This is

This is CBS I on the world with John Bachelor.

Here's John Bachelor.

It is June 17, 1864, in and around Lynchburg, Virginia.

This begins one episode in an enormous piece of research, the unvanquished, the untold story of Lincoln's

Special Forces, the manhunt for Mosby's Rangers, and the Shadow War that forged America's

Special Operations by Patrick O'Donnell.

I will play the full two hours of this conversation, the evening of July 4th in celebration

of the struggles of the Civil War when Patrick's going to take us to a particular

episode that was very close to ending the conflict for the Confederacy.

We begin June 17, 1864, Lynchburg, Virginia.

Patrick, congratulations, good evening.

Take us to Lynchburg.

Good evening.

Good evening, John. It's a pleasure. It's June 17, 1864 and the Battle of

Lynchburg is about to rage one of the most interesting and forgotten battles of the Civil War, which has a profound impact on the summer of 1864.

The armies of General Hunter and General Cook are led by what's known as the Jesse

Scouts which is my book it's about Lincoln Special Forces they lead the Army up to

Lynchburg and it's here that they're about to deliver a decisive blow to the south.

If they capture this Lynchburg, it will sever the rail line there.

But General Lee rushes Jubil Early, Lee's bad old man and his core of about 14,500

men down the rail line into Lynchburg in the nick of time and then they repel

...