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Re: George Gordon Meade's Explanation

Consider that effectively on July 1st Meade's 1st and 11th Corps had been severely beaten. Along with the loss of the 1st Corp commander, The 1st Corp was eventually disbanded. Could he rely on the 11th Corp which had broken in every battle it had fought in that year?

On the 2nd, his 3rd and 5th Corp had recieved the same treatment. He had lost his 3rd Corp commander and most of the 3rd Corp artillery and structure.

And on the 3rd, his 2nd Corp had recieved just as bad a treatment. He also here lost the use of his 2nd Corp commander.

I believe that this accounts for 5 of his 7 Corps if I am not mistaken. And add to this was all while he was in a fairly strong defensive position, where his numbers played to Meade's advantage.

I think that the loss of John Reynolds, John Hancock and Maybe Dan Sickels was the greatest blow to Meades confidence than anything thing else. Only his old 5th Corp, under I beleive Warren, would he have had much confidence in.

Meade had just taken command of this army a few days before this battle and was using Hookers staff which in effect had failed Hooker at Chancellorsville. He was unsure of his commanders before the Battle let alone afterward when he had lost so many. Would it have been wise to have pursued the army which had just inflicted this on your army? When Lee could have reversed the tables on Meade and established the defensive position. In fact Lee did do this at Falling Waters, while trying to recross a flooding Potomac River.

Meade's position is understandable in not following Lee. It was Lincoln who was being less than realistic in ordering Meade to pursue Lee. Mear numbers do not make an army if you can not effectively control and use those numbers.

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