The Gray Ship

by Russell Moran

  Two major targets in Richmond were easy to find. Their locations were prominently noted in history books. One was the Executive Office Building, the structure that housed the Confederate administration, including the office of Jefferson Davis. As they walked past the imposing building, a former US Customs House, Conroy planted a laser tracker in a bush near the entrance.

  Less than a half mile away, near the James River, Conroy and Jordan came upon the Richmond Arsenal, also known as the Armory. It was easy to spot because the word "Armory" was prominently carved on its facade. Jordan planted a laser tracker in a grassy spot in front of the building.

  Conroy sent a code to the other SEALs, "Hometown," indicating that they were to go to their rendezvous spot where the horses were tied up.

  "We didn't find Bradley," said Conroy, "but we've gathered excellent intelligence. We didn't accomplish everything, but this mission is a success. Okay, move out."

  They passed Lee's Army as they trudged through the woods. Conroy ordered them to stop while he double checked his map so he could pass the information on for drone surveillance. Earlier he had placed a laser tracker at the edge of the encampment.

  The SEALs made it back to the location of their hidden Zodiac without incident. They gave the horses water and set them off on the road, where they would soon be found. They pumped air into the Zodiac with an inflation canister and climbed aboard.

  SEAL Squad Bravo arrived back at the California at 1700 hours on July 14. Conroy reported to the Captain's office immediately.

  Conroy told Captain Patterson how they lost the signal beacon from Bradley's radio, and were therefore unable to find their number one target.

  "But I consider the mission a success, Captain. We found Robert E. Lee's Army."

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  Ashley radioed Navy Secretary Wells to tell him about the SEAL's mission, being cautions not to mention specifics because Bradley still had a radio. Bull Run was six days away, and Ashley recommended a meeting at the Navy Department.

  "We will meet on the California, Captain," said Wells. "I will be with President Lincoln. He wants to see the Gray Ship with his own eyes." Ashley felt dizzy and sat down. She had hosted many a distinguished visitor aboard the California, but this was beyond anything she had imagined.

  ***

  As President Lincoln stepped from the motor launch onto the ladder's base, the boatswain's pipe sounded throughout all compartments, "United States of America, arriving."

  Ashley greeted Lincoln and Wells on the quarterdeck. She, along with all department heads, wore dress whites, uniforms they hadn't worn in a long time. They all saluted while a recording of "Hail to the Chief" played throughout the ship. Lincoln felt overwhelmed by this respectful ceremony by the people from another century. He pondered that a woman like Ashley Patterson would be lucky to find a job as a maid in his day.

  He walked up to Ashley, who extended her hand. Lincoln cupped it in both of his, looked her in the eyes and said, "So good to see you again, Madam Captain."

  They were escorted to Ashley's office, preceded by a tour of the ship. Lincoln shook the hand of every sailor he encountered. Cell phone photographs would provide the crew with memories they would never forget. Along the way Wells pointed out to Lincoln a few of the things he remembered from his tour. Lincoln was especially impressed with the Combat Information Center.

  They arrived in Ashley's office where coffee, tea, and snacks were waiting. Besides Campbell and Conroy, Ashley invited Father Rick and Lt. Jack, for no other reason that she wanted to share the moment with them.

  Lt. Conroy gave a summary of the SEAL mission from Manassas to Richmond. The highlight of his talk was the discovery of Lee's Army near Richmond. He handed Lincoln and Wells two copies of photographs of Lee that Conroy had taken. Neither Lincoln nor Wells had ever met Robert E. Lee, but he was immediately recognizable from the numerous photos of him taken with mid-nineteenth-century cameras. He also showed them photos of the artillery park and the weapons depot.

  "Do we know he's still there?" asked Lincoln.

  Ashley was waiting for this moment. She asked them to look at the wide screen monitor on the wall of her office. Her computer was networked with the drone images in CIC. Lt. Bob Nathan, one of the drone pilots, had been alerted to the timing of this meeting, and he had launched a drone earlier. It circled above Lee's Army.

  "Gentlemen," said Ashley, "the Army of Northern Virginia, as we see it this very moment."

