Headquarters Army Of Potomac
October 12, 1863
You will probably
have all sorts of rumors of defeats, or victories, or something. The facts are
very simple: as our great object is Uncle Lee's army (one might properly say
our only object), we have to watch and follow his movements, so as, 1st,
to catch him if possible in a good corner; or, 2d, to prevent his catching us
in a bad corner; also 3d, to cover Washington and Maryland, which, for us, is
more important than for him to come to Richmond. Thus we have to watch him and
shift as he shifts, like two fencers. One may say, pitch into him! But do you
think he is so soft as to give us any decent chance, if he knows it? Not he!
Meanwhile Meade knows what hangs on this army, and how easy it is to talk about
raising 3,000,000 men and how hard it is to raise 30,000. He said yesterday: “If
Bob Lee will go into those fields there and fight me, man for man, I will do it
this afternoon.” But “Bob” doesn't see it. Sharp chaps those Rebs. . . . I do hope that no great battle will be
fought unless we can really deal a staggering blow to the enemy. The great
fault of the Potomac campaign has been the fighting without any due prospect of
profit. This will be found, I think, a good trait in our General, that he will
hold his forces in hand for a proper occasion. Meanwhile the papers say, “The
fine autumn weather is slipping away.” Certainly; and shall we add, as a
corollary, “Therefore let another Fredericksburg be fought!” Put some flesh on
our skeleton regiments, and there is no difficulty; but if, instead of ten
conscripts, only one is sent, que voulez vous!
SOURCE: George R. Agassiz, Editor, Meade’s
Headquarters, 1863-1865: Letters of Colonel Theodore Lyman from the Wilderness
to Appomattox, p. 31-2
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