Subject: RE: GDG- The question of Meade's lack of attacking lee

[kgolf77 at hotmail.com]

Message: 11> Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2008 15:47:45 -0400 (EDT)> From: The Mills <kkamills at embarqmail.com>> Subject: RE: GDG- The question of Meade's lack of attacking lee> To: GDG <gettysburg at arthes.com>> Message-ID:> <566186718.555141205351265976.JavaMail.root at pd01.embarq.synacor.com>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8> > Mike:> > US Grant was able to maintain contact for about 1.5 years, constantly losing 22,000 men after each battle, key commanders and corp commanders, but still kept on the attack. > > The difference is: Meade was no US Grant.> > Instead of waiting for Lee's intentions, Meade could have seized the inititive and attacked while Lee sat on that ridgeline on July 3rd or July 4th. Meade did nothing to seize the inititive and steal a march on Lee.> > The argument that he was in command for little more than a week is a "weak argument" at best. He was in overall command and nothing more than an excuse for not closing the deal. > > Meade said it best when he told Lincoln something to the effect "they are gone from our soil" to which Lincoln replied "it is all our soil." I can't rememer the exact quote, but basically it shows Meade was quite happy to get Lee back across the Potomac > and not have to fight him again. > > Thanks> Andy
 
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Hi Andy
 
This is a subject that has been discussed quite a bit with opinions that vary all over the place.
I would like to point to a couple of things that factored into this argument that I usually don't see discussed.
As for Meade attacking after Pickett's Charge (The PPT),  remember that the confederates had used just about all their long range ammunition.
But they had ALL their cannister! Any attack would have been, most likely, met with the same carnage that the Rebels had encountered.....and with the same results most likely.
Score one for Meade for not making that decision.
When we get to the retreat, a lot of folks think that it was just a simple matter to head right on over that-a-way and attack them.  
 
First off, the AOP was one hungry bunch of fellows. Their trains were back at Westminster and lacking any certainty as to just what Bobby Lee was up to, meant that he couldn't move his trains to support the army. Food, supplies and ammo. Oh he could feed them.......finally, but where does he send the trains?
So Lee takes off and Meade sends the cavalry off to harass them and a fine job they do.
But what Meade doesn't know is where Lee is going. Is he going to the South Mountain passes at Cashtown and wait an attack?
If so then Meade would need to move the trains to Gettysburg.
If Lee is retreating to the Potomac, then He needs to move them to Frederick.
What should he do when he doesn't know whats happening?
He did exactly what a good commander should do, find out whats going on and then make the appropriate moves. If he moves to Frederick and Lee is waiting for him at South Mt, then Meade has a problem in that he is out of position with his ammo and supplies. That would be a big blunder!
Same with moving to Gettysburg.
Even when it becomes clear that Lee is retreating, he is under orders to protect Wash and Balt.
How does Meade handle the pursuit any differently than he did keeping all these crucial decisions in mind?
He really can't in my opinion Andy.
As for Falling Waters and Williamsport, the line was too strong to be attacked.
Meade may have made a gaffe by using the words he did in that letter to Lincoln saying
"drive the invaders from our soil" but much of the reason we are havng this debate today is because of Abraham Lincolns unreasonable expectations that, quoting Lincoln who said...
"We had only to stretch forth our hands and they were ours."
 
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.........I dooooone thin so!
 
I do believe that Lincoln reconciled those expectations later on and agreed that Meade had done a great job.
 
The cavalry, on the other hand, had "One Continious Fight" from July 4th until they crossed the Potomac.
No one can say that they didn't put forth a Maximum effort the entire way.
 
Let me end this by saying that as much as I agree that there seemed to be a concensus about not 
fighting and undoing what had been a great victory, in this case I think it was the right move.
 
Regards,
 
Karl
 
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