. 4 9 7 ▁soldiers ▁not ▁counting ▁other ▁personnel . ▁Not ▁fig uring ▁into ▁this ▁overall ▁number ▁is ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁Lee ▁had ▁had ▁made ▁the ▁decision ▁to ▁station ▁a ▁whole ▁division ▁and ▁a ▁single ▁caval ry ▁brig ade ▁at ▁Sh en ando ah ▁Valley ▁for ▁protection ▁at ▁this ▁time ▁and ▁these ▁troops ▁are ▁missing ▁from ▁the ▁total ▁estimates . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁aut umn ▁of ▁ 1 8 6 2 ▁last ing ▁throughout ▁the ▁following ▁winter ▁the ▁army ▁faced ▁the ▁Army ▁of ▁the ▁Pot om ac ▁at ▁R app ah ann ock . ▁There out ▁arose ▁a ▁new ▁problem : ▁Because ▁of ▁the ▁necessity ▁to ▁always ▁show ▁its ▁presence ▁to ▁the ▁enemy ▁there ▁were ▁only ▁limited ▁supplies ▁available ▁for ▁the ▁army ▁from ▁the ▁surrounding ▁villages ▁and ▁towns . ▁Any ▁army ▁at ▁these ▁times ▁supplied ▁itself ▁along ▁the ▁way ▁while ▁moving ▁across ▁the ▁the ater ▁of ▁war . ▁Even ▁ordering ▁supplies ▁through ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁rail , ▁if ▁it ▁was ▁an ▁available ▁option ▁at ▁all , ▁took ▁up ▁considerable ▁time ▁and ▁efforts ▁and ▁supply ▁tre ks ▁by ▁w ag ons ▁were ▁potentially ▁pr one ▁to ▁enemy ▁assault s . ▁This ▁left ▁Lee ▁with ▁few ▁options ▁and ▁therefore ▁he ▁gave ▁the ▁special ▁order ▁on ▁December ▁ 2 4 th , ▁ 1 8 6 2 ▁to ▁move ▁half ▁of ▁his ▁art illery ▁into ▁the ▁hinter lands ▁to ▁have ▁his ▁horses ▁better ▁supplied . ▁He ▁forb ade ▁to ▁assign ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁horses ▁to ▁any ▁other ▁task ▁than ▁official ▁assign ments . ▁ ▁On