Lee's first object was, therefore, accomplished at one stroke and,
as fast as McClellan's troops moved northward, he withdrew the forces
guarding Richmond and rushed them by shorter routes to confront
Pope, whom he had determined to destroy before his reenforcements
reached the field. Indeed, a very neat trap had already been
prepared for that gentleman who was on the point of stepping into
it when he intercepted one of his adversary's letters which gave
him sufficient warning to escape by beating a hasty retreat across
the Rappahannock River. This was a perfectly proper movement
under the circumstances, but in view of his absurd ideas concerning
retreats it opened him up to public ridicule which was almost
more than a man of his character could endure. He was soon busy,
therefore, complaining, explaining, and protesting his readiness
to recross the river at a moment's notice.

But, while he was thus foolishly wearing out the telegraph lines
between his headquarters and Washington, Lee was putting into
operation a plan which would have been rash to the point of folly
against a really able soldier but which was perfectly justified
against an incompetent. This plan was to divide his army, which
numbered less than 50,000 men, into two parts, sending "Stonewall"
Jackson with 25,000 to get behind the Union forces, while he attracted
their commander's attention at the front. Of course, if Pope had
discovered this audacious move, he could easily have crushed the
divided Confederate forces in turn before either could have come
to the other's rescue, for he had 70,000 at his command. But the
armies were not far from Manassas or Bull Run, where the first
important engagement of the war had been fought and Lee know every
inch of the ground. Moreover, he believed that all Pope's provisions