GDG- Re: War Councils and Meade

[Kathryn Sobottke]

GDG Members:
   
  While Meade did defer to his corps commanders on 4 July and 12 July, and held a council of war at Gettysburg, it must be borne in mind he had taken command of the army a few days prior to the Battle of Gettysburg.  Despite his knowledge of the AOP from his experince as commander of the Fifth Corps, he had a steep learning curve  Commanding an entire
  army rather than one of its corps are not the same thing at all despite all that experience. 
   
  He inherited the army unexpectedly. On 2 July, 4 July, and 12 July Meade was presented with three different tactical situations, requiring three separate decisions.  
   
  On 2 July I must agree that Meade had decided he wanted to fight on 3 July at Gettysburg but merely wanted to not only get a more complete picture on the state of the army but take the measure of each corps commander's level of confidence in the result.  It is highly unlikely he would have fallen back to the Pipe Creek Line for the simple reason he had already wired Halleck that he felt his chief decision was now whether or not to go over to the offensive both on 2 July and 3 July.  
   
  It must also be remembered that the 12 July decision to withold an immediate attack did not preclude attacking later on, which did in fact eventually occur.  
   
  His 4 July decision to act as he did can best be explained by the worn out and confused state of his army after three days of heavy fighting and some uncertainty about Lee's next move.  
   
  I think I agree with much of this thread in one respect at least, and that is Meade was a cautious and careful commander.  Lee's assessment of him is amazingly on target:  that Meade would be careful enough not to make any major mistakes but would be quick to take advantage of any made by Lee.
   
  Meade's deployment of the AOP at Gettysburg and his switching of troops on interior lines despite being attacked on each end of the line and having to adjust his whole defensive scheme on 2 July to rescue Sickles and the Third Corps should garner him high praise.  
   
  With Meade what you see is what you get.  A very capable commander of the AOP and a general that can be aggressive if the occassion offers, but not someone to match Lee for audacity and aggressiveness.  These are two very different men.  There handling of their respective armies displays fully these differences.
   
  I don't think Meade held war councils all the time with the AOP.  Is that right?  He did listen to his corps commanders though.  That was a good thing.  Just the ask the men who were to assault the Mine Run position in November 1863.  Caution is sometimes indicated.  War Councils might prove useful to a new army commander who is trying to get used to all that responsibility and who is getting too little sleep to boot.  Add to that the fact that one more defeat of the AOP might tip the balance in favor of Confederate independence and caution from a cautious man is very understandable.
   
  Thomas Martin Sobottke
  ekttobos at sbcglobal.net