The Hornet's Nest

--Sunrise--

Reveille had already been called, morning roll call attended, and most men had already set to frying up some salted pork for breakfast.  A few scattered regiments, most of them new to battle --fresh units that had arrived after Fort Donelson-- were drilling off in the distance.  What ignorant bugler was playing revellie again?  Was he deaf? Maybe dumb. Both, most probably.  An officer was debating with himself,  --as he did most every morning-- deciding whether or not he should bother shaving.  He sighed. He'd rather save the water for his canteen and deal with the itch. An artillerist was just about to worm the bore of his crew's gun again when he heard a familiar, low, rumbling far away.  Every veteran ear in camp perked up.  Sergeants shouted orders, Colonels climbed onto their mounts; most men just grabbed their cartridge pouches and slung them on.  Before the green men knew what to ask, a battery opened fire, plastering the camp with shot and shell.

The Ladies From Hell

I recently dusted off my British grand campaign in Empire: Total War, and decided it was time to get back down to the business of finishing this one.  On a side note, I would like to mention that I don't leave home without Darthmod. I was totally without equal at sea; and this allowed me to slowly but surely pick apart most every other nation's overseas possessions, especially those of France and Spain, piece by piece. I managed to ally myself with the Iroquois against France, thereby assuring me hegemony over all of North America.  I simply got to India first, and sided with the new but optimistic Maratha Confederacy, toppling the Mughal Empire, and earning me the Lion's share of the sub-continent.

When the Spanish were stupid enough to declare war on me along with the French, I robbed them blind, gaining most of the Caribbean and Mexico, along with a significant portion of South America. I took Gibraltar, Sicily, Southern Italy, Sardinia and threatened to invade Portugal who long ago had fallen before I could do anything about it.  I gave them back Sardinia in return for peace; I was sick of the Spanish throwing themselves at my guns.  I also set up puppet states from their former territories to divide the power amongst factions, guaranteeing that they would never again cause me trouble.  I gave much of North Africa to the Moroccan Republic, and I granted Southern Italy to the Italian states, uniting Italy under one flag.