Just as Washington was issuing the order for mass conscription, an army of Virginians and Mississippians broke several small Confederate forces of more than 1,000 men in succession and marched into Arlington, just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.

At the same time, in the middle of the Potomac River, not far from Washington, at Edward's Ferry, the commander of the Confederate cavalry, Stewart, personally led nearly 3,000 cavalry along the banks of the Potomac River, led by the soldiers of the reconnaissance battalion, down the river and pounced on Washington, D.C.

Around Washington, D.C., especially on the banks of the Potomac River, which stretches for more than ten miles, McClellan led his newly formed Potomac Corps of nearly 60,000 people, and after receiving an order from President Lincoln, in less than a day, he built 12 riverbank fortifications.

Still, McClellan was worried, believing that his troops were still too small, and had been urging the volunteers from all states to rush to Washington to help defend the defense.

On the morning of the third day after the Battle of Manassas, what came to be known as the Battle of the Potomac River began.

On the Confederate side, the main force consisted of the 12,000-strong Shenandoya Regiment led by Robert Lee and the Portmark Regiment of 18,000 soldiers led by Brigadier General Bored.

The Shenandoya Regiment was divided into two infantry brigades, an artillery regiment and a cavalry regiment, and Robert Lee prepared to cross the river from Alexandria, an important town on the lower Potomac River that had already been captured, but could not find enough boats, and even if a few were found, they were quickly discovered by the federal rangers on the opposite bank and could not cross the river. In desperation, Robert Lee had no choice but to lead the Shenandoya Corps up the river and move closer to Arlington upstream.

And north of Arlington Town, at Edward Ferry on the south bank of the Potomac, fighting has begun. More than 4,000 men of the Temark Regiment under Brigadier General Borregaard's Forward Longsley Infantry Brigade have begun to cut down trees and demolish the surrounding houses to build pontoon bridges.

The Jones Brigade and the Ivey Brigade, who arrived in the second step, successively pushed out the artillery batteries in the middle of their ranks and aimed them at the federal fortifications on the north bank of the Potomac River, and began to bombard. Naturally, on the other side of the river, in the improvised fortress built by the newly erected low walls and earthen ramparts, the defensive artillery of the Union army also began to fire back violently. The sides shelled each other, opened heavy fire, and were on a par with each other.

However, the impasse was quickly broken. Robert Lee, who could not find an opportunity to attack in Alexandria downstream, left only 200 scouts to reconnoiter along the riverbank, led the rest of the Shenandoya regiment to Arlington, and also began to demolish the town's wooden houses, make improvised rafts, and under the cover of artillery drawn by mules and horses, began to attack the north bank.

The defending Union troops on the north shore rushed to support from across Edward's Ferry amid a shout of alarm. After losing more than 100 people, the artillery on the north bank was also erected one after another, bombarding each other.

But the obvious difference is that the Union army artillery on the south bank is much more well-trained, and the target strikes are much more accurate than the Union army on the north bank, and there is constant artillery mute fire on the north bank, either the gun mounts behind the stakes and other bunkers are blown up, or the gunners are injured. After more than an hour, the artillery on the north bank slowly thinned out. Seeing this, the Jackson Infantry Brigade, which was responsible for launching the charge across the river, found a few rowboats towed by horse-drawn carts from the lower Potomac River, and a few rafts rushed down the river.

Although the sound of artillery on the opposite bank was scarce, the gunfire was heavy, and the soldiers of the Jackson Infantry Brigade on rowboats and rafts suffered heavy losses.

However, on the bank of the river, Jackson personally waved the flag of the Confederate States of America, and a group of Confederate soldiers rushed into the river and rowed desperately to the opposite bank. On the shore, thousands of soldiers, armed with rifles, fired at the opposite side of the river, and although it exceeded the most effective killing range, it still had a certain effect, and the fire on the opposite bank became less wanton and intensive.

Still, it was extremely difficult to cross the riverbank. It wasn't long before hundreds of Jackson Infantry Brigade soldiers fell into the Potomac River. The battle was unusually tragic!

