John Brown's Body Summary

Raw soldiers of North and South met at Bull Run under the directionof Generals McDowell, Johnston, and Beauregard. Congressmenand their ladies drove out from Washington to watch the Unionvictory. While they watched, the Union lines broke and retreated inpanic. A movement to negotiate with the Confederacy for peace gotunderway in the North. Lincoln was alarmed, but he remainedsteadfast.Jack Ellyat was discharged from service after Bull Run. Later hejoined the Illinois volunteers in Chicago and became known as “BullRun Jack.” Near Pittsburg Landing, in Tennessee, he lost his headand ran during a surprise attack. He was captured but escapedagain during a night march. Hungry and weary, Jack arrived at theVilas farm, where he stayed in hiding and fell in love with MeloraVilas. At last he left the farm to seek the courage he had lost nearPittsburg Landing, but not before he had made Melora pregnant. Hewas recaptured soon afterward.Meanwhile Clay Wingate returned to Georgia on leave. At WingateHall, the war seemed far away, for the successful running of theUnion blockade of Southern ports made luxuries still available. LucyWeatherby, a Virginian whose sweetheart had been killed at BullRun, attended a dance at Wingate Hall and replaced Sally Dupré inClay’s affections. Spade, a slave on the nearby Zachary plantation,escaped that same night.New Orleans was captured. Davis and Lincoln began to bow underthe burdens of the war. McClellan began his Peninsular campaign.Lee inflicted defeat after defeat on the Army of the Potomac. JackEllyat was sent to a prison in the deep South. The fortunes of theUnion were at their lowest ebb after the Confederate victory at theSecond Battle of Manassas, and the spirit of John Brown wasgenerally invoked by editors and preachers. Lincoln issued theEmancipation Proclamation. In the meantime, Spade made his waynorth and swam across a river to freedom, but when he arrived in theland of the free he was railroaded into a labor gang. McClellan wasrelieved by Burnside, who, in turn, was relieved by Hooker, ascommander of the Army of the Potomac. Jack Ellyat, sick, wasreturned to the North in an exchange of prisoners of war.