Not long before the Gettysburg Campaign began, rations for the Army of Northern Virginia were being reduced. In spite of its tactical victory at Chancellorsville, the Confederates on the south side of the Rappahannock were in serious need of supplies. The farms in Virginia had been the scene of considerable Southern success, but after two years of warfare, they were also devastated. In his fine work "A Study in Command" Edwin Coddington says, ". . . y luring the Army of the Potomac out of Virginia Lee would give his people a respite from the ravages of war and a chance to harvest their crops free from interruption by military operations." Coddington cites Armistead Long and also the Papers of Charles Marshall, a member of Lee's staff. If there was an intent to allow Virginia farmers a chance to harvest some crops, then it seems reasonable to infer that Lee intended to keep the federals entertained north of the Potomac much longer than he was able to do.
Clearly, whether it was harvest season or not, Lee intended to obtain supplies north of the Potomac. And he did. His benignly worded General Order 72 did nothing to prevent Confederate procurement officers from establishing whatever price they thought was the current market price, and local merchants and farmers were in no position to negotiate with a procurement officer backed up by armed soldiers. Moreover, the Confederates could offer to pay any price, no matter how high, as they paid in either Confederate scrip (which was printed on an as needed basis) or paid with a voucher to be paid by the Confederates States of America at some future time (which for all practical purposes had no chance whatsoever of being redeemed). By way of example, Lee wrote to Confederate President Davis on June 23 indicating that sufficient supplies were in hand north of the Potomac to support Ewell's Corps for a week, and another 1700 barrels of flour were available for the rest of the army. He did say that forage was scarce, but that they would have all the salt they would need. While it is true that harvest time was many weeks away, wheat at least was nearly ripe, and many animals were procured, as were medicines and other stores. Of course there was one item that the Confederates did not pay for along the way, and that was slaves. It is estimated that 100's of black citizens, many born free in Pennsylvania, were seized and sent south to be sold into slavery.
None of this suggests that Lee did not intend to win a significant victory in the North. The overall strategic aim of the Confederate government at this point was to support anything that would induce Northerns to vote Lincoln out of office in 1864, and elect a President that would negotiate a peace with the Confederacy as a separate country. Moreover, a victory over the Army of the Potomac would be the best way to ensure that it did not interfere with Virginia farmers in the summer and fall of 1863.