Rebel force be sent down the Penin- | bers, usually contrived to bring the

sula on the track of our army; but there was none, and our retreat was entirely unmolested-the attention and forces of the enemy being now absorbingly devoted to Pope. Gen. McClellan and staff embarked at Fortress Monroe on the 23d, and reported at Acquia creek next day; coming up to Alexandria, by Gen. Halleck's request, on the 26th.

Thus ended the unfortunate Peninsular campaign of the magnificent Army of the Potomac. Its unsuccess was due to the fact that the enemy nearly always chose the time and place of combat; and, though uniformly inferior in aggregate num

larger force into action-fighting twothirds to three-fourths of his entire strength against one-fourth to onehalf of ours. Our commander, incessantly calling urgently for rëenforcements, never brought into action nearly all he already had, save that at Malvern the enemy forced a conflict before our army could again be scattered, and thus incurred a stinging repulse, though a large portion of our men were, even then, not enabled to fire a shot. Never before did an army so constantly, pressingly need to be rëenforced-not by a corps, but by a leader; not by men, but by a man.

VIII.

GEN. POPE'S VIRGINIA CAMPAIGN.

be considered disposable. To Gen. Pope was assigned the duty of covering Washington and protecting Maryland, with its great railroad, while threatening Richmond from the north. He had at first intended and expected to advance to the neighborhood of Richmond, and there unite in the operations of McClellan against that city. But he was appointed on the very day' when Lee's designs against McClellan's right wing were devel

GEN. JOHN POPE, having been | Winchester, of whom 40,000 might summoned from the West for the purpose, was selected by the President, after consultation with Gen. Scott, for the command of a force to be designated the Army of Virginia, and to consist of all the troops then covering Washington or holding the lower end of the Shenandoah Valley. This army was to be composed of three corps, under Maj.-Gens. Fremont, Banks, and McDowell respectively; but Gen. Fremont was relieved, at his own request, from serv-oped at Mechanicsville; and, before ing under one whom he regarded as he could concentrate his army, the rehis junior, and the command of his treat through White Oak Swamp to corps assigned to Gen. Sigel. The Harrison's Landing, by exposing his entire strength of this newly organ- meditated advance, unaided, to a ized army was nearly 50,000 men, succession of blows from the entire scattered from Fredericksburg to Rebel Army of Virginia, rendered

POPE ADVANCES INTO VIRGINIA.

4

173

such a movement simple madness. Before quitting Washington for In order, however, to effect at least the field, Pope had ordered Gen. a diversion in favor of McClellan's King, at Fredericksburg, to push worsted army, and to enable it to forward detachments of his cavalry abandon the Peninsula without fur- to the Virginia Central Railroad and ther loss, he drew Sigel from Middle-break it up at several points, so as to town, via Front Royal, to Sperryville, impede the enemy's communication on one of the sources of the Rappa- between Richmond and the Valley; hannock, near the Blue Ridge; while which was effected. He had likeBanks, following nearly the same wise directed Gen. Banks to advance route from the Valley, came in a few an infantry brigade, with all his miles farther east; and Ricketts's cavalry, to Culpepper Court House, division of Gen. McDowell's corps ad- thence pushing forward cavalry so vanced south-westwardly from Ma- as to threaten Gordonsville. The nassas Junction to a point a little advance to Culpepper having been eastward of Banks. Pope wrote to unresisted, Banks was next ordered ' Gen. McClellan, then on the Penin- to send Hatch, with all his cavalry, sula, a letter proposing hearty coop- to capture Gordonsville, destroy the eration and soliciting suggestions, railroad for 10 or 15 miles east of it, which elicited but a vague and by and thence push a detachment as far no means cordial response.' He had as Charlottesville, burning bridges doubtless suggested to the President and breaking up railroads as far as the appointment of a common mili- possible; but Hatch, taking along tary superior; whereupon Maj.-Gen. infantry, artillery, and heavy trains, Halleck was relieved of his command was so impeded by bad roads that he in the West and called' to Washing- had only reached Madison Court ton as General-in-Chief, assuming House on the 17th-a day after command July 23d. Ewell, with a division of Lee's army

McClellan and his lieutenants had of course read and resented Pope's address to his army on taking the field, which they, not unreasonably, interpreted as reflecting on their strategy, though Pope disclaims such an application. Its text is as follows:

“WASHINGTON, July 14, 1862.

"To the Officers and Soldiers of the Army of

Virginia:

"By special assignment of the President of the United States, I have assumed command of this army. I have spent two weeks in learning your whereabouts, your condition, and your wants; in preparing you for active operations, and in placing you in positions from which you can act promptly and to the purpose.

"I have come to you from the West, where we have always seen the backs of our enemies -from an army whose business it has been to seek the adversary, and to beat him when found -whose policy has been attack, and not defense. "In but one instance has the enemy been able to place our Western armies in a defensive attitude. I presume that I have been called here to pursue the same system, and to lead you

against the enemy. It is my purpose to do so; and that speedily.

win the distinction you are capable of achieving. "I am sure you long for an opportunity to That opportunity I shall endeavor to give you.

