September 5, 1863.
Have you seen a very bitter article in Wilkes's Spirit of
the Times, of August 29th?1 He says the victory of Gettysburg
was due entirely to the strength of the position and the heroic bravery of the
common soldiers, and was entirely independent of any strategy or military
ability displayed by any general from the senior down. He then charges me with
imbecility and timidity, and says the Army of the Potomac never can do anything
so long as so many incompetent men are at the head of it. The only consolation
I have, is that censure from such a source will in the eyes of all respectable
people be praise. There is no doubt the position at Gettysburg was very strong,
and that the victory was in a great measure due to this fact; and it is also
equally true that if the men had not fought as well as they did, I should have
been beaten; but I have yet to learn the existence in history of a general
whose genius was equal to winning victory when all the advantages were against
him, and his men would not fight.
Wilkes is a Hooker man; but whether his article was inspired
by any of the friends of this officer, I am not prepared to say, and can hardly
believe such to be the case.
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1 For Article mentioned, sec Appendix F.
SOURCE: George Meade, The Life and Letters of George
Gordon Meade, Vol. 2, p. 147
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