They had also come near losing their own capital on at least one occasion.

So here was a stand-off.

The campaign now begun was destined to result in heavier losses, to both armies, in a given time, than any previously suffered; but the carnage was to be limited to a single year, and to accomplish all that had been anticipated or desired at the beginning in that time.

We had to have hard fighting to achieve this.
The two armies had been confronting each other so long, without any decisive result, that they hardly knew which could whip.
Ten days' rations, with a supply of forage and ammunition were taken in wagons.

Beef cattle were driven with the trains, and butchered as wanted.