I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 319

Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States.

War Headquarters.

President Abraham Lincoln was listening to the incoming reports, almost disbelieving what he was hearing.

The officials who had dismissed the Confederate army as a ragtag group of peasant rebels were conspicuously absent from this headquarters now.

The South had prepared for this war deliberately and meticulously, employing a strategy designed to inflict calculated damage on the Union.

Their strategic objective was now clear.

They aimed to prolong the conflict by inflicting damage on the Union at a similar rate to what they were suffering, essentially drawing out the war of attrition.

Nevertheless, Lincoln never doubted the Union’s ultimate victory.

This wasn’t just blind confidence; based on objective indicators, there was no logical reason for the Union to lose.

Not only the generals at headquarters but also seasoned commanders and even the Secretary of War had come to the same conclusion.

Everyone, through calm and objective analysis, agreed that the South’s goal was impossible to achieve.

Their resistance might seem formidable now, but their endurance was ultimately limited.

Lincoln anticipated that the Union’s full-scale counterattack would commence around the time Winfield Scott’s Anaconda Plan [a strategy to blockade the Confederacy] was fully implemented.

Of course, the Union army wasn’t simply standing idly by in the meantime.

The military’s initial goal was to slowly grind down the enemy, leveraging their overwhelming superiority in manpower and resources.

However, as time passed, reports began to surface that contradicted these initial expectations.

“The South’s resistance is remarkably fierce. In the West Virginia campaign, General McClellan’s forces failed to completely dislodge the Confederate army. The miscalculation, it seems, was that their armament level was far more advanced than our intelligence suggested.”

“I can’t understand it. Is our intelligence really that poor? These aren’t foreign countries, but regions that were part of our Union until last year. How could we have so drastically misjudged the South’s equipment status?”

“Your Excellency, it’s… unconfirmed, but it appears they are receiving weapons from an external source.”

“…Receiving weapons?”

General-in-Chief of the Union Army, Winfield Scott, sighed, smoothing his snow-white hair.

“General McClellan brought back several rifles used by the Confederate army in West Virginia. Some of these were different from the weapons our army uses.”

“Could the South have hastily manufactured crude weapons?”

“If that were the case, I wouldn’t be so concerned. These weapons are superior to our Union army’s weapons, if not equal. General McClellan brought them back because it’s inconceivable that the South possesses the technology to manufacture weapons of this caliber, yet some units are openly using them.”

“…The South is using weapons not standard to the Union army?”

As everyone knew, the majority of weapons manufacturing facilities in the United States were concentrated in the North.

Of course, the South wasn’t entirely incapable of producing weapons.

With a truly desperate effort, they might have managed to steal technology in advance, construct factories, and acquire the ability to produce weapons, even in limited quantities.

But even in the best-case scenario, that would be the extent of their capabilities; it would be utterly impossible for them to produce weapons superior to those used by the Union army.

“As Your Excellency knows, our primary weapon is the Enfield rifled musket imported from England.”

“I’ve heard that the rifles being produced at our Springfield Armory [the primary US armory] are also excellent in performance.”

“That’s correct, but production capacity hasn’t caught up yet. That’s why we’re importing Enfields on a large scale from England, as was the South. But the rifle used by the Confederate army this time was subtly different from the standard Enfield.”

The Enfield musket had been distributed worldwide by England in the hundreds of thousands, so it wouldn’t be surprising for the South to have a large quantity of them.

Initially, I thought they were exaggerating, but after listening, it seemed that wasn’t the case.

“Is there a possibility that the South modified the Enfields?”

“No. The modifications aren’t accidental or the result of impromptu ideas. A thoroughly practical approach was taken, and improvements were made based on scientific principles. It might be a bit technical, but to put it simply, the loading mechanism itself has been altered. As a result, the loading speed is approximately three times faster.”

“That’s a significant difference?”

“Yes. Our troops have suffered excessive casualties because they are facing weapons they didn’t expect. The West Virginia front was a battle we should have won, and the fact that the front is stalled there is a major strategic setback.”

Virginia, a region known for its slave plantations, was divided into east and west, joining the South and North, respectively.

The South needed to occupy West Virginia, and the Northern Union army naturally tried to repel them, resulting in a stalemate.

However, considering the scale of resources the Union army committed, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a de facto defeat.

“If the South didn’t modify them themselves, then how on earth…?”

“If the South didn’t produce them, they must have imported them, and the countries capable of manufacturing such rifles are limited.”

“England, France, Russia, or, generously, Prussia?”

“Russia can be excluded for now. They don’t have the resources to develop new rifles at the moment. And even if Prussia or France developed such a rifle, they wouldn’t have a viable route to export it to the South on a large scale.”

That leaves only one country by process of elimination.

Again, is it you… the British Empire?

“Secretary of State, didn’t the British Empire pledge to remain neutral this time?”

“Yes. The ambassadors have received such assurances. In fact, the British Empire has officially rejected the South’s request for recognition as a country. On the other hand, France has neither rejected nor approved it.”

“Then is there a possibility that France is behind this?”

“France is a possibility, but there’s no evidence of a large-scale transport ship moving from France. England, however, has extensive facilities in Canada, and reports indicate that transport ships have been continuously traveling back and forth.”

“So, England is stabbing us in the back…?”

As I see it, there’s only one culprit.

However, after continuing to listen to Secretary Seward’s report, it seemed I couldn’t simply assume that, which only intensified my headache.

“Your Excellency, there’s no evidence that goods were directly transferred from Canada to the South. Almost all rifles and cannons produced in Canada were shipped to Spain.”

“…Spain…”

What on earth is that country, and why is it being mentioned again?

Upon hearing the name Spain from Secretary Seward’s mouth, Lincoln and the commander-in-chief of the military, Winfield Scott, naturally frowned.

