Fitzhugh Lee, General Lee

[304] skillfully traced to cover the river from Williamsport to Falling Waters, and confidently awaited the subsidence of the angry flood and the approach of his opponent. His cavalry had guarded his flanks in the retreat and had saved his trains at Williamsport from an attack of the Union cavalry before his army reached there, and had a creditable affair at Hagerstown.

Six days after his arrival, Meade, marching from Gettysburg by a different route from that pursued by Lee, began to deploy his legions in his front. Lee's position was not altogether agreeable, a rapid, rolling, impassable river sweeping by his rear and a powerful army going into line of battle in his front. Meade was very deliberate and circumspect at Gettysburg, for he did not forget the bullet holes through his hat when he attacked on his left at Fredericksburg, or the knowledge gained of the unfavorable conditions always surrounding an attacking force. He was still waiting further demonstrations from Lee, and when night appeared without a movement he called a council of his corps commanders, and in writing asked: First, “Shall the army remain here?” Second, “If we remain here shall we assume the offensive?” And then wanted to know if they deemed it expedient to move toward Williamsport through Emmittsburg, or if his enemy was retreating, should he pursue on the direct line of his retreat. The majority of the responses to his first question were in favor of remaining at Gettysburg, but all voted against assuming the offensive, for councils of war rarely, if ever, decide to fight. Pleasonton, his cavalry commander, was very clamorous the day before, for he says he rode up to Meade after the repulse of Pickett and said: “General, I will give you an hour and a half to show yourself a great general; order the army to advance while I take the cavalry, get in Lee's rear, and we will finish the campaign in a week.”

While this advice, if followed, might have been of great benefit to Lee, its most remarkable feature was its presumption. Thirty-six hours after Lee abandoned the field of Gettysburg, Meade, recalling Sedgwick, who had gone toward Fairfield, marched from Gettysburg south to Frederick, Md., thence slowly around by Middletown