"Yes, sir. I'm on General Grant's staff, sir." – "Congressman Elihu Washburne," Lincoln said, nodding toward Elihu, who stood up and offered his hand.

"So do you think you'll fight that duel with that Copperhead down on the street?" Elihu asked.

Ely looked at him with surprise, dark features flushing even darker.

Elihu chuckled and pointed toward the open window.

"I heard you're a Seneca," Elihu said. "Yes, sir."

"Noble tribe," Lincoln said with a smile. "I'm glad you're on our side "

Lincoln motioned for Ely to sit down on the sofa alongside of Elihu while he sank into an overstuffed leather chair facing them.

Even as he sat down Ely reached into the haversack at his side and drew out a sealed package and handed it to the president.

"These come directly from General Grant," Ely said. "I should add, sir, I was with General Sickles during the fight on Gunpowder River. After being separated from Sickles I recrossed the Susquehanna where a courier from General Grant met me, handed over the dispatches you now have, with orders to deliver them to you personally."

Jim came back into the room, bearing a small silver tray with several cups and a coffeepot, and placed it on a table, then filled the cups.

Lincoln placed the package on the table and motioned for Ely to take some coffee.

"So you were with Sickles during the fight?"

"Yes, sir, right up till he was wounded and taken from the field. After that, I felt it was my duty to retire and report on what I had seen." 'Tell me about it. Everything that's happened this last week. Why were you there with Sickles? What happened?"

Ely sighed and could not help but shake his head.

"Go on. I know you're tired, Major, but I want to hear it all."

"Of course, sir. No, I'm not really tired," he lied. "Well, sir, it's just the waste of it all, sir. It never should have happened.

"Sir, in brief. General Grant suspected that General Sickles was about to take the Army of the Potomac and cross the Susquehanna River to engage Lee on his own. That was specifically against Grant's orders.

"General Sickles, as you know, sir, crossed the river and fought Lee at Gunpowder River, and he was soundly defeated."

"Annihilated is more the word," Elihu interrupted.

"Sir, I was there throughout. That is why I felt I should come and report to you personally while carrying those dispatches at the same time."

He paused, taking a long sip of coffee. It was good, darn good, the best he had had in weeks. It hit his empty stomach, and for a second he felt slightly nauseous from it, suppressing a gag. He let it settle, Lincoln still staring at him.

"Take a minute, Major," Lincoln said, "then you can tell me the rest."

Lincoln had his shoes off, threadbare stocking feet stretched out, cup in his hand, sipping on it.

Where do I start? Ely wondered.

Lincoln put his coffee cup down, reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded paring knife, opened it, and cut the cords wrapped around the dispatch, peeling off the matches attached to the wax seal, and opening the cover.

He opened a dispatch of several pages and Ely immediately recognized Grant's handwriting. Lincoln scanned the sheet, features impassive, saying nothing, and then passed it to Elihu.

He picked up a second sheet, and scanned it. As he turned it over, Lincoln's features clouded. He stood up, turning away from Ely, and forcefully thrust the note toward Elihu, who took it.

"Damn it," Elihu muttered.

Lincoln paced over to the window and looked out for a moment, shoulders back, head lowered, lips moving as if speaking to himself.

Elihu tossed the second note on to the table. Ely looked at it, and Elihu nodded for him to pick it up.

The memo was authorization by Secretary Stanton for Sickles to move independently of Grant's command, and there, scrawled on the back in Grant's distinctive handwriting, was the question "Mr. President, did you authorize this?"

The silence in the room was interrupted only by the clock sounding the half hour.

Lincoln turned and walked over to his chair and sat down, with a long glance between him and Elihu.

"Go on, Major, tell me everything. Start with why you were sent down to General Sickles."

"Sir, on the afternoon of August 19 General Grant ordered me to proceed down to the Army of the Potomac," Ely began. "The general suspected that General Sickles was about to move, contrary to orders."

"Whose orders?"

"His, sir. There had been a staff meeting several days earlier that I attended as secretary. I did not bring a copy of that transcript, since it is highly sensitive, and if I were to be captured, it would have revealed in full detail General Grant's entire plan. It can be sent to you, sir, under escort if you wish, and it is proof that General Sickles acted against orders, for he was at that meeting as well."

"I think we'd like to see that at some point," Lincoln replied. "Now please go on."

"At that meeting General Grant outlined his plan for the forthcoming campaign. General Grant was waiting for the arrival of additional remounts, artillery, enough material for two more pontoon bridges, and at least another two divisions, planning that all would be in place by September 10. He would then have General Sickles cautiously move toward Baltimore to hold General Lee in place, while the Army of the Susquehanna moved to the west to outflank and envelop General Lee. As you can see, sir, those orders were not followed."

Ely hesitated. Lincoln nodded for him to continue.

"For whatever reasons, sir, General Sickles began to move independently, crossing the Susquehanna on August 19."

"And Grant did not authorize this?" Elihu asked sharply.

"Sir, he was not even aware of it."

"So why did he send you down to Sickles?" Elihu pressed.

"Because, sir, the telegraph connections between our command and Sickles went down. General Grant became suspicious, and there were rumors afloat that Sickles was indeed moving. I was sent down, carrying a direct written order from General Grant Sickles was to reverse his march, fall back across the river, and then report directly to General Grant."

"So General Grant in no way whatsoever gave General Sickles any option to move independently?" Lincoln asked. "No, sir."

Lincoln and Elihu again exchanged glances. "Go on."

"Sir, I arrived at Havre de Grace on the morning of August 20 to discover that the Army of the Potomac was already across the river and pressing south toward Baltimore. I should add, sir, that I did a little checking at the telegraphy station there and, frankly, that was a wild goose chase."

"How so?"

"Well, sir, it was rather obvious the explanation that so-called rebel raiders had cut the lines north of Port Deposit was nothing more than a subterfuge. Those lines had been cut deliberately. I was met there by several of Sickles's staff. I told them I had to find the general at once. It was clear they had been waiting for someone from General Grant's headquarters to arrive."

Ely could not help but shake his head, the memory of that frustration apparent to Lincoln and Washburne.

"And they led you on another wild goose chase, is that it?" Elihu asked.

"Yes, sir," Ely said coldly. "I could have been up to General Sickles in two or three hours if guided correctly."

He shook his head angrily.

"I could have stopped that battle, sir," he said, voice heavy with despair. "I could have stopped it if I had gotten up to Sickles in time."

"I doubt that," Elihu replied.

"Sir?"

"Sickles was hell-bent on winning the war on his own. Major, you were outmaneuvered by one very slick general, and there was precious little you could have done to stop him, no matter what you tried."

"It took nearly the entire day of us riding back and forth," Ely continued. "I finally abandoned those damn… excuse me, sir… those staffers and headed off on my own. I could hear the sound of a battle developing and just rode straight to it. I found General Sickles at around four or so that afternoon.