Fitzhugh Lee, General Lee

[167] he had received information from various sources that Beauregard and his troops had arrived in Richmond; and a half hour later he telegraphed Casey in command of his depot supplies at the White House that “it was said Jackson is coming from Fredericksburg with the intention of attacking the right flank soon.” Six and a half hours later, on the morning of the 26th, at three o'clock, he informed Mr. Stanton that his “impression was confirmed that Jackson would soon attack our right rear,” and added if he “had another good division he would laugh at Jackson.” At 9 A. M. on the morning of the 26th a negro servant who had been in the employ of some of the officers of the Twentieth Georgia was brought before him, and, after questioning him, he telegraphed Stanton, “There is no doubt that Jackson is coming upon us.” At midnight on June 24th he had informed Stanton that a “peculiar case of desertion had just occurred from the enemy.” The deserter stated that he had left Jackson, Whiting, and Ewell, and fifteen brigades at Gordonsville on the 21st, and that it was intended to attack his [McClellan's] rear on the 28th, and asked for the latest information about Jackson. Mr. Stanton replied to him on June 25th, Jackson then being at Ashland, that he had no definite information as to the number or position of Jackson's forces; that it was reported as numbering forty thousand men. He had also heard that “Jackson was at Gordonsville with ten thousand rebels. Other reports placed Jackson at Port Republic, Harrisonburg, and Luray, and that neither McDowell, who was at Manassas, nor Banks and Fremont, who were at Middletown, appear to have any knowledge of Jackson's whereabouts.” On the day Jackson arrived at Ashland McClellan was engaged in pushing Heintzelman's corps closer to the Richmond lines in prosecution of his general plan of advance. The night of the 25th, when Jackson was sleeping at Ashland, McClellan again telegraphed to the Secretary of War that he was inclined to think that Jackson would attack his right and rear, and that the rebel force was at least two hundred thousand; that he regretted his inferiority of numbers, but felt he was not responsible for it, and that if his army was destroyed by overwhelming