Chapter 324: Short on Troops and Generals (Bonus Chapter)
The backlash brought by his strong-arm tactics was no longer Lincolns concern. Since he had not resorted to massacring people, it meant there was still room for maneuver, and in the future, after suppressing the Southern rebellion, he could find ways to mend relationships.
The worst-case scenario would simply involve losing the votes of one state. If they lost this war and America split into two, no matter how well he handled relationships, he would still have to resign.
Upon returning to Washington, President Lincoln received bad news: neighboring Delaware was still not settled.
Whats going on? Why hasnt Delaware been dealt with yet?
Its no wonder Lincoln was upset. Delaware was only nominally a slave state; in reality, slavery was virtually extinct there.
The state had just over 20,000 Black residents, with fewer than 1,800 being slaves.
The most prosperous Wilmington and surrounding areas were already economically integrated with Pennsylvania. This state is very small, with an area of just over six thousand square kilometers, so the power of plantation owners is naturally not significant.
The Secretary of State in charge of coordinating Delaware wore a grim expression. While the previously difficult situation in Maryland had been resolved by the President, the supposedly easier task of persuading Delaware had yet to yield results.
Originally, Delaware was loyal to the Union, and we had an absolute advantage in the January state legislative vote. However, the intervention of Britain, France, Austria, and Spain has complicated matters. The suppressed Southern faction has become active again with their support.
These people cannot make Delaware lean towards the South, but they have caused the states preparations for war to stagnate.
Under the guise of opposing the Civil War, they organized demonstrations and protests, demanding that the state government remain neutral. Not long ago, they even gathered twenty thousand people and briefly occupied the state council.
Lincoln frowned and asked, Why not suppress it? I remember the Governor of Delaware is loyal to the federal government.
Journalists from multiple European countries have appeared in Delaware, and envoys from Britain, France, Austria, and Spain have sent notes to the state government, expressing close attention.
The Delaware government is concerned that using forceful suppression may lead to unforeseen consequences and trigger intervention from the great powers, the Secretary of State replied, his expression grim.
This wasnt the first time that the four nations had interfered in American internal affairs. Without the intervention of European powers, the Southern government wouldnt have been able to sway so many states toward independence.
Especially in the case of Kentucky and Missouri, two populous states in the west, which historically were brought into the Northern governments fold but now leaned towards the Southern government.
Its worth noting that among the fourteen states in the Confederate government, Missouri ranks first in terms of white population, and Kentucky ranks third.
The white population of these two states exceeds the combined population of the six least populous states in the United States, undoubtedly bolstering the strength of the Southern government.
Historically, even after these two states joined the Northern government, forty thousand people still enlisted in the Southern army. However, after their allegiance shifted to the Southern government, there were now less than a thousand willing to fight for the Northern government.
The reasons are quite practical: plantation owners are unwilling to suffer losses and are fighting for their own interests.
On the other hand, capitalists are different. After being tempted by the Southern government, they happily joined the Confederate cause.
It was all trouble caused by interests. The plantation economy of the South may hinder the development of a capitalist economy, but it doesnt prevent capitalists from making money.
With access to cheap industrial raw materials and a market of ten million people, a quarter of whom belong to the middle class, its undoubtedly a lucrative market.
The domestic capitalists in this market are few in number, and far less competitive than within the large family of the federal government. For capitalists who arent particularly powerful, the allure is strong.
Supporting the side where its easier to make money, they feel no guilt when it comes to their interests.
Public opinion has shifted. The Southern government heavily propagandized that the Northern government wanted to turn the South into an economic colony, and blindly obedient citizens naturally supported the Southern government.
With the addition of three states, the Confederacy gained three million in population, while the Union lost the same amount. This change in numbers altered the balance of power between the two sides.
Lincoln naturally doesnt know about these changes. He maintains full confidence in defeating the South, but hes concerned about possible intervention from European countries.
It has not been that long since the day the British burned down the White House. Lincoln has lived through that era, and now with the addition of France, Austria, and Spain, its impossible for him not to feel any sense of fear.
Lincoln asked with concern, Mr. Seward, what do the Russians say? Are they willing to support us?
Directly confronting the British, French, Austrians, and Spanish is extremely unwise. Before the outbreak of a world war in Europe, the United States could not ignore the combined intervention of European countries.
If it werent for the vast ocean separating them, any of these four countries could easily defeat the United States.
This was already proven during the time the British burned the White House. Just a few tens of thousands of British troops caused the United States to lose its capital. The Federal governments military was indeed unreliable.
Secretary of State Seward replied, The Russian government is willing to support our war of unification, but only diplomatically. They have limited strength in the American region and cannot provide substantial support.
Verbal support is useless. The British, French, Austrians, and Spanish are practically asking to intervene personally. Seeking help from the Russian government was naturally hoping that the Russians could take some action to restrain one or two of the major powers.
Britain, France, and Austria are all bordering Russia. It would already be a great diplomatic victory for the Union to restrain any one of them.
Lincoln said indignantly, Are we supposed to support their expansion in the Far East just to get verbal support in return?
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Currently, the federal government has too few chips to buy off the Russian government. Apart from mutual diplomatic support, the actual assistance that the United States government can provide to the Russian government is very limited.
The Russians are currently in dire need of money. If the federal government had the funds, investing a few hundred million pounds could certainly allow the Russians to make a big splash and distract the attention of Britain, France, and Austria.
Unfortunately, the United States is not the wealthy empire it would be, and simply cannot afford such a large sum of money.
The Russian government is also not one to act without seeing benefits. Without sufficient incentives, why would they bother to help the United States stir up trouble?
