The major concern for the Union government offices during the war was that the Confederate states managed to win a battle in very close proximity to their capital Washington. The fact that the Confederate forces were so close to Washington, and the defenses of the capital were very strong at the moment, while the majority of the soldiers were at other locations and needed time to get back to defend it. This was bringing a big concern because if Washington was captured by the Confederate forces then the Union would have been in big trouble and suffer badly because of it.