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CHAPTER LVIII.

THE SORTIE OF LEE AND ITS REPULSE.

THE BATTLE OF AN

TIETAM. THE CONFEDERATES RETIRE TO THE RAPPAHANNOCK. BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG.

The Confederate general, entering Maryland, could not induce the people to join

him.

He was followed in his march by McClellan from Washington, and ventured on dividing his army in presence of that general, detaching one portion of it to capture Harper's Ferry, in which he succeeded.

At the same time, McClellan attacked another portion on South Mountain, and drove it before him.

BATTLE OF ANTIETAM. The Confederate sortie was repulsed, and Lee forced back again into Virginia.

McClellan, failing to press vigorously on the Confederates, was removed by the government from command, Burnside succeeding him.

BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG. The Confederates repulsed the national army. Hooker was assigned to command in Burnside's stead.

THE Confederate army had driven its antagonist into the fortifications of Washington, and had opened for it self a way to the North.

land by Lee.

On the same day (September 5th) that Bragg, on a Invasion of Mary similar duty, entered Kentucky, Lee, crossing the Potomac near Point of Rocks, entered Maryland, and marched toward Frederick. The general plan for the Kentucky and Maryland campaigns, as conceived in Richmond, resttucky and Mary- ed on the great military strength which the conscription had given. It proposed the reorganization of the governments of those states on Confederate principles, and a march to the North for the exaction of a treaty of peace.

Plan of the Ken

land sorties.

Lee had no intention of making a direct attack on Washington. He knew that if a successful issue should II.-F F

A direct attack on Washington not intended.

Lee's address to

crown his campaign, the land communica tions between the North and that city being cut off, it must necessarily fall of itself. On the 8th of September he issued at Frederick an address to the people of Maryland. He dethe Marylanders..clared that the people of the Confederate States had marked with the deepest sympathy the wrongs and outrages that had been inflicted on Maryland-the illegal imprisonment of its citizens, the usurpation of the government of Baltimore, the arbitrary dissolution of the Legislature, the suppression of the freedom of speech and of the press. Believing that the people of Maryland had too lofty a spirit to submit to a government guilty of such wrongs, and to aid them in throwing off its foreign yoke, he had brought his army among them to assist them in regaining the rights of which they had been unjustly despoiled.

They decline joining him.

The Confederate general had supposed that large reenforcements would flock to him, but in this he was destined to disappointment. It turned out, as it did with the corresponding movement of Bragg in Kentucky, that the number of volunteers did not compensate for the deserters. It did not amount to five hundred men. At this the whole South was bitterly chagrined. Its popular sentiment had displayed toward this state the most affectionate sympathy. "Maryland, my Maryland," was the burden of the most beautiful lyric composed in the South during the war. It was sung with patriotic rapture, and nowhere more so than at the firesides of Virginia.

It defeats the campaign.

In this lukewarmness of the Marylanders Lee saw at once the failure of his enterprise. He could not commit his army to an invasion of Pennsylvania with Maryland doubtful or hostile at his back. Conscription, though it makes numerous brave, makes also

CHAP. LVIII.]

ALARM IN PENNSYLVANIA.

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numerous unwilling soldiers. It is one thing to defend one's own fireside, another to engage in a distant, perhaps a Quixotic expedition. Lee saw very plainly the true interpretation of the daily increasing desertions from his

army.

of the sortie.

Bragg, in his sortie, had an advantage over Lee. An Ostensible object ostensible object had been assigned, and that was satisfactorily and successfully presented when it was clear that there would be a failure in obtaining the true result. Fortune, however, was not unmindful of Lee. She threw into his way the brilliant incident of the capture of the garrison of Harper's Ferry. At once that was put forth as the real object of the whole movement. In truth, however, it was too insignificant a temptation to induce so important a step, and it was im possible that any such expectation could have been entertained at the outset, since the probabilities were that the post would be evacuated long before the Confederates could reach it. It was an accidental stroke of luck, which was made to answer the purpose of covering a deep disappointment.

vania.

The Confederate advance into Maryland was the signal Alarm in Pennsyl- for an intense excitement in the adjoining state, Pennsylvania, and, indeed, throughout the North. The governor notified the mayor of Philadelphia that he had reliable information of a movement of the Confederate army on Harrisburg, and called upon him to "send 20,000 men to-morrow." On its part, the Confederate army, justly transported with delight at the results of the Virginia campaign, so glorious

Boast of the Confederate soldiers.

to it, openly avowed its expectation of dic tating a peace in Philadelphia. The same hall which had witnessed the signing of the Declaration of Independence of the United States was to witness the signing of a treaty acknowledging the independence of the South.

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New York and Boston were to be visited with dire punishment for their misdeeds, and submit to a dread alternative-the choice between a ransom and the torch.

Maryland.

McClellan ordered to follow Lee.

But in Maryland the Confederate soldiers conducted Their conduct in themselves with marked moderation. So far from molesting any one, they tried to ingratiate themselves with the people. It was true that vast droves of cattle and lines of wagons might be seen crossing the Potomac into Virginia, but it was asserted that every thing had been paid for at the option of the seller, either in Confederate or in national money. As soon as it was ascertained with certainty that Lee had passed into Maryland, orders were given McClellan to follow him with all the troops not needed for the defense of Washington. On the 12th of September McClellan reached Frederick, which had just been evacuated by the Confederates, and in that place obtained a copy of Lee's order of march. From this it appeared that it was his intention to capture the garrison of Harper's Ferry. To this end he had sent 25,000 men under Jackson across the Potomac, thus dividing his army in the very face of McClellan, who had it in his power, on the 14th, to have overwhelmed the division of the Confederate General McLaws and relieved Harper's Ferry. Instead of doing this, however, he followed the main body of the Confederates toward the South Mountain, for they lingered in their march to give time for the reduction of Harper's Ferry. His advance overtook their rear just beyond Middletown, eight miles from Frederick, early that morning. The turnpike to Hagerstown goes through Turner's Gap; the road from Jefferson to Rohrersville through Crampton's Gap.

The battle of South Mountain was opened by an atThe battle of South tempt of the Confederates, under D. H. Hill, Mountain. to resist the passage over Catoctin Creek.

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In this they were not successful. They then retired to a stronger position up the mountain toward Turner's Gap. Right and left of the main road are country roads. It was upon these that the action chiefly took place. The Confederates had artillery bearing on all the approaches. At 8 A.M. (September 14th), Cox's division of Reno's Forcing of Tur- corps of Burnside's column moved up the left country road and carried the crest in their front. Re-enforcements were received by the Confederates, and, Cox's position becoming critical, he too was re-enforced. A A very severe conflict was maintained all day, General Reno being killed. Cox, however, held the ground at dark.

ner's Gap.

At 3 P.M., Hooker's corps of Burnside's column moved

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