  Both Lincoln and Wells asked how long a drone can patrol overhead. Ashley explained that they can fly overhead for over 30 hours. One would return to the ship, and the other could be overhead in a short while.

  "So," said Ashley, "if Lee moves his Army we will know when, and we can see where it's going."

  Ashley then asked Conroy and Carrubba to review their discussions with Union General McDowell, who would command the lead Army in the Battle of Bull Run.

  Everyone in the room was impressed by how much Lincoln and Wells had studied the California's armaments. All one needed to do was point to a spot on the map and say "Tomahawk," and both of these nineteenth-century warriors knew its significance.

  ***

  As the meeting drew to a close, everyone left the room except for Ashley, Lincoln, Wells, and Campbell.

  "Do you have any other specific thoughts for us Madam Captain?" asked Lincoln.

  "Yes Sir, I do." said Ashley. "You may be ahead of me on this, and I know I'm speaking way over my pay grade, but here's what we should do immediately after Bull Run. And I mean immediately. We should attack the artillery park, the ammunition depot and the headquarters at Lee's Army encampment. We should then attack the Armory in Richmond."

  Lincoln smiled and nodded his head, as if he just heard a witness give him an answer he wanted.

  "But why the immediacy?" asked Wells. "Won't the drones give us ample opportunity to gather forces and attack Lee?"

  "Where I come from, Mr. Secretary," said Ashley, "a successful military operation depends on winning the hearts and minds of the enemy, as well as the hearts and minds of the people who support the enemy. Simply stated, within two, maybe three days, I think we will sap the Confederacy's will to fight. A clear victory at Bull Run, followed immediately by the destruction of Lee's Army and a missile attack on Richmond, and we should see a peace delegation riding into town."

  "My friend," Lincoln said as he looked at Wells, "Captain Patterson, as usual, has shown us her wisdom."

  How will I do without this woman? Lincoln thought.

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  "Lieutenant, would you please come up to my office," said Ashley to Jack Thurber. She referred to him as lieutenant when she called him, and switched to Jack in her office.

  "Jack, I'm nervous, and I admit it. We have so much riding on Bull Run, not only the Union but the crew of this ship. Put your investigator hat on. Have we missed anything with the Bradley conspiracy?"

  "I've been thinking about little else, Captain. We know that his major accomplice on the ship was Chief Ray. We also know that Ray's job was to disarm the major weapons systems. He was caught with a circuit board in his hand. We also know that Bradley's unaware that Ray has been killed. Bradley is looking forward to Bull Run, so he can prove to the Confederacy that he disabled one of the great Gray Ships. It will win him admiral's bars.

  Ashley asked Jack to come over to the conference table. It was covered with sheets of notes she had taken from her prior talks with Jack.

  "Is there anything we haven't thought of?"

  "Let's connect the dots." Jack said. "Suppose, just suppose, that Bradley gets cold feet and yells to the rebels to call off Bull Run because he can't guarantee the California is harmless. We know where the rebel forces are. The Union Generals can force a battle, whether it's called Bull Run or not, just using our drones and heavy weapons. And, we know where Lee's Army is. This war will be over soon."

  "You've become quite the military strategist in the last few months, Jack."
r />   They were still looking at the table, their hands flat down on the surface.

  As Ashley gestured toward one of the documents, their hands touched. Neither made a move to break contact. Jack moved his hand from the table surface and placed it firmly on top of Ashley's. Ashley looked up into his eyes. Their faces came closer together, slowly but deliberately.

  "Captain to the bridge, please, Captain to the bridge," screamed the squawk box.

  Ashley squeezed Jack's hand and started for the door. She stopped suddenly, spun around, and walked back to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips.

  ***

  "What is it Lieutenant?" Ashley asked Kathy O'Gara, the Officer of the Deck.

  "A rebel gunboat has been looking at us for awhile, about 300 yards off the port bow."

  "Has he closed his distance in the last half hour?" asked Ashley.

  "No, Captain," said O'Gara. "The only reason I called you is the protocol we've been following."

