want to be heroes. It was a little queer, however, that they should
all be in the city just at this time, and seemingly without
employment. Each, on application, was assigned to an important
command, though but few of them knew the road to the forts, and
fewer still what they were going to command when they got there.

The alarm and confusion continued to increase as General Early and
his rebel hosts approached. And now the great question arose as to
who was to be regarded as responsible for the safety of the city?
Was it the President, the Secretary of War, or the great Chief of
Staff? people inquired. No, it could be neither of these, for the
President, though frequently seen at the front, seemed only a
pleasant observer, and gave no orders to the troops. The Secretary
of War and Chief of Staff were issuing orders, as I have before
described, and assigning strange generals to commands. It could not
be General Auger, for the War Department seemed to have forgotten
him, and he remained quietly in command of the department. The
Military Governor was discharging the active duties of his office,
and so it could not be him. Some persons said General Haskins was
the man. He had been in charge of the defenses north of the Potomac,
and knew them well. But it could not be him, for he had been
superseded by General Hardin; and General McDowell McCook ranked
both of them; and, as I have before informed you, was placed in
command and sent out to see to General Early.

This, my son, was very hard on General McCook, who found himself in
a predicament he would willingly have escaped from. It is no more
than right, my son, that I should give you an account of how this
general went to the field, and what he found when he got there.