The life and public services of Abraham Lincoln ... together with his state papers, including his speeches, addresses, messages, letters, and proclamations, and the closing scenes connected with his life and death. By Henry J. Raymond. To which are added anecdotes and personal reminiscences of President Lincoln, by Frank B. Carpenter.

STATE PAPERS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

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water. But the direct pursuit of the retreating rv bel
army was abandoned-owing, as the General said, to the
bad state of the roads, which rendered it impracticable.
Som fe ive days were spent at Williamsburg, which enabled the rebels, notwithstanding the 'state of the
roads," to withdraw their whole force across the Chickahominy, and establish themselves within the fortifications in front of Richmond. On the morning of the 7th,
General Franklin landed at West Point, but too late to
intercept the main body of the retreating army; lie was
met by a strong rear-guard, with whom le had a sharp
but fruitless engagement.
The York River had been selected as the base of
operations, in preference to the James, because it "was
in a better position to effect a junction with any troops
that might move from Washington on the Fredericksburg
line;"* and arrangements were made to procure supplies
for the army by that route. On the 9th, Norfolk was
evacuated by the rebels, all the troops withdrawing in
safety to Richmond; and the city, on the next day, was
occupied by General Wool. On the 11th, the formidable
steamer Merrimack, which had held our whole naval force
at Fortress Monroe completely in check, was blown up
by the rebels themselves, and our vessels attempted to
reopen the navigation of the James River, but were
repulsed by a heavy battery at Drury's Bluff, eight
miles below Richmond. After waiting for several days
for the roads to improve, the main body of the army was
put in motion on the road towards Richmond, which was
about forty miles from Williamsburg; and, on the 16th,
head-quarters were established at White House, at the
point where the Richmond Railroad crosses the Pamunkey, an affluent of the York River-the main body of the
army lying along the south bank of the Chickahominy, a
swampy stream, behind which the rebel army had intrencled itself for the defence of Richmond.
General McClellan began again to prepare for fighting
* See General McClellan's testimony-Report of Committee on Conduct of the
War, vul. i., p. 431.