Major General George G. Meade to Margaretta Sergeant Meade, January 26, 1863

CAMP NEAR FALMOUTH, January 26, 1863.

We are much excited by rumors of what is going to be done. It is generally believed Burnside is in Washington, though when you go to see him, as I did yesterday, you are informed he is out riding.

This war will never be terminated until one side or the other has been well whipped, and this result cannot be brought about except by fighting. Hence, although I like fighting as little as any man, yet if it has to be done, and I don't see how it can be avoided, I am of Shakespeare's opinion, “if it were done, then 't were well it were done quickly.”

I send you three letters which I think you will be interested in reading, and which you may as well keep as mementoes of the war. The first is from Levi Richards, a private in the Pennsylvania Reserves, who was detailed as a teamster and drove my wagon while I was connected with the Reserves. His letter is spontaneous, he having nothing, as he says, to gain by it, as we are now separated, but it is gratifying to me as an evidence of the opinion entertained of me by the soldiers of my command. The second is from Surgeon Pineo, one of the most accomplished officers of his department, who was under me, while I had command of the First Corps, as medical director. He asked me to recommend him for promotion, which I did, and his letter in reply shows what some officers think of me. The other is from Hon. William Wilkins, formerly judge in Pennsylvania, Senator and Secretary of War. He desires a favor for his grandson, but he is pleased to say I am powerful and in favor, hence his letter indicates in some measure public opinion in regard to me. I send them because, knowing how much you think of me, I know it will gratify you to know that others have a favorable opinion. This may be vanity, but I deem it pardonable in writing to one's wife.

George¹ gave me my spectacles, and the glasses suit exactly, and are truly welcome, for a day or two before we moved, I was on horseback, when a sudden puff of wind carried away the only pair of spectacles I had, and for a few minutes I was in despair, until fortunately my orderly found them. Now I am provided against such accidents.

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¹ Son of General Meade.

SOURCE: George Meade, The Life and Letters of George Gordon Meade, Vol. 1, p. 349-50

Major General George G. Meade to Margaretta Sergeant Meade, January 23, 1863

CAMP NEAR FALMOUTH, VA., January 23, 1863.

I have not written to you for several days, for the reasons that I have had no opportunity, and that I was aware all letters from the camp were stopped in Washington, so that there was no use in writing. On the 19th, in the night, we received orders to move the next day. On the 20th, the whole army moved from their camp to a position four miles up the river, where crossing places had previously been selected. Everything went off very well up to about 8 P. M. of the 20th. The army reached its position. The pontoons, artillery and all other accessories were up in time, and we all thought the next morning the bridges would be thrown over and we should be at it. But man proposes and God disposes. About 9 P. M. a terrific storm of wind and rain set in and continued all night. At once I saw the game was up. The next day the roads were almost impassable; the pontoons, in attempting to get them to the water's edge, stuck on the bank, and a hundred men could not budge them. Instead of six bridges being thrown over by 8 A. M., it was found late in the day that the materials for one only could be got to the water's edge. Burnside visited us, and soon saw the state of the case. Still in hopes something might happen, he directed we should remain in position. All that night, the 21st, and the next day, the 22d, it continued to rain, and the roads to get into such a condition, that early yesterday, the 22d, I had to turn out the whole of my corps, fifteen thousand men, and go to work and bridge with logs, or corduroy, as it is called, nearly the whole road from our camp to the crossing place, eight miles. The men worked cheerfully at this, which was accomplished by early this morning, and Burnside having recalled the army to its old camp, we have been all day getting our artillery back, and to-morrow the infantry will return, thus consuming two days to get back, when it took only a few hours to get there. I never felt so disappointed and sorry for any one in my life as I did for Burnside. He really seems to have even the elements against him. I told him warmly, when I saw him, how sorry I felt, and that I had almost rather have lost a limb than that the storm should have occurred. He seemed quite philosophical, said he could not resist the elements and perhaps it was as well, for that his movement had been most strongly opposed and some of his generals had told him he was leading the men to a slaughter pen; and I am sorry to say there were many men, and among them generals high in command, who openly rejoiced at the storm and the obstacle it presented. We were very much amused to see in the papers to-day, flaming accounts of our crossing, of the battle, and of Hooker being mortally wounded. I hope you did not attach any importance to these absurd reports, which, when I saw, I feared you might have been anxious. I presumed the truth had been telegraphed and that you would know the storm had frustrated our plans. The plan was based on the presumption that we would take the enemy unawares, at least so far as the place of crossing was concerned, and I believe, but for the storm, we should have succeeded in this. What will be done now I cannot imagine, the mud is at present several feet thick wherever any wagons pass over a road, and if the weather from this time, should at all resemble that of last year, it will effectually stop all operations for two months to come.

I did not see George¹ during our fiasco, though I was at one time bivouacked near a part of his regiment, but his company was not with that part.

