"My agents will take you in a buggy with relays of horses down the
Potomac to a ferry near Dumfries. You will be ferried across."
The man touched his hat.
"I'll know the way from there, Madam."
The scout delivered his message into Beauregard's hands that night
before eight o'clock.
At noon the next day Colonel Jordan had placed in her hands his answer:
"Yours received at eight o'clock. Let them come. We are ready. We rely
upon you for precise information. Be particular as to description and
destination of forces and quantity of artillery."
She had not been idle. She was able to write a message of almost equal
importance to the one she had dispatched the day before. With quick
nervous hand she wrote on another tiny scrap of paper:
"The Federal commander has ordered the Manassas railroad to be cut to
prevent the junction of Johnston with Beauregard."
The moment the first authentic information reached President Davis of
the purpose to attack Beauregard he immediately urged General Johnston
to make his preparations for the juncture of their forces.
And at once the President received confirmation of his fears of his
General-in-Chief. Johnston delayed and began a correspondence of
voluminous objections.
July 17, on receipt of the dispatch to Beauregard announcing the plan to
cut the railroad, the President was forced to send Johnston a positive
order to move his army to Manassas.
Pages:
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246