(Greentext) The Union's Dixie

>Colonel Angel slowly put the paper down on his desk
>He read an article in the newspaper about a Confederate nandroid soldier that escaped from a Union encampment
>Down south, she reportedly became famous across the whole army
>The paper he held wasn't the newspaper in question, but instead a telegram from President Lincoln
>It pointed out how the Union's morale was dwindling, with McClellan's Peninsula Campaign failing so far
>The North had more men, more factories, and control of the Atlantic, but the South now had them beat in one regard
>It's often Generals that become household names, not common soldiers, but the South now had its new mascot
>The Union needed a Dixie to rally behind, and being that Angel commanded the only Nandroid Volunteer Regiment in the country, he was instructed to take note of the most heroic bot he had
>None of the droids really stood out during the two engagements he took part in before
>Fortunately, his battalion was sent to attack Oak Grove on the Chickahominy River the next day
>Throughout the battle, he let the other officers give the orders while he paid close attention to his own "men"
>The few he knew by name either fell or underperformed
>Vivian was shot in the head
>Cannon fire destroyed Mary, Elvira, Charlotte, and Elizabeth
>Even Billie, who would have been appropriately named had she became the hero of the Union, was killed
>One droid, however, caught his eye after the Rebs charged
>Her long, straight, strawberry-blond hair fluttered with every motion
>She was quick with her own bayonet and dodged the Rebs' ones with grace not seen in the other droids
>Having to shift his attention away from her to defend himself a few times, he still counted at least 5 men slain at her hands
>Within minutes, the Confederates retreated back into the town as other regiments chased after them
>The Colonel gave no command to follow suit. Instead, he ordered his girls to shoulder arms
>He walked down in front of the row until she was in his sight
>Her navy blue coat was stained red all over the gut and her kepi was sideways, but her face was still chalk full of determination
>"You did very well, Private", he stated looking directly at her with a smile
>She relaxed a little, but still wore a serious expression
>"Thank you, sir."
>The other droids in the line curiously moved their gaze to Angel, unsure of what he was trying to convey to this one bot
>"What's your name, Private?" he asked in a somewhat informal tone
>Going against the rules of the military, her pupils shifted towards him
>"My, uh, owners named me Maggie, sir."
>"Well, Miss Maggie," he inquired, "after this fight, how might you feel about a little... publicity?"