Sunday, January 12, 2014

Brigadier General George G. Meade to Margaretta Sergeant Meade, August 21, 1862

CAMP OPPOSITE FREDERICKSBURG, August 21, 1862.

Generals Reynolds and Seymour arrived yesterday afternoon, and to-day the division is to be reorganized, Reynolds taking the command of the whole, I of the First Brigade, Seymour the Second, and General Jackson (recently appointed from the colonelcy of the Ninth Regiment) the Third.

We have very exciting news to-day. It appears that General Pope has been obliged to show his back to the enemy and to select a line of retreat, as Jackson, having advanced with a large force, General Pope has been compelled to retire from the line of the Rapidan and across the Rappahannock.[1] I expect that in a few days we will have exciting times, and expect hourly orders for us either to hurry up to Pope's rescue or to fall back upon Washington. The enemy are evidently determined to strike a blow before McClellan's army can get into position here to co-operate with Pope. To do this with any chance of success, they must attack us in the next ten days. By that time we will have collected here the greater portion of McClellan's army, with their baggage and trains. For my part, the sooner it comes off the better, as I think, after the next great struggle is settled, we will begin to see some prospect of a settlement. If we can only give them a good thrashing, a regular out-and-out victory, I think the demoralization of their forces will be such that they will find it very difficult to collect and organize another army.
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1 Engagement of Cedar Mountain, Va., August 9, 1862. Federal loss, killed, wounded, and missing, 2,381 (O. R.).


SOURCE: George Meade, The Life and Letters of George Gordon Meade, Vol. 1, p. 305

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