Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 12.djvu/513

 Reunion of Virginia Division A. N. V. Association. 503

same vicinity ; Couch to Fort Corcoran, or, if practicable, to the Chain Bridge ; Sumner either to Fort Albany, or to Alexandria, as the case may be most convenient.

In haste, General, very truly yours,

George B. McClellan, Major- Gcfieral United States Army.

Major General John Pope,

Cof7ima7idi?ig Army of Virginia.

The old lines of Upton's, Hall's and Munson's hills, with the peach orchards, and the gardens, that we fought over and occupied, in September, 1861, were to be re-taken and re occupied by the four armies seeking refuge from Lee's pursuit, in September, 1862.

The number of troops who thus sheltered themselves by McClel- lan's command behind the fortifications of Washington was 160,000. There were besides, in the Lower Valley, at Winchester, Martinsburg and Harpers Ferry, over 11,000 more. General Lee had with him probably about 40,000 men of all arms present for duty.

Under these circumstances, it was impossible to stay where he was, re-occupy the old Centreville lines, and wait until his adversary had refreshed and reorganized the immense force at his disposal. That would have been increased by the concentration of seasoned troops from the West and volunteers from the whole North. A sufficient force could then have held the Confederate Army in Northern Vir- ginia, while an overpowering column would have taken Richmond on the flank from York River or the James. The same objection would apply to an occupation of the line of the Rappahannock, with the additional serious objection that the fertile counties along the Potomac and in the lower valley would be thereby abandoned to the Federal occupation.

Therefore, there was only one practicable movement to make and that was, to cross the Potomac, relieve Virginia from the war for the present, and at least delay further aggressive operations on the part of the Federal Generals, until the season itself should interpose an insuperable barrier to further advance for that year.

I believe that I know that the Maryland campaign was not under- taken by General Lee under any delusive hope that his presence there would produce a revolution in Maryland, and such a rising as would give a large force of reinforcements to him.

During the march of the 4th of September, General Jackson re-