December 1, 1863 (Tuesday): Meade Moves His Army

A typical army encampment.

CIRCULAR.] HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
December 1, 1863.
The following movements of troops are ordered for to-day and to-night:
1. The First Corps, Major-General Newton commanding, will withdraw from its position on Mine Run (part of the Fifth Corps relieving it), concealing the movement from the enemy, and march at 4 p.m. to Germanna Ford, where it will take position and hold the crossing of the river until the Fifth and Sixth Corps cross, when it will follow those two corps as soon as the road on the opposite side is clear. It will then form the rear guard, and use every precaution to insure the safety of the rear. It will take post at the termination of the plank road, covering the trains on the Stevensburg road and watching the Mitchell's Ford road.
2. The Fifth Corps will withdraw from its position on Mine Run as soon as it is dark (6 o'clock), take the turnpike, and pass to the Germanna plank road by the left, along a wood road which the guide will point out, and move to Germanna Ford and cross the river. After crossing, it will mass on some convenient point near the ford until the Sixth Corps has passed, when it will follow the latter, taking the plank road to its termination, turn into the Stevensburg road at Holley's, and take position at Stevensburg. It will not leave Germanna Ford until the First Corps has crossed so much of its force as not to need its support.
3. The Third Corps will withdraw from its position as soon as it is dark (6 o'clock), and move to the Orange Court-House plank road and proceed to Culpeper Ford, using a cross-road to the Germanna plank road, and turning from the latter by the road to Culpeper Ford. A guide will accompany the corps. The route is that used by the Fifth and First Corps on the recent march. The two brigades of this corps at Parker's Store and Wilderness Tavern will remain with the cavalry, and take post with them at Culpeper and Ely's Fords until after the passage of all the trains and troops, when they will rejoin the Third Corps at Brandy Station. After crossing the river, the Third Corps will mass at some suitable point near the ford until the Second Corps has passed, when it will follow that corps and take the road past Richardsville, moving to Brandy Station, leaving the Stevensburg road at Madden's and crossing Mountain Run at Stony Ford, a mile below Ross' Mills.
4. The Sixth Corps, Major-General Sedgwick commanding will withdraw as soon as the Fifth Corps to Germanna Ford, and, after crossing the river, there precede the Fifth Corps, taking the Germanna plank road; thence past Holley's and through to Stevensburg to the vicinity of Brandy Station, where it will remain until the arrival of the Third Corps, when it will proceed to its former position near Welford's Ford, on Hazel River. The Sixth Corps brings up the rear of the column that crosses at Germanna Ford as far as the Rapidan, and will use every precaution to protect it; it will throw out some force upon the Raccoon Ford road until it has passed Robertson's Tavern.
5. The Second Corps, Major-General Warren commanding, will withdraw after dark in time to follow closely the Third Corps. After that corps had entered the Orange Court-House plank road, it will follow that corps to Culpeper Ford by the route prescribed, and after crossing the river will precede the Third Corps, passing by Richardsville to its former position on Mountain Run, leaving the Stevensburg road at Madden's. The division of the Sixth Corps with it will there rejoin its corps.
The Second Corps will form the rear guard of the column until it crosses the Rapidan, when it will precede the Third Corps. It will use every precaution to insure the safety of the rear.
6. The corps on the same route will maintain constant communication with each other, and keep within close supporting distance. Those that cross at Germanna will look out for their left; those that cross at Culpeper will look out for their right as far as that ford, and every precaution will be used to secure the flanks and rear from surprise.
7. The trains and artillery will precede the head of each corps, excepting such artillery as may be needed for the rear guard of the rear corps.
8. Corps commanders will so conduct the withdrawal of their troops as to avoid the observation of the enemy. In conducting the march, every effort will be made to prevent any accidental deviation from the route.
9. The major-general commanding the Cavalry Corps will dispose of that arm so as to cover the right flank until the infantry corps have crossed the Rapidan, and the rear, after crossing, by holding the river.
The two brigades of infantry of the Third Corps with General Gregg will remain with the cavalry and take post with them at Culpeper and Ely's Fords until after the passage of all the trains and troops, when they will rejoin their corps at Brandy Station.
10. The pickets will not be withdrawn until 3 o'clock on the morning of the 2nd instant. Those of the Sixth, Fifth, Third, and First Corps will be assembled under the command of the officer commanding the pickets of the Fifth Corps, and will be conducted by him on the route of the Fifth Corps. After crossing the Rapidan the pickets will rejoin their corps. The pickets of the Second Corps will follow the route of that corps.
11. Headquarters will take the route of the column that crosses at Germanna, and will be found on the route between the Fifth and Sixth Corps as far as the Rapidan. At Germanna Ford it will be found at the former headquarters there, and afterward on the route to former headquarters near Brandy Station, through Stevensburg. At the close of the march headquarters will be at the former locality, near Brandy Station.
By command of Major-General Meade:
S. WILLIAMS,
Assistant Adjutant-General.
(To commanding officers First, Second, Third, Fifth, and Sixth Corps, Cavalry Corps, chief of artillery, chief commissary of subsistence, chief engineer, and provost-marshal-general.)

Official Records, Series I., Vol. 29, Part 2, Pages 530-532.

The movement of such large armies was necessarily a logistical undertaking of considerable complexity.  Armies in motion were subject to unexpected attack and isolation, as well as being less able to defend themselves.  It was vital the moves of any one part of the army coordinated with the others.  Meade's movements here in the aftermath of the brief battle at Payne's Farm along Mine Run is a good example.