84 



ARMY OPERATIONS. 



ed from the Rappahannock by a circle to Cum- 

 berland Gap near the extreme southwestern 

 part of the State, embracing the Central and 

 the Virginia and Tennessee railroads, the chief 

 cities of Virginia, and the valley of the James 

 river with its canal and railroads. It was 

 simply a line of defence, and assumed as a 

 necessity in view of the immense Federal force 

 that had been marshalled and put quietly in 

 position. 



The design of Gen. McClellan, as above 

 stated, was, so far as he was master of his own. 

 movements, to attack Richmond by the water 

 line, on the ground that such a movement 

 would certainly force the Confederate army 

 out of Manassas. By the James river, Rich- 

 mond could be approached by transports and 

 gunboats of light draft, and without a long line 

 for the transportation of supplies. At this 

 time the President as commander-in-chicf is- 

 sued the following order : 



EXECUTIVE MANSION, ) 

 "WASHINGTON, March 8, 1S62. ) 



General War Order, No. 2. 



Ordered, I. That the Major-General commanding 

 the Army of the Potomac proceed forthwith to organ- 

 ize that part of said army destined to enter upon ac- 

 tive operations (including the reserve, but excluding 

 the troops to be left in the fortifications about Wash- 

 ington), into four army corps, to be commanded ac- 

 cording to seniority of rank, as follows : 



First Corps, to consist of three divisions, and to be 

 commanded by Maj.-Gen. I. McDowell. 



Second Corps, to consist of three divisions, and to 

 be commanded by Brig.-Gen. E. V. Sumner. 



Third Corps, to consist of three divisions, and to be 

 commanded by Brig.-Gcn. S. P. Heintzelman. 



Fourth Corps, to consist of three divisions, and to be 

 commanded by Brig.-Gen. E. L. Keyes. 



II. That the divisions now commanded by the offi- 

 cers above assigned to the commands of corps, shall 

 be embraced in and form part of their respective corps. 



III. The forces left for the defence of Washington 

 will be placed in command of Brig.-Gen. James Wads- 

 worth, who shall also be Military Governor of the 

 District of Columbia. 



IV. That this order be executed with such prompt- 

 ness and despatch, as not to delay the commencement 

 of the operations already directed to be undertaken 

 by the Army of the Potomac. 



V. A fifth army corps, to be commanded by Maj.- 

 Gen. N. P. Banks, will be formed from his own and 

 Gen. Shields's (late Gen. Lander's) division. 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 



In compliance with this order of the Presi- 

 dent, Gen. McClellan, on the 13th, issued an 

 order dividing " the active portion of the army 

 of the Potomac " into army corps as follows : 



The corps of Gen. McDowell was composed 

 of the divisions of Gens. Franklin, McCall, and 

 King. 



The corps of Gen. Sumner was composed 

 of the divisions of Gens. Richardson, Blenker, 

 and Sedgwick. 



The corps of Gen. Heintzelman was com- 

 posed of the divisions of Gens. Kearney, Hook- 

 er, and Fitz John Porter. 



The corps of Gen. Keyes was composed of 

 the divisions of Gens. Couch, Smith, and Casey. 



The corps of Gen. Banks was composed of 

 the divisions of Gens. Williams and Shields. 



On the llth of March, the President issued 

 another order relieving Gen. McClellan from 

 the command of all the military departments 

 except that of the Potomac, and re-arranging 

 the departments as follows : 



EXECUTIVE MANSION, ) 

 WASHINGTON, March 11, 1862. ( 

 General War Order, No. 3. 



Maj.-Gen. McClellan having personally taken the 

 field at the head of the Army of the Potomac until 

 otherwise ordered, he is relieved from the command 

 of the other military departments, he retaining com- 

 mand of the Department of the Potomac. 



Ordered, further, That the two departments now 

 under the respective commands of Gens. Halleck and 

 Hunter, together with so much of that under Gen. 

 Buell as lies west of a north and south line indefinitely 

 drawn through Knoxville, Tenn., be consolidated and 

 designated the Department of the Mississippi, and 

 that until otherwise ordered, Maj.-Gen. Halleck have 

 command of said department. 



Ordered,, also, That the country west of the Depart- 

 ment of the Potomac and east of the Department of the 

 Mississippi be a military department, to be called the 

 Mountain Department, and that the same be command- 

 ed by Maj.-Gen. Fremont. 



That all the Commanders of Departments, after the 

 receipt of this order by them respectively, report sev- 

 erally and directly to the Secretary of War, and that 

 prompt, full, and frequent reports will be expected of 

 all and each of them. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 



The effect of this order was to put under the 

 charge of the Secretary of War a class of du- 

 ties which had heretofore been under the di- 

 rection of the highest military command. It 

 relieved Gen. McClellan from the supervision 

 of military operations in any other department 

 than his own. He retained still under his im- 

 mediate command the five corps of the army 

 of the Potomac, as is manifest by his despatch- 

 es, dated March 27, to Gens. Banks and Shields, 

 after the battle at Winchester. It also shows 

 that the corps of Gen. Banks was at that date 

 expected to operate under his command, al- 

 though he had then embarked a portion of his 

 army to Fortress Monroe. 



Assuming the distinct command of the Army 

 of the Potomac, as his forces were now desig- 

 nated, for the purpose of conducting a campaign, 

 Gen. McClellan issued the following address to 

 his soldiers : 



HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, } 

 FAIRFAX COURT HOUSE, VA., March 14, 1862. f 



Soldiers of the Army of the Potomac : 



For a long time I nave kept you inactive, but not 

 without a purpose. You were to be disciplined, armed, 

 and instructed ; the formidable artillery you now have, 

 had to be created ; other armies were to move and to 

 accomplish certain results. I have held you back that 

 you might give the death blow to the rebellion that has 

 distracted our once happy country. The patience you 

 have shown, and your confidence in your General, are 

 worth a dozen victories. These preliminary results are 

 now accomplished. I feel that the patient labors of 

 many months have produced their fruit; the Army of 

 the Potomac is now a real army magnificent in ma- 

 terial, admirable in discipline and instruction, excel- 

 lently equipped and armed your commanders are all 

 that I could wish. The moment for action has arrived, 

 and I know that I can trust in you to save our country. 

 As I ride through your ranks, I see in your faces the 

 sure presage of victory ; I feel that you will do what- 

 ever I ask of you. The period of inaction has passed. 



