. A popular history of the United States of America, from the aboriginal times to the present day. approach of winter,be thrown forward in a sec-ond attempt against Rich-mond. The Union command-er still preferred to advanceby the route which he hadtaken the previous spring, making his base of supplies at West Pointon the Pamunkey. But this plan was open to the objection that Wash-ington city would thereby be again uncovered and exposed to a coun-ter movement on the part of the Confederates. Yielding to the pro-test of the President and his cabinet, McClellan altered his plans andchose Alexandr
. A popular history of the United States of America, from the aboriginal times to the present day. approach of winter,be thrown forward in a sec-ond attempt against Rich-mond. The Union command-er still preferred to advanceby the route which he hadtaken the previous spring, making his base of supplies at West Pointon the Pamunkey. But this plan was open to the objection that Wash-ington city would thereby be again uncovered and exposed to a coun-ter movement on the part of the Confederates. Yielding to the pro-test of the President and his cabinet, McClellan altered his plans andchose Alexandria on the Potomac as his base of operations. Fromthis point it was proposed to advance on the Confederate capital byway of the Orange Railroad through Culpepper to Gordonsville, andthence by the Virginia Central to its junction with the line reachingfrom Fredericksburg to Richmond. The month of October waswasted with delays, and November was well begun before the Federalgeneral with his army of a hundred and twenty thousand men, an-nounced himself ready for the forward movement. On the 7th of. THE PROPOSED ROUTES FROM WASHINGTON TO RICH-MOND, 1862. CAMPAIGNS OF 62. 509 the month, just as the Union commander was about to begin the cam-paign, he was superseded and his command transferred to GeneralBurnside. Right or wrong, the President at last reached the decisionthat General McClellan was a man over-cautious and slow—too pru-dent and too much absorbed in preliminaries to lead the armies ofthe Republic to victory. General Burnside immediately changed the plan of the proposedcampaign. It was decided to form a new base of supplies at themouth of Acquia Creek, fifty-five miles below Washington and fromthat point to force a way by battle southward through Fredericks-burg. But again movements were much delayed, and that, too, wheneverything depended on celerity. The pontoons, which were neces-sary for the crossing of the Rappahannock, were not forthcoming,and a fortnight was lost i
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