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About the close of the year 1862, two heavy battles were fought on the two main theatres of the war,
Virginia and
Tennessee, and were the great topics of the period referred to.
Operations in Virginia.-battle of Fredericksburg.
After
Lee's retreat into
Virginia,
McClellan appeared to be concentrating in and near
Harper's Ferry, but made no forward movement.
On the 6th October
President Lincoln had ordered an immediate advance, recommending that
McClellan should take the interiour line between
Washington and
Lee's forces, and make an early battle.
McClellan hesitated, and seemed disposed to spend time in complaints of inadequate supplies, and in incessant demands for reinforcements.
Meanwhile, to ascertain the position and designs of the enemy,
Gen. Lee ordered the famous cavalry
commander Gen. Stuart to cross the
Potomac above
Williamsport, to reconnoitre the
Federal positions, and, if practicable, to enter
Pennsylvania, and do all in his power to impede and embarrass the military operations of the enemy.
The order was executed with skill, address, and courage.
Gen. Stuart, with twelve or fifteen hundred cavalry, passed through
Maryland, occupied
Chambersburg, and destroyed a large amount of public property, making the entire circuit of
Gen. McClellan's army, and thwarting all the arrangements by which that commander had reported his capture certain.
About the last of October, the
Federal army began to incline eastwardly from the mountains, moving in the direction of
Warrenton.
As soon as this intention developed itself,
Longstreet's corps was moved across the
Blue Ridge, and about the 3d of November, took position at Culpepper Court House, while
Jackson advanced one of his divisions to the east side of the
Blue Ridge.
The enemy gradually concentrated about
Warrenton, his cavalry being thrown forward beyond the
Rappahannock, in the direction of Culpepper Court House, and occasionally skirmishing with our own, which was closely observing his movements.
Here
McClellan's hesitation and timidity were very evident.
Weeks wore on without any decided movement.
The beautiful autumn weather had passed, without any demonstration of moment from the enemy, and now cold, bleak November whistled over the fields and mountains of
Virginia.
But on the 5th of November there was an unusual sensation and stir in the
Federal camp, for on that day a messenger arrived at
Warrenton, and delivered to
McClellan an order to resign the command of the army to
Gen. Burnside, and to report himself at
Trenton in
New Jersey.
The order was unexpected.
Whatever the military demerits of
McClellan,