...........

Less than two or three kilometers north of the Potomac River, thousands of people, government officials, police, and reporters rushed to the streets of Georgetown and downtown Washington, D.C., raising their arms and shouting to save the Union and join the army on the front line to fight the rebels.

More people, however, panicked, some closed their doors and hid, while others even packed up their salutes and dragged their families to the train station to take the train out of Washington and beyond. However, the small railway station has long been blocked by the army, prohibiting the passage of ordinary people, and the troops they use to transport the northern states to the capital are too late, how can they still let ordinary people use it, not to mention the fear of infiltration and sabotage. As a result, there were shovings and even violent clashes between the panicked fleeing population and the federal army, and in the end, the army gave in, and the panicked people entered the train station and left on the empty train back to the states. But as soon as the opening opened, people from all over Washington, D.C., poured into the train station, making it even more difficult for the already under-equipped railroad to transport troops, and the state's efforts to aid the capital made even more slow progress.

Many people in the army were also panicked, especially those militiamen who were ordinary people, and they were all a little pale with fright when they heard the continuous sound of gunfire ringing in their ears, as well as the wounded who were constantly being carried into the city. After all, they had never been on the battlefield, and what they thought was a journey to the war with a red carpet and flowers and applause everywhere turned out to be so cruel.

In the Potomac River, several gunboats and warships were also concentrated, but before they could play their role, they were targeted by a group of artillery from the Portmark Regiment on the south bank, and after several rounds of shelling, one gunboat was sunk, the other was wounded, and the rest of the Federation small armies were abandoned and floated in the river.

Inside the heavily guarded White House.

President Lincoln took a cigar handed over by the new Secretary of War Edwin Stanton for the first time, took a hard puff, and the violent smell of the smoke made him cough violently, he crushed the cigar in his hand and threw it on the ground, and said to Stanton: "How's the situation?" ”

"Mr. President, on behalf of the Federal War Department, I have sent a telegram to the governors of the states of the United States, asking them to quickly organize troops to arrive in Washington and defend the capital!" Stanton spat out a mouthful of eye circles, and his eyes were red: "However, just in case, I ordered the factory in Washington, D.C., to be dismantled, and all the equipment that could be transported was shipped to North Philadelphia and New York State." ”

Lincoln was silent for a long time before he sighed, "You're right!" It seems that Washington is difficult to hold. Those people want to escape, let them be, don't stop it! In addition, explain to Treasury Secretary Samon Chase, and let them tell them that all the gold in Washington's treasury is moved to the Wall Street treasury in New York, and the War Department will send people to guard the whole process! ”

Stanton nodded a little sadly and said, "Mr. President, I'll do it right away!" ”

Lincoln smiled bitterly, a little haggard, looked at the Secretary of War who had just been in office for two days and had not had time to show his skills, and asked: "Mr. Stanton, Washington can't hold on, and from the perspective of war and geographical location, the federal government should move to Philadelphia." Just this move, those consortium forces in Philadelphia will be overjoyed, and it will be difficult for the federal government to leave Philadelphia and move back to Washington. If I could, I'd just move to Baltimore. ”

Stanton hurriedly shook his head: "Mr. President, Baltimore is only about 50 kilometers away from Washington, and if Washington can't hold it, Baltimore is likely to be attacked." The strategic depth is too small. From a purely military point of view, it would be better to move to New York, which happens to be prosperous enough to make New York a second London. ”

Lincoln said firmly, "No, no, let's move to Philadelphia." Can't go to New York. At the beginning, the founding fathers of the United States of America made the American Federation in Philadelphia, but even so, due to the dispute between the north and the south, the north wanted to make New York the capital, and the south wanted to establish the southern city, and finally the two sides reached a consensus to choose Washington, D.C., on the border between the north and the south. If you return to New York, it will mean completely abandoning the South, and it will make the people of the South fall to the rebels. ”

Stanton understood that this could only move the capital to Philadelphia, and after a few words of relief to Lincoln, Stanton left in a hurry.

