It was early in July, then, when General Early, at the head of his rebel hosts, reached and crossed the Potomac.  And this movement sent the people of Washington into a state of great alarm.  The southern sympathizers at the capital were in high feather at the prospect of Washington being captured by their friends, the rebels.  Magnificent stories were set afloat, the government got into a state of great confusion, and timid people went about shaking their heads, and wondering what the War Department was doing.  Everybody wanted to do something, and yet nobody knew what to do.  The Chief of Staff sat in his easy chair, and issued orders by the dozen.  The Secretary of War ran about excited, and issued orders that conflicted with everybody else’s orders.  The President, not to be behind either of them, issued orders that agreed with none of them.  The great wonder is, that some one of these high officials, so much given to issuing war orders, did not issue a proclamation, warning Mr. Early that it would not be comfortable for him to bring his rebels this way.

I am not prepared to say what effect such a notice would have had on Mr. Early, who turned his column in this direction, and, marching with great rapidity, was in a few days on the banks of the Monocacy.  And, as if to increase our alarm, he sent that festive young trooper, Harry Gilmore, galloping down into Maryland, where his old friends received him with open arms, and entertained him sumptuously.  Never was hero so entertained by his friends.  And when this bold trooper had enjoyed the trip, and shared the hospitality of his friends as much as pleased him, he went to work disturbing our military arrangements.  Yes, my son, he captured one of our railroad trains on its way to New York, and all the passengers in it.  And, what was worse than all, there was one of our most distinguished major-generals in it, and he was made a prisoner of war by this bold trooper.  Thus he cut our communication with the North.  He did all this, and walked away leisurely and unmolested.  Although his Maryland friends set him up for a great hero, I confess, as there was no one to oppose him, not to see in what his heroism consisted.

As you may naturally suppose, my son, these little affairs increased our alarm greatly.  Our authorities, generally, went into a state of perspiration; and would have sent for General Grant and his army to come back and protect us, but for the fear that that general would not read the order correctly.  In short, they had already become convinced that Grant was not the man to turn back when there was anything to be made by going ahead.  Then our high officials called on the North for help, but called in vain.  The North was not inclined to share the fears of our high officials, and had been too often sent for to come and take care of Washington.

It was common with us, then, to keep a lot of third-rate troops scattered around Baltimore; and over Maryland.  These were hastily got together, and placed under the command of that famous warrior Lew Wallace.  The administration was sure, now, that Mr. Early would get whipped, and that the capital would be saved.  There were, however, a few unbelieving people who shook their heads, and were heard to say that General Wallace was not the soldier to drive Mr. Early and his men into the Potomac.