Hey everyone, welcome to episode 174 of our Civil War

Podcast. My name is Rich. And I'm Tracy. Hello y'all. Thanks for tuning into the podcast.

Jeb Stewart's capture of John Pope's dispatch book at Catlet station on August 23rd made it

clear to Robert E. Lee that he had only a few days left in which to strike Pope before Union

reinforcements from the Army of the Potomac began to arrive on the scene in numbers large enough

to change the balance of forces in northern Virginia. So far Lee had held the initiative since he

took the field from Richmond and in less than one week he had succeeded in maneuvering Pope's Army

of Virginia back from the rapid end to the rapid panic. But what Robert E. Lee really wanted to do

was to attack an overwhelm all or a part of Pope's command and at this he had been frustrated.

The heavy rains that had derailed Jackson's advance across the rapid panic at White

Sulphur Springs on August 22nd 23rd had slowed down both armies. Despite Jeb Stewart's raid,

the opposing forces still faced each other across the river in a continuing stalemate. The only

thing that had changed was that their center of gravity had shifted northward from rapid

panic station to White Sulphur Springs. Pope after failing to strike Stonewall Jackson's

bridgehead at White Sulphur Springs had established his headquarters at Warrenton and was guarding the

Rapa Henneck as far north as Waterloo Bridge. To Pope it seemed that the tide of the campaign was

about to swing back in his favor. Heinselmans and Porter's Corps from the Army of the Potomac were

within supporting distance and all Pope needed to do was to hold his position until those troops

came up. Then the two United Union armies could take the initiative against the Confederates.

Robert E. Lee knew that he was at the crisis of the campaign. Everything so far had gone in his

favor. McClellan had left the peninsula and Pope had withdrawn from the rapid an. That meant

Richmond was safe for the moment and that the Yankees had been maneuvered out of Central Virginia

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