Massacre

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They outnumbered the natives ten to one.

“Not very fair, is it?” Lieutenant Benjamin Simpson remarked.

“No,” replied Colonel Travis Lee. “Still, our orders are clear.”

Both men sat silently on their horses. Both were men of honour yet this did not seem to be an honourable enterprise. Both had enlisted in the military to protect the freedom of all the many tribes and races living here. This felt about as far away from protecting freedom as one could get.

The Colonel slowly looked around him. He knew he should give the order to attack soon yet he did not want to do it. This was wrong. These natives may be savages but they were God's children, just as much as he and his family, his men and their families, and every other member of the human race were God's children. To attack with the intent to subdue, even if it meant massacre, was morally vacant. He prayed for a reprieve.

“Sir?” Lieutenant Simpson moved his horse around so that he could look the Colonel in the eye. “Should we begin now?”

The Colonel sighed. “Yes, we should.”

The Lieutenant moved back beside his superior's horse. The Colonel drew his sword and raised it to the sky. He opened his mouth and yelled the order to attack. As one, every man and horse moved forward down the hill, galloping into destiny.

The massacre had begun.