many great names, and strongly Southern throughout the larger portion of its territory in the habits, opinions, and character of its population, was now called upon to decide, by its acts, whether the Southern proclivities claimed for it were only theoretical, or such as to spur its people on to overt acts against the Federal Government. The response seemed to indicate an almost complete indifference, if not open hostility to the Confederate cause; and instead of being received with smiles, the troops were looked upon with ill-concealed dislike. It was not until afterwards that the Confederates came to understand this singular reception. They had entered a portion of the State entirely dissimilar to the lower counties, where the Southern sentiment was powerful. Here the Union feeling was in the ascendant, as in Western Virginia, and little encouragement met the Southern arms. What would have been the result of an advance into the lower counties, where the planters were like those of Eastern Virginia, nearly unanimous in favor of the South, we can only conjecture; but in Frederick City and above that point General Lee was met with little enthusiasm, and received almost no recruits.

There were, however, many exceptions to this want of cordiality in the demeanor of the people. One Marylander fed in a single day six hundred Southern soldiers; officers and men were urged to stop and use the houses and all they contained; many ladies sewed day and night on garments for the ragged troops; and from the houses of a few daring gentlemen waved white handkerchiefs and the Confederate flag. An incident of the time was the presentation of a magnificent riding horse to General Jackson as soon as he crossed the river, which, however, came very near resulting in his death. Frightened by the martial sounds around him, the animal reared violently, and nothing but Jackson's firm seat in the saddle--for with all his want of grace, he was an excellent rider-saved him from a heavy fall.

The following passages from the letter of an army correspondent, written on the 8th of September, presents a picture of Frederick City at the time, and, with some allowance for the

obvious desire of the writer to persuade himself that the reception of the Southern troops was enthusiastic, may be taken as a truthful statement of the condition of things at the moment:

"Frederick to-day presents a busy scene, more like that of a Fourth of July festival than a gathering of armed invaders. A majority of the stores are closed to general admission, because of the crowds eager to press and buy, but a little diplomacy secures an entrance at the back door, or past the sentinel wisely stationed to protect the proprietor from the rush of anxious customers. Prices are going up rapidly. Every thing is so cheap, that our men frequently lay down a five dollar bill to pay for a three dollar article, and rush out without waiting for the change. The good people here don't understand it. Bitter complaints are uttered against those who refuse Confederate money, and it is understood that the authorities will insist upon its general circulation.

"The people are beginning to recover from their surprise at our sudden appearance, and to realize the magnitude of our preparations to advance through and relieve Maryland from her thraldom. Some are still moody, and evidently hate us heartily, but we are more than compensated by the warm welcome of others, who now begin to greet us from every quarter. Only a few moments ago I met a lady who confessed that although she had Confederate flags ready to expose in her windows as we passed, she was afraid to wave them, lest being discovered by her Union neighbors, she should be reported to the Federals in case of our retreat, and be thereby subjected to insult if not imprisonment at their hands. To assure me how true were her sentiments, she introduced me to a large room in her house, where there were fourteen ladies, young and old, busy as bees, making shirts, drawers, and other clothing for the soldiers.

"She was also distributing money and tobacco to the soldiers. Judging probably from my rags that I too was in a destitute condition, she benevolently desired to take me in hand and replenish my entity throughout; but of course I declined, and though I could not help smilling at the ingenuous oddity of the

proposition, a tear at the same time stole down my cheek at the thought of the sufferings which these noble-hearted ladies must have endured to prompt the unselfish generosity by which they endeavored to express their delight in our presence."

General Lee had given the strictest orders in relation to depredations by the troops; and the same writer adds, "though thousands of soldiers are now roaming through the town, there has not been a solitary instance of misdemeanor." A Marylander, Colonel Johnson, commanded the strong provost guard; no Union man was molested; "pay as you go," was the policy of the Southern leaders; and all kinds of property used by the troops, even the fence rails which they burned, were carefully paid for. Never before had the world beheld the spectacle of a hostile army, in an enemy's territory, conducting itself with such perfect regard for the rights of property and the feelings of the inhabitants. The result was soon evident. "Prices are going up rapidly," says the newspaper correspondent already quoted. Two days after the arrival of the "Rebels," they were found not to be such terrible monsters after all; and goods which at first were sold at "greenback" prices, were now held at many hundreds per cent. higher. Recruits did not appear.

