OPPOSITE FREDERICKSBURG,
December 20, 1862.
My last letter was dated the 17th instant. Since that day I
have been quite busy moving camp, and to-day have been occupied in writing my
official report of the recent battle. I am quite anxious to know what you think
and hear of my doings. For my part, the more I think of that battle, the more
annoyed I am that such a great chance should have failed me. The slightest
straw almost would have kept the tide in our favor. We had driven them for some
distance. Lee in his report acknowledges that two brigades of A. P. Hill's
division gave way before our attack. All we had to do was to have held our own,
to have organized on the hill we had gained, and prepared for their assault
till our reinforcements could get up. Instead of that, owing to the death of
General Jackson and the wounding of Colonel Sinclair, two brigades were without
commanders. It being in the woods, and no one being able to see what was going
on around, our men pushed too far, and got right on a large body of the enemy,
drawn up in line ready to receive them. Of course they immediately poured in a
deadly fire, which staggered my disorganized line, and finally drove it back,
with the loss of all it had gained. Had it been otherwise — that is to say, had
we held the position gained till our reinforcements came up — I should have
been the great hero of the fight, as every other attack had not only failed,
but without even the success we could boast of. Well, I suppose it is all for
the best, and cannot be helped; but it made me feel worse at the time than if
we had been repulsed from the first. Yesterday I went to see Burnside, and
found him engaged with the War Investigating Committee of Congress. They were
just going to lunch and insisted on my going in. Zach. Chandler, Ben. Wade,
John Covode and others were there, all of whom treated me with great
distinction, particularly Covode, who claimed me as a Pennsylvanian. Old
Chandler inquired very affectionately after you, but did not refer to
your loyalty. They examined Burnside, Sumner, Hooker and Franklin. What the
result will be I don't know, though it is said John Covode affirmed that when
he got back he was going to raise a howl, and intimated it would not be against
Burnside. Burnside proved that the crossing of the river had been peremptorily
ordered from Washington, in the face of his opinion and of the majority of his
principal officers. It is understood Halleck says: "This army shall go to
Richmond, if it has to go on crutches," which (as over ten thousand
cripples were made the other day) seems likely to occur before long. The army
are willing enough to go to Richmond, if they could only see the way to get
there. Two routes have already been tried this fall — the one by Gordonsville
and this by Fredericksburg. Both have failed, and the only one deemed by
military men as practicable they obstinately refuse to let us take — by the
Peninsula. In our new camp I have fortunately got a room in a house for my
headquarters, so that I am quite comfortable.
SOURCE: George Meade, The Life and Letters of George
Gordon Meade, Vol. 1, p. 339-41
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