Call of Freedom: Book 3- The Untimely Hour

Author's Note: The Third installment in the COF series, which loosely chronicles American history. Added a few twists to make it less predictable ;)

  The Untimely Hour




<< Cara Millson

 << Allee Millsap

A visual of the sectional divides at the time this story took place, Blue sided with Emily, Red with Ryan and Green with Dani.



The untimely hour has arrived my friends, I wish I could stop it.... Senator Haushoun led the fight for states rights-- strongest proponent they had, Senator McWebster for a national union-- strongest proponent they had, and Senator Jlay was the great compromiser. While all three stood true to principle, they learned when to compromise.  yet we can not live forever. It is all in the hands of you, and providence.  We are passing the torch, handle it with wisdom. - Senators Hausheer, Jack and McDonald in a letter to the young leaders



After serving for well over a half century, the Great Triumvirate eventually became part of history and passed on. They served for so long, Americans could not remember a time without them... they may have well been immortal.  With this action, the new members of congress were lost.  The triumvirate had a way of keeping their strong opinions and finding time for compromise, but the new generation was all or nothing.


Senator Allee Millsap summed this up as she sung about the death of "compromise";

My senator's views
Was too large for the House
So it stood ninety years on the floor;
they were taller by half
Than the senator herself,
Though it weighed not a pennyweight more.
they was bought on the morn
Of the day that she had won
they were always her treasure and pride;

But it stopped short
Never to go again,
When the Triumvirate died.
  fiftyyears without slumbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
the life seconds numbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
Compromise stopped short
Never to go again,
When the Triumvirate died.

In watching its pendulum
Swing to and fro,
Many hours had he spent while young;
And in childhood and manhood
The union seemed to know,
And share both his grief and his joy.
And it struck twenty-four
When he entered at the door,
With a blooming Vice President;

Compromise stopped short
Never to go again,
When the Triumvirate died.
Fifty years without slumbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
  the life seconds numbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
Compromise stopped short
Never to go again,
When the Triumvirate died.
Fifty years without slumbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
His life seconds numbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
It stopped short
Never to go again,
When the Triumvirate died.

  The Triumvirate said
That of those they could hire,
Not a constituency so faithful he found;
For they wasted no time,
And had but one desire,
At the close of each week compromise.
And they kept in its place,
Not a frown upon their face,
And compromise never hung by its side.

But it stopped short
Never to go again,
When the triumvirate died.
fifty years without slumbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
  compromise life seconds numbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
It stopped short
Never to go again,
When the triumvirate died.


Sumter rang an alarm
In the dead of the night,
An alarm that for years had been dumb;
And we knew that the spirit
Was pluming his flight,
That untimely hour had come.
Still the compromise kept the time,
With a soft and muffled chime,
As we silently stood by his side.
But it stopped short
Never to go again,
When the triumvirate died.


After a period of mourning for the triumvirate, the new leaders adjusted. Young senators and congressmen, without the wisdom of the triumvirate.

"We will secede from the rest of the Union!!!" Senator Rachel Edisto of South Carolina shouted, her auburn hair was long and wavy, and her green eyes pierced through the chamber.  "You will secede, over my dead body!" replied Jonathan White, Senator from Massachusetts. "I do not want you, or anybody else telling me what to do!" Rachel indignantly shot. The Senator from Virginia Hailey Ruffin stood up from the back row. She flung aside her long, straggly dark brown hair and the most piercing pair of ice blue eyes.  "You Yankees have no right to boss me around anymore, I'm going to live my own life. I don't need rules, restrictions regulations or anything else governing me. I'm an individual, I do not need you."  Born in 2006, hence bridging the era between the "Compromise Generation" and the "Fireeater Generator", Ruffin most certainly was more inline with the fireeaters, she would not compromise for anything. Ruffin was born into a wealthy family in Prince George County, Virginia. She was used to getting what she wanted, the only child of a wealthy government worker.  Now that she was older Hailey Ruffin was a stanch secessionist, she believed that Virginia had a right to form their own country, she was going to be the first to fire on Fort Manning. The reason was when she was very young President Dickinson's troops attempted to march across Virginia to invade South Carolina--- a move that was stopped by Senators Haushoun and Jlay.   The family mansion in Virginia was raided by a group of unruly soldiers, and Ruffin was never to trust the federal government again.
Tabitha Rhett showed her face again, although older then most of the fire-eaters, Tabitha was still alive and still full of fire. "We need to form our own country!" the South Carolina senator exclaimed.

