Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 3.djvu/92

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VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

to give battle. The issue was joined at Manassas, August 29-30, and Pope's army made a hasty rcireat to Washington.

Gen. Lee then moved into Maryland, crossing the Potomac, September 8, 1862, at Leesburg Ford. He issued a proclamation tc the citizens of jMaryland to rally to the flag of the Confederacy, closing his appeal with these words : "While the people of the Confederate States will rejoice to welcome you to your natural position among them, they will only welcome you when you come of your own free will." Gen. Lee's army at this time amounted to 35,255 men, and had taken position near Sharpsburg, Maryland, between the Potomac river and Antietam creek. On September 17, McClellan opened the battle, and the conflict continued dur- ing the day. Lee showed splendid general- ship, and with an army, much inferior to McClellan's, held the field at the close of the battle and withdrew across the Potomac, without disorder, on September 19, 1862. On October 8 Lee ordered Stuart with 5.000 horse to recross into Maryland and harass McClellan's army, and he accomplished his purpose and entered the state of Pennsyl- vania almost unopposed. On October 26. 1862, McClellan crossed the Potomac and encamped in Loudoun county, Virginia, and on November 2, 1862, he was succeeded by Gen. Burnside. Then followed the battle of Fredericksburg, where Burnside mus- tered 116,683 ni^" ^"d was opposed by Lee with 78,513 men. The battle was fought and won by Gen. Lee, December 13, 1862.

In 1862 Gen. Lee executed a paper eman- cipating all the slaves held by his estate, 196 in number, in accordance with the will of his father-in-law, G. W. P. Custis, by which, five years after Mr. Custis's death.

\vhich occurred October 10, 1S57, all his slaves were to be freed. This was Lee's second act as an emancipator, he having freed the slaves owned by himself in 1854, while an oflicer in the United States army. On Alay 2-5. 1863, the Army of the Poto- mac, under Hooker, recruited to the strength of 138,378 men, fought Gen. Lee's army of 53,000 men, 170 pieces of artillery and 2,700 cavalry at Chancellorsville. Hooker was out-generaled and driven back t'j the Rappahannock. On June 2, 1863, Lee moved toward the Potomac, and on June 13, Hooker followed. The Army of Northern Virginia invaded Pennsylvania late in Jime. Lee reached Gettysburg, July I, 1863, where he found the Army of the Potomac under Gen. Meade, who had suc- ceeded Gen. Hooker. Meade brought into action an army of 89,000 men with over 15,000 in reserve and Lee faced him with 62,500 men and no reserve. Each army lost over 20,000 men and no decisive victory was won by either side. Lee failed in his effort to drive the Federal army before him, and Meade's army was too shattered to do any- thing more. Lee retired across the Poto- mac into Virginia and Meade did not at- tack, and was soon relieved from his com- mand.

On August 8, 1863, Gen. Lee tendered his resignation to President Davis, but Davis refused to receive it and wrote : "To ask me to substitute you by some one in my judgment more fit to command, or who would possess more of the confidence of the army or of the reflecting men of the country, is to demand an impossibility." Gen. Lee confronted Gen. Grant at the Wilderness, May 5, 1864, and the battles that followed up to June 3, 1864, ended with that of Cold