Doubleday has been assigned to the Reserves, which is a good thing for me, for now they will think a great deal more of me than before.

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¹ Son of General Meade.

SOURCE: George Meade, The Life and Letters of George Gordon Meade, Vol. 1, p. 348-9

Major General George Gordon Meade to John Sergeant Meade, December 31, 1862

CAMP OPPOSITE FREDERICKSBURG, December 31, 1862.

Your kind letter, dated Christmas, was received yesterday, and I am very much obliged to you for your affectionate remembrance of me. You say truly, we have a great deal to be thankful for, and when we consider the distress and mourning that is around us, our hearts ought to be filled with gratitude for the mercy that has been extended.

John¹ is very much pleased at George's² being here, and takes great interest in all that relates to him. George has taken a great fancy to a little black mare I have, belonging to the Government, which he has given me various hints he thought I might buy and present to him, and in this little scheme to diminish my finances to the tune of one hundred and twenty dollars, he has the hearty co-operation of Master John, who regularly informs me every morning he thinks the boy ought to have the black mare.

I have sent George's name to the President for appointment as one of my aides, with the rank of captain.

To-day is my wedding and birthday. To-day I enter on the forty-seventh year of my life and the twenty-third of my wedded existence. I had hoped to spend this day with your dear mother and my darling children, but my promotion to the Fifth Corps and the number of generals that have been sent to testify before the Porter and McDowell courts have prevented my getting away. Should it be decided the army is to go into winter quarters, I may yet have a chance, though I hardly have much hope.

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¹ General Meade's body-servant.

² Son of General Meade.

SOURCE: George Meade, The Life and Letters of George Gordon Meade, Vol. 1, p. 343-4

Major General George G. Meade to Margaretta Sergeant Meade, December 23, 1862

CAMP OPPOSITE FREDERICKSBURG, VA., December 23, 1862.

Burnside returned last night from Washington, and to-day he has issued an order placing me in command of the Fifth Army Corps. As this step has not been taken without considerable deliberation, and after consultation with Halleck and the Secretary, I am in hopes that it will be more permanent than my assignment to the First Corps, which lasted only ten days. Burnside says they treated him very well in Washington, which I don't doubt, after seeing his letter to Halleck, wherein he assumes all the responsibility of the recent movement and failure. To-day's Washington National Republican comes out openly, denouncing him as incompetent, and demanding he either resign or be removed. I think he would personally have no objection to their removing him, and that he is quite independent of them; willing to remain if they let him alone, but perfectly willing to retire if they desire him to. On my way to Burnside's to-day I called and picked up George,¹ whom I carried with me and introduced him to Burnside. Alexander Coxe got back yesterday, and brought the champagne I ordered, and I immediately sent for Franklin, Smith, Reynolds, Brooks and others to join in celebrating my promotion. Whereupon it was unanimously agreed that Congress ought to establish the grade of lieutenant general, and that they would all unite in having me made one, provided I would treat with such good wine. To-morrow I report to Hooker and take command.

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¹ Son of General Meade.

SOURCE: George Meade, The Life and Letters of George Gordon Meade, Vol. 1, p. 341

Major General George G. Meade to Margaretta Sergeant Meade, December 9, 1862

CAMP NEAR FREDERICKSBURG, VA., December 9, 1862.

I have not written for two days, having been occupied with the march, as we had to change camp from our position near Acquia Creek Landing to our present location, near the Rappahannock River. The day we moved camp (yesterday) it was very cold, and the ground frozen hard, so that our teams found no difficulty in coming the ten miles of distance. The day before George's regiment moved over here, when Colonel Smith, commanding, took a wrong road, so that they had to march some twenty miles and did not reach their camp till late at night, and as their wagons did not arrive till the next morning, they had to pass the night, a bitter cold one, in the woods, without supper or blankets. However, they borrowed some axes and made big fires, and had, George said, quite a jolly time. George dined with us to-day, and I was at his camp yesterday. The more I see of the regiment, the better satisfied I am with George's being in it. The officers, as a body, are very much superior to any others (except the regulars), and there is a tone, altogether, which is very marked and gratifying. The regiment has been detailed to do duty with Franklin's grand division and separated from Bayard's command. This they do not like, because it cuts them off in a measure from chances of distinction; but this, I fancy, will be no great objection in your mind. I have seen friend Harding's kind notice of my promotion in the Inquirer. I presume you notified him of my telegram. I hope we have not counted our chickens before incubation, but as yet nothing official has reached me.

SOURCE: George Meade, The Life and Letters of George Gordon Meade, Vol. 1, p. 336

Brigadier General George G. Meade to Margaretta Sergeant Meade, December 5, 1862

December 5, 1862.

I know you will be delighted to see George's¹ handwriting, and on the same sheet with mine. George is looking very well and seems delighted with his position. He gives a very good account of his company and regiment.

