132 Southern Historical Society Papers.
bined to mislead McClellan by causing him to overestimate our strength, and the cautious and dilatory movement, which gave Long- street time to come up in the afternoon, enabled Hill to escape with his little band, leaving the whole army of the Potomac deployed before him.
The order issued by Lee and sent out from army headquarters was as follows (Series i, Volume XIX, part 2, page 603):
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
September 9, 1862. Special Orders, No. 191.
I. The citizens of Fredericktown being unwilling, while overrun by members of this army, to open their stores, in order to give them confidence, and to secure to officers and men purchasing supplies for benefit of this command, all officers and men of this army are strictly prohibited from visiting Fredericktown, except on business, in which case they will bear evidence of this in writing from division com- manders. The Provost Marshal in Fredericktown will see that his guard rigidly enforces this order.
II. Major Taylor will proceed to Leesburg, Virginia, and arrange for transportation of the sick and those unable to walk to Winches- ter, securing the transportation of the country for this purpose. The route between this and Culpeper Courthouse east of the mountains being unsafe will no longer be traversed. Those on the way to this army already across the river will move up promptly, all others will proceed to Winchester collectively and under command of officers, at which point, being the general depot of the army, its movements will be known and instructions given by commanding officers regu- lating further movements.
III. The army will resume its march to-morrow, taking the Hagers- town road. General Jackson's command will form the advance, and, after passing Middletown, with such portion as he may select, take the route to Sharpsburg, cross the Potomac at the most convenient point, and by Friday morning take possession of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, capture such of them as may be at Martinsburg, and intercept such as may attempt to escape from Harper's Ferry.
IV. General Longstreet's command will pursue the main road as far as Boonsborough, where it will halt, with reserve, supply and baggage trains of the army.
