Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 1.djvu/441

Rh at this day expressed in his correspondence with the Virginia authorities in which he urged them to &quot; sustain Baltimore if practicable. But it was not practicable. Virginia, on adopting the ordinance of secession April 17th, organized the State forces, and after his resignation from the United States army, appointed General Robert E. Lee to the command of the Virginia army and navy. An "advisory council&quot; was also selected, who had charge under Governor Letcher, of military affairs. Harper’s Ferry, abandoned April i8th, was occupied by Virginia soldiers under Colonel Thomas J. Jackson, and General Taliaferro was placed in command at Norfolk. General Joseph E. Johnston was assigned to command of the forces of the State near Richmond. There was doubtless an enthusiastic feeling among the Virginia troops to &quot;make a dash into Maryland, capture Washington and end the war. But the natural impulse was kept under the control of the leaders, and no such movement was seriously considered, although the &quot;advisory council&quot; requested the governor to send a commissioner to Maryland to ascertain the condition of affairs in that State, and endeavored to supply the requisition of General Steuart for arms.

The Federal forces, which had been assembled at Washington, began to cross the Potomac on the 24th of May, and meeting no resistance, took possession of Alexandria. Time had been taken to bring Maryland under military control, and Baltimore had been under the command of Federal officers since the i3th of May, after which the policy of the administration was now to reduce Virginia to submission and overthrow the Confederacy by the capture of Richmond. Troops were also ordered according to this plan into Western Virginia and steamers with reinforcements appeared at Old Point and Newport News, while the main army crossed the Potomac.

President Davis and his executive assistants arrived at Richmond from Montgomery as these movements began,