This is John Bachelor.

Conversation with my good friend and colleague Patrick O'Donnell,

the author of a new book, The Unvanquished,

The Untold Story of Lincoln Special Forces,

The Man Hunt for Mosby's Rangers, the Shadow War that forged America's

Special Operations.

Here Patrick and I discuss an incident mid-July, 1864, Jubila Early, leading 14,000 men, his cavalry was under John McCauslin.

All of the sudden, they appear right outside the Washington and meant to either burn the city, sack the city, capture Lincoln.

The defences were very slight. Grant was off in Virginia and sent as many men as he could

six corps by riverboat to reinforce Washington, but early was at the gates and pressing the

forts Stanton ordered the clerks to take rifles and get to the parapets. And here Early is very close and where's Lincoln?

Patrick tells the story of Lincoln on the parapets, looking at Early, meaning the city to be destroyed.

July 9th to July 13th, 1864.

What didn't happen?

Here's Patrick, more of this tonight.

He was he was very concerned. He was concerned he's like we're either going to lose

Washington or Baltimore and hopefully not both and he felt he was very concerned but instead of running away

the president would be would be there in the heat of battle and he would come to

Fort Stevens where jubil Early in his massive army is barreling down Georgia

Avenue towards the nation's capital.