Only the II and VI Corps were mobile on June 16, 1863 for the Army of The Potomac. The I and XI Corps occupied Centreville, Virginia. The III Corps set up camp near the old Bull Run/Manassas battlefield. The V Corps rested near Manassas Junction. The II and VI Corps eventually passed through Wolf Run Shoals, where the men bathed, refilled canteens, and soothed their extremely blistered feet.
While the majority of Hooker’s army rested, Lee’s army continued pushing northward. The bulk of Ewell’s Corps had reached the Potomac River, with Rodes’ Division already on Maryland’s turf. Longstreet’s Corps soon found itself marching over unfavorable ground, making the next few days miserable for the infantry. Rather than pass through one of the gaps and filter into the Shenandoah Valley, Longstreet’s Corps continued its march north just east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The hilly terrain, combined with the high heat and humidity, created conditions much like the soldiers of the Army of The Potomac were facing 20-30 miles to the east. A soldier in Longstreet’s Corp wrote, “The dust is almost suffocating. It forms a fine impalpable powder, sufficiently light to fill the air like smoke, and penetrate the eyes, ears, nostrils, hair, and skin, until its power of annoyance is unbearable. Then, when one’s clothing is utterly saturated with perspiration mixing with the dust in a grimy paste; and above all weighs the heavy musket…and the chafing canteen straps, is it strange that one sees hundreds of men gasping for breath, and lolling out their tongues like mad men?”
Hill’s Corps was the most spread out; Pender’s Division camped a few miles west of Fredericksburg, Virginia, while Anderson’s and Heth’s Division camped in and around Culpeper Court House in Pennsylvania. Jenkin’s cavalry continued to occupy Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, combing the town and surrounding farmland’s for food and supplies. Meanwhile, panic descended upon Pennsylvania’s capital city of Harrisburg. Citizens began burying valuables, withdrawing significant amounts of money, and fleeing to other cities to the east and north.
June 17, 1863 found Hooker’s entire army moving north along the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. General Samuel Crawford’s Pennsylvania Reserve Division joined the Union V Corps after spending the last few months guarding the forts in and around Washington, DC.
Lee’s army also continued moving northward. Both sides now settled into a regular pattern; a Corps marching 20-25 miles per day with little-to-no rest. The only “break” in the monotony of marching was around the town of Aldie and Aldie’s Gap, where Union and Confederate cavalry clashed on June 17. It should have been an overwhelming Union victory, as the Union troopers outnumbered the Confederate’s nearly 2 to 1. Instead of using its combined strength, Union troopers were fed into the fight piecemeal. At the end of the day, the battle resulted in a bloody stalemate.
On June 18, 1863, only the Union XI Corps made a significant march. After a 20 mile march, the Corps took up positions in and around Leesburg, Virginia, guarding the fords along the Potomac River. In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, a militia brigade composed of 2 New York regiments arrived, bringing a sense of relief to the remaining citizens. This newly-formed militia was known as the Department of The Susquehanna, and was hastily thrown together due to the invasion by the Confederacy. It’s commander was Brigadier General Joseph Knipe.
On the Confederate side, Johnson’s Division crossed the Potomac River and entered Maryland. After fording the Potomac, Marylanders in George Steuart’s Brigade stooped over and kissed the ground of their home state.
While the majority of the soldiers despised the long marches, a few were able to see through the pain and misery and notice their surroundings. Charles Lippitt, a surgeon in Pickett’s Division wrote, “I was never more struck with the grandeur of mountain scenery than on this march. No other scenery can equal it.”
Also on June 18, Colonel John Mosby captured a Federal courier. The courier was carrying dispatches with the positions of the entire Union army from June 17, as well as the orders for the next day. This information was then sent to General Lee.
Between June 19-21, 1863, the Union and Confederate armies would concentrate near the Potomac River. The 2 armies, which had been fairly spread out up to this point, now had elements within 6 miles of each other. The next week and a half will contain a whirlwind of events for both armies; a major change in command for the Union, questionable decision making by Southern commanders, and a 3-day battle that will make-or-break the hopes of the Confederate States of America.
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