He wanted to retain the initiative and had a high degree of confidence in the ability of his army to succeed in any endeavor, an opinion bolstered by their spectacular victories the previous day and at Chancellorsville.
Han ville beholde initiativet og havde stor tiltro til, at hans hær kunne klare enhver opgave, en holdning der blev understøttet af de spektakulære sejre den foregående dag og i Slaget ved Chancellorsville.