Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-06-24
THE ANTiETAM CAMPAIGN.
General Lees Plans in the First Invasion
of Maryland.

General Lees Plans in the First Invasion
of Maryland.
The next day we reached the neigh
borhood of Frederick 1 went at once
to General Lee, who was alone. After
listening to my report he said that as I
had division which would often, per-
haps, be ordered on detached service, an
intelligent performance of my duty
might require knowledge of the
Interior purposes and objects of the
campaign.
Here" said he, tracing with his
finger on large map, sis the line of
our communications, from Rapidan
station to Manassas, thence to Fred
erick. 1t is too near the Potomac, and
is liable to be cut any day by the
enemy's cavalry. / have, therefore,
given orders to move the line back into
the Valley of Virginia, by way of Staun-
ton, Harrisonburg and Winchester, en-
tering Maryland at Shepardstown.
Il wish you to return to the mouth of
the Monocacy and efectually destroy
the aqueduct of the Chesapeake q
Ohio canal. By the time that is accom-
plished you will receive orders to CO.
operate in the capture of Harper S
Ferry, and you will not return here,
but. after the capture of Harper s Ferry,
will rejoin us at Hagerstown, where the
army will be concentrated. My infor-
nation is that there are between ten
thousand and twelve thousand men at
Harper's Ferry, and three thousand at
Martlnsburg. The latter may escape
toward Cumberland, but l think the
chances are that they will take refuge at
Harper's Ferry and be captured.
''Besides the men and material OF war
which we shall capture at Harper's Fer
~, the position is necessary to US, not
to garrison and hold, but in the hands
of the enemy it would be break in our
new line of communications with Rich
mond.
"a few days rest at Hagerstown will
be of great value to our men. Hun
dreds of them are bare-footed, and
nearly all of them are ragged. l hope
to get shoes and clothing for the most
needy. But the best of it will be that
the Short delay will enable us to get up
our stragglers-not stragglers from
Sinking disposition, but simply from
inability to keep up with their COM
mands I believe there are not less
than from eight to ten thousand OF them
between here and Rapidan Station.
Besides these, we shall be able to get a
large number of recruits who have been
accommodating at Richmond for some
weeks. l have now requested that they
be sent forward to join us. They ought
to reach us at Hagerstown. We shall
then have very good army; and he
smilingly added zone that l think will
L. III GOOD nf 1tSnIf -
I'm ten days from now,' he con-
tinued, '.if the military situation is then
what / confidently expect it to be after
concentrate the army at Hagerstown,
effectuallv destroy the Baltimore & Ohio
road. and march to this point" placing
his finger at Harrisburg, PENNSYLVANIA,
THAT is the objective point of the cam
paign. You remember, no doubt.
the long bridge of the Pennsylvania
railroad, over the Susquehanna, a few
miles west of Harrisburg. Well, will
effectually destroy that bridge, which
will disable the Pennsylvania railroad
for long time. With the Baltimore &
Ohio in our possession, and the Penn
sylvania railroad broken up, there will
remain to the enemy but one route of
communication with the West, and that
very circuitous, by way of the lakes.
After that, l can turn my attention to
Philadelphia, Baltimore or Washington,
as may seem best for our interests"
was very much astonished at this
announcement, and | suppose he OBJ
served it, for he turned to me and said:
''You doubtless regard it hazardous
to leave Mcclellan practically on my
line of communication, and to march
into the heart of the enemy's country?"
admitted that such a thought had
occurred to me.
care you acquainted with Gen. McClel-
Lamp he inquired. Ireplied that we had
served together in the Mexican war I'M
der Gen. Scott, but that | had seen but
little of him since that time.
He is an able general, but cautious
one. His enemies among his own peo-
pie think him too much so. His army
is in very demoralized and chaotic
condition, and will not be prepared for
offensive operations-or he will not
think it so-for three or four weeks.
Before that time l hope to be on the
Susquehanna. Gen. John G. Walker,
IN Century.