Lee Moves North
The Army of Northern Virginia's victory in early May 1863 again opened the door for Lee to move the main Confederate army north of the Potomac River to threaten Washington, D.C. Lee's decision to take the war into the North was based on a number of factors. Lee wanted to bring some relief to Virginia, which had seen more than its share of battles and was running low on supplies. He also hoped that a solid victory in Union territory would bring the Confederacy some much needed international recognition by proving it was a force to be reckoned with. Finally, a victory in the east might cause Northern strategists to take manpower away from General Grant, who was then tightening his grip on Vicksburg.
Lee's Northward Journey
Lee got things going by advancing his 70,000 troops northeastward from Fredericksburg on June 3. Four days later, Confederate and Union cavalry engaged in a heated battle at Brandy Station, near Culpepper, Virginia. The Confederates won, but they were greatly surprised by the new skill and daring of the Union horsemen, a bad omen for the Confederates.
But on the whole Lee proceeded north unmolested. Lincoln wanted the capital protected and so required assurances the Army of the Potomac would stay between the city and the Army of Northern Virginia. This it did, moving slowly north. Lee wanted to monitor his opponent's movements and, as was usual, asked his cavalry chief Jeb Stuart to be his eyes and ears, keeping Lee informed of movements and developments.
The Army of the Potomac moved more swiftly and covered more ground than Stuart had anticipated, and he became isolated on the far side of the Union army as his own force, the Union army, and the Confederate army all moved north. This meant Lee could not get significant information from Stuart. Moreover, Hooker was replaced as head of the Army of the Potomac by General George Meade.
General Hooker had irked his superiors on more than one occasion, but the final straw came as Lee was moving north. Hooker was in pursuit when he engaged in an argument with commander-in-chief Henry Halleck over the proper use of the Harpers Ferry garrison. Hooker tendered his resignation as commander of the Army of the Potomac and Halleck took it.
Through the end of June, Lee managed to move his army into Pennsylvania, enjoying the bounty and good weather there and threatening Northern cities, including the capital of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. But Lee was blind to the movements of the Army of the Potomac because of his lack of communication from Stuart. For all Lee knew, the Union army was still south of the Potomac River. On June 28, Lee was shocked to learn that in fact the Army of the Potomac was loosely concentrated around Fredericksburg, Maryland. His own army scattered, Lee ordered the parts of his army to assemble at the crossroads town of Gettysburg, setting up the cataclysmic battle there.
