well, after kernstown, lincoln was also concerned about the safety of washington, so he examined that closer than when he got that promise. lincoln realized mcclellan had hoodwinked him. not only was banks now 75 miles west of washington, but also to make matters worse, when mcclellan was calculating the strength of this covering force, he double counted one of banks' brigades. when the president became aware of this situation, he was justly indig nant. on the 3rd, he clipped mcclellan's wings. counter manned that order for mcdowell's 32,000 man corp at frederiksberg to embark for the peninsula and join mcclellan, and instead, he elevated mcdowell to command a new department, with headquarters at frederiksberg. mcdowell would be answerable only to the president as secretary of war, and would assume the role in protecting washington that mcclellan had intended for banks. lincoln also made banks independent of mcclellan, and created for him the department general in chief. he scolded mcclellan, quote, i do not forget that i was satisfied with your arrangement to leave banks at men as is

actions, and then on july the 24th, they whipped george crook's command at the second battle of kernstown, in fact routed them. from there, stayed in the lower valley. he saw an opportunity. he wanted to avery lonavenge. they burned over 400 residences and buildings in the chambersburg, pennsylvania. abraham lincoln had watched all this, and lincoln realized something had to be done. in fact, reading "the new york times," editorialized, said it is the same story, the back door to shenandoah valley has been left open. and indeed, it was. keep in mind at this point, peter pointed out in a sense, too, this is -- the valley is a place of southern wings. not in vince blt. like they hunted the wood lots here. to northern people they looked upon us. once again as lee had done in '63, we have another rebel army uses the shenandoah valley, and threatens the nation's capital. "the new york times" said there's a back door, that maybe it has to be closed. lincoln thought it had to be closed for a number of reasons. he wired grant, they agreed to meet monroe. what they found out in early's campaign wa