140 



AEMY OPERATIONS. 



welcome from the citizens of Maryland as to 

 give any hope that the State would, under any 

 circumstances, rise in opposition to the Federal 

 Government. On the contrary the people had 

 shown that it was the Government of their 

 choice. Very few recruits had joined the Con- 

 federate army, and no contributions of import- 

 ance had been made to it. The following is a 

 copy of Gen. Lee's order of march, found at 

 Frederick, on the 13th of September. It dis- 

 closes his plans : 



[CONFIDENTIAL.] 



HEADQUARTERS, AEMY OP NORTHERN VIRGINIA, I . 

 Sept. 9, 1862. f 



Special Order, No. 191. 



III. The army will resume its march to-morrow, 

 taking the Hagerstown road. Gen. Jackson's com- 

 mand will form the advance, and after passing Middle- 

 ton with such portion as he may select, take the route 

 toward Sharpsburg, cross the Potomac at the most 

 convenient point, and by Friday morning take posses- 

 sion of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, capture such 

 of the enemy as may be at Martinsburg, and intercept 

 such as may attempt to escape from Harper's Ferry. 



IV. Gen. Longstreet's command will pursue the 

 main road as far as Boonsboro', where it will halt with 

 reserve, supply, and baggage trains of the army. 



V. Gen. McLaws, with his own division and that of 

 Gen. R. H. Anderson, will follow Gen. Longstreet, on 

 reaching Middletpn will take the route to Harper's 

 Ferry, and by Friday morning possess himself of the 

 Maryland Heights, and endeavor to capture the enemy 

 at Harper's Ferry and vicinity. 



VI. Gen. Walker with his division, after accomplish- 

 ing the object in which he is now engaged, will cross 

 the Potomac at Check's Ford, ascend its right bank to 

 Lovettsville, take possession of Loudon Heights, if 

 praticable, by Friday morning, keep the ford on his 

 left, and the road between the end of mountain and the 

 Potomac on his right. He will, as far as practicable, 

 cooperate with Gen. McLaws and Gen. Jackson in in- 

 tercepting the retreat of the enemy. 



VII. Gen. D. H. Hill's division will form the rear 

 guard of the army, pursuing the road taken by the 

 main body. The reserve artillery, ordnance, and sup- 

 ply trains will precede Gen. Hill. 



VIII. Gen. Stuart will detach a squadron of cavalry 

 to accompany the commands of Gens. Longstreet, 

 Jackson, and McLaws, and with the main body of the 

 cavalry will cover the route of the army, and bring up 

 all stragglers that may have been left behind. 



IX. The commands of Gens. Jackson, McLaws, and 

 Walker, after accomplishing the objects for which 

 they have attached [been detached?], will join the main 

 body of the army at Boonsboro' or Hagerstown. 



X. Each regiment on the march, willnabitually carry 

 its axes in the regimental ordnance wagons for use of 

 the men at their encampments to procure wood, &c. 



By command of Gen. R. E. LEE. 

 (Signed) R. H. CHILTON, A. A.-General. 



ForMaj.-Gen. D. H. HILL, Comd'g Division. 



It is clear from this order that Gen. Lee in- 

 tended first to capture the garrison at Harper's 

 Ferry, and then to enter Pennsylvania by the 

 Cumberland Valley ; at all events, that he had 

 no idea of abandoning Maryland until forced to 

 do so by the battles of South Mountain and 

 Antietam. He evacuated Frederick, and taking 

 the road to Hagerstown crossed the Catoctin 

 Mountains, passed through the valley in which 

 Middletown is situated, and drew up his forces 

 along the crest of South Mountain there to await 

 the advance of Gen. McClellan. At the same 

 time he detached a portion of his force, amount- 



ing to twenty-five thousand men, and sent them 

 to Harper's Ferry by the route of Williamsport, 

 where they crossed the Potomac. The chief 

 command of this force was given to Gen. Jack- 

 son. It embraced his division with those of 

 Gens. A. P. Hill and Walker, and one or two 

 others. By this route, although longer, they 

 were more certain to reach Harper's Ferry with- 

 out the knowledge of the Federal Government 

 than if their movement had been more direct. 

 The distance from Frederick to "Williamsport 

 was thirty miles, and from Williamsport to 

 Harper's Ferry thirty miles. 



The advance of Gen. McClellan entered Fred- 

 erick on the 12th, and he immediately sent for- 

 ward cavalry and artillery to follow and harass 

 the Confederate rear. Gen. Pleasanton was in 

 command of the cavalry, and several skirmishes 

 took place during the succeeding days. The line 

 of the Federal army extended from the Potomac 

 river in the region of Point of Rocks in a north- 

 easterly direction to the region near Frederick, 

 and thence in an easterly and southerly direc- 

 tion along the Baltimore and Ohio railroad to 

 Baltimore. On Saturday the 13th, the main 

 column of Gen. McClellan's army reached 

 Frederick, and was received with the highest 

 demonstrations and encamped two miles be- 

 yond. The same afternoon the Confederate 

 rear was driven by his advance out of Middle- 

 town, which was held by the latter during the 

 night. " West of Frederick and running nearly 

 due south is the Catoctin range of mountains, 

 a continuation of the Blue Ridge. On the 

 south it terminates in Maryland at Point of 

 Rocks, but still continues in Virginia. On the 

 north it unites at the Pennsylvania State line 

 with the South Mountain range, which, tending 

 to the southwest, slopes down to the Potomac 

 at Knoxville four miles east of Harper's Ferry. 

 Between these two ranges, nestles the loveliest 

 valley in Maryland the valley of Catoctin. 

 The village of Middletown, ten miles from Fred- 

 erick, is in the centre of this valley. On Sunday 

 morning, the 15th, the Confederate army Avere 

 found posted on the east side of the South 

 Blue Ridge Mountain and stretching on a line 

 from north to south from points immediately 

 opposite Middletown and Jefferson, both of 

 which villages are about eight miles from Fred- 

 erick. Middletown is on the road to Hagers- 

 town and Jefferson on the direct road to Har- 

 per's Ferry. The right of the Federal army, at 

 that time under Gen. Burnside, rested on Mid- 

 dletown, and the left under Gen. Franklin on 

 Jefferson. Early in the morning, the advance 

 beyond Middletown overtook the Confederate 

 rear, who retreated slowly, contesting the road 

 toward Boonsboro' step by step. The conflict 

 that ensued during the morning was chiefly 

 with artillery, and came to closer quarters in 

 the afternoon. At this time the Confederate 

 line of battle was formed with the left rest- 

 ing upon Turner's Gap and the turnpike road 

 toward Hagerstown which passes through the 

 gap, and the right covering Crampton's Gap. 



