George Meade, The Life and Letters of George Gordon Meade, Major-General United States Army
George Gordon Meade, Ed.

[329] that he might go to a warmer climate. He left us this morning. Seymour was an excellent soldier, of good judgment, cool courage, and in time of action of great and valuable assistance, as I found at South Mountain and Antietam. As these are considerations of the utmost importance, his loss will be seriously felt by me. I have now but one brigadier under me, and he a promotion from one of the Reserve regiments—a very good man. The other two brigades are commanded by colonels, both West Pointers—one, Magilton, the other Sinclair, a young officer of artillery, will, I think, prove efficient and of assistance.

The occupation of the march the last few days has prevented my writing to you. I suppose you have seen in the papers the order dividing the army into three grand divisions, and giving the command of certain corps to the senior officers on duty with those corps. This places General Butterfield in command of Porter's corps. General Butterfield is my junior, and I am his only senior on duty with this army. I thought that both Stoneman and A. S. Williams had divisions, both of whom are my seniors; but to-day I find Stoneman has a corps and that Williams is not with this army, having been left on the Potomac. Hence I am the only general who is affected by the giving a corps to Butterfield. I saw to-day Franklin and Baldy Smith, who referred to this matter, and said Burnside did not know how to arrange it otherwise, and they thought if I made an application to Burnside and gave him any chance of acting, that he would assign me to the corps. This, however, is a very delicate matter, and I have seen several cases where such action has ended to the discomfiture of the protestant. I will, however, see Parke and have a talk with him, and see how the land lies, and if there is any prospect of effecting any good, I will act. I presume you understand the question. General Butterfield does not command me, but his command being a corps, and I his senior, in command only of a division, I have a right to complain; just as I did when, in command of a brigade, so many of my juniors were commanding divisions. Again, Martindale belongs to that corps, and will doubtless, now that he is acquitted by the court, return to duty, and he is my senior, and would have the right to command it.

I presume you have seen Halleck's letter in regard to the supplying of the army. It is a piece of special pleading well worthy the brain of General Halleck, but unfortunately there are too many facts