ARMY OPERATIONS. 



81 



The day before Gen. Jackson retired from be- 

 fore Hancock, Gen. Kelly, who was in Cumber- 

 land, sent an order to Col. Dunning, the com- 

 mandant at Rornney, to make an attack on the 

 enemy's force stationed at Blue's Gap, a strong 

 position, sixteen miles from Romney, on the 

 road to Winchester. On the night of the 6th 

 an expedition, consisting of the 4th, 5th, 7th, 

 and 8th Ohio, 14th Indiana, and 1st Virginia, 

 with two companies of cavalry and a battery, 

 was sent to Blue's Gap, and made an attack 

 upon the enemy, who, being in small force, were 

 completely driven out. At this time Gen. Lo- 

 rinir. with a considerable Confederate force, was 

 within six miles of the gap, expecting the Fed- 

 eral column to push on and attack him. Mean- 

 time, as soon as Gen. Jackson left Hancock, 

 Gen. Lander, anticipating his intentions, pro- 

 ceeded to Cumberland to Gen. Kelly, and assum- 

 ed the chief command, and thence to Romney, 

 where he arrived on the night of the Tuesday 

 on which the expedition returned from Blue's 

 Gap. Everything was put in readiness for a 

 struggle. On Friday following it was report- 

 ed that Gen. Jackson, in .command of his right 

 wing of ten thousand men, was within twelve 

 miles east of Springfield, resting his men, and 

 waiting for his other forces to get into position. 

 His centre under Gen. Loring, about eight thou- 

 sand strong, was at Blue's Gap, and his left wing 

 of three thousand had moved up from toward 

 Moorefield, and taken position on the New 

 Creek road, some six miles in the rear of Rom- 

 ney. Thus, excepting at one point, Romney 

 was completely surrounded by Gen. Jackson. 

 If Gen. Lander could march north eight miles, 

 to the Springfield crossing of the South Branch 

 of the Potomac, before Gen. Jackson could 

 march west twelve to Springfield, then Gen. 

 Lander could get beyond him, or fight him with 

 ten thousand men, at a less disadvantage than 

 in Romney, where Gen. Jackson would concen- 

 trate twenty thousand. The entire force of 

 Gen. Lander was about four thousand five hun- 

 dred men. On Friday night everything was 

 ready for the march. The sick, the hospital, 

 and commissary stores were sent forward un- 

 der a strong guard, and at midnight the rear 

 guard of Gen. Lander withdrew from the town. 

 It had rained during the day, and the rate of 

 advance over the bad roads was a mile and a 

 quarter to the hour. At five o'clock the next 

 morning Gen. Lander reached Springfield. The 

 men were so tired and exhausted that, after 

 making fires of the fences, they lay down in 

 files on the cold, wet ground and slept. In 

 two hours they were again on the march. But 

 Gen. Jackson, instead of following, went to Rom- 

 ney, and thence retired to Winchester, leav- 

 ing the former place occxipied by Gen. Loring. 

 He also evacuated it after a few days, partly 

 in consequence of Gen. Lander having gathered 

 his forces, and prepared for a march upon it. 

 Subsequently Moorefield was captured, and 

 Bloomery Gap, by Gen. Lander. On the llth 

 of February Gen. Lander telegraphed to Gen. 



VOL. II.- 6 



McClellan, the commander-in -chief, as fol- 

 lows: ''The railroad was opened to-day to 

 Hancock; also the telegraph. Papers taken, 

 and my own reconnoissance to the south, prove 

 the country clear, and Jackson and Loring in 

 Winchester. The enemy have been driven out 

 of this department." 



The failure of Gen. Lander's health compelled 

 him soon after to resign his command. 



The time was now approaching when some 

 movement should begin among the vast forces 

 encamped in northeastern Virginia. With the 

 Confederate Government, which still adhered 

 to the defensive policy, the question was, 

 whether it should maintain its advanced posi- 

 tion before Washington, or fall back on Rich- 

 mond ? Its position was so well fortified that 

 it could resist any attack in front, but would 

 be in danger if either of its flanks were turned. 

 Winchester, in the Shenandoah Valley, was the 

 extreme point on the northwest occupied by 

 the Confederate army, and Aquia Creek and 

 Matthias Point on the southeast. This extent 

 of line was too great to be maintained before 

 the vast Federal forces organized in front. The 

 flanks might thus be turned by the way of 

 Leesburg on the north, or the Potomac on the 

 south, and serious disaster would ensue. At 

 the same time, the farther Gen. McClellan was 

 drawn from bis position before being en 'coun- 

 tered, so much the easier would his army be 

 overcome, and at a greater cost to the North. 

 These and similar considerations determined the 

 Confederate Government to evacuate the posi- 

 tion held by its army at Manassas. This meas- 

 ure was, however, not executed until March. 



On the 30th of January, Gen. Beauregard, 

 having been ' ordered to command" in Kentucky 

 and Tennessee, issued the following address to 

 the soldiers at Manassas : 



HEADQUARTERS FIRST CORPS AEMT OF THE POTOMAC, 1 

 Near CENTREVILLE, January 30, 1S62. J 

 Soldiers of the First Corps Army of the Potomac : 



My duty calls me away, and to a temporary separation 

 from you. I hope, however, to be with you again, to 

 share your labors and your perils, and in defence of 

 our homes and our rights, to lead you to new battles, 

 to be crowned with signal victories. 



You are now undergoing the severest trial of a sol- 

 dier's life ; the one^y which his discipline and capa- 

 city for endurance are thoroughly tested. My faith in 

 your patriotism, your devotion and determination, and 

 in your high sold'ierly qualities, is so great that I shall 

 rest assured you will pass through the ordeal resolutely, 

 triumphantly. Still, I cannot quit you without deep 

 emotion, without even deep anxiety, in the moment 

 of our country's trials and dangers. Above all, I am 

 anxious that my brave countrymen, here in arms, 

 fronting the haughty array and muster of Northern 

 mercenaries, should thoroughly appreciate the exigen- 

 cy, and hence comprehend that this is no time for the 

 army of the Potomac the men of Manassas to stack 

 their arms and quit, even for a brief period, the stand- 

 ards they have made glorious by their manhood. All 

 must understand this, and feel the magnitude of the 

 conflict impending, the universal personal sacrifices 

 this war has entailed, and our duty to meet them as 

 promptly and unblenchingly as you have met the ene- 

 my in line of battle. 



To the army of the Shenandoah I desire to return my 

 thanks for their endurance in the memorable march to 



