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Siege of Washington, D.C., written expressly for little people by F. Colburn (Francis Colburn) Adams
page 87 of 91 (95%)
General Early, in order to get them out, and put a stop to the
riotous proceedings, was compelled to apply the torch to the house
of Mr. Blair. Let this sad result be a warning to all generals, sent
to either threaten or capture the capital of a nation.

Have I not satisfied you, my son, that Mr. Davis sent the wrong man
to take Washington? A more sanguine general, knowing that he had
been sent from Richmond to threaten and, if possible, capture
Washington, and having come so far and routed all the troops sent to
oppose him, and arrived within sight of the coveted prize, at a time
when he must have known the weakness of the defenses, would have
risked an attack in force and would have succeeded. I say he would
have succeeded; for, by all the rules of war, the capital ought to
have fallen. Let it be remembered also, that during that memorable
Tuesday, when the rattle of small arms and the booming of cannon
from Fort Stevens were calling patriotic citizens to the front to do
their duty, the engineer-in-chief and other of the high officials of
the War Department were busy packing up the records of their
offices, preparatory to their removal to the gunboats.

The attack, which had been so confidently expected on Tuesday
morning, did not take place. General Early and his officers still
continued their riotous proceedings near Silver Springs, while his
advance line kept our gallant defenders in a state of intense
excitement and activity. As hour after hour wore away, however, the
anxiety of our people increased, in fear of what might happen.

Then late in the afternoon news came that the brave old Sixth
Corps--a terror to rebels everywhere--had arrived. This sent a thrill
of joy into many a heart, and shout after shout went up along the
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