ARMY OPERATIONS. 



101 



of the Rappahannock created soon after, and 

 ^Jaced under the command of Gen. McDowell, 

 became the field of his operations. The division 

 of Gen. Franklin having been sent to Gen. Mc- 

 Clellan, the forces of Gen. McDowell consisted 

 of the divisions of Gens. McCall and King. 

 These forces were in Virginia, southwest of 

 Washington. On the 15th of April the order 

 for their advance was issued. On the night of 

 that day the advance reached Catlett's Station. 

 On the 17th the march again commenced, and, 

 six miles out, the pickets of the enemy were 

 found and driven in, and several skirmishes took 

 place during the day. On the morning of the 

 18th the small force of the enemy were driven 

 across the bridges into Fredericksburg, which 

 place they were not prepared to defend, and 

 soon after abandoned it, having destroyed every- 

 thing of value to themselves which could not 

 be carried away. On the next day the city was 

 surrendered by the authorities. It was so com- 

 pletely under the guns of the Federal force 

 planted opposite the town, that any resistance 

 in its unprotected state would have been useless. 

 The Confederate force which retired before 

 the advance, consisted of one regiment of in- 

 fantry and one of cavalry. On the 23d of 

 April Gen. McDowell was ordered by the Presi- 

 dent not to occupy Fredericksburg for the pres- 

 ent, but to prepare the bridges and his trans- 

 portation. On the 30th he was authorized 

 to occupy it. On the 4th of May the bridges 

 across the Rappahannock had been restored, 

 and the city was occupied by the Federal troops. 

 At the same time when the order was given to 

 Gen. McDowell to advance upon Fredericksburg, 

 an order was given to Gen. Shields to withdraw 

 with his division from the corps of Gen. Banks 

 in the Department of the Shenandoah, and to 

 join the corps of Gen. McDowell. Upon the 

 issue of this order detaching Gen. Shields from 

 the command of Gen. Banks, the "War Depart- 

 ment was warned by experienced military offi- 

 cers that disaster would certainly follow from 

 it. Gen. Shields immediately moved to comply 

 with the order, and on the 19th his division en- 

 camped half a mile south of Catlett's Station. 

 He was ordered then to Fredericksburg, and 

 reached Falmouth on the 22d of May. 



On the 17th of May the following instructions 

 were given to Gen. McDowell : 



WAR DEPARTMENT. ) 

 WASHING* CITY, D. C., May 17, 1S62. ) 

 To Maj.- Gen. McDowell, Commanding Department of 

 the Rappahannock : 



GENERAL : Upon being joined by Shields's division, 

 you will move upon Richmond by the general route of 

 the Richmond and Fredericksburg railroad, coopera- 

 ting with the forces under Gen. McClellan now threat- 

 ening Richmond from the line of the Pamunkey and 

 York rivers. While seeking to establish as soon as 

 possible a communication between your left wing and 

 the right wing of Gen. McClellan, you will hold your- 

 self always in such position as to cover the capital of 

 the nation against a sudden dash by anv large body of 

 the rebel forces. 



Gen. McClellan will be furnished with acopy of these 

 instructions, and will be directed to hold himself in 

 readiness to establish communication with your left and 



to prevent the main body of the enemy's army from 

 leaving Richmond and throwing itself upon your col- 

 umn before a junction between the two armies is effect- 

 ed. A copy of his instructions in regard to the em- 

 ployment of your forces is annexed. 



EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War. 



A few days previously a small force had 

 crossed over to Fredericsburg by order of Gen. 

 McDowell, but the main body of his corps re- 

 mained at Falmouth, where it could sustain the 

 advance if necessary. The enemy had retired 

 only a short distance from the town. So far 

 as related to numbers, the division of Gen. 

 Shields was not needed by Gen. McDowell ; 

 but the soldiers of the former had been on 

 many a hard field, while those of the latter had 

 hardly stood the shock of battle. The division, 

 of Gen. Shields, just from a march of one 

 hundred and ten miles, was appointed to take 

 the advance upon the enemy. This division 

 consisted of the following brigades: first bri- 

 gade, Gen. Kimball, 4th and 8th Ohio, 14th 

 Indiana, and 7th Virginia ; second brigade, Gen. 

 Terry, 7th, 29th, and 66th Ohio, and 7th Indi- 

 ana ; third brigade, Gen. Tyler, 5th Ohio, 1st 

 Virginia, 84th and 110th Pennsylvania; fourth 

 brigade, Col. Carroll acting brig.-gen., 7th and 

 62d Ohio, 13th Indiana, and 39th Illinois. 



On Saturday evening, May 24, the order 

 was received for the division of Gen. Shields 

 and other forces, to fall back. 



The following was the order : 



WASHINGTON, May 24, 1S62. 

 Maj.- Gen. McDowell : 



Gen. Fremont has been ordered, by telegraph, to 

 move to Franklin and Harrisonburg, to relieve Gen. 

 Banks, and capture or destroy Jackson and Ewell's 

 forces. You are instructed, laying aside for the pres- 

 ent the movement on Richmond, to put twenty thou- 

 sand men in motion at once for the Shenandoah, moving 

 on the line, or in advance of the line, of the Manassaa 

 Gap railroad. Your object will be to capture the 

 force of Jackson and Ewell, either in cooperation with 

 Gen. Fremont, or, in case want of supplies or trans- 

 portation interfered with his movement, it is be- 

 lieved that the force which you move will be sufficient 

 to accomplish the object alone. The information thus 

 far received here makes it probable that, if the enemy 

 operates actively against Gen. Banks, you will not be 

 able to count upon much assistance from him, but may 

 have even to release him. Reports received this mo- 

 ment are that Banks is fighting with Ewell, eight miles 

 from Harper's Ferry. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 



The reply of Gen. McDowell to this order 

 was as follows : 



HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT or TITB RAPPAHANNOCK, 

 May 24, 1662. f 



Hon. E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War : 



The President's order has been received, and is in 

 process of execution. This is a crushing blow to us. 

 IRVIN McDOWELL, Major-General. 



To this the President responded as follows : 



"WASHINGTON, May 24, 1S62. 

 Maj.-Gen. McDowell : 



I am highly gratified by your alacrity in obeying my 

 orders. The" change was " as painful to me as it can 

 possibly be to you or to any one. 



Everything now depends upon the celerity^and vigor 

 of your movements. A.LINCOLN. 



The reply of Gen. McDowell to this mes- 

 sage is important, as showing the probabilities 