President Lewis Pleasure laughed off the thought of South Carolina seceding; "what can I do to stop it?" Lewis said. Lewis Pleasure was an interesting character, tall and handsome with dark blue eyes-- a ladies man indeed.  He won by a landslide for the Democrat Party, however Lewis could not lead.  Lewis was prone to drinking, and strived only to please others.


The South was growing discontented with the North, part of this steamed from the tariffs and taxes Senator Hausheer was mad about back in the day.  The North loved tariffs, yet the South was opposed to them.  Now that Senator Hausheer, Senator Jack and Senator McDonald were no longer around to cool the tempers, the crises blew out of control. Senator James Beauford of Delaware even drew up his own flag and claimed that Delaware will secede.

TV programs in the North painted the South as evil, and in the South painted the North as evil.   New Jersey right on both sides of the Mason-Dixon drew criticism from both sides, as it was free and fair gain for the North and the South. Pennsylvanians were painted as hillbillies, South Carolinians were rebellious teenagers... according to these shows that spread lies and propaganda about the other states.

Besides taxes, the other issue was states rights.  Senator Hausheer believed in the unique philosophy of states rights, anything not granted specifically to the federal government should be granted to the states and the people, likewise states can ignore any federal laws they wanted and if it came to severe circumstances she called "untimely" secession was alright.  Senator Jack took a moderate position, and Senator McDonald believed somewhat in states rights, but believed they were shared with the federal government and should listen to what the federal courts had to say. He frowned upon nullification and secession.  


These Senator's philosophies influenced their respective regions, and long after their passing influenced the new generation.


states on the boarder of the North and South, was a big target however for everybody to fight over. Both sides tried to  move to these states to get these states to have more electorial votes. One day, a terrible action happened...



Lawrence Humphrey, a fanatic caught wind of this. Humphrey traveled to Kentucky-- one of these boarder states and ruthlessly slaughtered all states rights supporters he could find.  Humphrey drew the irate anger of states rights supporters in the South, and the disgust of the moderate and regular Northerners. 
Andrew White openly on the senate floor, apologized for the horrifying actions some in his party have committed.  Senator Allee Millsap- also of Massachusetts had a thing or two to say about Humprey's actions, but it soon turned into a speech on how certain senators caused it. she pointed out Senator Andrea Butler of Maryland, who was not in the room at the time.  Andrea Butler's niece however- Bridgette Edgefield- a congresswoman from Maryland's third district was watching from the gallery and heard everything.

Edgefield was angry at such an uproarious speech, and planned her revenge.  Early one June morning, Senator Millsap was alone in the Senate chamber, Edgefield appointed his colleagues, three congressmen-- one from Tennessee, one from Georgia and one from Virginia; to guard the door.  Stephan raised his cane and hit Millsap. Eventually help came, Senators Andrew White and Rachel Midland barged through the group of men and rescued Millsap  The country was outraged to hear of this attack. Yet, some fanatics on Edgefield's side sent him canes that read; "Hit him again!"

Millsap spent months in recuperation and undergoing treatments, she did recover. Millsap was reelected and served the senate. Bridgette Edgefield was also reelected, but contracted tuberculosis and died at the age of 31. Andrea Butler died also-- but of old age. 

Election season was brewing, the South selected Senator Carly McLean to run for their candidate. Rachel Midland and others were furious they nominated McLean.  Carley was a moderate from southern Illinois, they wanted somebody stronger they wanted...  Governor Ashley C. Beaufort from North Carolina. Beaufort was a strong supporter of southern rights, and would make the perfect choice.  Senator John Bazewell from Virginia was angry at the establishment's choice, yet ran himself as the third party candidate.  The North on the otherhand nominated former Senator Andrew Robertson of Illinois. He was not in office long, and lost reelection to McLean. Robertson was kindly, and had a reputation for honesty. He stood up for southern Senator Emily Hausheer of South Carolina when President Dickinson went after her.  Robertson was just the man to unite the North and South!

"Robertson and Liberty!" played loud and clear throughout election night. Senator Rachel Midland of South Carolina threatened secession if Andrew was elected as he was not a strong supporter of states rights.