Washington sat there alone, and for the first time in his life, he was a little deflated and groaned in pain: "God, if you are always right, why can't I be on your side!" What should I do, what should the Federation do? Am I going to be the first president of the United States to lose his homeland? ”

At the same time, Secretary of State Seward met with Richard Lyons, British Minister to the United States of America, and French Minister to the United States of America, Mr. Mercier, in a private residence in Washington, D.C., and again insisted that Britain and France should not recognize the independent status of the Confederate States, otherwise it would be regarded as a declaration of war on the American Union. But neither Richard Lyons nor Mercier said that they currently accept orders from their own countries and do not interfere in the American Civil War.

Seeing that the two of them would not interfere, Siward left with peace of mind. Richard Lyons and Mercière changed locations and secretly came to bring a hotel, but they discussed the current situation in the United States.

The French Minister to the United States, Mr. Mercière, first proposed: "Mr. Lyons, the war between the American Confederation and the Confederates has reached such an extent that it is necessary for us, the French Empire, and you, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, as world powers, to intervene in their disputes as necessary. As you know, only a few months after the start of the war, the amount of cotton shipped by the Confederate States of America to our France has already been affected, and now the so-called navy of the Northern Confederation has begun to patrol and blockade the main ports in the south, prohibiting the free sailing of merchant ships of the Confederate countries in the South, which will further seriously affect the supply of cotton to our France and even the whole of Europe. I could even hear the cries of the textile workers in Paris and Lyon, who were starving and starving. This matter cannot be delayed, and they must be stopped from further war at once! ”

Richard Lyons nodded: "Yes, I actually had this idea too, and I suggested it to London before the war began. However, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary are too preoccupied with the rebellion at home and in India to take care of it. Now that the Northern Federation has lost the battle, and even Washington is about to be captured by the Confederate forces, it is time to urge London to take a stand! ”

"Yes! Mr. Lyons, if we take this opportunity to let Europe intervene in the United States, or even divide it into two countries, the Union and the Union, it will be a great credit to both of us! Mercier was a little excited: "This will allow us to move back to Europe earlier, and it is not necessary to be promoted or even become a cabinet member." Now that the war situation is becoming clearer and clearer, the European side is definitely willing to take a stand! Besides, for the sake of the poor weavers of Europe, we should also do something to keep the affairs of America as good as possible in the interests of Europe, and I think that your British Empire, like our French Empire, needs a constant supply of cheap cotton as a raw material, right? ”

"Monsieur Mercière is so right!" Richard Lyons agreed: "But it's better to wait a little longer! Or wait for the Confederate troops to occupy Washington, then it will be the best moment for the European side to intervene! I believe that the whole of Europe will not wait and see any longer. ”

Mercière nodded, but there was a sneer in his heart. The British minister in front of him may not know that the Minister of State of the French Empire, Walewski, a cousin of His Majesty the Emperor of France, and General Peng Yulin, the governor of the New Mexico Province of the Chinese Empire, have reached a secret agreement with the Southern Union States, but it has not yet been fully made public, waiting to be made public at the right time. Even if the British agree now, they are one step behind, and most of the benefits have already been obtained by France.

The two were also discussing how to help bankers and businessmen in both countries protect their assets in the United States, when several loud explosions were heard southwest of Washington, followed by a fierce and dense burst of gunfire. The faces of the two changed, and at this time, there was also a chaotic noise on the street outside the hotel, and many people crowded into the street, making a mess. Someone is still shouting, the rebels are coming, run for your life, or something.

The two of them lost their minds for a while, and they also ran to the street, only to see a lot of federal militiamen in different costumes and disheveled clothes also running past the door of the hotel, and the two stepped forward to ask, only to know that it turned out that a Southern rebel army had crossed the Potomac River and invaded Washington, D.C., and more Confederate troops also rushed across the Potomac River, and the American Union army began to break and flee, and Washington, D.C., the capital of the Union, had been broken by the Southern rebels and fell.