Page images
PDF
EPUB

ident, disapproving the project, and couched in that quaint imagery which Mr. Lincoln was wont to employ in the expression of his thoughts on the gravest subjects. "If Lee," said he, "should leave a rear force at Fredericksburg, tempting you to fall upon it, he would fight you in intrenchments,* and have you at disadvantage; and so, man for man, worst you at that point, while his main force would in some way be getting an advantage of you northward. In a word, I would not take any risk of being entangled upon the river, like an ox jumped half over a fence, and liable to be torn by dogs front and rear, without a fair chance to gore one way or to kick the other."+

The other reply was from General Halleck, and it expressed, in solemn military jargon, the same opinion so pungently conveyed by the President; but suggested an operation against the "flank of the moving column"--a suggestion that is nothing better than a mask, for General Halleck must have known such an operation to be perfectly impracticable, if Hooker was to have any observance of his express instructions to cover Washington.§

III.

HOOKER'S RETROGRADE MOVEMENT.

Thus prevented from taking the only step that would have given him the initiative, Hooker was fain to fall back on the interior line towards Washington, taking positions defensive

*Nothing easier than to turn the Fredericksburg defences by Banks' or United States ford.

+ Dispatch from President Lincoln to General Hooker, June 5.

Dispatch from General Halleck to General Hooker: Report on the Conduct of the War, second series, vol. i., p. 154.

Any possible movement by Hooker, in execution of this suggestion, would have uncovered his right, and given General Lee precisely the opening for such a dash on Washington which the report of that general shows he was warily watching.

as regards the capital, and which would enable him to await the development of Lee's designs. Upon learning the movement of the enemy into the Shenandoah Valley, Hooker, on the 13th, broke up his camps along the Rappahannock, and moved rapidly on the direct route towards Washington, following and covering the line of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. The first move was to Bealton, Warrenton, and Catlett's Station, on the 13th and 14th; next to Fairfax Station and Manassas, on the 15th and 16th. Here he remained several days, while awaiting the disclosure of a series of movements which Lee was then making, and to the exposition of which I now return.

When on the 13th Hill, holding the lines of Fredericksburg, saw the Union army disappear behind the Stafford hills, he knew that that for which he had remained behind was accomplished, and he then took up his line of march towards Culpepper, where Longstreet's corps still held position. Meantime, Ewell was making his Jackson-like swoop into the Valley. General Jenkins with his cavalry-brigade had been ordered to advance towards Winchester, in cooperation with Ewell, and Imboden with his troopers had been thrown out in the direction of Romney, to cover the movement on Winchester, and prevent its garrison from receiving re-enforcements from the troops on the line of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Both these officers were in position when Ewell reached the Valley. On crossing the Shenandoah River near Front Royal, Ewell detached Rodes' division to Berryville, to cut off communication between Winchester and the Potomac, while with the divisions of Early and Johnson he advanced directly upon that Federal post, driving Milroy into his works around the town on the 13th. The following night, Milroy abandoned his position, but his force being intercepted, a good part of it was captured in the confused melée. As, at the same time, General Rodes took Berryville with seven hundred prisoners, and the garrison at Harper's Ferry withdrew to Maryland Heights, the Valley was now cleared of all Union force.

In this exploit Ewell captured over four thousand prisoners, twenty-nine pieces of artillery, and large stores. Milroy with a handful of men escaped across the Potomac. His defence of the post intrusted to his care was infamously feeble, and the worst of that long train of misconduct that made the Valley of the Shenandoah to be called the "Valley of Humiliation."

Turning back to the other two corps of Lee's army, it appears that on Hill's advance from Fredericksburg to Culpepper, Longstreet, who had been retained at the latter place, was pushed northward; but instead of following the route of Ewell, he moved along the eastern side of the Blue Ridge, taking position at Ashby's and Snicker's Gaps. This served as a cover to Hill, who slipped through behind Longstreet into the Shenandoah Valley, and took position at Winchester, while, at the same time, it served as a lure to draw Hooker from his base.*

During the progress of these movements, Hooker, being determined not to be drawn into a manoeuvre that would expose his right, continued to hold position in the vicinity of Fairfax and Manassas, covering the approaches to Washington, while the cavalry under Pleasonton was thrown out to feel towards the passes of the Blue Ridge. Here Longstreet's corps continued still to hold post, while his whole front was secured by Stuart's troopers. At Aldie, the opposing cavalry had, on the 17th, a rencounter, which partly developed Lee's position to Hooker, who then felt forward cautiously, sending the Twelfth Corps to Leesburg, the Fifth to Aldie, and the Second to Thoroughfare Gap. Pleasonton, meanwhile, followed up Stuart, driving him on the 20th through Middleburg, and on the 21st through Upperville and beyond. But Hooker did not continue a movement which he felt to be compromising.

