A Country Divided : Through Blood United

The Battle of Gettysburg: The Battle Begins

"Umm," I tried to reply, my mind searching for the right words to say. "The Johnny Rebs are charging us!."

"They're here?" Asher shouted as he sprang out of bed, making Atlas awaken, both of their eyes wide in confusion.

'We need to go, then!" Arthur shouted while slipping his uniform onto his shirt, its bright red V-shaped stripes boasting their color on his shoulder.

Asher and Atlas followed Arthur as Johnathan and Milo then began to stir in their bed.

I turned to the triplets angrily. I didn't want to wait for them to rise out of bed; we had to act fast since we were probably going to go into battle in the next few hours. "Johnathan! Milo! We're under attack!" I wasn't sure if I was telling the entire truth.

Both of my friends instantly leaped out of bed and both screamed, 'What? We're under attack?'

I nodded quickly, trying to convince them as best as I could. "Yes! The Johnny Rebs are coming! Look!"

I pulled back the entrance of the tent so Johnathan and Milo could get a better look at the Confederate soldiers charging outside. Some of the Union soldiers were waking up and running into their positions already, so I had to act fast to wake everyone else up.

Once I caught sight of Milo and Johnathan blankly staring into the valley in the distance, I yanked both of their collars with my hand, sending them both backward. "Move, soldiers! This ain't some child's game! This could be war! Now, go soldiers! Double time!"

Johnathan and Milo fearfully obeyed me and began to change into their uniform. I quickly crawled out of the tent and mounted Rosa.

"I'll be waking everyone else up, and I'll meet you guys at the lines," I said before riding off to wake up the rest of the Union army.

***

After waking up the Union army, they all hurriedly arranged themselves into perfect lines that would easily and quickly be divided into different brigades. Still on Rosa, I trotted behind the cavalry units to make sure that everyone was in their correct spots. As I made my way behind the lines of soldiers, I spotted Johnathan and Milo hurriedly ushering their horses to arrive faster.

"Hurry up, you two!" I shouted, my hands cupped at my mouth. "There's no time for dilly-dallying!"

Both of them fearfully found their place in line with all of the other soldiers on horseback, and I followed them but kept going to the front of the lines to lead the charge under the Sergeant Major of our regiment.

"Charge!" Major General John Buford shouted, his voice almost cracking.

I turned toward our brigade of men, and probably undercover women, on horseback. "You heard what the Major General said! Charge!" I could almost feel my eyes glint with a sense of bravery and determination to eliminate the small army that originally attacked our camp.

Our army began to quickly charge forward toward the Confederate army. We all screamed at the top of our lungs, and I held my sword in the air as the Sergeant Major and I led our regiment toward the Confederate army. I then left the Sergeant Major to have full command of the brigade as I fell back into the lines of the Union Army. I slid my sword in its sheath and quickly melded into the rows of the Union soldiers.

I eventually secured myself between Milo and Johnathan, who were charging with their rifles aimed at the Confederate soldiers on the other side of the now battlefield.

"Get your repeating rifle, Vange!" Milo said angrily through the various shouts around us.

I shook my head and sighed, still holding onto Rosa's reins. "What if I want to use another weapon!"