The sun rose over Lancaster. The sky was blue. The air was cool. But there was no peace in the morning. The fields were filled with soldiers. Blue and gray. Union and Confederate. Ready to fight.
Ethan stood on a hill, watching the battlefield. He could see Lee's army, massed on the other side of the field. He could see the Union army, lined up in defense. He could see the cannons, pointed at each other. He could see the flags, waving in the wind.
Callie stood beside him, her eyes fixed on the battlefield. "They're ready," she said. "Both sides are ready."
Ethan nodded. "Good. Let's begin."
He turned to a young soldier. "Tell General Grant to start the attack."
The soldier saluted. "Yes, sir."
He ran down the hill. A moment later, the Union cannons opened fire. The sound was deafening. The ground shook. The air filled with smoke.
Lee's army responded. Their cannons opened fire. The battle had begun.
Ethan watched as the Union soldiers charged forward. They ran across the field. They screamed. They waved their bayonets. They attacked the Confederate lines.
Lee's soldiers fought back. They fired their guns. They swung their swords. They tried to hold the line.
But the Union soldiers were too strong. They pushed forward. They broke through the Confederate lines. They advanced, inch by inch.
Ethan smiled. He knew that his plan was working. He knew that the Union was winning.
But then, Lee ordered a counterattack. His reserves charged forward. They hit the Union soldiers hard. They pushed them back. They retook the ground that had been lost.
Ethan's smile faded. He knew that Lee was not going to give up easily.
He turned to Callie. "Tell General Hooker to send his reserves to the left flank. We need to stop Lee's counterattack."
Callie sent the message. The Union reserves charged forward. They hit Lee's reserves hard. They pushed them back. They stabilized the line.
The battle continued. The gunfire was constant. The smoke was thick. The bodies fell, one after another.
Ethan watched as the battlefield changed. The Union lines pushed forward. The Confederate lines retreated. The Union cannons fired. The Confederate cannons fired.
But Ethan knew that it was only a matter of time. He knew that the Union was going to win.
He turned to Callie. "Tell General Burnside to attack the right flank. We need to break Lee's army."
Callie sent the message. The Union soldiers on the right flank charged forward. They hit the Confederate lines hard. They broke through. They advanced.
Lee's army was caught off guard. They tried to respond. They tried to reinforce the right flank. But it was too late.
The Union soldiers pushed forward. They surrounded Lee's army. They cut them off. They forced them to surrender.
Lee stood on the battlefield. He looked at his army. He looked at the Union army. He knew that he had lost.
He raised his hand. He signaled for his army to stop fighting. He signaled for them to surrender.
The Confederate soldiers stopped. They dropped their weapons. They raised their hands. They surrendered.
The Union soldiers cheered. They raised their weapons. They shouted. They celebrated.
Ethan smiled. He knew that he had done it. He had defeated Lee. He had ended the war.
He turned to Callie. "We won," he said.
Callie smiled. She hugged him. "We won," she said. "You did it."
They walked down the hill. They walked toward the battlefield. The air smelled of gunpowder and death. The fields were littered with bodies. The wounded cried out for help.
But there was also joy. There was relief. There was hope.
Ethan saw Lee. He was standing in the middle of the battlefield. He looked defeated. He looked tired.
Ethan walked over to him. He extended his hand. "General Lee," he said. "You fought well."
Lee looked at Ethan. He studied him. He shook his hand. "You're a brilliant strategist, Mr. Voss. I admire you."
Ethan smiled. "Thank you, General. You're a brilliant general. I respect you."
They stood there, looking at each other. They were enemies. But they were also soldiers. They were also Americans.
Lee turned to his army. He spoke to them. He told them that they had fought well. He told them that they should be proud. He told them that the war was over.
The Confederate soldiers nodded. They cried. They hugged each other.
Ethan turned to the Union army. He spoke to them. He told them that they had fought well. He told them that they should be proud. He told them that the war was over.
The Union soldiers cheered. They cried. They hugged each other.
Ethan looked at the battlefield. He looked at the dead and the wounded. He looked at the future.
He knew that the war was over. He knew that America was going to be reborn. He knew that he had played a part in it.
He smiled. He felt a sense of pride. He felt a sense of purpose.
The First Arc had come to an end.
The war was over.
And the Voss Dynasty was about to begin.