Then the enemy’s long, thin line of skirmishers debouched into the fields, like specter figures in a panorama.  Next his artillery was seen moving to the right and left, and apparently taking up positions on the distant hills.  These were followed by his hungry troopers, very dirty and forlorn, and looking like shadowy figures just issuing from a desert of dust.  The movements of these rebels in the distance gave new features to the face of the siege.  General McDowell McCook was seen to ride rapidly over the field, followed by his two orderlies.  Generals Meigs and Rucker urged on their Bushwhackers, who went to work with renewed energy clearing up the forest.  The “Ancient Mariners” whetted their cutlasses, and continued to exhaust their ordnance, a large stock of which they had brought to the field in the shape of tobacco.  And the Treasury Guard stopped eating sandwiches and looked to their ammunition.  In fine, our gallant defenders went to getting their courage up in various ways.  Our good President (may his memory never die!) took up a position near Fort Stevens, as if to encourage the hundred-day men to stand by their guns and keep their pluck warm.

A little after noon there was a material change in the situation.  The enemy’s advance skirmishers made their appearance within range of Fort Stevens and began a miscellaneous firing.  Then our own cannon opened, and their echoes over the hills first sounded the alarm and awakened the people of the city from their dream of security.  There were as yet no really efficient troops to send to defend the point of attack.  The people knew that between them and the enemy there were strong and heavily armed forts; and in these they placed their trust.  They did not, however, reflect that these forts, without proper garrisons, were only so many inert masses, incapable of resisting for one hour the vigorous assault of an enemy.  But it was very different with the military authorities.  As the rattle of small arms and the booming of cannon increased during Monday evening and night, they knew that the city was in peril, and their anxiety for its safety increased.  They knew that the forts were not properly garrisoned.  They knew that communication with the North was cut off, that no reinforcements from that quarter could be relied on.  Further, that although reinforcements from General Grant’s army had been ordered up from the James River, they had not had time to arrive.

Such was our situation on that memorable Monday night.  Yes, my son, such was the feeble condition of the defenses when General Early and his rebel army came in sight of the dome of the Capitol.  We all looked confidently for an attack in force on Tuesday morning.  Had it been made by a column of ten thousand men, led by a bold and determined commander, capable of infusing his own impulse into their movements, they might, feebly garrisoned as the forts were at that moment (with no support between or behind them), have treated our defenses with contempt, and marched into the city.