arter ed ▁at ▁the ▁Con ner ▁House ▁in ▁Man ass as . ▁The ▁winter ▁of ▁ 1 8 6 1 – 6 2 ▁was ▁relatively ▁quiet ▁for ▁John ston ▁in ▁his ▁Centre ville ▁headquarters , ▁concerned ▁primarily ▁with ▁organization ▁and ▁equipment ▁issues , ▁as ▁the ▁principal ▁Northern ▁army , ▁also ▁named ▁Army ▁of ▁the ▁Pot om ac , ▁was ▁being ▁organized ▁by ▁George ▁B . ▁McC le ll an . ▁McC le ll an ▁perce ived ▁John ston ' s ▁army ▁as ▁over wh el ming ly ▁strong ▁in ▁its ▁fort ifications , ▁which ▁prompt ed ▁the ▁Union ▁general ▁to ▁plan ▁an ▁am ph ib ious ▁movement ▁around ▁John ston ' s ▁fl ank . ▁In ▁early ▁March , ▁learning ▁of ▁Union ▁off ensive ▁prepar ations , ▁John ston ▁with d rew ▁his ▁army ▁to ▁C ul pe per ▁Court ▁House . ▁This ▁movement ▁had ▁re per cuss ions ▁on ▁both ▁sides . ▁President ▁Davis ▁was ▁surprised ▁and ▁disappoint ed ▁by ▁the ▁un ann ounced ▁move , ▁which ▁he ▁considered ▁a ▁" pre cip itate ▁retre at ." ▁At ▁about ▁this ▁time , ▁Davis ▁moved ▁to ▁restrict ▁John ston ' s ▁authority ▁by ▁bringing ▁Robert ▁E . ▁Lee ▁to ▁Richmond ▁as ▁his ▁military ▁advis er ▁and ▁began ▁issu ing ▁direct ▁orders ▁to ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁forces ▁under ▁John ston ' s ▁ost ens ible ▁command . ▁On ▁the ▁Northern ▁side , ▁McC le ll an ▁was ▁public ly ▁embar rass ed ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁revealed ▁that ▁the ▁Confeder ate ▁position ▁had ▁not ▁been