Major-General George G. Meade to Margaretta Sergeant Meade, March 26, 1865

Headquarters Army Of The Potomac, March 26, 1865.

Your visit seems so like a dream I can hardly realize you have been here.

The orderly who took Meta McCall's saddle down says he arrived just in time to put it on board, so I presume you started soon after 12 M. To-day is a fine day, without wind, and I trust you will have a pleasant journey up the Potomac and get safe home.

After I arrived here, the President and party came about 1 P. M. We reviewed Crawford's Division, and then rode to the front line and saw the firing on Wright's front, at the fort where you were, where a pretty sharp fight was going on. Indeed, Humphreys and Wright were fighting till eight o'clock, with very good results, taking over one thousand prisoners from the enemy, and inflicting heavy losses in killed and wounded. The day turned out to be a very successful one, we punishing the enemy severely, taking nearly three thousand prisoners and ten battle flags, besides the morale of frustrating and defeating his plans.

Mrs. Lincoln spoke very handsomely of you and referred in feeling terms to our sad bereavement. The President also spoke of you, and expressed regret that your visit should have been so abruptly terminated. I suppose Mrs. Hopkinson and yourself will have great fun in recalling the incidents of your trip. Altogether, your expedition was very successful, and I am very glad you came.

I expect we shall have stirring times before long. The fighting yesterday proved the enemy has still some spirit left in him, and Lee, having once begun, is likely to try his hand again; and if he don't, I suppose we shall have to take the matter in hand.

SOURCE: George Meade, The Life and Letters of George Gordon Meade, Vol. 2, p. 267-8

Lieutenant-Colonel Theodore Lyman to Elizabeth Russell Lyman, July 4, 1864

July 4, 1864

What shall I say of the Fourth? Our celebration could not well amount to much; the men have to stay too close in camp to do such things. The band came in the morning and serenaded, and there was saluting enough in the form of cannon and mortars from our right. This siege — if you choose to call it a siege — is a curious illustration of the customs of old soldiers. On the right — say from the Appomattox to a point opposite the Avery house — the lines are very close and more or less of siege operations are going on; so every finger, or cap, or point of a gun that shows above the works, is instantly shot at, in addition to which batteries and mortars are firing intermittently. Nothing could be more hostile! But pass to the division a little to the left of this, where our lines swing off from the enemy's, and you have a quite reversed state of things. There is not a shot! Behold the picket men, no longer crouching closely in their holes, but standing up and walking about, with the enemy's men, in like fashion, as near to them, in some places, as the length of the Brookline house. At one part, there was a brook between, and our pickets, or theirs, when they want water, hold up a canteen, and then coolly walk down to the neutral stream. All this truce is unofficial, but sacred, and is honorably observed. Also it is a matter of the rank and file. If an officer comes down, they get uneasy and often shout to him to go back, or they will shoot. The other day General Crawford calmly went down, took out an opera-glass and began staring. Very quickly a Reb was seen to write on a scrap of paper, roll it round a pebble and throw it over to our line. Thereon was writ this pithy bit of advice: “Tell the fellow with the spy-glass to clear out, or we shall have to shoot him.” Near this same spot occurred a ludicrous thing, which is true, though one would not believe it if seen in a paper. A Reb, either from greenness or by accident, fired his musket, whereupon our people dropped in their holes and were on the point of opening along the whole line, when the Rebs waved their hands and cried: “Don't shoot; you'll see how we'll fix him!” Then they took the musket from the unfortunate grey-back, put a rail on his shoulder, and made him walk up and down for a great while in front of their rifle-pits! If they get orders to open, they call out, “Get into your holes, Yanks, we are ordered to fire”; and their first shots are aimed high, as a sort of warning. Their liberties go too far sometimes, as when two deliberately walked up to our breastwork to exchange papers; whereat General Crawford refused to allow them to return, saying very properly that the truce was not official, and that they had chosen to leave their own works and come over to ours, and that now they could carry back information of our position. They expected an attack on the 4th of July — I suppose as a grand melodramatic stroke on Grant's part; but, instead thereof, the Maryland brigade brought up their band to the trenches and played “Hail Columbia”; upon which, to the surprise of everyone, a North Carolina regiment, lying opposite, rose as a man and gave three cheers! The news is not precisely cheery from Maryland.¹ With the preparations on foot, we ought to bag a large part of the Rebels; but I have a sublime confidence that the movements of our troops will, as usual, be a day too late. . . .

_______________

¹ Early’s invasion of Maryland and, advance upon Washington.

