Sidney Johnston, the ideal soldier of America, who will command
the Mississippi. Lee, Beauregard, and Joe Johnston will operate in
the East. The fight will be along the border lines. We will capture
Washington, and seize New York and Philadelphia. A grand Southern
army will march from Richmond to Boston. Another from Nashville to
Cincinnati and Chicago. Johnston will hold on here, until forced to
resign. Many officers go with him. We shall know of this, and throw
ourselves on the arsenals and forts here, capturing the stores and
batteries. The militia and independent companies will come over
to us at once. With Judge Downey, a Democratic governor, no levies
will be called out against us. The navy is all away, or in our
secret control. Once in possession of this State, we will fortify
the Sierra Nevada passes. We are prepared. Congress has given us
$600,000 a year to keep up the Southern overland mail route. It
runs through slave-holding territory to Arizona. Every station and
relay has been laid out to suit us. We will have trusty friends
and supplies, clear through Arizona and over the Colorado. At the
outbreak, we will seize the whole system. It is the shortest and
safest line."

Hardin, lauding the skilful plans of a complacent Cabinet officer,
did not know that the Southern idea was to connect Memphis direct
with Los Angeles.

It was loyal John Butterfield of New York, who artfully bid for a
DOUBLE service from Memphis and St. Louis, uniting at Fort Smith,
Arkansas, and virtually defeated this sly move of slavery.

Judge Hardin, pausing in pride, could not foresee that Daniel
Butterfield, the gallant son of a loyal sire, would meet the