£l5 THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. Southern army. Ills advance was already at Hanover Court House, and liis corps, increased by Whiting's division, was estimated al 30,000 men. The federal attack upon Richmond could no longer bo prosecuted ; the presence » f Jackson at Hanover Court House proved that he intended to attack our communications, and cut them olf by seizing the York river railway. The manoeuvre was soon put beyond a doubt. A considerable body of troops were seen to leave Richmond, move in the direction of Jackson, and execute that movement to turn us, the danger of which we have already pointed out. Profiting by his numerical superiority, the enemy offered us battle on both sides of the river at once. All the chances of success were in his favor. Let the reader recall the figure V which we used in describing the battle of Fair Oaks. The situation of the army of McClellan is the same now as then, excepting that the two arms of the V are now connected by bridges, which offer all necessary facilities for transporting the different corps rapidly from one bank of the river to the other. The federal main body, composed of eight divisions, but considerably reduced in effective strength, is upon the left arm of the V—the right bank, that is, of tbo Chickahominy, and occupies the entrenchments which front Richmond. Before these troops lies the mass of the hostile army, also established in entrenched positions. Upon the right arm of the V, or the left bank of the river, lies the federal General Fitz, John Porter, with two di visions and the regular reserves. Against him it was that Jackson inarched with the corps oi' General Hill from Richmond, the whole being under the orders of General Lee, who had. succeeded Johnston in the chief command. Substantially, then, the Army of the Potomac was about to engage two armies each eepud in force to itself Battles have sometimes been won in such circumstances. But no one should
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