at Boonsborough or Hagerstown.

"Each regiment on the march will habitually carry its axes in the
regimental ordnance wagons for use of the men at their encampments to
procure wood, etc.

"By command of GENERAL R.E. LEE."

With this document in his hands and with Lee's army divided as it was
McClellan felt that his hour had come. He sent the following dispatch to
President Lincoln:

* * * "I have all the plans of the rebels, and will catch them in their
own trap. * * * General Lee's order to his army accidentally came into
my hands this evening, and discloses his plan of campaign."

The destruction of Lee's army at this time would certainly have ended
hostilities. Gen. Longstreet was opposed to the movement against
Harper's Ferry. He said it was fraught with too much danger. It was
rendered much more so when McClellan came into possession of Lee's
plans. The exact number of prisoners captured at Harper's Ferry and in
its environments were 12,520, together with 73 cannon, 13,000 rifles,
several hundred wagons and large quantities of provisions and other army
stores.

CHAPTER V.

_From Antietam to Chancellorsville._

"Two armies covered hill and plain,
Where Rappahannock's waters
Ran deeply crimsoned with the stain
Of battle's recent slaughters."

After resting a while at Winchester Lee's army began its march leisurely
back toward Richmond, and took up a position near Fredericksburg, a
point about half way between Washington and Richmond.

McClellan was relieved of his command, and Gen. Burnside took his place
and gathered a large army in front of Fredericksburg on the Rappahannock
river.

About the middle of December Burnside crossed the river at
Fredericksburg by means of pontoon bridges and attacked Lee and Jackson
just outside of the town of Fredericksburg.

A severe battle was fought, and Burnside was defeated with terrible
loss. He re-crossed the river and wept when he contemplated the awful
slaughter that had been made in his army. This ended the campaign of
1862. It is said that more soldiers fell in this battle in four hours
than were killed in the entire Boer War. The historian has placed
Burnside's losses at 12,311; Lee's at 5409.

Both armies went into winter quarters, and there was no general battle
until the next spring, but frequent skirmishes between bodies of cavalry
on both sides as they marched to and fro protecting their respective
encampments.

Fr