Heavy rains delayed the onset of the war by two weeks.

When the time came in mid-June, and the troops of the American Commonwealth under the leadership of Sherman and Jackson headed north to Texas, the entire coastal plain became a vast ocean.

The Indians dug up the ground as if they had a grudge against the earth, and it was full of criss-crossing scars.

Not to mention the difficulty of the artillery, even the infantry marched miserably.

The Union army had a brief respite at Monterrey, where they were planned to split up in two directions, one led by Sherman, passing through Laredo, to attack the Alamo (present-day San Antonio) to the north; Turning all the way south, from Matamoros to attack Kopacz (today's Kopas Christie).

Although the Indians invested a huge amount of manpower and material resources here, digging almost the entire Rio Grande River valley into a swamp, there was still no way to stop the advance of the American army.

The Federal Army has great strength, and great strength naturally leads to strong execution.

Winfield-Scott only needs to draw a straight line on the map from Monterrey to the Alamo, and his army can unswervingly advance along that straight line!

Just like the map that Americans draw for themselves, the boundaries of each state are basically straight lines, and whoever cares about the mountains and rivers will be straight, and you will have to be straight.

The right to speak brought by strength, even the mountains, rivers, lakes and seas have to bow their heads.

The trench could not allow the artillery carriage to pass?

- The U.S. military brought in planks directly from the rear and paved a two-lane wooden track with a width of 4 meters, which can not only pass through the gun wagon, but also run on the horse-drawn carriage!

Does mud affect morale?

-- The U.S. military can set up a supply station every ten miles on the march, cigarettes, beer, peanuts, melon seeds, drinks, mineral water, and eight-treasure porridge...... Come, soldier, get your feet aside!

Cold guns along the way make soldiers sleep badly?

– Is it the Massachusetts circus that isn't pretty, or the Virginia chicks aren't hot enough? A hundred dollars of coffee is enough to make a paralyzed veteran get out of bed and scream if he can't replenish his energy!

As for the food and grass, as for the ammunition, as for the clothes to be warmed...... The Union Army has never been worried about this problem!

- Even if the Mexicans in the West Bank are now hungry and eat the soil, the GIs in Mexico City can still eat one corn cob and throw it away! Even Colonel Davis's dog can drink milk!

A Union soldier weighs 150 pounds when he leaves Mexico City, and when he arrives in Monterrey, he gains an average of 5 kilograms. This even caused Sherman to worry, because the soldiers were overnourished, would it affect their combat effectiveness?

……

June 18th.

Monterrey, northern Mexico.

After that rainstorm, the perennially dry Catenina River was filled again.

On the surface of the sparkling river, floating corpses, aquatic plants, and various pots and pans floated from nowhere.

In the church at the top of Bishop Hill, a grand ball is being held.

Sherman can beat everything, but he can't beat air.

There was a fermented stench in the air, and even the fact that Miss Aphrodi, the pillar of the Royal Circus, was now standing next to him, and the perfume on her body was as hot as a flame, could not hide the peculiar smell—but made it all the more peculiar.

Sherman couldn't help but look at Miss Aphrodi's armpits several times, and he wasn't quite sure if the smell was coming from there.

Sherman shook off Aphrodite's arm and picked up his glass to find Thomas Jackson in the crowd talking.

"Jack, I want to have another good talk with you!"

"Oh, William—" Thomas Jackson in the crowd was noticeably taller than the others, his body was strong, his voice was powerful, and people surrounded him like stars and moons, and every word he said would elicit the amazement of those around him.

Especially the girls who had fake pox sticky on their faces, they were so exaggerated that they even threw off several fake pox, and the lead powder puff fell off one after another.

"—Guys, I bet to you, don't look at my farther journey, but I'll cross the Rio Grande a day before William Sherman!" Jackson said.

The crowd raved in admiration, and at the same time, everyone turned their heads and looked at William Sherman expectantly. If these two guys could get into a fight over this, it would undoubtedly quickly become a very useful conversation point in the ladies' salon.

"Jack, follow me!"

Sherman's voice was low, but with a force that was firm and could not be denied.

Then he turned and walked into the small conference room next to the ballroom.

After a burst of laughter from outside the door, Jackson's trademark voice was heard faintly coming from outside the door: "Alright, beautiful girls, let me take my leave for the time being—Miss Aphrodi, don't be sad, I'll teach you a lesson Sherman!" ”

The crowd burst into laughter again.

Women love to watch the men fight for them, especially the two officers who are on the verge of a war – whoever can get Jackson and Sherman to duel over them is going to make a big splash at the gala salon in New York!

Then the door to the conference room opened, and the ballroom light shone in through the crack in the door, and it was quickly shut out.

The room was dimly lit and the air was stuffy.

"William!" Jackson put away his exaggerated expression, and his face was serious, which was very different from what he had just performed. "This group of burnt girls of the Royal Circus, Lao Tzu really suspects that they are spies of the Indians! Ask the east and the west, and almost don't ask Lao Tzu's march route map! ”

"Jack, you might win the bet you just made!"

"What do you mean?"

"I need you to get to Matamoros in advance, and then set off early to occupy Kopac!" Sherman said.

"Why?" Jackson asked, "Didn't you say go hand in hand?" ”

"I have a bad feeling, Jack!" Sherman said.

He stretched out his finger, drew a line in the air, and said:

"The Rio Grande Line may be more troublesome than we anticipated. From Mexico City to Monterrey, the road was originally full of Mexican territory, but it was still dug up by those Indians, and the Rio Grande Valley may be worse than the scout reported! ”

Jackson looked at a line drawn by Sherman in the air, thought for a moment, stretched out his finger and tapped on the east side of the line, and said:

"I agree with you—but if I break through the Rio Grande ahead of time, you will have to take the Alamo in at least three days. Otherwise, I'll be alone! ”

"After taking Kopacz, you need to be there for at least a week!" Sherman said, "The Alamo has amassed an army of Native Americans, and I can't take it without blood, it's going to be a bitter battle!" ”

"Indians only!" Jackson said, "Does it take that long?" ”

"Jack, this isn't an ordinary bunch of Indians!" Sherman said, "This is a bunch of Indians who are ready to fight to the death here!" They've beaten Fremont and Stephen Carney and we can't afford to take it lightly anymore! ”

"Uh, I'm sorry, I lost my words - you're right, Sherman!"

Jackson quickly reined in his tone of dismissiveness.

The contempt for the Indians that I just blurted out was purely out of habit.

But in fact, both he and Sherman paid unprecedented attention to this group of Indians in the north from the bottom of their hearts.

They could let El Paso's French army go unpunished, and let Hook and McClellan lead their vigilante to conquer them, but they insisted that they would personally lead the main army and deal an all-out blow to the Indians in Texas.

Yes, they are bad, but on the American continent in the 19th century, few people are qualified to call them stupid.

Probably only wealthy young men like Hook or McClellan still think that all Indians are $100 for walking.

The tension of the war was only spread in a part of the humble clerical corps, and for those who were born with a golden spoon, it was just an outing to make a fortune.

The tension is about the same as watching a monkey jump over the ring of fire in the Royal Circus.

……

Zachary Taylor was running in Virginia at the time, talking about the glory of the Union soldier and his achievements in breaking new ground.

"I tell you, my 'little Napoleon' Major McClellan," Zachary Taylor, standing in the carriage and boasting to his supporters, "liberated Chihuahua in just one day!" ”

"But what about our president, Polk? He's still having a three-day meeting to get his son a job at a New York bank! ”