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.
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