HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF
THE POTOMAC,
June 30, 1863.
Headquarters at Taneytown.
Third Corps to Emmitsburg; Second Corps to Taneytown; Fifth
Corps to Hanover; Twelfth Corps to Two Taverns; First Corps to Gettysburg;
Eleventh Corps to Gettysburg (or supporting distance); Sixth Corps to
Manchester.
Cavalry to the front and flanks, well out in all directions,
giving timely notice of positions and movements of the enemy. All empty wagons,
surplus baggage, useless animals, and impediments of every sort to Union
Bridge, 3 miles from Middleburg; a proper officer from each corps with them.
Supplies will be brought up there as soon as practicable.
The general relies upon every commander to put his column in
the lightest possible order. The telegraph corps to work east from Hanover,
repairing the line, and all commanders to work repairing the line in their
vicinity between Gettysburg and Hanover. Staff officers to report daily from
each corps and with orderlies to leave for orders. Prompt information to be
sent into headquarters at all times. All ready to move to the attack at any
moment.
The commanding general desires you to be informed that, from
present information, Longstreet and Hill are at Chambersburg, partly toward
Gettysburg; Ewell at Carlisle and York. Movements indicate a disposition to
advance from Chambersburg to Gettysburg.
General Couch telegraphs, 29th, his opinion that the enemy's
operations on the Susquehanna are more to prevent co-operation with this army
than offensive. The general believes he has relieved Harrisburg and
Philadelphia, and now desires to look to his own army, and assume position for
offensive or defensive, as occasion requires, or rest to the troops.
It is not his desire to wear the troops out by excessive
fatigue and marches, and thus unfit them for the work they will be called upon
to perform. Vigilance, energy, and prompt response to the orders from
headquarters are necessary, and the personal attention of corps commanders must
be given to reduction of impedimenta.
The orders and movements from these headquarters must be carefully
and confidentially preserved, that they do not fall into the enemy's hands.
By command of
Major-General Meade:
S. WILLIAMS,
. Assistant
Adjutant-General.
SOURCE: George Meade, The Life and Letters of George
Gordon Meade, Vol. 2, p. 16-7; The War of the Rebellion: A
Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies,
Series I, Volume 27, Part 3 (Serial No. 45), p. 416
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