Secretary of State Seward defended, Mr. President, this topic is meaningless. Russia is undergoing reforms, and they need a stable international environment. They cant help us in our time of need.
Its not that hes not trying; its just that the resources are too scarce. He has already gone to great lengths just to secure Russias verbal support.
Seeing the topic could progress no further and no solution in sight, there was no need to continue discussing it.
Secretary of War Simon Cameron rushed in, saying urgently, Mr. President, theres an urgent telegram from the front lines.
President Lincoln calmly replied, Go ahead, whats the bad news this time? I can handle it.
Just by glancing at Simon Camerons expression, he knew another defeat had occurred somewhere. It seems that the Northern army hasnt won a battle since the war began.
Secretary of War Simon Cameron said grimly, On May 1, 1861, the rebels launched an attack on Cincinnati. Our forces fought bravely for three days and nights but ultimately lost due to being outnumbered. Ohio is in urgent need of assistance.
Lincoln immediately stood up, snatched the war report, and began to read it carefully. Cutting through the embellishments, the summary was straightforward: 50,000 Confederate troops attacked Cincinnati. The federal government dispatched a single infantry division of 12,000 soldiers, along with 32,000 militia from Ohio and 21,000 from Indiana to defend. Despite their efforts, they were defeated.
Indeed, they were outnumbered. Excluding the militia from two states, the federal government had only one infantry division, a quarter of the enemys forces. Holding out for three days was already a significant feat.
Lincoln was not concerned about the details of the battle; he only knew that less than a third of the federal infantry division remained, with many killed or captured. The militia from the two states also suffered heavy losses, though the exact numbers were unknown.
If the rebels occupy Ohio, the federal government will be split in two from the mainland with the Great Lakes above. No matter what, the War Department must find a way to hold onto this state. While we may be able to afford military losses, politically, we cannot afford to lose a state, Lincoln made a judgment based on his limited military knowledge.
Secretary of War Simon Cameron replied with a bitter expression, Yes, Mr. President. However, we need more reinforcements now. The original plan is no longer feasible.
This battle made it clear to the War Department that the enemy was not a ragtag force. The original plan was to establish a blockade with militia from surrounding states, supplemented by 75,000 militia and regular troops mobilized by the government to crush the rebellion.
With the blockade now torn open, if Ohio falls, neighboring Pennsylvania will become a battleground, and the heart of Americas steel industry in Pittsburgh will be exposed to the Confederate forces.
Even if the Confederate governments strength was limited and they could not hold this area for long, causing one major destruction would wipe out much of the Northern governments industrial advantage.
Theres no way around it; the Great Lakes region is the core industrial area of the United States, and they really cant afford to lose it. Just having Ohio become a battlefield would already be a heavy blow.
Lincoln responded without hesitation, I will issue another national call for volunteers, summoning 300,000 militia from all states to serve. But this will take time, so for the short term, youll have to figure something out yourselves.
The consequences of inadequate preparation were now being exposed. If any front suffered defeat, the federal government would lack sufficient forces.
Population and industrial advantages were just potential in war. If they couldnt be translated into military strength, then the potential would always remain potential.
Secretary of War Simon Cameron boldly declared, The federal governments military forces are limited, and there are too many places to defend. In the short term, we can only order the militia from nearby states to rush in for reinforcement.
Considering the possibility of attacks from all sides, disrupting our troop deployments, we need to have at least 700,000 mobile troops to quell this rebellion.
The initial plan only required a hundred thousand troops to suppress the rebellion. However, after one battle, Simon Cameron became more conservative.
Lincoln asked in surprise, Do we really need that many troops?
Secretary of War Simon Cameron explained, Mr. President, based on the enemys troop deployments, it wont be long before Maryland, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, and other areas become battlegrounds.
The political trouble caused by the loss of even one state would be immeasurable. Without sufficient forces, it would be difficult to mount a counterattack while maintaining a comprehensive defense.
The United States is different from other countries. If the federal government dares to abandon any state, it will suffer severe consequences. In the worst-case scenario, under extreme pressure, these state governments might surrender directly to the South.
Lincoln said helplessly, Well, youre the expert in this area. Is there anything else that needs my attention? Feel free to bring it up.
Secretary of War Simon Cameron awkwardly replied, We have a shortage of military officers in reserve. We must recall retired officers to return to service. I know weve already called for volunteers, but it's still not enough.
I propose to recruit those veterans who have seen combat to serve as junior officers, and we can extend the age limit to 55.
Indeed, these veterans are quite old for this era, where the average life expectancy is less than 55. However, Simon Cameron felt compelled to resort to this measure due to the shortage of available options.
While its possible to promote new recruits to higher officer ranks, the demand is not significant, and there are likely suitable candidates among the ranks of the federal army.
The demand for company-level and platoon-level officers is at its peak, and theres simply no alternative. The U.S. Army was already relatively small, and many officers of higher ranks, particularly those above the rank of major, hailed from the South. After the outbreak of the Civil War, many of these individuals left.
Now, with the need to expand the military several times over, even if all active-duty veterans were promoted to officers, Simon Cameron would still fall short.
Given these circumstances, the only recourse is to recall retired officers beyond the retirement age back into service.
Lincoln proposed, Has the situation deteriorated to this extent? Cant we expedite the graduation of military academy students and enlist them?
Secretary of War Simon Cameron cautioned, Mr. President, all cadets in their second year or higher at the military academies are already enlisted in the military. As for first-year cadets, theyve only recently enrolled and havent received much training yet.
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