The lines of worry were deep cut between Lincoln’s eyes again. He had forgotten his troubles while listening to the tale of their daring adventures. Now memory flooded back.
“They are livid, intransigent, calling their men to arms, preparing their country for war. They demand immediate payment of ten million pounds’ compensation for the loss of their ironclad.”
“Can war be avoided?” Sherman asked.
“If we pay them the millions that they ask for, and stop shipping our cotton to world markets, also permit their men-of-war to arrest and search all of our ships at sea, and more. They have endless demands and bristle with threats. The situation is very tense.”
“How did the naval engagement come about?”
“I doubt if we will ever know. Captain Semmes says that his ship was fired upon. His officers and men all agree with him. That is what they say, and I sincerely doubt that they are lying to us. It still remains a mystery why the British vessel opened fire. The two English survivors knew nothing, other than the fact that there was gunfire and explosions and they were blown into the water. Neither of them appeared to be too bright, according to their interrogators. Apparently they worked in the ship’s galley and were on deck dumping rubbish — which is what saved them. Of course, after they were sent back home, they changed their stories — or they were changed for them — and Virginia is now supposed to have fired in an unprovoked attack. But this matters little. The original cause has been forgotten in the cloud of political invective.”
“Will it be war?” Gus asked, almost in a whisper.
Lincoln sagged back deep into the chair and shook his head with a most woeful expression upon his face.
“I do not know, I cannot tell you… I just have no idea where all this will end.”
“If war comes,” Sherman said with icy resolution, “we will be prepared for it. And I also know now how it can be won.”
They both looked at him, waiting for him to continue. His face was set and he was looking out of the window, not seeing the hot and brassy sky — rather, another land far across the ocean.
“There are many ways to attack a country like that and I am completely sure that I know how it can be successfully done. But first, what we must do is far more important than how we do it. To begin with, unless we want to be immersed in a long, protracted, and murderous war, we must be prepared to fight the new kind of lightning warfare, just as we did in the battle for Ireland. In order to succeed we must first assess the enemy’s strengths — and weaknesses — in every detail. This, along with war preparations, will take some months at least. So I would say that we will be prepared for any venture by spring at the earliest. Can we buy that time?”
Lincoln nodded slowly. “A politician can always buy time; that is the one thing we are good at — that, and wasting time. The negotiations will plow ahead. We will make some concessions, then let them think that there are more are on the way. King Leopold of Belgium has offered us neutral ground on which to discus our differences. We shall avail ourselves of his offer and set in motion the ponderous machinery of international negotiations yet another time.”
“Is there any possibility that they may strike before we are prepared?” Gus said worriedly. Sherman considered the question.
“It is not that easy to launch an attack across an ocean. Surely your intelligence sources will keep you informed of all preparations?”
Gus shook his head. “Our informants in Great Britain were all Irish — and are all now seized or in hiding. But I had many discussions with Count Korzhenevski, and he will be happy to supply us with intelligence from his network there. We are now in the process of arranging a working relationship.”
“I must be informed of all developments,” Sherman said.
“You will be. You as well, Mr. President.”
Sherman returned to the War Department and wrote a number of telegraph orders. It took only a day to make the necessary arrangements. When they were done he sent for Ulysses S. Grant.
“General Grant, sir,” the captain said, opening the door and standing aside.
“Why, you are sure a sight for sore eyes,” General Sherman said, standing and coming around his desk, smiling with obvious pleasure. He started to raise his hand — then dropped it. “How is the arm?”
“Well healed, thank you, Cumph.” Grant proved this by seizing Sherman’s hand and shaking it strongly. Then he looked down at the drawings spread over the desktop and nodded. “I sent these over because I was sure that they would interest you as much as they did me.”
“More than just interest; this mobile gun position is the answer to an unspoken prayer. Of late, my thoughts have been turned to the possibilities of lightning attacks and expeditious victories. This invention of Parrott and Ericsson fits in with all that I plan to do.”
“Do we plan to go to war?” Grant asked, his face suddenly hard and grim.
“A soldier must always be ready for war. If not now, I think that we will be facing the prospect of battle by spring. But please, do sit down.” Sherman seated himself and tapped the drawings. “I need this infernal machine. The British talk of war and are at their most bell
icose. It is a possibility that we must consider strongly. That is why I have invited engineer Ericsson to join us this morning.” He took out his watch and looked at it. “He will be here at any time now. Before he comes, I must tell you about a little scouting trip I have just finished to the English shore.”
“You didn’t!” Grant sat back in his chair and laughed out loud. “I swear — you have more brass than an entire band.”
“It was indeed an interesting time. But other than the men who went with me, only you and the President know of the visit — and we must keep it that way. It was a most fruitful exploration, for what I did discover was just how that country could be successfully invaded.”
“Now you do have my complete attention.”
Sherman outlined roughly what he planned to do, including what would be Grant’s vital contribution to a successful invasion. When Ericsson was announced they put away the papers and maps that they had worked on and turned their attention back to the plans for the mobile battery.