The Army of the Potomac from 1861 to 1863: An Inside View of the History of the Army of the Potomac and Its Leaders as Told in the Official Dispatches, Reports and Secret Correspondence; from the Date of Its Organization Under General George B. McClellan in 1861, Until the Supersedure of General Hooker, and the Assignment of General Meade to Its Command in 1863 |
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Common terms and phrases
addressed advance Aggregate Present Alexandria Aquia Aquia Creek army corps Army of Virginia arrived artillery asks attack batteries battle believe bridges Burnside Burnside's campaign cavalry Centreville Clellan command communication condition D. H. Hill defense delay direction division duty enemy enemy's eral feel fight Fitz John Porter following dispatch Fort Monroe forward Franklin Franklin's corps Fredericksburg front General-in-Chief Gordonsville Government guns Halleck Harper's Ferry Heintzelman Hooker horses Jackson James River Lee's letter Longstreet Manassas Junction mand Maryland McClel McClellan McDowell ment miles military morning move movement night o'clock officers operations Pope Pope's Porter position possible Potomac President President's railroad Rappahannock re-enforcements rear received regiments replied retreat Richmond road Secretary of War Secretary Stanton sent the following soon Stoneman Sumner supplies telegram telegraphed tion to-day to-morrow troops Virginia wagons Warrenton Washington whole force yesterday Yorktown
Popular passages
Page 225 - President directs that you cross the Potomac and give battle to the enemy, or drive him south. Your army must move now, while the roads are good.
Page 234 - try'; if we never try we shall never succeed. If he makes a stand at Winchester, moving neither north nor south, I would fight him there, on the idea that if we cannot beat him when he bears the wastage of coming to us, we never can when we bear the wastage of going to him. This proposition is a simple truth, and is too important to be lost sight of for a moment. In coming to us he tenders us an advantage which we should not waive. We should not so operate as to merely drive him away. As we must...
Page 36 - That the heads of departments, and especially the Secretaries of War and of the Navy, with all their subordinates, and the general-in-chief, with all other commanders and subordinates of land and naval forces, will severally be held to their strict and full responsibilities for prompt execution of this order.
Page 103 - I thought you were ungenerous in assuming that I did not send them as fast as I could. I feel any misfortune to you and your army quite as keenly as you feel it yourself. If you have had a drawn battle, or a repulse, it is the price we pay for the enemy not being in Washington. We protected Washington, and the enemy concentrated on you.
Page 304 - General : I have placed you at the head of the Army of the Potomac. Of course I have done this upon what appear to me to be sufficient reasons, and yet I think it best for you to know that there are some things in regard to which I am not quite satisfied with you. I believe you to be a brave and skilful soldier, which, of course, I like.
Page 117 - I have come to you from the West, where we have always seen the backs of our enemies— from an army whose business it has been to seek the adversary, and to beat him when found, whose policy has been attack and not defence.
Page 121 - General, certainly could not have been more pained at receiving my order than I was at the necessity of issuing it. I was advised by high officers, in whose judgment I had great confidence, to make the order immediately on my arrival here, but I determined not to do so until I could learn your wishes from a personal interview. And even after that interview I tried every means in my power to avoid withdrawing your army, and delayed my decision as long as I dared to delay it. I assure you, General,...
Page 46 - After you left I ascertained that less than twenty thousand unorganized men, without a single field battery, were all you designed to be left for the defense of Washington and Manassas Junction, and part of this even was to go to General Hooker's old position.
Page 144 - I am clear that one of two courses should be adopted: First, to concentrate all our available forces to open communication with Pope ; second, to leave Pope to get out of his scrape, and at once use all our means to make the capital perfectly safe.
Page 372 - My original instructions require me to cover Harper's Ferry and Washington. I have now imposed upon me, in addition, an enemy in my front of more than my number. I beg to be understood, respectfully, but firmly, that I am unable to comply with this condition with the means at my disposal, and earnestly request that I may at once be relieved from the position I occupy.