Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 12.djvu/520

 510 Southern Historical Society Papers.

4th and day of the 5th, Lee's whole army crossed at the same place, the cavalry, under Stuart, bringing up the rear.

The infantry camped that night at the Three Springs, in Frederick county, nine miles from Frederick. The cavalry passed at once to the flank, and extended an impenetrable veil of pickets across Mont- gomery and Frederick counties, from the Potomac to New Market, beyond the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, and on the National turn- pike from Baltimore to Frederick. Robertson's brigade, under Mun- ford, was posted on the right with his advance at Poolesville; Hamp- ton's at Hyattstown, and Fitz. Lee's at New Market; cavalry head- quarters were established at L'rbana, eight miles soutwest of Frederick, and in the rear of the centre of the line thus established. This was the position on the night of September 5th. On the 6th, Lee moved his infantry to Frederick, the cavalry retaining its line. On the same day McCIellan moved out as far as Rockville, which brought him within fifteen miles of Stuart's pickets. By the 9th he had cautiously pushed out some eight or nine miles further, the right wing, under Burnside, occupying Brookville ; the centre Middlebrook, and Frank- lin on the left Darnestown ; while Couch was kept close on the Potomac at the mouth of Seneca. The position thus taken by Mc- CIellan was a defensive one, on the ridges along the line of Seneca Creek, and was intended by him to be occupied in defensive battle. He had no idea of attacking, and, as far as can be seen, his single hope was to interpose such a force in front of Washington as might best defend an advance from the conquering legions of Lee.

General McCIellan was undoubtedly overpowered by his own esti- mate of the forces, moral, political and military, of his adversary. He knew Lee's character, and his career in Mexico. He knew the value of personality in war, and he knew that those forces were, beyond estimate, greater than his. He believed, and it was not discreditable to an honorable and high-spirited man to believe, that the army which had overcome him before Richmond was numerically superior to his own forces. He so represented to Halleck and Staunton again and again. In the battles before Richmond General McCIellan held under his control for actual operations 115,102 effectives.

During the same period Lee controlled 80,835 men. Yet on June 25th, 1862, MeClellan reported to Stanton, Secretary of War, that Lee's force was stated to be 200,000, and on June 26th he states that the secret service reports his force to be 180,000, which he does not consider excessive. Therefore, after the defeats around Richmond,