At the beginning of 1862 the loyal people became very impatient of the immobility of the immense Army of the Potomac, and from every quarter was heard the cry, “Push on to
Richmond!”
Edwin M. Stanton succeeded
Mr. Cameron as
Secretary of War, Jan. 13, 1862, and the
President issued a
general order, Jan. 27, in which he directed a general forward movement of all the land and naval forces on Feb. 22 following.
This order sent a thrill of joy through the heart of the loyal people, and it was heightened when an order directed
McClellan to move against the inferior Confederate force at
Manassas.
McClellan remonstrated, and proposed to take his great army to
Richmond by the circuitous route of
Fort Monroe and the
Virginia peninsula.
The President finally yielded, and the movement by the longer route was begun.
After the
Confederates had voluntarily evacuated
Manassas, the army was first moved in that direction, not, as the
commander-in-chief said, to pursue them and take
Richmond, but to give his troops “a little active experience before beginning the campaign.”
The “promenade,” as one of his French aides called it, disappointed the people, and the cry was resumed, “On to
Richmond!”
The Army of the Potomac did not begin its march to
Richmond until April.
The President, satisfied that
General McClellan's official burdens were greater than he could profitably bear, kindly relieved him of the chief care of the armies, and gave him, March 11, the command of only the Department of the Potomac.
While
Hooker and
Lee were contending near
Chancellorsville (q. v.), a greater part of the cavalry of the Army of
[
22]
the
Potomac was raiding on the communications of
Lee's army with
Richmond.
Stoneman, with 10,000 men, at first performed this service.
He rode rapidly, crossing rivers, and along rough roads, and struck the Virginia Central Railway near Louisa Court-house, destroying much of it before daylight.
They were only slightly opposed, and at midnight of May 2, 1863, the raiders were divided for separate work.
On the morning of the 3d one party destroyed canal-boats, bridges, and Confederate supplies at
Columbia, on the
James River.
Colonel Kilpatrick, with another party, struck the Fredericksburg Railway at Hungary Station and destroyed the depot and railway there, and, sweeping down within 2 miles of
Richmond, captured a lieutenant and eleven men within the
Confederate works of that capital.
Then he struck the Virginia Central Railway at Meadows Bridge, on the
Chickahominy; and thence pushed on, destroying Confederate property, to
Gloucester Point, on the
York River.
Another party, under
Lieutenant-Colonel Davis, destroyed the station and railway at Hanover Court-house, and followed the road to within 7 miles of
Richmond, and also pushed on to
Gloucester Point.
Another party, under
Gregg and
Buford, destroyed the railway property at
Hanover Junction.
They all returned to the
Rappahannock by May 8; but they had not effected the errand they were sent upon—namely, the complete destruction of
Lee's communications with
Richmond.
Three days after
General Lee escaped into
Virginia, July 17-18, 1863,
General Meade crossed the
Potomac to follow his flying antagonist.
The
Nationals marched rapidly along the eastern base of the
Blue Ridge, while the
Confederates went rapidly up the Shenandoah Valley, after trying to check
Meade by threatening to re-enter
Maryland.
Failing in this,
Lee hastened to oppose a movement that menaced his front and flank, and threatened to cut off his retreat to
Richmond.
During that exciting race there were several skirmishes in the mountain-passes.
Finally
Lee, by a quick and skilful movement, while
Meade was detained at Manassas Gap by a heavy skirmish, dashed through
Chester Gap, and, crossing the
Rappahannock, took a position between that stream and the
Rapidan.
For a while the opposing armies rested.
Meade advanced cautiously, and at the middle of September he crossed the
Rappahannock, and drove
Lee beyond the
Rapidan, where the latter took a strong defensive position.
Here ended the race towards
Richmond.
Meanwhile the cavalry of
Buford and
Kilpatrick had been active between the two rivers, and had frequent skirmishes with
Stuart's mounted force.
Troops had been drawn from each army and sent to other fields of service, and
Lee was compelled to take a defensive position.
His defenses were too strong for a prudent commander to assail directly.
See
Richmond, campaign against.