Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 3.djvu/91

 UNDER THE CONFEDERACY

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could take no part in the invasion of the southern states, considering such an act a breach of his oath to "support and defend the constitution of the United States'" as inter- preted by Attorney-General Black. He re- ported his decision to Gen. Scott, and on April 20, 1861, he tendered his resignation, at the same time addressing a letter to Gen. Scott, asking him to recommend its accept- ance.

On April 23, 1861, upon the invitation of a committee of the Virginia convention, he visited Richmond, where he accepted the commission of commander-in-chief of the military and naval forces of Virginia with the rank of major-general. On April 24, 1861, in his address before the convention, assembled in Richmond, accepting the trust, he closed with these words : "Trusting in Almighty God, an approving conscience and the aid of my fellow-citizens, I devote my- self to the service of my native state, in whose behalf alone will I ever again draw my sword." On May 23, 1861, the people of Virginia by a vote of 125,000 to 20,000 ratified the ordinance of secession, and the same day the United States navy yard at Norfolk was evacuated by the United States authorities and taken possession of by the Virginia state troops ; 10,000 Federal sol- diers crossed the Potomac and took po.ises- sion of Alexandria, Virginia. On May 29, President Davis with his cabinet arrived in Richmond, which became the capital of the Confederate States of America. On June 8, 1861, Virginia transferred her military forces to the new government and Gen. Lee became military adviser to Gov. Letcher, commander-in-chief.

In selecting defensive lines for the state, he designated Manassas Junction, where, on

July 21, 1861, the first great battle was frught and won by the Confederacy. After the death of Gen. Robert S. Garnett, Lee was ordered to command the troops in west- ern Virginia comprising about 6,500 men commanded by Generals Johnson, Loring, Wise and I'loyd. He had been commis- sioned a general in the Confederate army, but was outranked by both Generals Cooper and Albert Sidney Johnston. He found the Federal forces commanded by Gen. W. S. Rosecrans, with an army double the num- ber under Lee, and both commanders acted on the defensive, chiefly on account of in- cessant rains and the state of the roads. After the season for active operations in the mountains was over, Lee was put in charge of the defenses of South Carolina and Georgia. In the spring of 1862 he was made m.ilitary adviser of President Davis. On June I, 1862, after Gen. Joseph E. Johnston had been wounded and the command of the Confederate army had devolved on Gen. Gustavus W. Smith, President Davis ap- pointed Gen. Lee to the command of the Army of Northern Virginia, and he drove the army of McClellan to the protection of the Federal gunboats at Harrison's Land- ing, on the James river. Lee had inflicted on his adversary a loss of one hundred and fifty ordnance and commissary wagons and 12,000 stands of arms, burned to prevent change of ownership, and 15,900 killed and wounded, 10,800 prisoners, 50 pieces of ar- tillery, and 36,000 stands of arms captured by the Confederate army. On July 13 he detached Gen. Jackson with 22,000 men to operate against Pope, who was advancing upon Richmond by way of Manassas Junc- tion, and in August he advanced with the main body of his army, about 35,000 strong.