  "Very well," said Ashley, also acting according to protocol, "if he gets any closer or shows any sign of hostile intent, sound general quarters and fire a warning shot from one of the five inch gun batteries."

  When Ashley returned to her office, Jack had gone. He didn't know how long Ashley would be on the bridge, and he thought it would be inappropriate for him to stay, and he was right. Ashley realized she had crossed a line with that kiss, ratcheted things up to a different level, and probably violated a few dozen Navy Regulations. I don't care, thought Ashley. Let's just finish this and go home.

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  The First Battle of Bull Run, known in the South as the First Manassas, saw two inexperienced armies facing each other. As the day of battle approached, Northern leadership expected a solid thrashing of the rag tag rebels. Even in the South, few believed that the Confederacy would win the day. The North expected a major start and a quick finish to the Southern rebellion. Manassas, Virginia was only 25 miles south of Washington D.C. Wealthy folks from the upper crust of Washington society as well as high placed government officials, saw the battle as a chance to witness the uppity rebels get their comeuppance. Picnic blankets were spread on a hill to afford a good view. This battle would show the rebels a thing or two.

  It didn't happen that way. A certain Union victory, according to the history books, turned into an embarrassing rout of the Northern forces. Because of the inexperience of his troops and especially of his officers, McDowell's forces couldn't execute coordinated movements that would have insured a Union victory.

  The USS California would change all that.

  ***

  Confederate President Jefferson Davis had made the 80-mile train trip from Richmond to Manassas early on July 20. He wanted to see his forces in action first hand.

  That same day, the day before the actual battle, one of the California's drones spotted a train advancing toward Manassas. The train carried a brigade of General Joseph Johnston's Army of the Shenandoah to reinforce Beauregard's forces. As the train approached a railway bridge, the drone unleashed a Hellfire missile at the locomotive. The missile exploded inside of the locomotive's engine, sending a plume of smoke and fire in all directions. The cars carrying the troops collapsed over the bridge in an accordion of death. Captain Patterson then ordered the launch of a Tomahawk cruise missile at the bridge itself. The missile smashed the bridge into a jumble of steel girders and exploding railway cars. It would be the last of Beauregard's plan for reinforcements from General Johnston in the Shenandoah Valley.

  McDowell's troops began their advance in the early morning hours of July 21. The first drone had been replaced by another. It hovered over an area that showed a Union artillery emplacement of 11 guns facing off against a Confederate battery of 13 guns. The Confederate cannons were smooth bore, unlike the more advanced rifled barrels of the Union. This was an advantage for the South because smooth bore guns are more effective at close range. Another Tomahawk missile came screaming into the battle. All of the Confederate cannons were blown into small pieces, along with dozens of Confederate soldiers.

  At 12:30 in the afternoon, a cavalry brigade led by the dashing Colonel James "Jeb" Stuart, prepared to rush a Union infantry brigade with a head-on charge. As Stuart raised his sword and shouted "Charge," Lt. Russ Colombo, pilot of the Apache Attack Helicopter, unleashed a barrage of bullets and two Hellfire missiles at the amassed cavalry. Men and horses scattered over the huge field. The survivors, deafened by the explosions, retreated in disarray.

  An hour later the drone pilot saw a battery of 20 Confederate artillery pieces being wheeled around a hill. He could see that they were 10-inch Napoleon guns, fearsome weapons against an infantry unit. Another Tomahawk cruise missile roared from the California. It decimated the artillery battery and left a deep crater in the hillside.

  Shortly after that, the drone spotted 12 caissons loaded with ammunition boxes. They had been hidden under a stand of trees because someone in the Confederate force had appreciated the danger of overhead drones. The drone was out of Hellfire missiles, so Captain Patterson ordered a Tomahawk fired at the munitions. The explosion was deafening, compounded by the gunpowder in the boxes.

  Jefferson Davis was almost blind with rage. He had been assured by Bradley, that heathen Yankee bastard, that the weapons of the Gray Ship had been silenced. Bradley supposedly had a colleague aboard who was in charge of that mission. Davis and Beauregard had discussed cancelling this battle weeks ago. Bradley's words of assurance had changed his mind and possibly the future of the Confederacy itself.

