Showing posts with label Henry S. Stellwagen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Henry S. Stellwagen. Show all posts

Monday, March 17, 2014

Major General George G. Meade to Margaretta Sergeant Meade, February 6, 1863

CAMP NEAR FALMOUTH, VA., February 6, 1863.

To-day an order is issued abolishing grand divisions and returning to the system of corps. I am announced as in command of the Fifth Corps. This is what I expected and accords with my ideas of what is best for the efficiency of the army. Baldy Smith has been relieved of his command and Sedgwick takes his corps — cause unknown, but supposed to be his affiliation with Franklin, and the fear that he would not co-operate with Hooker. This, however, is mere surmise, I have not seen any one to know or hear what is going on.

Last evening I received orders to send out an expedition this morning, which I did; but it has been storming violently all day, and this afternoon I sent to recall it. The Ninth Corps, which came with Burnside from North Carolina, is not announced in the order published to-day, and I hear it is under orders to move — where it is going, not known, but the probability is that Burnside has asked to have it with him, in case he returns to North Carolina.

The news from Charleston1 looks very badly, I hope our friend Frailey will come out all right. Stellwagon of the Mercedita, if you remember we met at Mrs. Frailey's last summer, the evening I went in there. Our navy has hitherto been so successful, that it seems hard to realize a reverse.
I do not know what to make of the political condition of the country. One thing I do know, I have been long enough in the war to want to give them one thorough good licking before any peace is made, and to accomplish this I will go through a good deal.
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1 Confederate gun-boats under Com. Ingraham broke the Federal blockade at Charleston, S. C.

SOURCE: George Meade, The Life and Letters of George Gordon Meade, Vol. 1, p. 353-4