A tall and magnificent figure in a general's uniform next
attracted Harry's attention. He was an old man, but he held himself
very erect and his head was crowned with splendid snowy hair.
"Old Fuss and Feathers," said a man near Harry, and the boy knew that
this was General Scott, the Virginian, who had led the famous and
victorious march into the City of Mexico, and who was now in name,
but in name only, commander of the Northern army. His father had served
under him in those memorable battles and Harry looked at him with a
certain veneration, as the old man passed on and disappeared in another
room. Then came more, some famous and others destined to be so.
The atmosphere of the great building was surcharged. Harry and his
comrades had heard that the North was discouraged, that the people
would not fight, that they would "let the erring sisters go in peace."
It did not seem so to him here. The talk was all of war and of invading
the South, and he seemed to feel a tenacious spirit behind it.
He managed to secure entrance to the lobbies of both Senate and House,
and he listened for a while to the debates. He discovered the same
spirit there. He felt that he had a right to report not only on the
forts of Washington and the movements of brigades, but also on the
temper in the North.
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