The National tribune., 1904-03-24

Potomac, and the right on the Baltimore
& Ohio Railroad. The right wing con-
sisted of the First and Ninth Corps, under
Gen. Burnside; the center, Of the Second
and the left wing, of the Sixth Corps, un-
der Gen. Frnnklin.0
The uncertainty at first overhanging
Lees intentions caused the advance from
Washington to be made with much cir
cumspection; and it might, perhaps, be
fairly chargeable with hardness, were
there not on record repeated dispatches Of
the time from the General-in-Chief
charging Mcclellan with too great a pre-
! cipitancy of movement for the safety Of
the Capital. The van Of the army entered
Frederick on the 18th Of September, after
brisk skirmish at the outskirts Of the
| town with the Confederate troopers left
| the main body OF Lees army had passed
out Of Frederick two days before. head
ing westward towards Harper's Ferry.
LEES PURPOSES.
1t is now necessary, for a just apprecia-
ton of the events OF the Maryland cam
paign, that / should give an outline Of the
plan of operations which the Confederate
commander had marked out for himself
This plan was simple, but highly meri-
| torious. Lee did not propose to make any
direct movement against Washington or
Baltimore with the Union army between
him and these points, but aimed 50 to
them. With this view, he designed, first
OF all, to move into western Maryland
and establish his communications with
Richmond through the Shenandoah Valley.
Then, by a northward movement, menac-
ing Pennsylvania, the Cumberland Valley,
he hoped to draw the Union Army so
far towards the Susquehanna as to at
ford him either an opportunity. Of seizing
Baltimore or Washington, or OF dealing
damagin blow at the army far from its
base OF supplies. His first movement from
Frederick was, therefore, towards the
western side of that mountain range
which, named the Blue Ridge south Of the
Potomac, and the South Mountain
ranges north Of the Potomac, forms the
Cumberland Valleys-the former his line
OF communications with Richmond and
the latter his line Of manuvers towards
Pennsylvania.
Now, at the time Lee crossed the Po-
tomac, the Federal post at Harper's
Ferry, commanding the debouche Of the
Shenandoah Valley, was held by a garri-
Miles, while force Of $500 men, under
Gen. White, did outpost duty at Mar
tinsburg and Winchester. These troops
received orders direct from Gen. Halleck
| Lee had assumed that his advance on
Frederick would cause the immediate
evacuation OF Harper's Ferry@ by the
4. like the rest OF the army, the ar
tillery may be said to have been organized
on the march and in the intervals OF con
fict. Hunt: Report Of Artillery Opera
tions of the Maryland Campaign.
8. The First Corps McDowelrs ole
command had been placed under Gen
old force, was under Gen. Reno. Sumner
continued to command his own Second
Corps, and also controlled the Twelfth
(Banks's old command), which was place.
under Gen. Mansfield, q veteran soldier
but who had not thus Tar been in the field
fyhe Sixth Corps, under Gen. Franklin
embraced the divisions OF Smith wv. F.
Slocum and Couch. Porter's did not leav,
Washington until the 18th OF September
and rejoined the army ut Antietam. Gen
III. ]. Hunt, who had been in command O
: the reserve artillery on the Peninsula, re
! lieved Gen. Barry as Chief of ARTILLERY
: and remained in that position till the clos
; Of the war. Gen. Pleasonton commando,
the Cavalry Division. The army witt
which Mcclellan set out on the Marylan,
campaign made an aggregate OF IS ,0O'
, men of all arms.
> 6. ut had been supposed that the ad
vance upon Frederick would lead to tn
: evacuation OF AIartinsburg and Harper
Ferry, thus opening the line Of communi
cation through the Valley.'-Lee's Re
: port: Reports OF the Army OF Northern
Virginia, vol. !, p. %.