Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 34.djvu/33

 General Tree's Strategy at ChttHcellorsoille. 25

Very soon after General Lee assumed the duties of Coin- mander-in-Chief, in April, 1862. he wrote to General Jackson:

"I have no doubt that an attempt will be made to occupy Fredericksburg, and use it as a base of operations against Rich- mond. Our present force there, is very weak, and cannot be re- inforced, except by weakening other corps. If you can use Gen- eral Kwell's division in an attack on Banks, it will prove a great relief to the pressure on Fredericksburg."

A few days later, when the enemy was collecting a strong force at Fredericksburg, General Lee so informed General Jackson, and further said :

"For this purpose they must weaken other points, and now is the time to concentrate on any point that may be exposed within our reach. * * *.

"The blow, whenever struck, must, to be successful, be sudden and heavy. The troops must be efficient and light. I cannot pretend at this distance to direct operations depending on circumstances unknown to me, and requiring the exercise of discretion and judgment as to time and execution, but sub- mit these ideas for your consideration."

In commenting on the defects in the Federal strategy of ex- terior lines, in the spring of 1862, Colonel Henderson says:

"On April 29th, Johnston proposed to Mr. Davis that his army should be withdrawn from the Peninsula, and that the North should be invaded by way of the Valley. Lee, in the name of the President, replied that some such scheme had been for some time under consideration ; and the burden of his let- ters, as we have seen, both to Ewell and Jackson, was that a sudden and heavy blow should be struck at some exposed por- tion of the invading armies. * * *.

"It was indeed unfortunate for the North that at this junc- ture the military affairs of the Confederacy should have been placed in the hands of the clearest-sighted soldier in America, h was an unequal match, Lincoln and Stanton against Lee; and the stroke that w r as to prove the weakness of the Federal stra- tegy was soon to fall."