This personal description is entirely correct, except that the word “jacket” conveys a somewhat erroneous idea of Lee’s undress uniform coat, and his hat was generally gray.  Otherwise, the sketch is exactly accurate, and is here presented as the unprejudiced description and estimate of a foreign gentleman, who had no inducement, such as might be attributed to a Southern writer, to overcolor his portrait.  Such, in personal appearance, was the leader of the Southern army—­a plain soldier, in a plain dress, without arms, with slight indications of rank, courteous, full of dignity, a “perfect gentleman,” and with no fault save an “excessive amiability.”  The figure is attractive to the eye—­it excited the admiration of a foreign officer, and remains in many memories now, when the sound of battle is hushed, and the great leader, in turn, has finished his life-battle and lain down in peace.

The movements of the two armies were soon resumed, and we shall briefly follow those movements, which led the adversaries back to the Rappahannock.

Lee appears to have conceived the design, after crossing the Potomac at Williamsport, to pass the Shenandoah River and the Blue Ridge, and thus place himself in the path of General Meade if he crossed east of the mountain, or threaten Washington.  This appears from his own statement.  “Owing,” he says, “to the swollen condition of the Shenandoah River, the plan of operations which had been contemplated when we recrossed the Potomac could not be put in execution”.  The points fixed upon by Lee for passing the mountain were probably Snicker’s and Ashby’s Gaps, opposite Berryville and Millwood.  The rains had, however, made the river, in these places, unfordable.  On the 17th and 18th days of July, less than a week after Lee’s crossing at Williamsport, General Meade passed the Potomac above Leesburg, and Lee moved his army in the direction of Chester Gap, near Front Royal, toward Culpepper.

The new movements were almost identically the same as the old, when General McClellan advanced, in November, 1862, and the adoption of the same plans by General Meade involves a high compliment to his predecessor.  He acted with even more energy.  As Lee’s head of column was defiling toward Chester Gap, beyond Front Royal, General Meade struck at it through Manassas Gap, directly on its flank, and an action followed which promised at one time to become serious.  The enemy was, however, repulsed, and the Southern column continued its way across the mountain.  The rest of the army followed, and descended into Culpepper, from which position, when Longstreet was detached to the west, Lee retired, taking post behind the Rapidan.

General Meade thereupon followed, and occupied Culpepper, his advance being about half-way between Culpepper Court-House and the river.

Such was the position of the two armies in the first days of October, when Lee, weary, it seemed, of inactivity, set out to flank and fight his adversary.