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At Williamsport the wounded lion halted and turned his pursuer did not assail him and he crossed the Potomac, and descended to the Rapidan, to strike in turn that dangerous blow in October, when Meade was nearly cut off from Washington. With that campaign of Bristoe, and the fiasco of Mine Run, the year of 1863 ended. It left the South bleeding, and what was worse, discouraged.
It is one of the rare cases in all history in which an army has on the eve of battle made a change of generals without disaster. That is surely highly to the credit of General Meade. Lee's objective point was not known. He might capture Harrisburg or Philadelphia, or both. He would probably desire to cut off all communication with Washington.
I then determined to rejoin the Army of the Potomac at the earliest moment, which I did by making for Chesterfield Station, where I reported to General Meade on the 24th of May.
General Howard, who succeeded Reynolds, selected Cemetery Hill, south of the town of Gettysburg, and there established the Union line. General Meade arrived on the field on the afternoon of the first, and the two armies were thrown rapidly into position.
According to General Meade, of the United States Army, between thirty and forty thousand of these brave fellows were furnished with transportation back to their homes at the expense of the Government; while the arms that were seized were subsequently returned to the authorities of the Organization on certain conditions that have been for so far complied with.
The army was not dissatisfied with the appointment of General Meade; the soldiers would as readily fight under Meade as under Hooker.
But he did not, and on the night of July 13 the Southern general successfully placed the Potomac between himself and his too tardy pursuer. Bitter then was the resentment of every loyal man at the North. For once the President became severe and sent a dispatch of such tenor that General Meade replied by an offer to resign his command. This Mr. Lincoln did not accept.
The details of these battles, which for endurance and bravery on the part of the soldiery, have rarely been surpassed, are given in the report of Major-General Meade, and the subordinate reports accompanying it.
George Meade, the grandfather, came from Dublin and was a patriot in the American Revolutionary War. General Meade commanded a division at Antietam and a corps at Fredericksburg, and held command of the Army of the Potomac to the end of the war. He was a fine soldier and gentleman.
He set out "with the design," he declares, "of bringing on an engagement with the Federal army" that is to say, of fighting General Meade, not simply forcing him to fall back.
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