moved for the Peninsula in the spring of 1862, the city was so
strongly fortified that it was considered safe by General McClellan
and his corps commanders. That is, my son, if its forts were
properly garrisoned, and there was a working force of forty thousand
men. But nothing was safe against the fears of a timid
administration.

But forts, my son, however strong, are only inert masses. They
cannot fight themselves; and to give them strength and action they
require to be properly and fully garrisoned. And the troops in them
require to be properly instructed in all their duties. Now, my son,
it was a question with the government, which was very timid at that
time, whether General George had left, in and around Washington, a
force sufficient to make the city perfectly safe when he started on
his memorable campaign. It is the opinion of nearly all our best
military men that he did. But the politicians got frightened, the
government got frightened, and the political generals got
frightened. And all the frightened people got their heads together;
and they made the President and Secretary of War believe just as
they believed--that Washington had been "unarmed," and that
Washington was in danger. Yes, my son, our good-hearted President,
who was no coward, was sorely troubled about the safety of
Washington. And his Secretary of War was also much troubled, as was
common with him on the appearance of danger. And the "Chief of
Staff" was also in trouble, and went to issuing orders, of a
memorable kind, few of which were understood, much less obeyed. The
result of all this was that there was great conflict of action. I
have no better name to call it by, my son. Hence it was, my son,
that our good President halted McDowell, and McDowell's corps. And
both looked on from a distance while General George was fighting