It was Tom, voice that again of a boy.

"My brigade surgeon is one of the best; I'm having an ambulance brought up."

"Thank you," Tom gasped.

Focus returned. He was looking up at someone kneeling by his side. Others were gathered around, his own men and Confederates mixed in.

"You are my prisoner, sir. And, by God, sir, I will see that you survive this." Joshua could only nod. 'Two hundred of you defying a division. My God, I wanted it to stop before you all got killed, but you wouldn't stop!" the Confederate exclaimed. "This damn war! I'm sorry for what we did to you here. You have the soul of a lion, Colonel." Joshua smiled and tried to reach up. The Confederate took his hand. "I don't believe we have been introduced," Joshua whispered. "I am Colonel Chamberlain, Twentieth Maine." "General Lo Armistead at your service, Colonel." "My brother, my men," Joshua whispered, "don't send them to Libby Prison. All that I ask." "You have my word."

Joshua fumbled at his breast pocket, touching the torn fragment of blue and gold.

"Then I can sleep now," Joshua sighed, and he slipped into darkness.

The heat in the room was oppressive as Lincoln came in and nodded an acknowledgment to the men standing; he motioned for all of them to sit down. Directly across the table from him was Stanton, still struggling with his asthma attack, face ashen. By Stanton's side was Secretary of State Seward, on the other side Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy, and finally General Halleck.

Before Lincoln even spoke, Stanton pushed over the latest telegrams, and Lincoln scanned through them.

"This one from General Haupt," Lincoln said. "That confirms it The Confederates have seized our base of supplies at Westminster."

"Yes, sir," Stanton replied.

"I want to see Haupt"

"He's trying to get down here now," Halleck interjected, "but the situation in Baltimore is difficult"

Lincoln nodded, adjusting his glasses as he went through the messages that reported rioting, a wrecked switch blocking the line that might be the act of Confederate cavalry, and now a report from New York that there were threats of a riot over the draft, which had just been instituted.

"I have a delegation of congressmen and senators waiting downstairs," Lincoln finally said. "What am I to tell them?'

'That Meade is reacting in an appropriate manner," Halleck replied. "The military can handle this."

"Can it?" Lincoln asked sharply, fixing Halleck with his gaze. "Do you know, at this moment, what General Meade is doing?"

Halleck's features went flush, and he cleared his throat "Mr. President, you have the same communications that I do."

"And they tell me nothing," Lincoln replied. "So, may I ask how do you know that Meade is acting in, as you say, 'an appropriate manner'?"

"Sir, he is a good officer, well trained. He will know what to do."

"And that is?"

'To move on Lee and block him from advancing on Washington."

"He won't advance on Washington," Gideon Welles interjected.

"May I ask how the navy is aware of this?" Stanton retorted.

"Because he can't; that's how I know."

"Pray, enlighten me," Stanton snapped.

Lincoln extended his hand in a calming gesture as Welles, bristling, leaned forward, ready to take the bait

"Go on, Mr. Secretary," Lincoln said softly, "I want to hear your reasoning."

"Thank you, sir," Welles replied, turning away from Stanton as if he didn't exist "The Army of the Potomac is still a viable force, even if they have been surprised, flanked, and cutoff."

"We don't know if they were surprised,'' Halleck interjected.

"General, please let the secretary speak," Lincoln said, and Halleck fell quiet

"Simple logic dictates that Lee cannot march south on us with such a potent threat in what will now be his rear. Second, it is fair to assume that though he has seized Westminster, it will take hours, perhaps days, to sort out all the supplies taken there, if he has indeed seized those supplies intact, though reports from Haupt and from Baltimore indicate a vast conflagration is consuming that town."

Halleck raised his head as if to speak, but a glance from Lincoln silenced him.

"Finally, you have two forces here in Washington. A garrison of over twenty thousand men behind heavy fortifications, and my own forces as well, several ironclad ships and more available by tomorrow morning, which can be brought up from Fortress Monroe, along with the garrison there, and the naval yards at Hampton Roads."

"What good is a navy for Washington?" Stanton snapped.

"If the government has to be evacuated, you'll thank God one of my ships is here to take you off," Welles replied sharply. "But beyond that last extremity, the guns available can, if need be, sweep all of this city. Lee will know that He knows, as well, that it is the Army of the Potomac that must be his first goal. That should be our focus now, and frankly, sir, you can tell the members of Congress that if they are truly afraid, they can go to the navy yard and my men will protect them tonight"

Lincoln could not help but smile, and he nodded his thanks. "Mr. Seward, you have been quiet sir," Lincoln said, now turning to the man who he knew, even after two years, still felt that the presidency should be in his own hands rather than that of a Midwestern lawyer.

"I agree with Gideon, sir, but there are other considerations, political and international ones."

"Goon."

'If General Lee can achieve a true triumph of arms on Northern soil, the destruction of the Army of the Potomac, the threat or even the seizure of Washington might be moot We have to be concerned about the potential for major riots over the draft in New York and Philadelphia. The combination of those {actors might embolden Napoleon III to do something rash."

"Such as?"

"An attempt to break the blockade."

"I'd like to see him try," Welles interjected.

"We are not dealing with someone who is totally rational here," Seward replied calmly. "The emperor of France is caught up in Mexico with this absurd attempt to put a Hapsburg on die throne there, to create a dream of a Catholic empire, as he puts it"

"He's half-insane," Stanton snarled.

"Precisely the point" Seward replied. "We are not dealing with someone rational. Oh, the English will make noises, but they will not act knowing we could sweep Canada off the map if we so desired. Besides, Parliament will not support an effort that also includes supporting slavery. But Napoleon may think he has little to lose. Up to now he would not recognize the Confederacy unless Britain did so as well, but a victory by Lee could change that He won't try for Charleston or Wilmington, but Texas, being on the border with his war in Mexico, that might be different I could see him attempting to force the blockade at Brownsville and thus triggering a fight

"He knows that if and when we win our struggle here, we will indeed move to oust the regime he is setting up in Mexico. He is counting on a Confederate victory. If at this moment he can create a debt from the Confederate government by recognizing them and offering much-needed supplies, it will serve his purpose. All he is waiting for is an excuse."

"And a victory against Meade might do that?" Lincoln asked.

"I think so."

Lincoln nodded and looked back down at the telegrams. "What you raise needs to be seriously considered, but I think we should focus now on the moment and not a potential that might not develop for months, if at all."

Lincoln looked back at Stanton. "Do you concur that for the moment Washington will not be threatened?"