a nearby Loyalist plantation under General Kim's orders. He was grief-stricken from General Arnold's death and was driven to punish the traitors for betraying our cause to join the British. When we took over the plantation, I saw something that I wish I never had to see.

The owners of the plantation fled upon seeing our regiment, but they left behind all their slaves and belongings. My platoon was tasked with clearing the slave pens of the plantation and what we found was horrifying. The slaves were crammed into small "houses" and some of them had the nastiest wounds and scars I had ever seen. That alone was already terrible to see, but what we found towards the side of the "houses" was what made me sick to the stomach.

There were five dead bodies, bodies of slaves, hanging from the roof of the slave houses. It looked like they have been hanging from some time, as I could see the bodies decaying and crawling with maggots. After General Kim and the other officers talked to some of the slaves there, we found out that the owners left the bodies like that as a warning to slaves that wanted to escape or fight for their freedom. I managed to stay somewhat composed through the affair, but some of the men in my unit hurled onto the ground upon seeing the dead bodies. After hearing the reason for the hanging slaves, General Kim was furious and brought over nearly every unit under his command to the plantation to witness the dead bodies. He then reminded us that this was what we were fighting against; men who sold their souls to the Devil in order to keep this horrific practice called slavery.

Mother, you know that I was rather neutral to the idea of freeing the slaves. But now I am burning with passion to kill this evil practice. I have fought alongside good Negros from Quebec to South Carolina. They may be different, but they are brave and loyal just like the rest of us. And after seeing the bodies, I understood the reasoning for General Kim's hatred for slavery. These poor souls were hung because they wanted to be free, like us. I'm sure many of them, given the chance, would fight alongside us just as bravely as the Negros in our unit. Yet the traitors have the gall to claim that they are inferior and should be treated as such. And even worse, they betrayed the other colonies to do so.

I plead you to spread this to your neighbors and your friends. The others must hear about these evils committed by these traitors far and wide. It was like the verse you read to me often, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

How can we be fighting for freedom, if we are unable to love those that are different than us? And treat these Negros in contradictory ways to the teachings of Christ?

We can not. Therefore, while I punish these traitors with the army, I hope that you can show the evils and the contradictions of this immoral practice to those in Boston.

I will return home safely. I promise.

 

[okmangeez]

"And the protests?"

Thomas Jefferson was not an intimidating man, per se. Even though he stood tall at six feet two, his posture and presence made him seem significantly smaller than he actually was. However, when he spoke, everyone around him became attentive towards him. His articulate speeches and natural intellect made people gravitate towards him. This was especially evident when Congress was gathered for its regular meetings.

Benjamin Franklin, a close colleague of Jefferson, answered the Virginian's questions, "It's fairly under control, though we have received reports of slave owners being attacked on the streets. The people are visibly outraged at the atrocities committed by the Loyalists in South Carolina. Along with the drawings of the slaves that we received from General Kim being printed on the newspapers, the public's opinion has swung significantly towards supporting independence and abolition."

Jefferson nodded his head as he took in the sight of the room. The atmosphere of the room was tense, especially so since some of the representatives in the room were slave owners. The recent publications about Major Marion's atrocities and the brutal treatment of slaves have done wonders to boost the Patriot cause. The people were angry at the British, and rightfully so. Any thoughts of making peace with the British were already out the window as the support for independence grew stronger and stronger. The news was also sent overseas to Spain and France, in hopes of pushing the two European nations into war against Britain. While Congress did not know the direct impact of their actions, they were going to discover the results soon enough.

Normally, this would have made the members of Congress ecstatic. The war was going well, the people were behind their Declaration, and they were building the foundations of a new nation, one that would one day be one of the strongest on Earth. Yet the letter they had just received from General Kim turned the entire Congress on its head.

The document that they had in front of them was a piece of text written by General Kim himself. After securing Orangeburg from the British, General Kim made this document public and enforced the content of it throughout the liberated parts of South Carolina. Although the Declaration was more impactful, this document was revolutionary in itself.

The Emancipation Proclamation.

People outside of the southern states were beginning to warm up to the idea of abolition, despite protests in Maryland and Virginia. However, they were in favor of a more gradual abolition after the war ended.

