100 



AEMY OPERATIONS. 



drawn by the enemy from his front since those return- 

 ed to Newbern, ana that his whole force is necessary 

 to cover his line. This being in answer to a proposition 

 to follow a movement of the enemy, said to be to the 

 west, with all his disposable force, pointing him at the 

 same time to the vital importance of holding the Mis- 

 sissippi, and communicating the fear that Vicksburg 

 would fall unless Johnston was strongly and promptly 

 reenforced. D. H. Hill has a small force, part of which 

 has been brought here. Clingman's brigade is near 

 Wilmington, Colquith's at Kingston, Martin's nominal, 

 on the railroad at Weldon, and C. Cook's, Ransom's, 

 and Jenkins's have been brought here ; the two last 

 temporarily from the defence of Petersburg and the 

 country thereabout. 



Wise's brigade is, as you left it, engaged in the de- 

 fence of Richmond, and serving in the country to the 

 east of the city. The enemy nave been reported in 

 large force at the White House, with indications of an 

 advance on Richmond. We are organizing companies 

 for home duties, and the spirit of resistance is increas- 

 ing. Corse's brigade, in accordance with your orders, 

 has been left at Hanover Junction. All the artillery, I 

 am informed, was taken away, and the single regiment 

 of infantry, which constituted the guard for the bridges, 

 proved unequal to the duty, as you have no doubt 

 learned. Reinforcements were ordered to go up, but 

 some delay occurred, and they arrived too late to save 

 the bridge or the brave guard which had unsuccess- 

 fully defended it. The Yankees, reported to be three 

 regiments of cavalry, returned from the Central road 

 in the direction of Hanover (old town), and nothing has 

 been heard of them since. 



It was stated that Gen. H. F. Lee was captured at 

 the house of Mr. Wickham, but I trust it will prove 

 to be one of the many startling rumors which the 

 newsmongers invent. The advance of your army in- 

 creases our want of cavalry on the north and east of 

 the city, but except one regiment from North Carolina, 

 I do not know of any which we can expect soon to be 

 available to us. In yours of the 20th you say : " If any 

 of the brigades I have left behind for the protection of 

 Richmond can, in your opinion, be spared, I should 

 like them to be sent to me. It has been an effort with 

 me to answer the clamor to have troops stopped or re- 

 called to protect the city and the railroad communica- 

 tions with your army. Corse's brigade has gone, and 

 Wise's is the only other left by you. CoolTs was in 

 North Carolina, and Davis's brigade was sent to com- 

 plete Heth's division in the place of Cook's ; and Ran- 

 som's and Jenkins's constitute the defences of the south 

 side as far as Weldon, and are relied on for service 

 elsewhere from Wilmington to Richmond. 



Gen. Ely is positive that the enemy intend to attack 

 here, and his scouts bring intelligence, which, if I be- 

 lieved it, would render me more anxious for the city than 

 at any former time. I do not believe that the Yankees 

 have such force as is stated, but they have enough to 

 render it necessary to keep some troops within reach, 

 and some at Petersburg, at least until Suffolk is truly 

 evacuated. Do not understand me as balancing ac- 

 counts in the matter of brigades. I only repeat that I 

 have not anjr to send you, and enough to form an army 

 to threaten, if not capture Washington, as soon as it is 

 uncovered by Hooker's army. My purpose was to show 

 you that the force here and in North Carolina is very 

 small, and I may add that the brigades are claimed as 

 properly of their command. Our information as to the 

 enemy's intentions may be more full and trustworthy 

 hereafter. It is now materially greater than when you 

 were hero. 



Very respectfully and truly yours, 



JEFF. DAVIS. 



The advance of the Confederate army, which 

 crossed the Potomac, was the corps of Gen. 

 Ewell. It passed from Williamsport to Hagers- 

 town, which was still held hy Col. Jenkins, 

 and at noon, on the 22d, entered Greencastle, 

 Peim,., which is on the railroad from Hagerstown 



to ChamhersbTirg. The distances on this line 

 are as follows : from Hagerstown to Morgans- 

 town, 4 miles ; to the State line, 5 miles ; to 

 Greencastle, 11 miles; to Marion, 16 miles; to 

 Chambersburg, 22 miles. On the 23d, Cham- 

 bersburg was reoccupied by the Confederate 

 force under Gen. Ewell. Gen. Knipe, who was 

 in command there, as the outpost of the Federal 

 forces under Gen. Couch collected in the val- 

 ley, fell back in the direction of Carlisle to the 

 main body. On the 24th, Gen. Ewell issued the 

 following order : 



General Order. 



HEADQUARTERS SECOND CORPS, ARMY OF NORTHERN ? 

 VIRGINIA, CHAMBERSBURO, June 24/A, 1863k \ 



First. The sale of intoxicating liquors to this com- 

 mand, without written permission from a major-gen- 

 eral, is strictly prohibited. 



Second^ Persons having liquor in their possession, 

 are required to report the fact to the provost-marshal, 

 or the nearest general officer, stating the amount and 

 kind, that a guard may be placed over it, and the men 

 prevented from getting it. 



Tldrd. Any violation of part one of these orders, 

 or failure to comply with part second, will be pun- 

 ished by the immediate confiscation of all liquors in 

 the possession of the offending parties, besides ren- 

 dering their other property liable to seizure. 



Fourth. Citizens of the country through which the 

 army may pass, who are not in the military service, 

 are admonished to abstain from all acts of hostility, 

 upon the penalty of being dealt with in a summary 

 manner. A readj acquiescence to the demands of the 

 military authorities will serve to lessen the rigors of 

 war. By command of Lieut.-Gen. R. J. EWELL. 

 ' A. S. PENDLETON, Assistant Adjutant-General. 



In order to retain the Federal army on the 

 east side of the mountains after it should enter 

 Maryland, and thus leave open the Confeder- 

 ate communications with the Potomac through 

 Hagerstown and Williamsport, Gen. Lee or- 

 dered Gen. Ewell to send a division eastward 

 from Chambersburg to cross the South moun- 

 tains. 



On the 24th, a detachment from Gen. Swell's 

 force advanced within twelve miles of Carlisle, 

 on the railroad from Chambersburg to Harris- 

 burg. The distances on that line were as fol- 

 lows : from Chambersburg to Scotland, 5 miles ; 

 to Shippensburg, 11 miles ; to Oakville, 18 miles ; 

 to Carlisle, 34 miles; to Mechanicsburg, 44 

 miles ; to Harrisburg, 52 miles. On the 24th, 

 Gen. Lee crossed the Potomac into Maryland, 

 in the vicinity of Shepherdstown. At the same 

 time, the main body of his army crossed at the 

 fords at Shepherdstown and Williamsport. The 

 movement continued up the Cumberland val- 

 ley, on the west side of the Catoctin mountains. 

 The advance was made in two divisions, one 

 by way of the Harrisburg and Chambersburg 

 railroad toward Harrisburg, and the other from 

 Gettysburg eastward to the Northern Central 

 railroad from Baltimore to Harrisburg, and 

 thence to York and Lancaster, in Pennsyl- 

 vania. 



On Saturday, the 27th, Carlisle, on one lino 

 of advance, was occupied at noon, and the ad- 

 vance continued to Kingston, 13 miles from 

 Harrisburg. On the other line of advance, 



