Headquarters Eleventh
Corps,
Army of the Potomac.
New Berlin, July 18
1863.
To the President of the United States
Sir,
Having noticed in the newspapers certain statements bearing
upon the battles of Gettysburg and subsequent operations which I deem
calculated to convey a wrong impression to your mind, I wish to submit a few
statements.
The successful issue of the battle of Gettysburg was due
mainly to the energetic operations of our present Commanding General prior to
the engagement and to the manner in which he handled his troops on the field.
The reserves have never before during this war been thrown in at just the right
moment, in many cases when points were just being carried by the enemy a
regiment or brigade appeared to stop his progress and hurl him back. Moreover I
have never seen a more hearty cooperation on the part of General officers as
since General Meade took the command.
As to not attacking the enemy prior to leaving his
stronghold beyond the Antietam, it is by no means certain that the repulse of
Gettysburg might not have been turned upon us; at any rate the Commanding
General was in favor of an immediate attack but with the evident difficulties
in our way the uncertainty of a success and the strong conviction of our best
military minds against the risk, I must say, that I think the General acted
wisely.
As to my request to make a reconnoissance on the morning of
the 14th which the papers state was refused; the facts are, that the General
had required me to reconnoitre the evening before and give my opinion as to the
practicability of making a lodgement on the enemy's left, and his answer to my
subsequent request was, that the movements he had already ordered would
subserve the same purpose.
We have, if I may be allowed to say it, a Commanding General
in whom all the officers, with whom I have come in contact, express complete
confidence. I have said this much because of the censure and of the
misrepresentations which have grown out of the escape of Lee's army.
Very resp'y
your obt servt
O. O. Howard
Maj Genl
SOURCES: Roy P. Basler, editor, Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln,
Volume 6, p. 341-2;
A copy of this letter can be found in The Abraham Lincoln
Papers at the Library of Congress
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