But the Emancipation Proclamation was an announcement, a proclamation that all slaves that were within the Loyalist parts of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida were now free. While it didn't directly free any slaves in the other colonies, the representatives of the slave-holding colonies were worried that it may affect the slaves in the Patriot held lands and make them restless. It was a valid concern, but the Proclamation was already being enforced by General Kim and even General Washington if words were to be believed. In fact, General Washington also endorsed the Proclamation and was spreading it to the other units fighting in the Southern Theater.

"As we all know, despite General Kim's rather bombastic way of making his point, he was not exaggerating when he revealed the crimes committed by the Loyalists in South Carolina," Samuel Chase, a Maryland representative, stated, "However, this Proclamation was made without our consent and may result in instability throughout Maryland and Virginia, amongst other states."

"And leave the slaves to rot and be enslaved by the Loyalists?" John Adams retorted, "His actions may be extreme, but his words are not wrong. The Loyalists in South Carolina have betrayed us in the name of slavery and have done everything they can to maintain this abhorrent practice. This Proclamation will not only sap their strength but turn any Freedman or slaves against them."

"Even so, he is getting far too political and too independent from our affairs."

Adams' eyes narrowed, "Are you suggesting something, Representative Chase?"

The opposition silenced themselves immediately. While General Kim was still a mystery and a non-white to boot, there was no doubt in his abilities and his success. And to an extent, many of the representatives agreed with the Proclamation's intent. The Loyalists in South Carolina could not go unpunished for their actions.

"Perhaps it will be helpful to read the content of the document once again. After all, there is a reason why this document was sent to us first before it was to be sent to other groups outside of South Carolina." Jefferson cleared his throat and read the document that was placed in front of him,

"That on the twentieth of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy-six, all persons held as slaves within any Colony or designated part of a Colony, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion and a state of war against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free; and the Continental Army will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons, and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom.

"That Lieutenant General Samuel Kim and Commander in Chief George Washington will, on this day, designate the Colonies and designated parts of the Colonies, if any, in which the people thereof, respectively, shall then be in a state of war against the United States; and the fact that any Colony, or the people thereof, shall on that day be, in good faith, represented in the Continental Congress of the United States by members chosen to represent their respective Colony shall have participated, shall, in the absence of strong countervailing testimony, be deemed conclusive evidence that such Colony, and the people thereof, are not then in rebellion against the United States."

Now, therefore we, Lieutenant General and Commander in Chief George Washington, by virtue of the power vested to us by the Continental Congress in time of actual armed rebellion and war against the authority and assembly of Congress, and as a fit and necessary war measure for suppressing threats to our security, do, on this twentieth of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy six, and in accordance with my purpose so to do publicly proclaimed from the day first above mentioned, order and designate as the Colonies and parts of Colonies wherein the people thereof respectively, are this day in armed rebellion and hostilities against the United States, the following, to wit:

The occupied territories of the colony of South Carolina under allegiance to the government in Charles Town and the British Crown, the colony of Georgia under the allegiance of the British Crown, the colony of West Florida under the allegiance of the British Crown, and the colony of East Florida under the allegiance of the British Crown

And by virtue of the power, and for the purpose aforesaid, we do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated Colonies, and parts of Colonies, are, and henceforward shall be free; and that the leadership of the Continental Army will recognize and maintain the freedom of said persons.

And we hereby enjoin upon the people so declared to be free to abstain from all violence, unless in necessary self-defense; and we recommend to them that, in all cases when allowed, they labor faithfully for reasonable wages.

And we further declare and make known, that such persons of suitable condition, will be received into the armed service of the Continental Army to garrison forts, positions, stations, and other places, and to man vessels of all sorts in said service.

And upon this act, sincerely believed to be an act of justice, warranted by the Declaration of Independence upon military necessity, we invoke the considerate judgment of mankind, and the gracious favor of Almighty God."

"Elegant, yet powerful. Nowhere in this document does General Kim or General Washington declare themselves acting above our authority, but merely using the powers bestowed upon them to carry out the war against the Loyalist and British. I believe we should allow this Proclamation to stand and see the war through."

"Here here!" The representatives in favor of abolition, which numbered a fair amount more than those that opposed the radical Proclamation, cried out.

"Order!" Hancock banged his gavel as he presided over the room, "We shall have a vote on this at a later date after we discuss and debate the matter thoroughly. And the next item on our agenda is a medal in honor of Brigadier General Benedict Arnold. I believe there were motions to name a medal for valor after the general..."

 

[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.