THE OPERATIONS IN VIRGINIA. 
245 
City. Evading every effort of the enemy to cut off and destroy him, he 
reached a ford on the Potomac, north of Leesburg, and recrossed into 
Virginia with a large number of captured horses, having passed over one 
hundred miles in forty-eight hours. 
When McClellan, in turn, invaded Virginia, Lee simply crossed the 
Blue Ridge and took up a position in front of him at Culpeper. 
McClellan had advanced to Warrenton, November 7th, when he was 
abruptly deprived of his command, which was handed over to Burnside. 
The new Federal leader resolved,in spite of the lateness of the season, 
to move to Fredericksburg, cross the river Rappahannock on pontoons, 
and force his way to Richmond. The result was a bitter disappoint¬ 
ment. When he was ready to pass the river, the confederates were 
strongly posted on the south bank about Marye’s Height. Every 
desperate assault by the Federals, lead by Fighting Joe Hooker and 
other chiefs, was repulsed, and Burnside, who appears to have lost his 
head at the close of the desperate battle of Fredericksburg (Dec. 10-15), 
retired again to the north bank. From every point of view, this was a 
fearful disaster to the invaders, and, early in the new year, Hooker 
superseded the defeated general. 
Lee was still south of the river, about Marye’s Hill, in the spring, but 
his force was not more than 50,000 at most, as Longstreet’s troops had 
been sent south of the James river. Hooker resolved to cross the 
rivers Rappahannock and Rapidan by Ely and Germanna Fords, and, 
by turning Lee’s left, gain the Richmond road while an attack would be 
made on the confederate position at Marye’s Hill by Sedgwick. This 
led to the celebrated battle of Chancellorsville, April 29th and May 5tli, 
1863. This battle was won by another, and the last, of Jackson’s flank 
marches. Hooker entered the Wilderness and constructed formidable 
works, which Lee watched in front, while Jackson marched through 
the wooded and intricate country, and fell up the adversary’s unguarded 
line in the rear, cutting him off from the road by which he advanced, 
and compelling him to turn his back to the river, over which, after 
continuous fighting for days, both Sedgwick and himself had to retire. 
This Confederate triumph was dearly bought ; Jackson was mortally 
wounded by his own men in mistake, and died a few days later 
(May 10th). 
After this great victory, Lee resolved to re-enter Northern territory, 
and again transfer the theatre of war from Virginia to Maryland and 
Pennsylvania. We have not time to discuss the campaign of Gettysburg, 
and it does not belong to our theme, although so closely related to it 
that a few words about its object are necessary. Lee’s army was now 
recruited and enthusiastic, and so elated were the Southern people that 
they supposed there would be a final victory on Northern soil, followed 
by a peace. Lee was not opposed to an offensive war. “ The Scipio 
Afrieanus Policy ” seemed to him better for the South than the tactics of 
Fabius. His theory was that the South ought to keep the enemy as far 
as possible from the interior, fighting on the frontier and on Federal 
soil when possible. Thus, the South would be protected from the 
ravages of the enemy, and the Confederate capital would be safe from 
danger. As long as the enemy was held at arms’ length north of the 
Rappahannock, Richmond, with her net-work of railways connecting 
with every part of the South, was safe, and the government, undisturbed 
in their capital, remained a power in the eyes of the world. Another 
important matter was the question of supplies always deficient ; in these 
