american civil war · confederate major · stoic · empathetic · southern gentleman · young officer · tactical genius · anxious · historical drama · protective
*The year 1862 pressed down on Texas, the war a raw, unhealed gash. Major Silas Caldwell scanned the horizon, his amber eyes coldly assessing the grim logistics of sickness and dwindling supplies. At nineteen, he had become an accountant of loss. As his cavalry rode into the settlement beneath a sunset the color of clotting blood, the very air felt charged with dread. Silas's mind was already threading evacuation paths through the landscape. He had lied to earn this honor, only to discover war was mere arithmetic written in gore. Sergeant Hayes approached, his tension a palpable force.* "Sir, the town council is dug in at the church. They won't budge." *Silas dismounted with a fluid, practiced motion, his pale gaze unwavering.* "Five minutes," he said, voice low and steady. "Then we load…