Since the outbreak of the war, almost every day, countless people have come to Washington to consult with the president, including all kinds of officers of the U.S. Army in dark blue uniforms. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 infoThese officers who graduated from military academies are often the children of wealthy people, which also makes them often look a little arrogant, wearing black Hardy hats named after William Hardy of the Army, and the hats are decorated with golden cockades and shiny black feathers, and the whole person looks heroic. Somewhat ironically, William Hardy himself had resigned from the Army the day before yesterday and went to his native state of Georgia to defend his homeland.

Early in the morning, Washington came an unusual officer, whose black uniform was adorned with vertical epaulettes and a silver eagle badge indicating that he was a colonel. He sat in the carriage, the carriage slowly drove towards Capitol Hill, the first thing he saw was the unfinished Capitol dome, the noisy Washington seemed to be empty at this time, there were not many pedestrians on the road, since the "rebels" occupied Eric Sanzoa, the people of Washington could see the rebel flag across the Potomac River looking across the river, all of which worried the people here.

Washington, it could fall at any moment!

That's what almost everyone thinks.

The carriage slowly entered Pennsylvania Avenue, and guards patrolled the streets, but what was the use? They were simply powerless to stop the attack from the south. They saw the officer sitting in the car and took off their hats to salute him. It is clear that the officer had a great reputation in military circles, and there were almost no people in the army who did not know him. However, at this time, the officer's lips were tightly closed, trying not to let a helpless and anxious look appear on his face.

The car pulled up in front of a yellow house on Pennsylvania Avenue, the home of Lincoln's cabinet, Postmaster Montgomery Blair. The colonel, who got out of the car, was an old gentleman with gray-white curls combed to the right. Although he has entered old age, there are only a few shallow wrinkles on his broad, clean forehead. A pair of large soft brown-gray eyes were deeply embedded underneath, and his face carried some of the majesty and solemnity that was characteristic of an elder.

As soon as I got out of the car, the owner of the mansion had already greeted me.

"Welcome, Colonel Lee."

Postmaster Montgomery Blair smiled warmly and stretched out his hand to invite the guest to the back room.

Colonel Robert Edward Lee was now considered one of the most promising officers in the entire Union Army, and like most of his West Point classmates, he fought in the Mexican War and was admired by everyone in the army, not only because of his handsome appearance and gentlemanly demeanor, but also because of his illustrious origins, his father was the hero of the Revolutionary War, Henry Lee, and he himself was the great-grandson-in-law of Washington, the founding father of the United States. But these dazzling halos do not hide the hardships of his childhood: at the age of two, his father, Henry Lee, was imprisoned for debts, and their house was confiscated and auctioned off by the courts, so they had to move to Eric Sandrya, now occupied by the Confederates, and his father, Henry Lee, later died on his way to the West Indies.

Thankfully, his mother had many relatives living in Eric Sandroya, and many of the veterans of the Lee Army often looked after him, and for Robert, Eric Sanchoa was like a warm paradise that cultivated his gentle disposition.

On Robert's 17th birthday, his mother, Anna, told him that she wanted him to go to college, but the family could not afford the tuition, and only West Point was the only university that was free, but West Point only admitted a few dozen students a year, so the competition was fierce. Fortunately, Andrew Jackson, who later became president, liked Robert very much when he saw him and won him a place in the school.

He is very adaptable to the life of West Point, and he is also very good at getting along with people, and with excellent grades, he naturally becomes the leader of the students. At the time of graduation, Robert had set a flawless graduation record at West Point, and no other person has ever done it. After fighting alongside West Point alumni in the Mexican War, he became the most prestigious officer in the All-Union Army. Everyone thought that he would one day take over as Minister of War. With the dazzling aura of a near-perfect individual plus the son of the Founding Father, Washington's great-grandson-in-law, no one would doubt it.

Entering the living room of Blair's mansion, Postmaster Blair still maintained his enthusiastic smile, and he said with a smile.

"Allow me to get straight to the point, Colonel. I have been personally commissioned by Mr. President, and authorized by the Department of War, to serve as Commander-in-Chief of the United States Army, and to be promoted to Major General, to lead the army to quell the present rebellion, and to defend the United States. ”

In the face of this appointment, the corners of Robert's lips twitched unnaturally, and although he had been mentally prepared before he came, Blair's words still stirred waves in his heart. He knew that he was now faced with a choice—if he nodded, he would immediately be in command of the largest army in the history of the United States, and he would have been waiting for a day like his grandfather and father to become a major general, which would be the culmination of his military glory.

"This army is going to fight the rebellion and conquer the south by force, right?"

Robert asked indifferently.

"Yes, Colonel."

Blair nodded, then explained:

"Now the United States is under serious threat from the rebels, and the situation in Washington is dire. Some state legislatures have defied the constitution and challenged the federal government, and their attacks on the fortress of Sumter are absolutely intolerable, and war is inevitable. ”

After a moment of contemplation, Robert replied in his calm tone:

"Sir, my home is just across the Potomac River, and you can see the Arlington home across the bank through the window. My family is scattered throughout Virginia, and if the Union invades the South, the other side of the river will be the enemy's domain, and my enemies will be my family and friends. ”

"Alright! Mr. ”

Blair smiled and defended:

"Virginia's call for independence isn't high right now...... Including North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas as well......"

