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?"
Stanton coughed, struggled for breath, and all were silent "In general, yes. But that is not to say that Stuart might not be here soon. He could ride from Westminster to Baltimore in half a day, from there to here in just one more day."
"We don't know Stuart is there," Lincoln replied. "Haupt reports only infantry."
"I can't imagine Lee leading his attack only with infantry," Halleck said. 'It's against all standard doctrine."
"Perhaps Lee is ignoring doctrine. He has done so before."
"Lee is a professional, sir. We of the military spend years studying so that it is done right"
Lincoln sensed a veiled rebuke from Halleck. Like so many of the generals of his army, they were ready to blame any failure on civilian interference.
"Well, apparently Lee did it right today," Lincoln replied softly, "with or without cavalry in the lead. But I am not interested in a debate over your doctrine, General Halleck; I want a clear understanding of what orders should be issued to Meade, if any."
Stanton and Halleck looked at each other, and Lincoln could easily tell that these two had been talking long and hard about this prior to the meeting.
"He has to attack Lee at Westminster" Stanton announced. "He must cut through and re-establish contact with Washington, to impose his forces as a barrier against attack on Baltimore and Washington."
"But I just heard a fairly cogent argument from Secretary Welles that Lee will not march on Washington first"
"Are you suggesting then, sir, that Meade do nothing?''
"No."
"Then what sir?"
Lincoln shook his head wearily and looked out the window for a moment "He must preserve his force at all cost but then, at the same time, so threaten Lee as to prevent him from maintaining a prolonged operation in the Norm."
"Then that means attack, sir," Stanton replied sharply. "With luck, Lee is not yet concentrated at Westminster. He might be able to cut off the head of Lee's advance, then swing into a favorable position closer to us."
"Is the Army of the Potomac the imperial guard of Washington or is it an army intended to fight and destroy Lee?" "Sir?"
"Answer me that, please."
"It is the main army of our efforts in the East, sir."
"Then it must be used wisely and not sent into a headlong attack simply to get back here. Gentlemen, I pushed for that attack at Fredericksburg, and I will live with the price of that, the terrible memory of that tragedy and those unnecessarily lost young men to my dying day. I think the order to Meade should be one of latitude, to make offensive actions as deemed necessary, but not to rush headlong into an assault solely to regain contact here."
He paused for a moment
"If need be he can even fall back on to the Susquehanna, there to re-establish supplies. His presence there will prevent Lee from moving on us and also prevent Lee from threatening Philadelphia or Harrisburg."
Stanton looked at Halleck, and the two were silent
"Are we in agreement then, gentlemen?"
Welles and Seward nodded.
Lincoln took a sheet of paper and quickly jotted down a note, which he then pushed over to Stanton.
"I am ordering General Meade to act on his discretion, but to ensure, above all else, the cohesiveness of his forces, to threaten Lee, but not to seek a headlong assault unless certain of its outcome."
'To be certain in anything, sir," Stanton replied, "that sir, is impossible in war."
"You know what I mean," Lincoln replied. "I do not want him to act rashly at this moment He must be off balance. He might assume that we are here screaming for him to counterattack. I want him to understand our thinking, to move with some prudence and judgment"
"Yes, sir."
"Anything else, gentlemen? I must attend to that delegation from Congress."
"None, sir," Stanton replied, and the others nodded.
"Then if you will excuse me."
All stood as he left the room. Seward and Welles quickly followed, leaving Stanton and Halleck alone.
"You'll take this over to the Treasury Department," Stanton said, passing the note to Halleck. "Send it to Baltimore. See that it gets routed to a courier who has a reasonable chance of getting through, perhaps up to Hanover."
"Anything else, sir?"
Stanton sat silent for a moment, a shudder passing through him as he fought to draw in a breath of air. He took another sheet of paper and started to write then passed it over to Halleck.
"Send this as well," he said, "and make sure it is postdated after the president's."
Stanton left the room, and once the door was closed Halleck scanned the second message.
From Secretary of War Stanton
Sir,
In accordance with the president's orders I am adding as well that while the preservation of your forces is of the first and foremost concern, I must still strongly urge you to act by any means possible to ensure the safety of Washington and Baltimore, using whatever means at your disposal to prevent the advance of General Lee's forces in this direction.
Stanton