The American War of Secession 1863

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1911 Excerpt: ...on the same day as Longstreet. Lee had thus succeeded in transferring the seat of war from Virginia to the heart of Pennsylvania, and placing his army in a commanding position with no army of the enemy in sight. He had marched completely round the Union army, and left his line of communication with Virginia so exposed as apparently to invite Hooker to get astride of it. In the country he occupied he found abundance of subsistence and forage for his troops; and found nothing to oppose him in the direction of Philadelphia and New York but the State militia. Hooker, finding on the 25th that Lee was transferring the whole of his army across the Potomac, did the same with the Union army; and on the l!6th, having crossed the river, he established his headquarters at Frederick. The XI. Corps was placed in position at Boonsborough; the I. Corps at Middletown, supported by the III. Corps; the three corps under Reynolds were thrown out towards the enemy. The bulk of the cavalry was at Frederick, with Buford's division holding the passes of South Mountain. There was still a Federal garrison of 10,000 men under French at Harper's Ferry, and Hooker, considering it was useless to keep this force in a state of passive defence, applied to Washington for permission to use it in conjunction with Slocum'sCorps to act directly against Lee's communications. The authorities at Washington, however, absolutely refueed to withdraw the garrison from Harper's Ferry, and Hooker, taking umbrage at this refusal, complained that he was thwarted in all his plans, and sent in the resignation of his command. This was accepted, and General Meade was appointed to the command of the army of the Potomac in his place. CHAPTER VII MOVEMENTS OF THE CAVALRY Throughout the movement of his army north...