"Meantime, I desire you to dismiss from your minds certain phrases which I am sorry to find much in vogue amongst you.

and holding them of lines of retreat and of bases "I hear constantly of taking strong positions of supplies. Let us discard such ideas.

"The strongest position a soldier should desire to occupy is one from which he can most easily advance against the enemy.

"Let us study the probable lines of retreat of of themselves. Let us look before, and not beour opponents, and leave our own to take care hind. Success and glory are in the advance. Disaster and shame lurk in the rear.

"Let us act on this understanding, and it is safe to predict that your banners shall be inscribed with many a glorious deed, and that your names will be dear to your countrymen forever. JOHN POPE, "Maj.-Gen. Commanding." ⚫ July 29.

'July 11.

"July 14.

BANKS PUSHES ON TO CEDAR MOUNTAIN.

175

serve his communications with Gen. King at Fredericksburg, ordered' a concentration of his infantry and artillery upon Culpepper, his headquarters, and pushed forward Crawford's brigade toward Cedar (or

from Richmond, had reached Gordonsville, rendering its capture by cavalry impossible. Pope at once ordered Hatch, through Banks, to move westwardly across the Blue Ridge from Madison, with 1,500 to 2,000 picked men, and swoop down rather Slaughter's) Mountain: an upon and destroy the railroad west-eminence commanding a wide prosward of that barrier. Hatch commenced this movement; but, soon becoming discouraged, gave it up, and returned, via Sperryville, to Madison. Pope thereupon relieved him from command, appointing Gen. Buford, chief of artillery to Banks's corps, in his stead.

At length, Pope, having joined his army, ordered Banks to move forward to Hazel Run, while Gen. McDowell, with Ricketts's division, advanced from Waterloo Bridge to Culpepper, which Crawford's brigade of Banks's corps had already occupied for several days. Buford, with his cavalry, held Madison C. II., picketing the upper fords of the Rapidan, and as low down as Barnett's Ford; while Bayard was posted on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, near the Rapidan river, picketing the fords from Barnett's as low down as Raccoon Ford. The enemy crossing a considerable force in the vicinity of the junction of Buford's and Bayard's pickets, both Generals reported their advance; but it was some days before it was determined whether they were intending to advance in force on Madison C. H., or toward Culpepper C. H. On the 8th, the Rebels pressed Bayard's pickets, and his force fell back toward Culpepper C. H., followed by the enemy.

pect to the south and east, and which should have been occupied and fortified by our forces some days before.

Banks, by order, advanced prompt. ly from Hazel Run to Culpepper; but Sigel, still at Sperryville, instead of moving at once, sent to ascertain by which route he should come; thus losing several hours, and arriving too late to be of use. Gen. Banks, by order, moved forward next morning toward Cedar Mountain, supporting, with the rest of his corps, the advance of Gen. Crawford, under verbal orders from Pope, which were reduced to writing by his Adjutant, in these words:

"CULPEPPER, Aug. 9th-9:45 A. M. "From Col. Lewis Marshall: Gen. Banks. will move to the front immediately, assume command of all the forces in the front, de

ploy his skirmishers if the enemy approaches, and attack him immediately as soon as he approaches, and be reenforced from here."

Calling on Pope as he left Culpepper, Banks asked if there were further orders, and was referred to Gen. Roberts, Pope's chief of staff, who was to accompany him and indicate the line he was to occupy; which he took: Roberts saying to him repeatedly before he left, "There must be no backing out this day;" words needing no interpretation, and hardly such as should be addressed by a Brigadier to a Major-General com

Pope, under instructions to pre- manding a corps.

Stonewall Jackson, with his own its numbers, he advanced four guns livision, following Ewell's, had to the front, and opened fire upon reached Gordonsville July 19th, Crawford's batteries; his own diviand, sending thence for rëenforcements, had received A. P. Hill's division, increasing his force to some 25,000 men; with which he advanced, driving back our cavalry and reaching Slaughter's or Cedar feet above the valley, whence their Mountain this day." From the fire was far more effective than splendid outlook afforded by this ours. Meantime, Hill's division was mountain, he saw his opportunity, arriving, and being sent in to the and resolved to profit by it. Push- support of whatever portion of the ing forward Ewell's division on the Rebel line was weakest, until not Culpepper road, and thence to the less than 20,000 veterans, with every right along the western slope of the advantage of position and shelter, mountain, but keeping it thoroughly formed the Rebel line of battle; covered by woods which concealed against which Banks's 6,000 or 8,000

RAPID AN

CEDAR MOUNTAIN.

Explanations:

A Position of Gen. Banks's corps both before and after his advance upon the enemy, on the afternoon of Aug. 9. B Farthest advance of Gen. Banks's corps, and place of severest fighting.

⚫ August 7.

b Position of Rebel troops corresponding with position B.

a Farthest advance of Rebeis in the afternoon, from which point they were driven evening of Aug. 9.

August 2