Second Chancellorsville at Mine Run?

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Would Lee really pursue all the way to Centreville? He was planning to winter at Winchester before the Mine Run campaign; would he really want to race much further north in the middle of winter, even after a victory?

The question was the defensibility of the position. Before Mine Run Lee pulled back because the geography was disadvantageous. Centreville is quite defensible (it is where Meade pulled back to in October, and Lee refused to assault such a strong position) but prettymuch nowhere between the two is suitable. Had Meade forced Lee out of position at Mine Run he planned to withdraw behind the North Anna.

Lee original offensive launched at the beginning of October was as much to apply political pressure as for military results. There are elections in early November and the Republicans were in danger of losing control of several states. These have come and gone by the time of Meade's offensive ("Mine Run"), and Lincoln was secure enough to deliver the Gettysburg Address. As it turns out, when Meade got to Centreville Lee considered moving up the Loudoun Valley to perhaps move into Maryland, but this is earlier than Mine Run proper.

Lee had options, and wintering at Centreville would be a good one if he'd forced Meade north of the Potomac. By early December though it was a case of where to winter, there simply isn't time to do much else.
 
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