Meanwhile General Lee had prepared his address to the people of Maryland; and if any doubt remained of the policy which would be pursued by the Confederate commander, this authoritative statement of his views and intentions set that doubt at rest. The army and the people of the State awaited the document with intense interest; and when it was published, on the 8th of September, at Frederick City, it was seized upon and read with avidity, and had soon been disseminated and read throughout the entire North. The address was in these words:

To the People of Maryland:

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
Near FREDERICK TOWN, Sept. 8th, 1862.

It is right that you should know the purpose that has brought the army under my command within the limits of your State, so far as that purpose concerns yourselves.

The people of the Confederate States have long watched, with the deepest

sympathy, the wrongs and outrages that have been inflicted upon the citizens of a commonwealth allied to the States of the South by the strongest social, political, and commercial ties.

They have seen, with profound indignation, their sister State deprived of every right, and reduced to the condition of a conquered province.

Under the pretence of supporting the Constitution, but in violation of its most valuable provisions, your citizens have been arrested and imprisoned upon no charge, and contrary to all forms of law. The faithful and manly protest against this outrage, made by the venerable and illustrious Marylanders, to whom, in better days, no citizen appealed for right in vain, was treated with scorn and contempt. The government of your chief city has been usurped by armed strangers; your Legislature has been dissolved by the unlawful arrest of its members; freedom of the press and of speech have been suppressed; words have been declared offences by an arbitrary decree of the Federal Executive, and citizens ordered to be tried by a military commission for what they may dare to speak.

Believing that the people of Maryland possessed a spirit too lofty to submit to such a Government, the people of the South have long wished to aid you in throwing off this foreign yoke, to enable you again to enjoy the inalienable rights of freemen, and restore independence and sovereignty to your State.

In obedience to this wish our army has come among you, and is prepared to assist you with the power of its arms in regaining the rights of which you have been despoiled. This, citizens of Maryland, is our mission, so far as you are concerned. No constraint upon your free will is intended-no intimidation will be allowed. Within the limits of this army at least, Marylanders shall once more enjoy their ancient freedom of thought and speech. We know no enemies among you, and will protect all, of every opinion. It is for you to decide your destiny, freely and without constraint. This army will respect your choice, whatever it may be; and while the Southern people will rejoice to welcome you to your natural position among them, they will only welcome you when you come of your own free will.

R. E. LEE, General Commanding.

The campaign in Maryland was thus undertaken to aid the people of that State in "throwing off the foreign yoke" which had so long weighed down their necks; in "regaining the rights of which they had been despoiled;" "to enable them again to enjoy the inalienable rights of freemen, and restore independence and sovereignty to the State."

No citizen would be coerced; no man's property taken from

him; if he joined the Southern army he would be welcome, but if he remained at home he would not be molested. To each and all was accorded the right to "decide his destiny, freely and without restraint."

Certain persons have put themselves to the trouble of attempting to discover a profound ruse in this address. Such a construction of the grave and statesmanlike paper is simply absurd. The advance into Maryland was made for the purpose stated by General Lee, and circumstances wholly beyond his control-against the force of which he could not contend-dictated his subsequent operations. What these circumstances were, will be stated in the ensuing pages of this work.

General Lee had thus advanced without resistance into the enemy's country, and his eagles already began to open their broad wings for flight toward the rich fields of Pennsylvania. But one serious cause of delay existed, which changed the whole face of affairs. This was the fortress, as it may appropriately be called, of Harper's Ferry. At Harper's Ferry a force of 11,000 of the enemy, with seventy-three pieces of artillery, remained, directly in his rear; and it was necessary before proceeding to enter on greater movements to gain possession of this strong point which they still held.

On his trial, General McClellan, in reply to the question, "Will you give a statement of the principal events connected with the Maryland campaign?" said:

"When at Frederick we found the original order issued to General D. H. Hill by direction of General Lee, which gave the orders of march for their whole army, and developed their intentions. The substance of the order was, that Jackson was to move from Frederick by the main Hagerstown road, and leaving it at some point near Middletown to cross the Potomac near Sharpsburg, and endeavor to capture the garrison of Martinsburg, and cut off the retreat of the garrison of Harper's Ferry in that direction. General McLaws was ordered, with his own command and the division of General Anderson, to move out by the same Hagerstown road and gain possession of the Maryland