Cast in Time Book 6: Duke by Ed Nelson

Author:Ed Nelson [Nelson, Ed]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Earl E. Nelson dba Eastern Shore Publishing
Published: 2025-01-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

The next step in all my plans was to defeat the three popes’ armies in such a way that I would have their army under my control. They would be the workers on my canal project.

Scouts had reported that the armies marching towards us were still three or four weeks away. One of my generals suggested we start attacking their supply train, but I had them hold off.

I wanted them to get to the Wall before denying them supplies. What I did have implemented was a strip and burn program in front of the Wall. This not only included burning all crops but hunting down all meat animals. We had already evacuated the small towns and farmers plus all livestock.

We had enough time and wagons to allow all the evacuees to bring their furniture and other personal belongings. All the families brought to our side of the Wall were given a one-time payment, plus a living allowance for the duration of the hostilities.

This was costing a bundle and putting a strain on my treasury but was doable. I wanted loyal citizens when this was said and done for. Not that treating them well would make them loyal but treating them ill would make permanent enemies of them.

The plan was to let the hostile forces advance to the Wall unmolested. When they entered our kill zone, a blocking force to their rear would move into place.

Ten thousand men with cannon would be moved to the side of the supply train route. A dirigible would carry fifty men plus crew each trip. We would use twenty dirigibles so that would be one thousand men per trip and ten round trips of the dirigible fleet.

That didn’t include supplies which would be another ten round trips. Since the men and their supplies only had to move a short distance, twenty miles, they were able to make four round trips a day. We planned for allowing two weeks for this maneuver.

The first troops arriving would start putting up tents for the troops to live in for the next estimated month. We could have built a road for this short distance but didn’t want to leave a trail for their scouts to find.

We had picked a small valley with plenty of water and enough space for our men to set up camp with a sewage system far enough away from the tents to avoid disease. The sewage system would be the traditional holes in the ground which would be filled daily.

Instead of the rude sticks for the men to lean over we had outhouses built on sleds which could be hauled to the new location. One tradition we followed was that the digging and filling in of the latrines was a punishment detail.

That there would be punishment details was a given. Send ten thousand young men and women camping in the woods for a month, and there would shenanigans.

Food would be prepared in field kitchens, and each squad would pick up their rations and eat them at their camp site.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.