Chapter 210: Chapter 186: Death

Salem, Jefferson, the United States of America
August 26th, 1834

General Samuel Kim watched the battle unfold from only a short distance away as he relayed orders every so often. The United States Military was finally hammering the final blows to the invaders and pushing them back to the sea, especially since the American Navy blew the Alliance Navy out of the waters with its new ships. Three ironclads, three armored frigates, six torpedo boats, and two dozen wooden warships wrecked an Alliance fleet that was twice its size off the coast of Cuba. Now, the Alliance was surrounded and running out of supply on the American mainland. America finally had control of the seas again, and the military brass was already planning to liberate Bermuda and Jamaica after the Alliance was completely pushed out of North America. For now, the general was focused on the battle in front of him as he was in command of nearly 60,000 men, with a number of them being recruits fresh out of boot camp. Unlike before, General Winfield Scott wasn't with him, as he was continuing the American drive into southern Alabama. General Kim was shifted to the Jefferson front as General Holata was injured after capturing Eastburn, with the Native American general's aides acting as his own staff for the time being.

The Jefferson front was pushing south at a steady pace, but the occupation had taken a very heavy toll on the state population. Out of all the states that the Alliance occupied, Jefferson was hit the hardest due to its relatively high black population (more than two-thirds of the state was African American before the war began). The residents of the state were enslaved, and were either imprisoned in camps or toiled away on the fields. He had heard the stories of starving and diseased civilians mobbing the American troops in Florida, but it was twice as worse in Jefferson. It seemed like there were more bodies than living souls and General Kim's aging heart was torn as he saw the aftermath of the changes he brought upon this United States. This America was better, he had no doubts about it. But there were far too many deaths that was partially in his name and his mind was heavily weighed down because of them. As his troops engaged the British and Portuguese in battle, his eyes coldly watched hundreds of Alliance soldiers perish from the superior firepower and numbers of the Americans. Even he wasn't planning on giving his enemies any leeway, as they destroyed the decades-long peace in the United States and caused an untold amount of suffering.

"Sir," Major General Charles de Salaberry, an old Quebecois officer that was originally part of the Quebecois National Guard before being transferred into the Army, "Colonel Smith is asking for new orders. He has managed to seize the southern parts of the town, albeit with moderate casualties."

Samuel looked up to see the ten military balloons floating above the battlefield, all of them connected with telegraph wires for rapid communications, "Inform Balloon #3 that Colonel Smith is to hold position until reinforcements alive. Send in three of our reserve regiments to support him, while General Leister swings his troops around to take the heat off him."

General Salaberry nodded, not mentioning the odd slang that General Kim used to give out his orders, "Understood, sir. I believe it would also be a good idea to bring up the six Gatling guns we have to suppress the enemy while the reinforcements move into support Colonel Smith and the two regiments under his command."

"Excellent idea. Send the orders with due haste."

As the Quebecois general moved towards the telegraph operators to transmit the new orders, General Kim sighed and looked up at the sky. Despite all the destruction and deaths this war had caused, it was slowly coming to an end. The United States Navy had regained some semblance of control over the seas and the Alliance was retreating on all fronts. Bonapart was still terrorizing the British and their allies in this world and was pushing into coastal Alabama, threatening to cut off all the invaders in the area. General Harrison was hammering his way into Louisiana, supported by Mexico, the Central American Republic, and Venezuela. Andrew was stuck in a stalemate against his opponent in Oregon, but the brunt of the fighting was out of California. And General Scott was mopping up the retreating British forces along with General Clinch.

After the war was finished, he planned to return to quiet retirement and possibly finish his book series that was based off of Harry Potter. He was finished with seven of the books, and the last one needed the war to end in order for him to write a historically parallel ending...

Out of nowhere, he felt something impact his stomach and he fell onto the ground. He faintly heard voices shouting in panic as several officers ran to his side. General Salaberry looked horrified as he gripped Samuel's right hand and looked down at his abdominal area. At that moment, General Kim realized that he had been shot, and judging by the location of the pain, it was probably a deadly shot for this time period. He was almost certain that his intensines had been hit as well, and blood was seeping out of him at an alarming rate.

"The medics are on their way, sir," General Salaberry reassured him, "You'll be fine."

The man's voice was laced with uncertainty as he deeply frowned after inspecting Samuels' wounds. However, the former president gripped his subordinate's hands tightly and looked at him dead in the eye. Samuel had been blessed by his Patron for his relatively "youthfulness" despite his age, as he looked like he was in his mid-fifties despite his actual age being eighty-six. However, he wasn't immortal and he knew there were risks in fighting in the frontlines.

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Maybe this was where his story came to an end. And a step that America needed to take in order to move into the future, into a world where he was no longer alive. He had done plenty of things for the United States, and it was now time for the nation to spread its wings on its own.

"My will," Despite the pain, Samuel felt a small surge of energy keeping him alive as he spoke, "Is in my trunk in my personal quarters. There is also a letter, which I ask you to send to the government and the press. It's a letter addressed to the nation. For unity."

"Sir..."

"My time has come. It has been... a long journey. I will see Benjamin and George soon enough," General Kim's mouth formed a small smile as he spoke his final words, "The battle is at its height. Continue to send orders in my name. Do not announce my death."

Just moments later, Samuel Anyoung Kim passed at the age of eighty-six. Despite his own, personal feelings, General Salaberry carried out his superior's final words and it was only after Salem was recaptured that the American soldiers learned of the Samuel's death. The British sharpshooter that fired the killing shot was captured and hung almost immediately.

The United States was entering a new era, an era without the guidance of its "Father."

+++++

New York Times Headline, September 7th, 1834:

"America is a widow, and all her children are orphaned."

"First in war, first in peace, and first in America's time of need."

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