They strained their eyes toward Manassas, where the flag of
the Union had twice gone down in disaster. It was said, and there was
ample cause for the saying of it, that Lee and Jackson with their
victorious veterans would appear any moment before the capital. There
were rumors that the government was packing up in order to flee northward
to Philadelphia or even New York.
But Dick believed none of these rumors. In fact, he was not greatly
alarmed by any of them. He was sure that McClellan, although without
genius, would restore the stamina of the troops, if indeed it were ever
lost, which he doubted very much. He had seen how splendidly they fought
at the Second Manassas, and he knew that there was no panic among them.
Moreover, the North was an inexhaustible storehouse of men and material,
and whenever one soldier fell two grew in his place.
So he strode through the crowded streets, calm of face and manner,
and took his way once more to the hotel, where he had sat and listened
to the talk before the Second Manassas. The lobby was packed with men,
and there was but one topic, the military situation.
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