1850 American Gold Tycoon

Chapter 594 Bullying goes too far

Although John Brown, who came from a poor background, was very naive politically and strategically, and his vision was limited.

But after all, he had actually fought the Civil War in Kansas for five full years, and John Brown still had military tactical literacy.

What worries his youngest son is what worries him the most right now.

The armory at Harpers Ferry stocked tens of thousands of guns and nearly a hundred cannons, enough ammunition to support a large battle.

It is self-evident how important these large quantities of arms are to the South, which has weak military production capabilities.

The slave owners in the South would not give up after learning that Harbors Ferry had been captured by armed groups from the north, and would definitely take back Harbors Ferry at all costs.

After a brief thought, John Brown made a decision: "Abandon the ferry, train station, and telegraph office, and all personnel will retreat to the armory."

"What then? Mr. John Brown?" asked one of the armed men employed by John Brown.

"Fight these evil slave owners and their accomplices to the end! Use our blood to awaken the blind people of the Southern United States!" John Brown said with firm eyes and a decisive attitude.

After hearing John Brown's words, many armed men employed by John Brown couldn't help but feel their hearts sinking, with expressions of worry and fear on their faces.

It was for gold's sake that they followed John Brown in his attack on Harpers Ferry.

Many of them believed that John Brown had the bold idea to attack Habers Ferry and seize the Habers Ferry Armory and dared to put it into practice. There must be official forces in the north who endorsed him.

Thinking about it now, John Brown's actions probably did not have official support from the North. The attack and capture of Harpers Ferry was probably John Brown's personal act.

Not surprisingly, on the way to the armory, many people chose to flee the team and draw a clear line with John Brown.

After John Brown's team arrived at the armory, there were only 123 people left, including himself and his three sons.

The remaining 123 people were either John Brown's old associates during the Civil War in Kansas, black slaves who were liberated by him, and a handful of mercenaries who were deeply infected by John Brown's spiritual beliefs.

The reaction of the South, Virginia to be precise, was very slow.

It was not until the third day that Harbors Ferry was occupied that Virginia senior officials in Richmond officially confirmed the fact that Harbors Ferry had been occupied by unknown armed men.

Soon, they received worse news. The slave owners on the nearby plantations at Harpers Ferry were named Virginia Congressman Thomas Jefferson, the great-grandson of the founding father of the United States and the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson. A group of prominent Virginia gentry led by Jefferson Randall was kidnapped by armed men.

This series of incredible news caused an earthquake in Virginia, and almost all Virginians were shocked and angry.

Even Virginia's senior officials' first reaction when they heard the news was that they found it incredible and thought it was just fake news. It was not until Colonel George Palmer, who was in charge of the local militia, came to Richmond and reported to them that Harpers Ferry had been lost.

Only then did Virginia's top officials officially confirm the authenticity of the news, and had to accept the fact that Harbors Ferry had been lost.

"This is no longer a naked provocation by the North! It is an obvious act of war!" The governor of Virginia, John Brofield, was extremely angry after learning the news. He roared with a red face.

"Since the Yankees took action first, we don't need to tolerate it anymore! Damn it, we've tolerated these Yankees for a long time! The Yankees raised tariffs, and we tolerated it! The Yankees helped the escaped slaves in the South escape to the North, and we also tolerated it! Bear it! Now they have sent troops to occupy our armory! How long will we endure it?" Virginia State Speaker Charles J. Phillips was also extremely angry.

The rest of Virginia's top officials, such as Lieutenant Governor Elle Ray, are also clamoring for war to make a powerful counterattack to the north, to let those Yankees in the north know that Virginians are not easy to mess with. .

"Have the identities of the militants been identified? How many are there in total?" Brigadier General Robert Lee asked Colonel George Palmer, who was in charge of the Virginia militia.

Robert E. Lee was one of the few sane Virginia executives present.

"Their identity and origin have not yet been identified, but they are well-equipped and have a regiment of people. They captured the entire Harpers Ferry crossing in less than a day." Colonel George Palmer reported, "Now these The rebel militants have all retreated to the armory, and I have sent nearby militiamen to monitor their movements and the telegraph lines that were cut by them have been reconnected."

"A regiment, are you sure that a regiment of Northern regulars captured Harpers Ferry? Have you seen their flags and uniforms clearly? Have you seen their officers?" Robert E. Lee's eyes were blazing, and he looked closely. Staring at Colonel George Palmer until Colonel George Palmer's body grew hairy.

Robert Lee Shang is within the federal army system, and he has been paying attention to the movements of the Northern Federal Army recently. The large-scale military mobilization of the Northern Federal Army could not be hidden from him.

Furthermore, an entire regiment of Northern Confederate troops swaggered into Virginia and captured important transportation nodes and armories in Virginia. It was quite outrageous that the local defenders took three whole days to notice.

Based on Robert Lee's understanding of the current President Buchanan, Robert Lee did not believe that Buchanan had the courage to directly send troops to the South.

According to Robert E. Lee's judgment, he felt that the unknown militants who captured Harpers Ferry should be an armed group of northern extreme abolitionists, not the regular armed forces of the North.

As for whether the operation of unknown militants to capture Harpers Ferry received official authorization from the North. Robert E. Lee preferred to believe that this was a spontaneous action rather than an official act.

At the end of last year, Liang Yao formalized the reorganization of militia forces in the west, which aroused the vigilance of the federal government. At this time, the federal government should focus on the western region and try to prevent the weakening of the armed forces in the west. How could it be possible to rashly launch a large-scale formal military operation against the South at this juncture?

"I didn't see clearly. I only saw clearly that they were dressed in rags, and I have never seen their flags." Colonel George Palmer, whose mind was seen through by Robert E. Lee, lowered his head and said, "As for their flags, The number of people, I think, should be several hundred, otherwise it would be impossible to capture Habers in just one day."

"Okay, I get it, Lieutenant Colonel George Palmer." Robert Lee was very dissatisfied with George Palmer's performance. After understanding the general situation, Robert Lee suggested.

"Gentlemen, I suggest that you first surround Harpers Ferry, hold your troops temporarily, and then send a message to the War Department to inquire."

"Robert! What are you talking about? The Yankees are sitting on our heads and shit! Do we have to endure it any longer?" Phillips, the Virginia state speaker, was very disappointed with Robert E. Lee's weak attitude. dissatisfied.

"Don't forget! Congressman Randall and some of our guys are still in the hands of this group of northern rebel militants! Their lives may be in danger at any time!"