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the same relative position.
General Lee knew that it was physically impossible for
Stuart to pass the enemy's rear and keep up communication with him; he knew that it would be equally impossible if he crossed the river west of the
Blue Ridge at
Shepherdstown, and then (in accordance with his orders) moved on over the
South Mountain and joined the right of
Ewell's column.
How could
Stuart be on the
Susquehanna and at the same time watch and report
Hooker's movements on the
Potomac?
Marched day and night.
On June 22d
General Lee had written
Stuart, ‘One column of
Ewell's army (under
Early) will probably move toward the
Susquehanna by the
Emmittsburg route—another by
Chambersburg.’
So it was immaterial so far as giving information of
Hooker's movements was concerned whether
Stuart crossed the
Potomac east or west of the
Ridge.
In either event after crossing he was required to go out of sight of
Hooker, and to sever communication with
General Lee.
Stuart took the most direct route to join the right of
Ewell's column, marching continuously day and night to do so. When he reached
York he found that
Early had been ordered back to
Cashtown, the appointed rendezvous of the army.
About all this
Colonel Marshall says nothing.
3.
Colonel Marshall leaves the impression on the reader that
Stuart took the whole cavalry corps with him. He knew that
Stuart left two brigades of cavalry with
Longstreet.
4.
Colonel Marshall says that
General Lee, at
Chambersburg, not having heard from
Stuart since he left
Virginia, thought that
Hooker was still south of the
Potomac, until on the night of the 28th he learned through a spy that
Hooker was moving northward.
This is equivalent to saying that
General Lee had lost his head, for no rational being could have supposed that
Hooker would remain on the south bank of the
Potomac while the
Confederates were foraging in
Pennsylvania.
He might as well have disbanded his army.
When
General Lee passed
Hagerstown on the 26th he knew that the bulk of
Hooker's army was north of the river and holding the
South Mountain passes.
If
Hooker had still been in
Virginia there would have been nothing to prevent
General Lee from marching direct to
Baltimore and
Washington.
If
General Lee had supposed (as
Colonel Marshall says he did) that the way was open to capture those cities, he would have marched east, and not north to
Chambersburg.
