March 27, 1862 (Thursday): Johnston Proposes A Massive Counter to McClellan

General Joseph E. Johnston

HEADQUARTERS,
Rapidan, March 27, 1862.
General R. E. LEE,
Richmond:
SIR: I received yesterday a letter from you dated March 25, in which you give me the President's orders to be prepared to move to Richmond, on the way to the Peninsula or Norfolk, with all the force I can, after proper dispositions on this line.
This afternoon I received by telegraph an order to send 10,000 men instead of the effective force named in your letter.
I beg leave, with all deference, to suggest to the President the expediency of transferring to the point about to be attacked the whole available force of this department. In making such a movement I would leave only such a line of outposts as would serve to mask it.
The division of the troops of this department made by the telegram of this afternoon leaves on this line a force too weak to oppose an invasion, and furnishes to the threatened point a re-enforcement too small to command success. For the sake of expedition I have ordered about 75,000 men from this vicinity by railroad to move to-morrow and 2,500 to be transported in the same manner from Fredericksburg.
Most respectfully, your obedient servant,



J. E. JOHNSTON,
General.

P. S.-Major-General Ewell's division is on the Rappahannock, near the bridge; the cavalry, about 1,100, beyond the river.
The divisions of Major-General Longstreet, Brigadier Gens. D. R. Jones, Early, and D. H. Hill, ten brigades, averaging near 2,000 men, are in this vicinity.
The corps of General Sumner was supposed to be at Cedar Run at 2 o'clock to-day, 12 miles from the Rappahannock.

Official Records, Series I., Vol. 11, Part 3, Page 405.

Told by Lee on the 25th Davis wanted him to send 20,000 to 30,000 men to help defend either Norfolk or Richmond from McClellan's advance.  The President did not intend for Davis to entirely abandon Northern Virginia, but this is exactly what Davis proposes here to do.  On the 26th he sent a message indicating he could bring 25,000 men.  In this letter he recounts orders for the movement of  over 77,000 men (close to his entire force) by rail away from the front.  As with almost all his movements during the war, Johnston displays here a strong affinity for the retrograde.