Old Abe by John Cribb

Author:John Cribb
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Republic Book Publishers
Published: 2020-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 29

LATE SUMMER 1862

The great battle they had all been expecting broke out along the stream called Bull Run near Manassas, Virginia, where the first big fight of the war had taken place. Abraham haunted the telegraph office at the War Department day and night, firing off queries to field commanders: “Do you hear anything from Pope?” “Is the railroad bridge over Bull Run destroyed?” “What news from the direction of Manassas Junction?” The thump of distant cannon rolled over the Virginia hills toward Washington. It reminded him of the sound of women beating blankets hung on a line. A southwest wind carried the hot, sharp smell of gunpowder.

At first the generals seemed confident, but then the all-too-familiar story clicked over the wires: reports from Pope’s army that it had the Southern troops on the run, followed by reports of sudden rebel reinforcements, then a Southern counterattack, and finally Union troops falling back. McClellan kept finding reasons not to send reinforcements that might make a difference. Instead he sent an appalling telegram that suggested the best course would be “to leave Pope to get out of this scrape and at once use all our means to make the capital perfectly safe.”

Abraham walked back to the White House to absorb the blow. He felt disoriented. He put his head into John Hay’s office.

“Well, John, we’re whipped again, I’m afraid. The rebels reinforced on Pope and drove back his left wing.”

Hay’s smooth cheeks turned pale as a tombstone.

“He’s retired to Centreville and says he’ll be able to hold his men there,” Abraham said. “I don’t like that expression. I don’t like to hear him admit that his men need ‘holding.’”

“So much for seeing the backs of our enemies!”

“Pope must fight them.” He did his best to sound defiant. “If they’re too strong for him, he can gradually retire to our fortifications. But he’s got to fight.”

Signs of disaster were all around them. The exhausted troops straggling up Pennsylvania Avenue. Panicked families loading wagons with valuables amid rumors of Lee’s army pouring over the Chain Bridge. Ambulances clattering over cobblestones to fill rows of hospital cots at the Capitol and Georgetown College. The Second Battle of Bull Run had turned out worse than the first, thirteen months before.

“I’ve heard of people being knocked into the middle of next week, but this is the first I ever knew of their being knocked into the middle of last year,” Abraham said grimly.

“We’d be knocking the rebels right now if McClellan had brought his men up!” Hay cried.

“He acted badly. It’s hard to believe, but I think he wanted Pope to fail.”

“It’s not hard for me to believe. McClellan is full of envy and spite.”

Abraham stood at a window and watched a band of hatless, weaponless soldiers amble past. A cluster of black refugees from Virginia trailed at a distance.

“I’ll have to give him Pope’s men and ask him to defend the city,” he said.

Hay gaped at him. “You mean McClellan?”

“I must have him to bring the army out of chaos.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.