It was better to fight him outside of his stronghold than in it.

If the Army of the Potomac had been moved bodily to the James River by water Lee could have moved a part of his forces back to Richmond, called Beauregard from the south to reinforce it, and with the balance moved on to Washington.

Then, too, I ordered a move, simultaneous with that of the Army of the Potomac, up the James River by a formidable army already collected at the mouth of the river.
While my headquarters were at Culpeper, from the 26th of March to the 4th of May, I generally visited Washington once a week to confer with the Secretary of War and President.

On the last occasion, a few days before moving, a circumstance occurred which came near postponing my part in the campaign altogether.

Colonel John S.Mosby had for a long time been commanding a partisan corps, or regiment, which operated in the rear of the Army of the Potomac.