Executive Mansion,
Washington, July 14,
1863.
Major General Meade
I have just seen your despatch to Gen. Halleck, asking to be
relieved of your command, because of a supposed censure of mine. I am very – very – grateful to you for
the magnificient success you gave the cause of the country at Gettysburg; and I
am sorry now to be the author of the slightest pain to you. But I was in such
deep distress myself that I could not restrain some expression of it. I had
been oppressed nearly ever since the battles at Gettysburg, by what appeared to
be evidences that your self, and Gen. Couch, and Gen. Smith, were not seeking a
collision with the enemy, but were trying to get him across the river without
another battle. What these evidences were, if you please, I hope to tell you at
some time, when we shall both feel better. The case, summarily stated is this.
You fought and beat the enemy at Gettysburg; and, of course, to say the least, his
loss was as great as yours. He
retreated; and you did not; as it seemed to me, pressingly pursue him; but a
flood in the river detained him, till, by slow degrees, you were again upon
him. You had at least twenty thousand veteran troops directly with you, and as
many more raw ones within supporting distance, all in addition to those who
fought with you at Gettysburg; while it was not possible that he had received a
single recruit; and yet you stood and let the flood run down, bridges be built,
and the enemy move away at his leisure, without attacking him. And Couch and
Smith! The latter left Carlisle in time, upon all ordinary calculation, to have
aided you in the last battle at Gettysburg; but he did not arrive. More At the end of more than ten days, I
believe twelve, under constant urging, he reached Hagerstown from Carlisle,
which is not an inch over fiftyfive miles, if so much. And Couch's movement was
very little different,
Again, my dear general, I do not believe you appreciate the
magnitude of the misfortune involved in Lee's escape. He was within your easy grasp, and to have
closed upon him would, in connection with the our other late successes,
have ended the war. As it is, the war will be prolonged indefinitely. If you
could not safely attack Lee last Monday, how can you possibly do so South of
the river, when you can take with you very few more then two thirds of the
force you then had in hand? It would be unreasonable to expect, and I do not
expect you can now effect much. Your golden opportunity is gone, and I am
distressed immeasurably because of it.
I beg you will not consider this a prossecution, or
persecution of yourself. As you had learned that I was dissatisfied, I have
thought it best to kindly tell you why.
[ Endorsed on
Envelope by Lincoln:]
To Gen. Meade, never sent, or signed.
SOURCES: Roy P. Basler, editor, Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln,
Volume 6, p. 327-9. The
original draft of this letter can be found among The Abraham Lincoln
Papers at the Library of Congress.
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