In fact, Scott, who had suffered greatly from Spain’s actions during the war with Mexico, openly gnashed his teeth and raised his voice.

“Your Excellency! According to the Secretary of State’s analysis, isn’t the culprit already clear? There’s no doubt that those Spanish bastards are doing the same thing they did in the last war.”

“Spain is buying weapons from Canada and selling them to the South?”

“That’s a reasonable inference. Spain has reportedly signed a large-scale arms deal with Canada, but Cuba certainly doesn’t need that many weapons.”

“Mexico is also importing weapons from Canada, so we should be suspicious of them as well.”

Spain… Spain, those bastards are the problem.

The atmosphere, which had been denouncing England just a moment ago, quickly shifted to cursing Spain.

Some generals, unable to contain their anger, shouted that they should immediately demand an explanation from Spain and even declare war if they refused.

In particular, the generals who had suffered greatly from Spain selling weapons to Mexico during the Mexican War reacted more fiercely.

“At this point, aren’t those sons of bitches really trying to provoke us?”

“That’s right. We must never sit idly by. Your Excellency! The real enemy of our United States is not England or the South, but Spain.”

“Hoo… my head hurts.”

Lincoln, in agony, slammed his palm on the desk.

“First, send a telegram to the ambassador in England immediately and have him investigate the details. And have the State Department send people to Canada to investigate the local situation there. We will, of course, protest to Spain, but even if we don’t get the answer we want, it’s difficult to turn against them right now.”

It would be an absurd move to turn our guns on Spain while dealing with the South, which is resisting more strongly than expected.

The generals who are calling for war aren’t truly advocating for it, but are trying to express their frustration.

In any case, if those new rifles become the standard weapons of the Confederate army, I can’t even imagine the damage we will suffer.

We must not allow the South to gain more threatening power than this, no matter the cost.

The Union Army’s leadership was increasingly concerned.

* * *

The Union, trying to understand the situation, immediately took action.

“What does Ambassador Francis say?”

“England claims they have no knowledge of this matter. They stated they would immediately launch an investigation and inform us of the results.”

“Those stupid bastards. They didn’t even know their weapons were being smuggled out? If all of this turns out to be true, demand that they immediately cease exporting weapons.”

“Your Excellency, that’s impossible. Because we didn’t include such a clause in the contract, we must continue exporting until at least the deadline.”

“What kind of contract did you make so carelessly…! No, no, no. There’s no way England would handle things so carelessly.”

This isn’t about the Enfield muskets that were already widely available, but the latest modified rifles that appear to have just been developed. Does it make sense to sell these without any consideration?

And even if Spain is audacious, would they smuggle and sell new rifles without the British Empire’s permission? That’s impossible.

“After all, it seems England has tacitly approved this. The State Department should thoroughly investigate this case with that assumption.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

“Then what happened to those who went to Canada?”

“They also… sent back a response similar to that of Ambassador Francis in England.”

That’s right, that’s what I thought.

We don’t know anything; those guys are the bad ones.

If you fall for this kind of cover-up, you’re a fool.

In the end, Lincoln took the drastic measure of sending Secretary of State William H. Seward directly to London.

“Welcome, Secretary. It’s been a while since a Secretary from the United States has visited in person. Thank you for making the journey despite your busy schedule.”

“I had no choice but to come. Because major incidents that warrant it keep occurring.”

“Ah… that’s right. I am also very sorry about that. Please, have a seat.”

Killian brewed strong coffee to welcome the guest and poured it into a cup filled with ice.

Seeing him even add water, I felt a little relieved.

Frankly, this was the best customized treatment to cater to the people of the United States, many of whom dislike European coffee because it is too bitter.

“Would you like some?”

“Thank you.”

In fact, drinking coffee as bitter as Europeans do was a habit of the American upper class, but not many people genuinely enjoyed it.

Seward was also that type, so he sipped the coffee with ice.

The aroma of the coffee was a little weak, but it was easy to drink, so that was sufficient.

“As Ambassador Francis explained earlier, the rebels in the South are becoming increasingly powerful with the British Empire’s new rifles. This is something that the home country can never condone.”

“I’ve investigated, but we haven’t directly handed over weapons to the South. Enfield muskets were already widely distributed in the past, and it seems illegal transactions are also taking place, but the only country to which the new rifles have been exported is Spain.”

“Then it’s certain that Spain is smuggling them out. Is there any way for the British Empire to impose sanctions…?”

“Unfortunately, there isn’t at the moment.”

Killian shook his head, calmly drinking his coffee.

“We should have made the contract more detailed, but who would have thought Spain would be planning such a thing? I was very surprised too.”

“…I understand. In fact, the reason I came here in person was to ascertain your country’s clear position. It is certain that the British Empire did not intend for the weapons to be smuggled to the South, right?”

“Of course.”

“Then, whatever measures we take afterward will have nothing to do with the British Empire.”

“From the moment the weapons were transferred to Spain, it has nothing to do with the British Empire.”

This is precisely the answer that Secretary Seward and Lincoln, who sent him, wanted to hear.

The contract with Canada only covers selling weapons to Spain. After that, Spain bringing and selling weapons to the South has nothing to do with the British Empire or Canada.

So, even if the United States sinks all of Spain’s ships carrying British Empire weapons, no one but Spain, the party involved, can protest.

It is impossible for the United States to declare war on Spain and send troops, but that is the same for them.

We will prevent the South from expanding its power any further, no matter what means or methods we use.

Killian looked at Secretary Seward, finished his coffee, and even ate the dessert, emptying the plate completely.

That sight was somehow unsettling, but for now, he had achieved his goal of rushing to the British Empire.

The Secretary gave a satisfied smile, finished the iced coffee Killian handed him, and stood up.