Headquarters Army Of The Potomac, July 31, 1864.
Our attack yesterday, although made under the most
advantageous circumstances, was a failure. By a movement to the north bank of
the James, Lee was completely deceived, and thinking it was a movement of the whole
army against Richmond, he rushed over there with the greater portion of his
army, leaving his works in our front held by only three out of the eight
divisions of his army. When this was ascertained, it was determined to spring a
mine which had been dug under one of the enemy's batteries on their line,
assault the breach, and push the whole army through to the Appomattox River.
The mine had been dug by a Pennsylvania regiment of coal miners in Burnside's
Corps, and to this officer was entrusted the assault. At 5 A. M. yesterday the
mine was most successfully exploded, throwing into the air, and subsequently
burying, four guns and a South Carolina regiment. Our column immediately took
possession of the crater and the adjacent part of the enemy's first line; but
instead of immediately pushing on and crowning the hill in front, which was the
key to the whole of the enemy's position, our men crouched in the crater and
could not be got forward. Burnside and myself had a dispute, he not being
willing to admit his men would not advance; at the same time it was evident to
all no progress was being made. In this manner, after a delay of five hours,
finding it impossible to get an advance, the thing was given up and Burnside
ordered to withdraw. In the meantime the enemy, seeing we did not come forward,
rallied, and massing on the point held by our troops, drove them back, with
confusion and the loss of a number of prisoners.1
The affair was very badly managed by Burnside, and has
produced a great deal of irritation and bad feeling, and I have applied to have
him relieved. In one of my despatches I asked if the difficulty was the refusal
of his officers and men to obey his orders to advance, and I said I wanted to
know the truth, and to have an immediate answer. This he chose to construe into
an imputation on his veracity, and replied that the charge on my part was
unofficer-like and ungentlemanly. Of course this has brought matters to a
focus, and either he or I has got to go. It was a real misfortune, because we
can hardly expect again to have such a good chance, and a failure at this time
is most unfortunate. Grant was on the field with me all the time, and assented
to all I did. I am afraid our failure will have a most unfavorable influence on
the public mind, prone as it is to despondency. I was not much in favor of the
plan, but it being determined on, I wanted to try everything for success.
Grant went last night to see the President. What the result
will be I cannot tell; but what with the re-advance of the enemy into
Pennsylvania, and the failure to accomplish anything here, matters are becoming
complicated.
_______________
1 Siege and assaults of Petersburg, June 21-July
29, 1864. Federal loss — killed, wounded, and missing — 5,316 (O. R.). Battle
of July 30, 1864 (explosion of mine). Federal loss — killed, wounded, and
missing — 4,008 (O. R.).
SOURCE: George Meade, The Life and Letters of George
Gordon Meade, Vol. 2, p. 217-8
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