The Southern Army was subjected to stubborn resistance outside Washington. The commander of the United States Eastern Front was replaced by a defensive general McClellan, and organized the remaining 60,000 defenders to establish positions. Nearby Philadelphia and New York militia were rushing to Washington with the help of railways.

Not only are Robert Lee and Jackson's troops smaller than each other's, they may also face the threat of being cut off from the rear.

Although their victory was brilliant, the Legion attacking Washington dropped from 45,000 to less than 40,000 due to previous battles, and some soldiers were slightly injured.

"There is no news of negotiations in Washington yet?"

Chu Qi could almost see the Potomac River in front of Washington, and as long as he crossed the Potomac River, he could conquer Washington.

However, McClellan led 60,000 defenders to dig temporary trenches against the Potomac River and piled up a stone wall, intending to fight back.

"No, their determination to resist was unexpectedly determined, Lincoln was a big man."

Robert Lee was a little disappointed.

This is the biggest progress that the Southern Army can make at present. Nearly 40,000 people are extremely close to Washington, but there is a Potomac River across 60,000 defenders.

The longer the delay, the more unfavorable it will be for the Southern Army. The railway is transporting reinforcements from all over the country to Washington, and the disadvantage of insufficient number of Southern Army personnel has been magnified.

Chu Qi followed Robert Lee, and after two battles, he got training and became more and more sensitive to problems: "The Northern Federation first developed industry and had a developed railway network. It didn't take long to go from New York, Philadelphia to Washington. The information I received pointed out that Maryland had gathered 20,000 militias to support Washington. We must make a decision. If we still want to attack Washington, we need to capture the opposite position as soon as possible. If we plan to withdraw our troops, we must evacuate here before their reinforcements arrive and return to Manassas to defend the defense."

Li and Chu Qi observed the other party's positions together. The information provided by Chu Qi played a great role in the Southern Army, and Chu Qi's own status in the Southern Army also rose.

Robert Lee put down his telescope and said in a complicated tone: "The other party fights against the water. It is such an important place in Washington. If Lincoln and others are determined, it will be difficult to conquer. But giving up like this is unwilling to accept it."

Chu Qi said: "It's better to try to attack the Northern Army's positions to see if it can open up the situation. If it really cannot solve the situation, we can hype up the triumphant return."

Robert Lee said: "My idea is consistent with you. I will arrange for Longstreet to lead a division to launch the attack first. If your new artillery from the Ming Empire has been transported here, you may be able to capture the opposite position."

Chu Qi knew that among the first batch of supplies that the Ming Empire aided the Alliance, there were more than 70 breeched steel cannons. It is said that in terms of power, range and accuracy, they were better than the cannons used by the United States.

Originally, this batch of supplies should have been transported to Virginia before the Civil War began, but South Carolina declared independence in advance and disrupted the deployment, which led to dissatisfaction with South Carolina, whether the top leaders of the Ming Empire or Chu Qi, the middle-level officials.

If the Southern Army obtained this batch of supplies, the results might be rewritten.

Soon a general named Longstreet of the Southern Army led a division of troops to launch a raid on the Northern Army's positions. He first used artillery to suppress fire, and then led the infantry to attack the Northern Army's positions from unexpected sides.

Chu Qi was in a dangerous rear this time and observed the offensive launched by the Southern Army against the Washington Defense Line.

Longstreet used the front-mounted artillery that was previously assisted by the Ming Empire. Hundreds of artillery concentrated on shelling the Northern Army positions, and the Southern Army soldiers holding cross flags charged with the advantage of artillery.

A position of the Northern Army was attacked, and Northern Army general McClellan was very cautious in sending reinforcements there, while keeping a close eye on Robert Lee's army.

Longstreet led the soldiers to charge for an hour, occupying the position at the cost of thousands of casualties, and the Northern Army hurriedly retreated.

"For freedom!" The Southern Army attacked a position, and the soldiers shouted excitedly, while the Northern Army was in a low morale.

However, Chu Qi, Robert Li and others were worried. In order to remove such a stronghold, the Southern Army suffered thousands of casualties, which undoubtedly made the worse for the Southern Army, which was at a disadvantage.

Chu Qi found that Robert Lee's fingers were trembling uneasily. He was struggling whether to risk the Southern Army's heavy losses to launch an offensive across the board.

If this attack fails, the Southern Army, which has less than 40,000 people, may lose its main force, and he himself will become a sinner in the Alliance.

However, this is the closest opportunity to Washington. If you miss this opportunity, you may need to surround Washington step by step before you can conquer it.

Jackson, Longstreet and other subordinates are already on standby, and generals with similar qualifications as Robert Lee, such as Boregard and Johnston, are also waiting for Robert Lee's orders after President Davis handed over command of the Eastern Front to Robert Lee.

His choice is likely to determine the outcome of the Civil War and the lives of 40,000 Southern Army soldiers.

"Please decide as soon as possible whether to advance or retreat." Jackson urged.

Robert Lee looked at the opposite position with his hands behind his back. As long as he broke through the opposite position and crossed the Potomac River, Washington would be at his fingertips.

Robert Lee thought for a while and finally made up his mind: "There may be no better chance than this. We must end the war before the opponent's reinforcements arrive. Start an offensive across the board!"

"Abide by the order!"

When the generals of the Southern Army heard the commander's order, they cheered up. This was a decisive battle that bet on the lives of 40,000 soldiers of the Southern Army!

Jackson, Longstreet, Boregard, Johnston and others will each join their own troops and will launch an attack according to Robert Lee's deployment.

The 40,000 Southern Army troops were divided into offensive echelons and reserves, and there were troops monitoring the battlefield.

Chu Qi watched Robert Li and the deployment of the Southern Army generals on the side, and he remained silent. He didn't want to speak out in this battle that was related to the outcome of the Civil War. He could not bear such a great responsibility.

Is the Civil War coming to an end so soon?

Chu Qi remembered that the Civil War lasted for several years, and the Alliance was exhausted by the terrible industrial capabilities of the United States. However, due to the intervention of the Ming Empire, the Southern Army won one after another and soon came to Washington.
Chapter completed!