SOURCE: George R. Agassiz, Editor, Meade’s Headquarters, 1863-1865: Letters of Colonel Theodore Lyman from the Wilderness to Appomattox, p. 181-2

Major-General George G. Meade to Margaretta Sergeant Mead, July 12, 1864

Headquarters Army Of The Potomac, July 12,1864.

I received to-night your letter of the 10th, and am glad to see you are not excited about the rebel invasion. This is a bold stroke of Lee's to endeavor to procure the withdrawal of this army from its menacing attitude, and to prevent the sending of reinforcements to Grant. The manoeuvre thus far has been successful, as not only has the Sixth Corps been sent away, but the Nineteenth Corps (twenty thousand strong), which was to reinforce us, has been diverted to Washington. This loss of strength will practically prevent our doing anything in the way of offensive movements until the campaign in Maryland is settled and the rebels so crippled as to quiet all apprehensions of their return. I understand Ord has been sent to Baltimore to command, in place of Wallace, defeated, and that Howe has been sent to supersede Sigel. Augur is in Washington, and Hunter coming from Cumberland. The danger is that with so many commanders, independent of each other (I ought to have mentioned Couch also), and their forces so scattered, that the rebs will have it all their own way to commit depredations and collect supplies, and when our troops leave the places they are now guarding, and attempt the offensive, that before they can concentrate, the rebs will fall upon some portion and whip them in detail. I consider the situation as critical; not that I believe the enemy can effect anything permanent, but I fear they will so embarrass and check our operations as to paralyze our efforts and prolong the period when we can collect enough troops here to do the work before us.

Hancock told me to-day he had been confidentially informed it was intended to remove me from command, and that he was to be my successor. He would not give me his authority, but said it was reliable. He did not know the grounds on which this action was to be based. This seemed to me so preposterous that I could not help laughing, but Hancock assured me it was undoubtedly in agitation, and thought I ought to be warned. He said, from what he could gather, he thought that Grant opposed it, but that he would be overruled. Hancock thought I would not be relieved entirely, but would be ordered somewhere, perhaps to Pennsylvania. Now, as my conscience is clear that I have done my duty to the best of my ability since this campaign commenced, and as I feel I have been unjustly treated, and have not had the credit I was and am entitled to, I shall not worry myself about any such outrage as being relieved without cause. I mention all this confidentially to you, simply as a preparation for the coming event, should it take place.

There have been recently with the army several Senators and Representatives; among others, Chandler and Wilkinson of Minnesota. The latter individual was at General Crawford's. He was very severe on me, showing he still retained the animus that dictated his attack on me in the Senate last winter.

SOURCE: George Meade, The Life and Letters of George Gordon Meade, Vol. 2, p. 211-2

Major-General George G. Meade to Margaretta Sergeant Mead, August 9, 1863

Sunday, August 9, 1863.

General Crawford, commanding Pennsylvania Reserves, has notified me that the sword which they desire to present me with is ready, and asked me to allow an officer to go to Philadelphia to get it, and make the necessary arrangements, which I have done; so this affair of long standing will soon come off.

I note what you say reports as the secession talk of New York; the same thing has been said in the Times, Tribune and Herald; but I was ahead of all these gentlemen, as in the despatch I sent General Halleck, urging to be permitted to advance, I told him that in my judgment, reasoning from the past, and in view of the power hitherto exercised over the people of the Confederacy, and the fertility of resources exhibited by them, I was of the opinion delay would be more advantageous to the enemy than to us, and that Lee would be reinforced more rapidly than I would be. Every day confirms me in this view. Up to the present time they have taken from this army over twenty regiments, between eight and ten thousand men, and as yet have sent only one hundred and twenty miserable creatures, substitutes for drafted men, to a Pennsylvania regiment; a dozen of whom it is already ascertained were discharged from old regiments for physical disability; four of them had delirium tremens the day they joined, and several have already deserted. Such worthless material, as these men, are no addition to this army, but only a clog, and if the draft is not heartily responded to, the Government had better make up its mind to letting the South go. Don't misunderstand me; I am nothing of a copperhead. I am for a vigorous prosecution of the war; but the war cannot be prosecuted with any hope of success, not only without men, but a great many willing men; men who have their hearts in the business and who are determined to fight and to conquer, or die. I have had Warren made a major general, and George's friend, Colonel Ganard, a brigadier.

SOURCE: George Meade, The Life and Letters of George Gordon Meade, Vol. 2, p. 142-3

Special to New York Papers

(Times Special.)

