dier; but
that consummation, which earlier might have been salvation--came only
when the throes of death had already begun to seize her vitals.

CHAPTER XXII.

WAITING FOR THE ORDEAL BY COMBAT.

If any good fruits were to grow from the conscription, the seed had not
been planted a moment too soon.

The whole power of the Union was now to be exerted against the South;
and the Washington idea plainly was to lay the ax at the very root of
the rebellion.

Desultory movement had already begun in the Valley and along the river;
but it masked in nowise plain indication of the massing of troops for
another, and a greater, "On to Richmond!"

The separate corps of Banks, Fremont and Shields were hovering about
the flanks of the devoted Army of Manassas; and the decisive blow was
evidently to be aimed at that point. But the clear-sighted and
cool-headed tactician at the head of the bulwark of Virginia saw far
beyond the blundering war-chess of his antagonist. He prepared to
checkmate McClellan's whole combination; and suddenly--after weeks of
quiet preparation, of which the country knew no more than the
enemy--Manassas was evacuated!

To effect this movement, it was necessary to abandon all the heavy
river batteries, guarding the Potomac, at immense loss in guns and
material; and to destroy large quantities of commissary stores, for
which there was no transportation. But, "Joe Johnston" held the
movement to be necessary; and, by this time the South had learned to
accept that what he thought must be correct. The great disparity in
numbers, and the evident purpose of the Federals to make Richmond the
focal point of attack, spoke plainly to that perfect soldier the
necessity--_coute que coute_--of bringing his army within easy striking
distance of the Capital.

Stonewall Jackson--with Ewell's and Early's divisions of less than ten
thousand men of all arms--was detached to watch the enemy; and the
retrograde movement was completed so successfully that McClellan never
suspected the evacuation. Two days later, his grand array--"an army
with banners," bands braying and new arms glinting in the sun--moved
down to the attack; and then, doubtless to his infinite disgust, he
found only the smoking and deserted _debris_ of the Confederate camp.
The army he had hoped to annihilate was on its steady and orderly march
for Richmond.

Immediately, the baffled Federal embarked his entire force and landed
it on the Peninsula--fo