Lee ordered his commanders to deal harshly with stragglers, whom he considered cowards "who desert their comrades in peril" and were therefore "unworthy members of an army that has immortalized itself" in its recent campaigns.
Lee gav sine generaler ordre til at behandle strejfere strengt idet han betragtede dem som kujoner, "som svigter deres kammerater i farens stund" og derfor var "uværdige medlemmer af en hær, som har udødeliggjort sig selv" i dens seneste felttog.