that without a foreign alliance,
prolonged defensive warfare by an army so far from its base, would
ultimately exhaust the seceding States, without accomplishing their
independence. It became necessary, therefore, for General Lee to
chose one of two plans of campaign: Either to fall back on the
centre of his supplies at Richmond, and stand a siege there, or to
invade the North. By retiring on Richmond he would save the great
labor of transporting food and war material to the frontier, and
would remove the Northern army still further from its sources of
supply and its principal depots. One circumstance, however, would
probably in any event, have impelled him to take the bolder course.
The situation in Vicksburg was becoming alarming. It was evident
the town must fall and with its surrender the Federal fleet would
soon regain possession of the Mississippi. The fall of Vicksburg,
supplemented by the retreat of Lee's army on Richmond, would
dishearten the Southern people, and stimulate the North to renewed
efforts. It was essential, therefore, to counterbalance the
impending disaster in the West by some brilliant exploit in the
East.

There was perhaps another reason for this great forward movement,
founded on the relation of the Confederacy to the principal European
powers. England still made a pretence of neutrality, but the
aristocracy and ruling classes sided with the South, and a large
association of their most influential men was established at
Manchester to aid the slaveholding oligarchy. The rebels were
fighting us with English guns and war material, furnished by blockade
runners; while English Shenandoahs and Alabamas, manned by British
seamen, under the Confederate flag, burned our merchant vessels
and swept our commercial marine from the ocean. The French Government
was equally hostile to us, and there was hardly a kingdom in Europe
which did not sympathize with the South, allied as they were by
their feudal customs to the deplorable system of Southern slavery.
Russia alone favored our cause, and stood ready, if need be, to
assist us with her fleet; probably more from antagonism to England
and France, than from any other motive. The agents of the Confederate
Government stated in their official despatches that if General Lee
could establish his army firmly on Northern soil England would at
once acknowledge the independence of the South; in which case ample
loans could not only be obtained on Southern