following his success at the second battle of bull run (also called the second battle of manassas), lee made plans to invade the north. lee thought that if he took the civil war to the union states, a major victory might convince great britain and france to support the south. he also thought it would make the north sue for peace. this would insure the confederate states of america could remain an independent country. lee led his army of northern virginia into maryland on september 4, 1862. he concentrated his army at frederick, maryland, about northwest of washington, d.c. the story of the lost order 191 and the events of early september 1862 revolve around two sheets of paper.