Gettysburg – Lee Retreats

Lee crosses the Potomac

The failure of Pickett's charge signaled the end of Confederate offensives at Gettysburg. Lee's offensive strength had been used up. The army had tried for two days the break the same Union line, and they had failed. The only question remaining was what would be Meade's response on the 4th of July, 150 years ago today? Would he follow the example of George B. McClellan in the Seven Days and retreat after winning a victory? Would he just remain in position? Or would he attack the greatly weakened Confederate army? Lee kept his men in position hoping that Meade might withdraw from his lines. But as rain began to fall in the early afternoon, it became clear that Meade would not move, and Lee began making preparations for a withdrawal back to Virginia. That night the Confederate army set out, first Hill, then Longstreet and finally Ewell bringing up the rear.

McClellan and Lincoln Argue Over Strategy

Lincoln and McClellan

McClellan, commander of the Northern armies, had been sick for the past weeks with typhoid fever, and so Lincoln decided to call a council of war to take matters into his own hands, since he could not see McClellan. Lincoln wanted to commence operations in Virginia as soon as possible, but McClellan did not think the army was prepared. McClellan was enraged when he heard of Lincoln's meetings behind his back. He left this record of the meeting:

I mustered strength enough on Sunday morning (Jan. 12 1862) to be driven to the White House, where my unexpected appearance caused very much the effect of a shell in a powder-magazine. It was very clear from the manner of those I met there that there was something of which they were ashamed.

They next day they met again, and McClellan was asked to explain his plans. He responded thus:

To this I replied, in substance, that if the President had confidence in me it was not right or necessary to entrust my designs to the judgment of others, but that if his confidence was so slight as to require my opinions to be fortified by those of other persons it would be wiser to replace me by some one fully possessing his confidence; that no general commanding an army would willingly submit his plans to the judgment of such an assembly … incapable of keeping a secret, so that anything made known to them would soon spread over Washington and become known to the enemy.

The clashes between Lincoln and McClellan would continue over the coming months, with McClellan continually resisting what he saw as a premature attack before he was ready.

Preparations for Battle at Bull Run

The Positions of the armies on July 18th.

This morning, General Johnston joined Beauregard's army along the Bull Run. He had been ordered to leave the Shenandoah Valley and his opponents there behind, and bring his army to unite with Beauregard to crush McDowell. He was able to do this by moving quickly on the railroads, and because of the inattentiveness of his opponent, Patterson.

Gen. Joseph E. Johnston

Johnston was a full general, and Beauregard was only a brigadier, so Johnston took command of the army. But since Beauregard was familiar with the situation, he let him make many of the important decisions, while still retaining a hand in the direction of the events. Johnston approved a plan to attack McDowell on the Union left the next morning. Orders were sent out to alert the commanders of what they needed to do. However, the complicated plan was not relayed well. The orders were unclear, and many were not delivered at all. The next day would show the extent to which the Confederate army was ready to make the attack.

Gen. Irvin McDowell

While Johnston and Beauregard were preparing their plans, McDowell was ordering an attack as well. Through the noise of trains coming into the Confederate camp, he guessed correctly that Johnston had arrived with the army of the Shenandoah. He did not wish to try again on the Confederate right at Blackburn's Ford, where Tyler had been repulsed a few days before. Instead, he chose to attack on the Confederate left. So both armies planned to attack the other’s left the next morning. It was apparent that the next day could bring the battle that would decide the course of the war.