[82]
Having at a single blow liberated the Valley, Early determined upon an immediate invasion of Maryland and a bold advance on Washington City.
As his instructions was discretionary, he was at liberty to adopt that course, which, at the time was, both in a political and military point of view, the best plan of action that could have been assumed.
The defence of Richmond being the settled policy of the Confederate Government, General Lee had on two occasions assumed the offensive in order to relieve that place from the paralyzing influence of the Federals.
The invasion of Maryland in 1862, and the campaign into Pennsylvania the following year, had relieved Richmond of the presence of the enemy for more than a year, but the tide of war had again returned, and that celebrated city was gradually yielding to the powerful embrace of her besiegers, which could only be loosened by a strong diversion in her favor.
This Early undertook with the force at his command, after the disposal of Hunter's army.
By uniting with his own corps the division of Breckinridge and Ransom's cavalry, Early found himself at the head of about twelve thousand men. Though he knew this force to be inadequate to the magnitude of the work in hand, nevertheless he determined to overcome his want of numbers by the rapidity of his movements, thus hoping to acquire a momentum by velocity that would enable him to overcome that produced by the superior gravity of his opponents.
After the dispersion of Hunter's forces, one day in preparation sufficed Early for the commencement of his advance upon Maryland.
His route through the Valley extended over a distance of two hundred miles or more; but the road was good, and although the country had been laid waste a short time before by Hunter, the genial season and fertile soil had already reproduced abundant subsistence for the horses and mules of the expedition; but the greater part of the supplies for the troops were necessarily drawn from Lynchburg and Richmond.
To prevent delay, therefore, orders were sent to these places directing supplies to be forwarded to convenient points along the line of march.
Staunton was reached on the 27th of June.
This was the most suitable point at which to supply the army, and there Early made a short halt to make the necessary arrangements to insure the uninterrupted continuance of his march.
In this he was ably assisted by Colonel Allan, Majors Harman, Rogers, Hawks, and
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chapter:
Southern Historical Society
Papers.
chapter 2chapter 3chapter 4chapter 5chapter 6
Memorial services in
Memphis
Tenn.
,
March
31
,
1891
.
New Orleans, Louisana.
chapter 9
General
P.
R.
Cleburne
. Dedication of a monument to his memory at
Helena, Arkansas
,
May
10th
,
1891
.
chapter 11chapter 12
The women of the
South
.
chapter 14
General
Burkett
Davenport
Fry
.
United Confederate
Veterans
.
chapter 17chapter 18
General
John
Rogers
Cooke
.
chapter 20chapter 21
General
Junius
Daniel
.
an Address delivered before the
Ladies
' Memorial Association, in
Raleigh
, N. C,
May
10th
,
1888
.
The
Southern Historical Society
: its origin and history.
chapter 24chapter 25chapter 26chapter 27chapter 28
General
R.
E.
Lee
's war-horses, Traveller and
Lucy
long.
chapter 30chapter 31
Monument to the
Confederate
dead at
Fredericksburg, Virginia
, unveiled
June
10
,
1891
.
chapter 33chapter 34
Escape of prisoners from
Johnson's Island
.
chapter 36
Index.
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Table of Contents:
General
P.
R.
Cleburne
. Dedication of a monument to his memory at
Helena, Arkansas
,
May
10th
,
1891
.
Monument to the
Confederate
dead at
Fredericksburg, Virginia
, unveiled
June
10
,
1891
.
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