A Place to Stand (short story)

A Place to Stand
Main character(s):	Everett Marshall
Main enemy:	Everett Marshall
Main setting:	Gettysburg, 1863
Key crew
Publisher:	Tekno Books
Editor:	Martin H. Greenberg
Writers:	William H. Keith, Jr.
Release details
Part of:	Civil War Fantastic
Release date:	July 2000
Format:	Short story

A Place to Stand was the second short story exclusively published in Civil War Fantastic, published by Tekno Books and written by William H. Keith, Jr..

This story notably saw Keith return to concepts he developed for his 1986 book Doctor Who and the Rebel's Gamble ^[+]Loading...["Doctor Who and the Rebel's Gamble (novel)"].

Summary

The day before the Battle of Gettysburg, 17-year-old Everett Marshall is approached by a strange man who says that tomorrow will decide the fate of the American Civil War. If time is allowed to play its course, the Yankees will win and the Confederates will survive not much longer, but young Everett can change that by killed Joshua Chamberlain by hiding at just the right spot. The stranger disappears after saying this, promising that Everett won't be hurt or maimed.

The next day, at Big Round Top, in the chaos of the battle, Everett follows the instructions and succeeds in killing Chamberlain. Then, he leads the Confederates onwards, overcoming the Yankee ranks. He receives a bullet wound on his ear. Tragically, his friend Frank dies in the fighting. The shape of history has been distorted.

That night, an older version of the stranger approaches Everett, and tells him of the horrible new future that has been created. The stranger has lived for many years with a guilt powerful enough to claw at the fabric of reality and turn back time. As he fades into nothing, he takes off his hat, revealing a scar on his ear. Everett understands with horror that a circle has been woven around this day, and that his attempts to change history may in some sense be without end.

Characters

• Everett Marshall
• Colonel Oates
• Frank Talifiero
• Corporal O'Conner
• The stranger
• Byron Hargreaves
• Rodney Smith
• Older stranger

Worldbuilding

• Everett joined the 15th Alabama regiment at Talladega.

Notes

• The Frank character and his friendship with Everett seem to be adapted from the character Frankie Marshall, Everett's brother in Doctor Who and the Rebel's Gamble ^[+]Loading...["Doctor Who and the Rebel's Gamble (novel)"].

Continuity

• Another version of Everett Marshall changing the events of the American Civil War occurred in Doctor Who and the Rebel's Gamble ^[+]Loading...["Doctor Who and the Rebel's Gamble (novel)"].
• Elements of the new timeline resemble "History 3" from Doctor Who and the Rebel's Gamble ^[+]Loading...["Doctor Who and the Rebel's Gamble (novel)"]:

• Both stories mention a doomed last stand of Winfield Scott Hancock shortly after the losses at Gettysburg.
• A Place to Stand says that the Army of Northern Virginia will be in Washington DC by the end of July, with a peace treaty in November, both events which Rebel's Gamble dates to the beginning and middle of July.

• Elements of the new timeline resemble "The South Wins" from Doctor Who and the Rebel's Gamble ^[+]Loading...["Doctor Who and the Rebel's Gamble (novel)"]:

• Both stories indicate that Southerner historians remember the Civil War as not being fought primarily over slavery, but instead more complicated political and economic factors, including the right to secede.
• In 1872, Texas splits off and becomes the Republic of Texas, something which Rebel's Gamble explained in more detail and dated to 1876.
• In 1881, the Republic of California splits off, something which Rebel's Gamble also discussed and dated to the 1880s.
• William H. Seward is mentioned to become President in the 1890s and unsuccessfully tries to buy Alaska from the Russians; Seward is not mentioned to become a President in Rebel's Gamble, but his proposal to purchase Alaska is similarly said to fail.
• Into the 20th century, America will be split along Communist and Fascist lines, with this lack of unity eventually leading to war in the Americas and violence far worse than the Civil War. Rebel's Gamble has the same ultimate result, but diverges in many details, focusing more on the idea of a more powerful Russia unthreatened by America.