September 9, 1862 (Wednesday): Special Orders 191

B&O Roundhouse, Martinsburg WVA

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
September 9, 1862.
SPECIAL ORDERED,

Numbers 191.
    The army will resume its march to-morrow taking the Hagerstown road. General Jackson's command will form the advance, and, after passing Middletown, with such portion as he may select, take the route toward Sharpsburg, cross the Potomac at the most convenient point, and, by Friday night, take possession of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, capture such of the enemy as may be at Martinsburg, and intercept such as may attempt to escape from Harper's Ferry.
    General Longstreet's command will pursue the same road as far as Boonsborough, where it will halt with the reserve, supply, and baggage trains of the army.
    General McLaws, with his own division and that of General R. H. Anderson, will follow general Longstreet. On reaching Middletown he will take the route to Harper's Ferry, and by Friday morning possess himself of the Maryland Heights, and endeavor to capture the enemy at Harper's Ferry and vicinity.
    General Walker, with his division, after accomplishing the object in which he is now engaged, will cross the Potomac at Cheek's Ford, ascend its right bank to Loyettsville, take possession of Loudoun Heights, if practicable, by Friday morning, Keys' Ford on his left, and the road between the end of the mountain and the Potomac on his right. He will, as far as practicable, co-operate with General McLaws and General Jackson in intercepting the retreat of the enemy.
    General D. H. Hill's division will form the rear guard of the army, pursuing the road taken by the main body. The reserve artillery, ordnance, supply trins, &c., will precede General Hill.
    General Stuart will detach a squadron of cavalry to accompany the commands of Generals Longstreet, Jackson, and McLaws, and with the main body of the cavalry will cover the route of the army and bring up all stragglers that may have been left behind.
    The commands of Generals Jackson, McLaws, and Walker, after accomplishing the objects for which they have been detached, will join the main body of the army 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, &c.
    By command of General R. E. Lee:


    R. H. CHILTON,
   Assistant Adjutant-General
   Major General D. H. Hill,
   Commanding Division.

Official Records, Series I., Vol. 19, Part 1, Page 43.

This is the famous "General Orders 191" which, four days later, would be found wrapped around cigars in a field on the Best Farm outside Frederick.  It is Lee's timetable to take Harper's Ferry.  It leaves open the question of where Lee was ultimately going and how long he could stay in Maryland.  There was no thought of turning towards Baltimore (as rumored in the North), and no strategic objective lay north.  The destruction of rail lines to the west was desired, but it is not likely Lee would have continued with all his force to Pennsylvania as straggling had reduced his numbers low any practical force for such an attempt.  His stay in Western Maryland would primarily be motivated by a desire to free his access to supplies and remove Union forces from Northern Virginia.  How long he would stay would be driven by how quick the response was to his presence there.