With winter
showing her bliss the Army Of Northern Virginia takes to winter quarters
on the Rapidan. The battle
that began at Rappahannock Station in November concluded in early
December with a stand off along Mine Run. Federal forces were halted along Mine Run and withdrew during
the night in the early December chill. General Lee concluded that
inspight of the Federal withdrawal; the battle was ineffective and
costly. The Federal army remains intact and in Virginia. Payne's Farm
and New Hope Church were the first and heaviest clashes of the Mine Run
Campaign. In late November, Meade attempted to steal a march through the
Wilderness and strike the right flank of our army south of the Rapidan
River. Maj. Gen. Early in command of Ewell's Corps marched east on
the Orange Turnpike to meet the Federal advance of William French's III
Corps near Payne's Farm. Carr's Federal division attacked our boys
twice. Our forces under General Johnson, counterattacked but were
scattered by heavy Federal fire and broken terrain. After dark, General
Lee withdrew along Mine Run and prepared field fortifications. The next
day found the Federal army closing on the positions Lee had prepared.
Skirmishing was heavy, but a major attack did not materialize as was
expected. General Lee concluded that Meade could not break his line,
which was strong and unrelenting. With
our lines too strong to attack, General Mead’s Federal Army Of The
Potomac retired during the night of December 1-2, thus ending the winter
campaign in Northern Virginia. General Lee inflicted many more
casualties on Mead than Lee himself had suffered.
Mead’s losses are estimated at close to 2000 while our army
suffered fewer than 650 killed, wounded and missing.
General Lee retired into winter quarters there after along the
Rapidan where he will begin to prepare for a renewed Federal advance in
Virginia.