General Lee in his report explicitly declares this to have been his purpose. "With a view to draw him [Hooker] further from his base, etc., Longstreet ad vanced along the east side of the Blue Ridge, occupying Ashby's and Snicker's Gap.... It seemed to be the purpose of General Hooker to take a position which would enable him to cover the approaches to Washington City."

Meantime, Lee seemed to be master of the situation. He held strong positions in the Shenandoah Valley where he was ready to welcome battle from his opponent, should he advance, while he was free to cut loose a raiding column into Maryland and Pennsylvania. The longer Hooker remained on the south bank of the Potomac, the freer would be the scope of the foraging forces, and when he should cross to the north side, Lee, relieved from the danger to his communications, would be able to pass to the north bank also, which was altogether in the line of his plan of invasion.

In pursuance of this purpose, as soon as Hill and Longstreet had relieved Ewell in the Valley, that general with the van of the invading columns passed, on the 22d, into Maryland, while Imboden's cavalry was thrown out westward, and effectually destroyed the great lines of communication by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. Jenkins' troopers had already preceded Ewell's advance by a week, and had penetrated Pennsylvania as far as Chambersburg, throwing the whole north country into a wild blaze of excitement. After gathering in much cattle and horses, which he headed towards the Potomac, Jenkins turned back to join Ewell's force, which, after crossing the Potomac, on the 22d, at Williamsport and Shepherdstown, moved by two columns on Hagerstown, and thence, crossing the boundary into Pennsylvania, passed up the Cumberland Valley, reaching Chambersburg on the following day. The whole region of Western Pennsylvania up to the Susquehannah was now open to Ewell, free to come and to go, without any other fear than that which might be inspired by the not very formidable aspect of the Pennsylvania militia.*

* Forewarned of the designs of the invading army, the War Department had detached General Couch from the command of the Second Corps of the Army of the Potomac, and assigned him, on the 11th of June, to the Department of the Susquehanna, with his headquarters at Harrisburg, the capital of Pennsylvania. General Brooks was at the same time appointed to the command of the Department of the Monongahela, with his headquarters at Pitts burgh. But commanders without troops to command cannot be considered very

He had, therefore, free scope for an extensive commerce in horses and cattle, vast herds of which he sent southward, while for the subsistence of his troops he levied subsidies from the population of the country. Thousands of Pennsylvania farmers, panic-stricken, hastened with their cattle and household goods to the north of the Susquehanna. From Chambersburg, Ewell moved northward, sending Rodes' division to Carlisle, while Early's division, moving to the east side of the South Mountain ridge, passed by way of Gettysburg to York, and thence to Wrightsville on the Susquehanna-the militia retiring and destroying the splendid bridge over the river at Columbia.

IV.

ACROSS THE BORDER.

However galling the intelligence of the ravaging of Pennsylvania may have been, General Hooker at least felt himself powerless to help, for it was impossible for him to pass to the north side of the Potomac until his opponent's purpose should be more fully disclosed. It was not, therefore, until he learned that the remaining corps of Lee were passing into Maryland that he also crossed the river. The corps of Longstreet and Hill made the passage of the Potomac at Williamsport and Shepherdstown on the 24th and 25th, and followed the path of Ewell into Pennsylvania.

The entire army of the Potomac then crossed on the 25th and 26th at Edwards' Ferry, and made a movement of concentration on Frederick-a position from which Hooker might

formidable barriers to an invasion; and though Governor Curtin issued proclamations and General Couch calls, the response was neither prompt nor enthusiastic, and when at length a few thousand men had been raised, and New York had sent forward some of her militia regiments, these officers did not find It practicable to carry their views of defence beyond the line of the Susque hanna.

« PreviousContinue »