Fitzhugh Lee, General Lee

[180] The movements of the Southern general had been delayed because he did not desire to risk the detachment of too many troops from Richmond lines until he had a reasonable confidence that McClellan's offensive operations were at an end. Four days after Jackson's fight he determined to transfer the theater of action to Pope's front, and accordingly ordered Major-General Longstreet, with ten brigades, commanded by Kemper, Jenkins, Wilcox, Pryor, Featherstone, D. R. Jones, Toombs, Drayton, and Evans, to Gordonsville, and on the same day Hood, with his own and Whiting's brigades, was sent to the same place. Two days afterward-namely, August 15th-General Lee proceeded in person to join Longstreet and Jackson. He was distressed at being deprived of the services of Richmond, his cheval de bataille, in the approaching campaign. His favorite riding mare was a sorrel called Grace Darling. When the war began he had her sent down from Arlington to the White House. He writes that he heard of Grace. She was seen bestridden by some of the Federal soldiers, with her colt by her side, and adds that he could have been better resigned to many things than that. “I have also lost my horse Richmond.” (Presented to him by some citizens of Richmond.) “He died Thursday. I had ridden him the day before. He seemed in the morning as well as ever; but I discovered in the evening he was not well. I thought he was merely distressed by the heat, and brought him along very slowly. Finding at bedtime he had not recovered, I had him bled, which seemed to relieve him. In the morning he was pronounced better; at noon he was reported dead. His labors are over and he is at rest. He carried me very faithfully, and I shall never have so beautiful an animal again. His fate is different from Grace's, and to his loss I can easily be resigned. I shall want but few horses more, and have as many as I require.”

Three days after Longstreet, and one day after Lee left, McClellan telegraphed (August 16th) Halleck: “Movement has commenced by land and water. All sick will be away to-morrow night. Everything being done to carry out your orders. I do not like Jackson's movements. He will suddenly appear when least expected.”