WASHINGTON, April 8. – Gen. T. W. Sherman just relieved by Gen. Hunter, arrived here to-day from Port Royal and reported himself at the War Department.  He expresses the opinion that before this Fort Pulaski has been attacked and has no doubts of its final capture.

A General who arrived here from Port Royal yesterday says several contrabands who came within our lines a few days since and reported that they were direct from Charleston, and that the people of that city were fearing an attack from our forces, and complained bitterly that nearly all their troops were in Virginia, and in the west.

Maj. S. W. Crawford was nominated by the President to-day, to the Senate as Brigadier General of Volunteers.

The Times correspondent writes from Liverpool Point, April 8th, that several Virginians belonging to Falworth, Fredericksburg, and Stafford, have come over to Liverpool Point.  They say that the reconnoissance created the most intense excitement at Fredericksburg.  Every vehicle capable of transporting goods was bro’t into requisition; while whole families left for Richmond, leaving everything behind them.  Orders were given by Gen. Walker, commandant at Fredericksburg, for all his available force to leave immediately for Brookstown, along the line of the railroad, and repel the advance of the invaders.  They also report a battle having been fought between 500 Texas cavalry and Sickles’ entire forces, just before entering Stafford; they put down Sickles’ loss at 350 and their own as only 13.  The effective force of the rebels between Fredericksburg and Acquia Creek is less than four thousand; beyond Fredericksburg to Richmond, probably ten thousand including a few batteries of artillery.

There was no scarcity of provisions.

Confederate bonds can be bought for 5 cents on the dollar.  Shin plasters issued by banks and private parties are of more value, commanding a hundred dollars in specie for every thousand dollars.

It is said to be the intention of the Confederate Government to abandon Virginia unless the people of the State render more aid of men and money.

Gen Wigfall commands a brigade five miles from Fredericksburg.  He has had a serious misunderstanding with the General commanding Holla, and has accordingly forwarded to Richmond his resignation.

All men supposed to be for the Union are relieved of their property with impunity, and no redress can be had.  In consequence of this most Union men are very quiet.

During the embarking of our troops from Liverpool Point a large number of Maryland slave holders lined the shore on horseback, said to be looking for lost slaves.

No slaves from Maryland or Virginia were allowed to go on board our transports.  Some few negroes were taken as servants.  There were about 800 female slaves left at Liverpool Point and Mulatto Woman Creek without any protection.  Some of the slave owners threaten to make trouble.

(Special to World.)

WASHINGTON, April 9. – The World’s correspondence at Warrenton brings the following to-day:

The advance forces are now resting on the Rappahannock, our pickets extending to that stream.  The railroad is now in running order to Cedar Run, within two miles of Warrenton Junction and thirteen miles from the Rappahannock River.  It will take several days to complete the bridge over Cedar Run, as the recent storm has swollen all the streams very much. – Neither Bull nor Cedar Run can be forded at present, and no troops can move except by rail.

The cavalry pickets extend some distance south-east of Brentsville, and skirmishes with the rebel scouts are of daily occurrence.

As the army proceeds south the country begins to present fewer of the ravages of the enemy, though in no vicinity has there yet been discovered sufficient supplies to support either the men or horses for more than one day.

The reports of the enemy’s position are indefinite and uncertain.  Contrabands and refugees from Fauquier and Culpepper say that the rebel army have dwindled greatly in its proportions, and that it is retreating upon Richmond as fast as possible, leaving nothing but scouts and guerrillas in its rear to watch our movements.  It would seem from this that the rebels are not reinforcing Magruder, and intend to make a stand this side of Richmond.

(Tribune’s Dispatch.)

It is understood that the Department of the South, of which Gen. Hunter has been put in command, will be thoroughly re-organized.  Gen. Sherman will be followed North by his Brigadier Generals Wright and Viele; but it is unknown who will fill the place they vacate.

It is also believed that Gen. Hunter will rightfully treat South Carolina and Georgia as rebels, and not as sovereign States.

The Senate to-day ratified two treaties, the commercial treaty with the Ottoman Porte, and the Mexican extradition treaty, negotiated by Minister Corwin.

The former, which is extremely liberal in its provisions, provides for its continuance for 50 years.  One stipulation of the latter is to the effect that the frontier States, the respective parties shall deliver up persons for whose surrender application is made without delay and expense of an appeal to Washington or the City of Mexico, elicited much discussion, and finally passed by barely one more than the constitutional majority, 27 to 13.

– Published in the Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, April 12, 1862, p. 3