The future of the infant Confederate nation seemed uncertain in July 1862. A large Union army under George B. McClellan had arrived within 10 miles of the Confederate capital of Richmond, Va., only to be driven back in the Seven Days' Battles in early July by newly appointed Southern commander Robert E. Lee. Forced to abandon its move on Richmond, McClellan's still formidable army nevertheless huddled on the James River within striking distance of the city.
Another large Union force under John Pope sat poised in northern Virginia ready to march south and attack Richmond. President Abraham Lincoln had summoned Pope from the western theater after he had won a small but key victory on the Mississippi River in the spring. The Yankee general arrived in Virginia full of confidence, boasting to his army, “I have come to you from the West, where we have always seen the backs of our enemies.”
For Lee, the situation presented a dilemma. If his army remained on the defensive, it would have to repel two Federal threats—Pope from the north and McClellan from the east. On the other hand, if he moved swiftly and seized the initiative, he could defeat the divided Federal armies one at a time.
Sensing that McClellan's army was still recovering from the recent campaign, Lee formed plans to drive Pope out of Virginia. Having accurately sized up his opponents, in late July he detached Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson's powerful infantry corps north to confront Pope. Jackson smashed into advance elements of Pope's army at Cedar Mountain on Aug. 9, driving them back on their heels. A concerned Pope then withdrew his troops north of the Rappahannock River to await reinforcements from McClellan's army, which had been subsequently recalled to the Washington area. Lee had no intention of allowing the two Union armies to merge. With the Federals no longer threatening Richmond, he raced the remainder of his army to join Jackson.
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