"
"Do you think you know the right man, Dick?"
"I'm making a guess. It's Grant. We saw him at Donelson and Shiloh.
Surprised at both places, he won anyhow. He wouldn't be beat. That's
the kind of man we want here in the east."
"You may be right, Dick, but the politicians in this part of the country
all run him down. Halleck has been transferred to Washington as a sort
of general commander and adviser to the President, and they say he
doesn't like Grant."
Further talk was cut short by a young army surgeon, and Dick left George,
saying that he would come back the next day. The streets of Washington
were full of sunshine, but not of hope and cheerfulness. The most
terrible suspense reigned there. Never before or since was Washington
in such alarm. A hostile and victorious army was within a day's march.
Pope almost to the last had talked of victory. Then came a telegram,
asking if the capital could be defended in case his army was destroyed.
Next came the army preceded by thousands of stragglers and heralds of
disaster.
The people were dropped from the golden clouds of hope to the hard earth
of despair.
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