"My friend, to put it mildly, you miscalculated Virginia. You know, every day there are councillors who come to Richmond to discuss those very sensitive issues. ”

Blair's mouth tightened, the smile on his face vanished, and for a moment he seemed to understand what Robert was going to choose.

And Robert went on to say:

"It is even more regrettable that President Lincoln's announcement of a conscription of 75,000 troops against the rebellion in the southern states has worsened the situation far from turning the corner. It's hard to say that North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas are all likely to join the ...... South."

Blair, who was frowning, first expressed regret, and then he said seriously:

"Colonel, I believe that you are not a hasty person, and this is a great opportunity to serve your country."

"My homeland?"

Robert thought of the words of his father, Henry Lee.

"Virginia is my homeland!"

The father's words made Robert sigh lightly, and then asked rhetorically:

"Mr. Blair, I never imagined that one day I would see the President of the United States send troops to invade his own country."

Blair was sitting, swallowing with some difficulty, and then nervously watching Lee's every move, waiting for him to finish his fateful words.

"No, Mr. Blair, I will not lead the troops, nor will I accept this appointment."

Robert shook his head slightly.

"Colonel, I'm afraid you're making a terrible mistake."

After a moment of silence, Robert got up to say goodbye.

"Sir, please convey on my behalf my sincere respect and gratitude for the trust placed in the President, but I must refuse his kindness at this special moment. Please tell him that I have never taken my responsibility lightly...... For me, my hometown of Virginia is my greatest responsibility. ”

"Thank you, sir."

Blair stared at the gentleman standing in front of him for a long time, then stood up with a look of disappointment and shook his hand and said goodbye.

That evening, Robert paced restlessly back and forth in the garden. At midnight, he wrote a letter of resignation, saying goodbye to the Union Army. Early the next morning, he came to the War Department to see his old friend and old superior, Lieutenant General Scott, for the last time. Scott, also a Virginian, has been in the military for forty-seven years and has become a symbol of the Union Army. Under his long-term leadership, the Army gradually became a combat force with extremely strong combat effectiveness. In 1855, Congress passed a special bill conferring on him the rank of Major General, an honor that had previously been given only to Founding Father Washington.

Scott had learned from Postmaster Blair that Robert Lee had refused to accept the appointment, and he had a premonition that something bad was about to happen. Knowing that he could not move, he appointed a field commander and asked him to serve as the best soldier in the country, and now the best soldier in the country was about to leave him.

"I'm also Virginian, but I'm also an American soldier, Robert, and we have to think about the whole United States!"

Robert looked at old Scott, who looked extremely distressed and pityful, and was speechless for a while, and after a moment of silence, he had to turn and leave. He immediately left the city alone and crossed the Potomac River. When he passed Arlington, he looked at the home where his wife had lived for many years, and then turned away gloomily.

Two days later, Robert arrived in Richmond, and the news of Lincoln's refusal of Lincoln's appointment by the most prestigious officer of the Union Army had already spread throughout Virginia, and he naturally received the warmest welcome, and on the day of his arrival in Richmond, the Virginia State Assembly held a special welcoming ceremony for him,

“…… All of you here know that there is no one who loves America more than I do, my father fought against the British under the command of Washington, my son fought against the Indians, God testifies, I and many people in this room have also been against the independence of Virginia, but, I want to say, look, what has become of Congress in Washington now, occupied by belligerent usurpers and radicals, what kind of United States is it now? Especially when there is a certain part of the country that always wants to impose its will on others. ”

On the rostrum, the governor said with some excitement.

"The usurper is mobilizing his army and trying to suppress the states by force, the U.S. Constitution is being brutally trampled on, and at this time, Virginia must make its own choice, whether to compromise with the tyrant or fight for Virginia's freedom!"

As the words fell, Kan turned his gaze to Robert, who was sitting in the front row.

"Now that Virginia is confronting the armed forces of the United States, every one of us Virginians should have firm confidence that every inch of Virginia will not be tarnished by invaders!"

God bless Virginia, the governor's speech set off a round of applause in the Congress, and the congressmen from all over the country applauded excitedly and shouted to show their approval of the speech.

Robert, who was sitting in the front row, also applauded and nodded his head in agreement. After a round of applause, the governor held his hand to the portrait of Washington behind him,

"Now, in the commemoration of George Washington, the first in the history of Virginia, to put his people first, and his valiant father, General Henry Lee of the Hussars, Robert Edward Lee is called the Chief Commander of the Virginia National Army!"

As soon as the governor's words fell, the sound of applause and shouts of the pounding of the table resounded throughout the chamber, facing the governor's appointment Robert slowly stood up and walked towards the podium, after shaking hands with the governor, he walked to the podium, and then looked at the members in the chamber, the applause was continuous, everyone sent him heartfelt congratulations, and every Virginian cheered for the right choice Robert made.

In the face of people's applause, Robert bowed slightly to express his gratitude before speaking,

"Mr. President and the delegates of this meeting, I have been deeply touched by this solemn occasion, and I accept the position that you have given me in your preference, and I would have hoped that you would have assigned it to a better candidate, but I believe in God Almighty and my desire for good......"

Speaking of this, Li's words paused slightly, looked at the people around him, and then spoke.

"And the citizens who support me, I will devote myself to the service of this state, and for this noble ideal, I will once again take up the sword in my hand!"

The entire Virginia legislature, at the end of Lee's speech, was in an unprecedented boil, and they all stood up, applauded and cheered for Lee...... This moment Virginia made their choice!

Fight for freedom in Virginia!

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