The Army of the Potomac from 1861 to 1863: An Inside View of the History of the Army of the Potomac and Its Leaders as Told in the Official Dispatches, Reports and Secret Correspondence; from the Date of Its Organization Under General George B. McClellan in 1861, Until the Supersedure of General Hooker, and the Assignment of General Meade to Its Command in 1863Publishing society of New York, 1906 - 359 pages |
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Common terms and phrases
addressed advance Aggregate Present Alexandria Aquia Aquia Creek army corps Army of Virginia arrived artillery asks attack batteries battle believe bridges Burnside Burnside's campaign cavalry Centreville Clellan command communication condition D. H. Hill defense delay direction division duty enemy enemy's eral feel fight Fitz John Porter following dispatch Fort Monroe forward Franklin Franklin's corps Fredericksburg front General-in-Chief Gordonsville Government guns Halleck Harper's Ferry Heintzelman Hooker horses Jackson James River Lee's letter Longstreet Manassas Junction mand Maryland McClel McClellan McDowell ment miles military morning move movement night o'clock officers operations Pope Pope's Porter position possible Potomac President President's railroad Rappahannock re-enforcements rear received regiments replied retreat Richmond road Secretary of War Secretary Stanton sent the following soon Stoneman Sumner supplies telegram telegraphed tion to-day to-morrow troops Virginia wagons Warrenton Washington whole force yesterday Yorktown
Popular passages
Page 45 - I suppose the whole force which has gone forward for you is with you by this time. And if so, I think it is the precise time for you to strike a blow. By delay the enemy will relatively gain upon you, — that is, he will gain faster by fortifications and reinforcements than you can by reinforcements alone.
Page 223 - President directs that you cross the Potomac and give battle to the enemy, or drive him south. Your army must move now, while the roads are good.
Page 34 - That the 22d day of February, 1862, be the day for a general movement of the land and naval forces of the United States against the insurgent forces.
Page 45 - And once more let me tell you it is indispensable to you that you strike a blow. I am powerless to help this. You will do me the justice to remember I always insisted that going down the bay in search of a field, instead of fighting at or near Manassas, was only shifting and not surmounting a difficulty; that we would find the same enemy and the same or equal intrenchments at either place. The country will not fail to note — is noting now — that the present hesitation to move upon an intrenched...
Page 34 - That the heads of departments, and especially the Secretaries of War and of the Navy, with all their subordinates, and the general-in-chief, with all other commanders and subordinates of land and naval forces, will severally be held to their strict and full responsibilities for prompt execution of this order.
Page 101 - I thought you were ungenerous in assuming that I did not send them as fast as I could. I feel any misfortune to you and your army quite as keenly as you feel it yourself. If you have had a drawn battle, or a repulse, it is the price we pay for the enemy not being in Washington. We protected Washington, and the enemy concentrated on you.
Page 302 - General : I have placed you at the head of the Army of the Potomac. Of course I have done this upon what appear to me to be sufficient reasons, and yet I think it best for you to know that there are some things in regard to which I am not quite satisfied with you. I believe you to be a brave and skilful soldier, which, of course, I like.
Page 115 - I have come to you from the West, where we have always seen the backs of our enemies— from an army whose business it has been to seek the adversary, and to beat him when found, whose policy has been attack and not defence.
Page 44 - After you left I ascertained that less than twenty thousand unorganized men, without a single field battery, were all you designed to be left for the defense of Washington and Manassas Junction, and part of this even was to go to General Hooker's old position.
Page 142 - I am clear that one of two courses should be adopted: First, to concentrate all our available forces to open communication with Pope ; second, to leave Pope to get out of his scrape, and at once use all our means to make the capital perfectly safe.