On June 24 he made a hurried
visit to the veteran General Scott at West Point, for consultation on
the existing military conditions, and on his return to Washington called
General Pope from the West, and, by an order dated June 26, specially
assigned him to the command of the combined forces under Fremont, Banks,
and McDowell, to be called the Army of Virginia, whose duty it should be
to guard the Shenandoah valley and Washington city, and, as far as might
be, render aid to McClellan's campaign against Richmond.
The very day on which the President made this order proved to be the
crisis of McClellan's campaign. That was the day he had fixed upon for a
general advance; but so far from realizing this hope, it turned out,
also, to be the day on which General Lee began his attack on the Army of
the Potomac, which formed the beginning of the seven days' battles, and
changed McClellan's intended advance against Richmond to a retreat to
the James River. It was after midnight of the next day that McClellan
sent Stanton his despairing and insubordinate despatch indicating the
possibility of losing his entire army.
Upon the receipt of this alarming piece of news, President Lincoln
instantly took additional measures of safety. He sent a telegram to
General Burnside in North Carolina to come with all the reinforcements
he could spare to McClellan's help.
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