To the tune of "Lincoln and Liberty";

Hurrah for the choice of the nation
Our chieftain so brave and so true
We'll go for the great reformation
For Andrew and liberty, too

We'll go for the son of Illinois
The hero of America through
The pride of the person, so lucky
For Andrew and liberty, too

They'll find what by felling and mauling

Our rail-maker statesman can do
For the people are everywhere calling
For Andrew and liberty, too

Then up with the banner so glorious
The star-spangled red, white and blue
We'll fight 'til our banner's victorious
For Andrew and liberty, too

The votes were tallied;





Senator John Bazewell of Virginia- 10%

Governor Ashley C. Beaufort of North Carolina-20%Senator Carley McLean of Illinois- 30%
Senator Andrew Robertson of Illinois- 40%


Since the States Rights people divided their vote between Bazewell, Beaufort and McLean it gave Robertson a clear victory.


On the steps of the South Carolina Capitol in Columbia, Rachel Midland preached secession to a rebellion-hungry crowd one uproarious evening. "Now is not the time to submit to the iron rule of the North! Now is the time to form our own country!!!" the crowd echoed; "Secession!!!!!!"  On the streets of Charleston, Greenville, Anderson, and each major city in South Carolina crowds gathered in arenas listening to the same type of speeches. Forgetting the warning from the triumvirate so many years ago about the; "untimely hour."  They took things into their own hands, and by unanimous consent... South Carolina seceded.

South Carolina was followed by; Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, and North Carolina. 
The Deep South declared itself independent.  Robertson refused to remove the federal troops stationed at Fort Sumter, in the middle of the night South Carolina troops fired on Sumter.... war had begun.

When the Upper South heard what happened immediately; Virginia seceded.  Maryland and Delaware, still part of the South wanted to secede but were hesitating.



President Cara Millson of South Carolina was the reluctant president of the Confederacy. She was a great admirer of Senator Hausheer, and wished secession had never happened. However it happened, and Millson could not raise her arm against South Carolina.  Millson wanted to make peace with Robertson and the North.  General James Roberts was the Confederacy's choice--- a Virginian, who also was opposed to secession yet could not turn against Virginia.  The North choose Michael Judson as their general.  These two met at Newark, Delaware, and the North was caught off guard by how strong the South was.  

The War of Northern Aggression was about to take a twist, the South started building factories and conducting surprise attacks. They marched up through New Jersey, and the state immediately seceded, followed by Delaware and Maryland. The Upper South was out. Robertson sent troops out West to cut the Confederacy in half, and set a blockade around the coast.

Pennsylvania was a stronghold for the North, mountainous and rough terrain... they had a good strategic point.  The South could not invade Pennsylvania not matter how hard they tried. Connecticut and Rhode Island both fell to the South, eventually Kentucky did as well.  Robertson had enough, he sent troops to invade New Jersey, the South evacuating from New Jersey burned the state behind them. The South decided to burn New York City to the ground.The North had enough, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont fell to the Confederacy. The North still held; Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and a few states in the West.

It happened to be that the South took over the West.  West Virginia, and Pennsylvania were the only Northern states standing. DC was standing, and heavily guarded with troops. The North made for one last push, marching to Virginia. Robertson though stopped this; "It is unnecessary to have anymore bloodshed, brother fighting against brother.  I favor putting an end to the rebellion, but we are clearly outnumbered." West Virginia fill to the Confederacy, Pennsylvania soon followed. The war was over.

President Cara Millson arranged a meeting with President Andrew Robertson, so different yet so alike. Both were chosen to lead their country, both were humble, and neither wanted the war. Cara made Andrew her Vice President in hope to unite the union again. All the states were together again, although not in a way they excepted. The secessionists were humbled by the crises, and eventually were able to bring themselves to compromise.  The rules will be the same way they were right after the American Revolution that Jenaye White and Thomas Warren set up so long ago. The states rights doctrine was a combination between Hausheer's, Jack's and McDonald's--- although conflicting, they reliezed Hausheer's point- states need rights and can nullify federal laws, McDonald's point- we can not just secede, and Jack's point that compromise is nessasary.

All but in the background came Hailey Ruffin, upon hearing the North and South made peace, and the North was not to treated like an enemy country Ruffin was enraged. Ruffin marched up to her mansion, wrapped herself in the South's battleflag and committed suicide.   Although there wasn't Ruffin to worry about anymore, other Southerners like Ruffin wanted a "no compromise" and wanted to get back at the North for the "wrongs" the North committed.

The union was together again, and they were going to pick up the pieces where they left off.