Caesar would be enacted.
He felt that the clock was now ticking. He wished for nothing more than 'to give these men a few more days like this. Plenty to eat, time to sleep as much as they wanted, to write letters home, to horseplay, to forget for a brief moment what they had been through, and to ignore what faced them again.
An inner sense told him, though, that such would not be the case. This was a last night of peace, a single night of peace before it would all start again.
He bowed his head.
'Dear Lord, please guide me in the days to come,' he whispered. 'Give me strength to do what is right. Guide me always to seek the honorable path and in so doing bring this terrible struggle to an end.
'For those whom I lead, dear God, and for those whom I face. I know many will fall in the days to come. Forgive them their sins and bring them into your loving embrace. Let friend and foe come together before your holy throne as brothers once more. Amen.'
'General Lee? Forgive me, sir, for interrupting.'
He looked over his shoulder. It was Walter, his hat off.
Walter was pointing toward the road that wove past the defensive earthworks of Baltimore. Coming toward them was a carriage, and he could see Judah Benjamin, Jeb Stuart, and Pete Longstreet.
'Thank you, Walter.'
Lee saluted Judah as he stepped down, followed by Pete and Jeb.
The three came over to the side of the road to join him.
'I suspect, gentlemen, you bring news,' Lee said.
Judah nodded and Lee could see the look in Longstreet's eyes.
'A telegram just came in from Westminster. It's troubling, sir.'
'Go on.'
'Sir, a report from a captain with the Third Virginia. The same boys who were covering Carlisle. He states that the Yankee infantry moving on the east side of the mountains are nothing but militia. It looks like Grant's main striking force is west of the mountains.'
Lee listened in silence. He nodded, saying nothing, taking the information in.
'How reliable?' Lee asked.
'I know the captain of that troop,' Jeb said. 'A good man, West Point. I was slating him for promotion to a regimental command. He's done excellent scout work in the past.'
'How did he get this information?'
'The first telegram just gave the general details, a second one came in a few minutes later. It stated that a patrol had encountered a column of infantry north of Gettysburg and taken prisoners. The sender declared the information to be reliable.'
Lee looked over at Jeb.
'I wish we had more to go on,' Lee said.
'I know, sir. I do, too. It's taking a devilish long time to get our mounts rested, reshod, and refitted. I've already detailed two regiments up to Westminster with orders to force a probe. Jones and Jenkins, minus about half their men, are moving down the B and O right now, covering that line.' 'The B and O,' Judah sighed, shaking his head.
'One other thing,' Pete said, interrupting Judah before that conversation over the railroad started. 'The report from Westminster also stated that an entire brigade, under Custer, is driving hard, is already into Taneytown, heading southwest, apparently pushing toward Frederick.'
Lee turned away, going back to lean against the fence.
So it was beginning, the mask starting to slip away. It was all becoming clear now. Grant hoped to hold his attention northward until into position to sprint toward Frederick. Once in Frederick he'd close off the railroad to Harpers Ferry, to a possible crossing at Point of Rocks.
Lee looked back at Longstreet, who stood silent.
'So now we know,' Lee said.
Pete merely nodded.
Lee turned his gaze on Stuart.
'I want every one of your men mounted and ready to move before dawn tomorrow.'
'Sir, that will be tough to accomplish. I have thousands of men still waiting for shoes for their horses.'
Lee shook his head.
'We need your cavalry moving, General Stuart.'
'Yes, sir,' Jeb replied.
'And then there's the railroad,' Judah said.
'It didn't work out, did it?' Lee asked.
'No, sir. Garrett refused.'
Lee, in an uncharacteristic gesture, slammed a balled fist against the fence rail.
'General Longstreet, any suggestions?'
'First and foremost, we must secure that bridge over the Monocacy.'
'What do we have there now?'
'Just an outpost and telegraphy station.'
'I want Jenkins and Jones up there by tomorrow morning to secure the crossing. General Stuart, I want you up there as well. Take a train if you can, otherwise, sir, I think you'll just have to ride.'
Stuart nodded, offering no protest.
'Sir, I've been doing some checking,' Judah interjected. 'We face some real problems using the B and O.'
'I'm not certain we really have to use the B and O,' Lee said. 'We've moved quickly in the past without use of rail.'
'I think, sir, it's different this time,' Pete said.
'How so?'
'If a fight is brewing at Frederick, and if we can get the bulk of our forces there ahead of Grant, we can bottleneck him. He'll have only one road, the National Road, to bring everything up. It'll be a race, and the railroad can help us tremendously. Fifty trains can bring up an entire division with supplies in just two hours, compared to two days of marching. Plus the men will be fresh.
'There's our artillery reserves as well. We have nearly two hundred and forty guns total. That's over forty batteries. Sixty trains can move those guns, with horses and men. Three days if we move them overland.'
'The B and O has some fine locomotives,' Judah announced, 'capable of pulling twenty cars. It can give us a tremendous advantage.'
'But it won't cooperate,' Lee replied sharply.
'I've already informed Garrett we are seizing control for the duration of the campaign. I suggest, sir, tonight, that word be put out to every regiment in this army. Any man with railroading experience, especially engineers, mechanics, brakemen, report to the main depot in Baltimore.'
Lee said nothing for a moment. If only he had an organized division of military railroad troops, this would not even be a bother.
He looked over at Walter and nodded in agreement. 'Get the word out at once. Men to report by dawn.
'Pete, find someone to put in charge.'
'Major Cruickshank.'
'I thought he was in command of the pontoon bridges.'
'He's a hard driver. I think he's our man.'
'Promote him to brigadier general, and get him working on it. Now what about the pontoon bridges? Weren't they supposed to already be up at Frederick?'
Pete sighed and shook his head.
'They're still at the depot.'
'What?'
'Sir, nearly every yard worker just sat down or took off once word came that Garrett was not cooperating. Cruickshank has apparently struck a deal with the yard boss, though, and we should be moving around midnight. But it's going to cost.'
