Headquarters Army Of The Potomac, August 26, 1864.
I have been for several days very much occupied, in the
saddle all day, superintending the movements culminating in our securing a
permanent lodgment on the Weldon Road. I think I wrote you of Warren's
movements and his fights, which, although attended with heavy losses in
prisoners, yet resulted in our retaining our hold and eventually inflicting
great damage on the enemy. Soon after Warren was in position, Hancock was
brought from the north side of the James, and placed on the railroad, with two
divisions of infantry and one of cavalry, and commenced the work of destroying
the road. He had only destroyed about seven or eight miles, when the enemy,
yesterday, attacked him with great vehemence and superior numbers. Hancock was
in a good position, and repulsed all their attacks till about dark, when,
becoming desperate, they hurled such masses against him, they were enabled to
carry a small portion of his lines and a battery of eight guns. As soon as I
found how heavily he was attacked, I hurried up reinforcements to him, but the
distance was so great they did not arrive till after dark. Hancock's object, the
destruction of the road, being frustrated, he was withdrawn at night. This was
the only unfortunate part of the affair, for we this morning ascertained from
some of our men who remained on the field that the enemy retired also during
the night, leaving their wounded, with their dead unburied. It is said to be
one of the severest battles of the war, and the enemy, being the attacking
party, suffered terribly, our losses being comparatively light. Still, the loss
of guns and our withdrawal will tell against us, though I would do the same
thing to-morrow, and willingly lose guns, to make the enemy lose five killed
and wounded to our one. Hancock expressed himself as confident of maintaining
his position, and did not call for reinforcements, which I nevertheless sent as
soon as I found how heavily he was engaged, and he now says he ought to have
kept his lines intact, and would have done so but for the bad conduct of a part
of his command, giving away when there was no excuse for it. After withdrawing,
the enemy retired within his lines at Petersburg, and will, I think, let us
alone for some time, and will hardly try for some time the plan of attacking
us. These frequent affairs are gradually thinning both armies, and if we can
only manage to make the enemy lose more than we do, we will win in the long
run, but unfortunately, the offensive being forced on us, causes us to seek
battle on the enemy's terms, and our losses are accordingly the greatest,
except when they come out and attack, as recently, when they always get the
worst of it.
SOURCE: George Meade, The Life and Letters of George
Gordon Meade, Vol. 2, p. 224-5
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