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Gap, and passing by the rear <>t the enemy. If you can get through by that route, I think you will be less likely to indicate what our plans aiv than it "you should cross by passing to our rear. I forward tin- letter ol" instructions with these suggestions. Please advise me of the condition of affairs before you leave, and order General Hampton, whom, I suppose, you will leave here in command, to re- port to me at Millwood, either by letter or in person, as may be most agreeable to him.
" Most respectfully,
" JAMES LONGSTREET,
' ' Lieutenant- General. ' '
N. B. I think your passage of the Potomac by our rear at the present moment will, in a measure, disclose our plans. You had better not leave us, therefore, unless you can take the proposed route in the rear of the enemy."
In effect, General Longstreet tells General Stuart that he had better not leave the army unless he could take the proposed route in the "rear of the enemy," and his "suggestion" substantially amounted to an order to Stuart not to leave the army for the purpose of crossing into Maryland, as directed by General Lee's letter, un- less he could do so by that route.
It will be seen that the order of General Longstreet to General Stuart, contained in the letter of the former, which I have just read, appears to be controlled entirely by the idea that General Stuart was to cross the Potomac in such a way as would best conceal the move- ments of the Confederate army, but it does not notice the positive instruction contained in General Lee's letter to General Stuart, should the latter cross the Potomac, to place himself as speedily as possible, after the enemy begun to move northward, upon General Ewell's right.
You will remember that the order of General Longstreet to Gen- eral Stuart at the time he sent him General Lee's letter was that he should proceed by way of the enemy's rear to reach the Potomac and cross into Maryland. Now, it must be borne in mind that this suggestion contemplated the possibility of the entire detachment of the cavalry from the rest of the army. To obey the order Stuart had to pass through the Bull Run mountains across the enemy's line of march from opposite Fredericksburg to the Potomac river, if the way was open. That line of march was east of the Bull Run