  ***

  Phillip Bradley reported to the Confederate Navy Department to discuss the Union naval blockade with Navy Secretary Mallory. That morning he wore his new uniform as a captain in the Confederate Navy. A full-length mirror hung in the room adjacent to Mallory's office, and Bradley looked at himself approvingly. He had begun to grow a mustache, which he would train into a handlebar. He began to feel comfortable in the nineteenth-century. Bradley was confident that Chief Ray had ensured a Southern victory at Bull Run, and the battle would soon be as good as over.

  An aide escorted Bradley into Secretary Mallory's office. Mallory listened to his ideas. He was curious that the Gray Ships only appeared one at a time, and asked Bradley to give an explanation. Bradley's response was confusing and convoluted, as Mallory expected it would be.

  Suddenly, Mallory's aide burst into the room.

  "Sorry to interrupt, Mr. Secretary," said the aide, "but this message has just been wired from President Davis."

  Mallory read the cable. "Arrest Bradley," said the message.

  ***

  At Manassas Junction, the day was not going well for Beauregard's Army. With little artillery left and no reinforcements as expected, General Beauregard ordered his Army to retreat. Jefferson Davis, having stationed himself at Beauregard's command tent, objected with fury. Beauregard repeated the grim details of their circumstances. No artillery, no reinforcements, a weakened cavalry.

  "Sir, my men must live to fight another day," Beauregard said to Davis, who hesitated but then agreed.

  The Battle of Bull Run was an overwhelming tactical and strategic victory for the Union. The history books had been rewritten.

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  Phillip Bradley looked out over the Richmond waterfront toward the James River. It was a pleasant summer morning, with a temperature in the mid 70s and a gentle breeze off the river. The humidity had yet to percolate. The river ran fast on the incoming tide, sparkling in the bright sun.

  He watched a flock of seagulls loudly greeting an arriving fishing boat, swooping and squabbling over the morning's offerings.

  "Ready!" shouted the young Lieutenant.

  Bradley wondered why seagulls set up such a commotion when they spotted food. Why squawk so much, why not just eat?

  "Aim!"

  Maybe they're yelling at their friends, worried about being betrayed, Bradley thought.

  "Fire!" shouted the Lieutenant.
<
br />   Bradley's body slumped toward the ground, held up by the ropes entwined around the execution post.

  The young Lieutenant ordered the firing squad dismissed. The burial detail began their grim assignment.

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  At 1700 hours Captain Patterson ordered the California to steer toward Richmond and the encampment of the Army of Northern Virginia. The ship would arrive at its destination after darkness and would attack at dawn.

  Ashley walked from her office to the bridge. As she rounded a corner in the companionway, Jack Thurber was heading the other way. They almost collided. They looked into each other's eyes, and they both wished they could resume where they left off.

  "Well Jack, we've changed history," Ashley said softly. "Pretty soon we'll commence Operation Wormhole."

  Jack laughed. "Why does everything we do need to have the word 'operation' in front of it?"

  "It's the Navy way, Jack," Ashley said, smiling. "It helps us to focus on our mission. And I've just come up with another operation."

  "And what would that be?"

  "It will be a very exciting mission, Jack, one that I've been thinking about for quite a while. I'm calling it, "Operation Jack and Ashley Take Some Time Off and Get to Know Each Other." And show each other the love that we both feel, she thought.

  "May I volunteer to take command of that operation, Captain?"

  "I think you're the perfect man for the mission, Lieutenant."

  Ashley looked both ways. Seeing no one, she leaned over, held Jack's face in her hands and kissed him. She then continued on her way to the bridge, stroking his face as she walked away.

  ***

  Ashley entered the bridge smiling from ear to ear, wearing what a vulgar sailor would call "a shit eating grin."

  "You look happy this evening, Captain," said Ivan Campbell.

  "Oh, yeah, Bull Run and all that," Ashley mumbled. Not to mention Operation Jack and Ashley.

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