John Dimitry , A. M., Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States Military History: Volume 10.1, Louisiana
Clement Anselm Evans, Ed.

[229] was Stonewall Jackson; its field of valorous action, all Virginia. Before the curtain had fallen upon the slowly darkening Confederate stage, the Louisiana Guard artillery had helped to make the name of the State honored by valiant service on a hundred fields. With the Washington artillery and the Louisiana Guard went also Maurin's active Donaldsonville Cannoneers and Moody's Madison Tips. All these carried their guns wherever the army of Northern Virginia fought, marched or stormed; served them bravely, cheered comrades, and confounded the blue-coats.

McClellan, supreme as organizer and steadiest of fighters for existence, was a doubtful commander in a campaign for conquest. After the Seven Days he had still remaining an effective force of between 85,000 and 90,000 men out of that army which he had made a great military machine. His main plan was to remain near Richmond, his secondary one being the capture of Petersburg. But McClellan was under a cloud from Washington, and Pope, fresh from his vaunted success at Island No.10, was the new favorite. Halleck's latest order gave birth to a military infant. This was the army of Virginia. It meant McClellan withdrawn, Pope seated firmly in the saddle.

In the stagnation which followed the Seven Days Lee had not been idle. Seeing the temporary dismemberment of his old heroic foe, his heart was easy that Richmond, for a time, was safe. Lee at once settled upon a new field on the old fighting ground around Manassas Junction. At the mere name, the army of Northern Virginia stirred through all its scattered bivouacs.

In mid-July, Jackson's corps was stationed at Gordonsville, where the remainder of the army was to concentrate after Jackson, lightning-like, had flitted northward. John Pope was in front with his boasts, his foolish orders, and his unconcealed flouting of our army. To crush Pope had been Jackson's aim ever since Lee had settled upon his advance. Lee's plan had chimed in with Jackson's.