We are going to move to-morrow — that is to say, we are ordered to — but as it has been snowing and raining all day, and is snowing now, I fear the condition of the roads will be such that our progress will not be very fast. However, this kind of work is what we are to expect for the future, so we might as well make up our minds to it, and take it as it comes.

The paper received to-day contains General Halleck's official report, which confirms what I previously surmised — that he was responsible for Pope's campaign, which he attempts most lamely to vindicate. McClellan's letter to him from Harrison's Landing is most able, and his reply most impotent.

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¹ Son of General Meade.

SOURCE: George Meade, The Life and Letters of George Gordon Meade, Vol. 1, p. 335

Brigadier General George G. Meade to Margaretta Sergeant Meade, November 30, 1862

CAMP NEAR BROOKS STATION, VA., November 30, 1862.

I received this evening your letter of the 28th, enclosing one from George.¹ George's letter is written not only in good spirits, but in the right spirit, and gratified me very much. I trust he will always look upon men and things in the same sensible light, in which case he will avoid much of the trouble that young men are so apt to encounter, from thinking those over them are always inferior, and that they know so much better what ought to be done than those whose business it is to decide. I had heard before you wrote that Rush's regiment was ordered here. General Bayard told me the regiment was ordered to his brigade, which is encamped right alongside of me. I said I was glad to hear it, because George had just been commissioned in it and had joined. Bayard, who knows George and all about him, at once said, “I will take him on my staff;” but I said no; I want him to see some service with his company, and learn to command men and be initiated in the details of service, before he goes on the staff. Bayard replied, “You are right.” I certainly think it is better for a young officer to serve with his regiment before accepting a staff appointment. Coxe had a letter from his brother dated on Thanksgiving Day, three days after George's. He says they had a dreadful time on the scout (George writes he is ordered on), having to ride seventy-five miles in one day, and that his horse (Coxe's) is completely used up. He says he (C.) is attached to one of the two new companies, which are to be left at Frederick, under Major Morris,² the rest of the regiment being ordered to join Franklin immediately. So I shall look for George every day, whom I shall really be glad to see. You must have had, from your account, a most dismal Thanksgiving dinner. I did not know it was Thanksgiving Day till I heard some one complain of not having a turkey for dinner.

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¹ Son of General Meade.

² Robert Morris, Jr., of Philadelphia.

SOURCE: George Meade, The Life and Letters of George Gordon Meade, Vol. 1, p. 333-4

Brigadier General George G. Meade to Margaretta Sergeant Meade, November 25, 1862

CAMP NEAR ACQUIA CREEK, November 25, 1862.

I have received your letters of the 20th and 22d inst., giving an account of George's¹ departure for his regiment. We have had one or two very fine days; the railroad is repaired some seven miles of the fifteen. A wharf at the landing has been constructed, and trains are carrying supplies as far as the road is open. In the meantime, the enemy are said to be concentrating at Fredericksburg, and the impression gains ground that our passage of the river will be disputed, and that they will give us battle here. Our course is plain — to go ahead — and as we shall have to fight them somewhere, the less distance we have to go the better for us. I am still, however, of the opinion that they will only try to check us at the river, and will not risk a general battle.

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¹ Son of General Meade.

SOURCE: George Meade, The Life and Letters of George Gordon Meade, Vol. 1, p. 333

Brigadier General George G. Meade to Margaretta Sergeant Meade, November 7, 1862

CAMP AT WARRENTON, VA., November 7, 1862.

To-day Alexander Coxe¹ has arrived. He had a pretty hard time catching us, and had to ride yesterday nearly fifty miles.

I have not had time to write to you for some days past, as we have been marching all the time, and owing to the crowded state of the roads, we have been obliged to leave camp very early in the morning and be detained till late in getting in. One night it was twelve o'clock before we went into camp. Soon after I wrote you, our reconnoitering parties ascertained positively the enemy had been or were falling back from Winchester, when we immediately started to try and get ahead of them; an operation I never had the remotest idea we would or could succeed in, as they are much less encumbered with trains than we are, and are much better marchers. Our corps and division reached this place last evening, the storm and the necessity of waiting till the railroad to this place can be opened and supplies thrown forward, have delayed us somewhat.

I note all you say about George.² He will have a comparatively pleasant time, and I will quote for your comfort a part of a secesh lady's letter recently captured (i. e. the letter) in which she says: "I want John (her son) to go into the cavalry, because I see that very few of that arm of the service are either killed or wounded," which is a fact; we have not lost over a dozen cavalry officers since the war began.

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¹ Alexander Brinton Coxe, aide-de-camp to General Meade.

² Son of General Meade, lieutenant 6th Pa. Cav. — "Rush's Lancers."

SOURCE: George Meade, The Life and Letters of George Gordon Meade, Vol. 1, p. 324-5