French's boys in Harpers Ferry did sally forth on the 4th of July and destroyed Lee's pontoon bridge at Falling Water, a nice coup, leaving Lee only the ferry at Williamsport for his crossing. Lee reacted swiftly to news of the disaster and secured the area around Williamsport and set EP Alexander and the engineers to building a bridge and boats to supplement the ferry.
On another point, let us not underestimate the exhaustion of Meade and the army after Gettysburg. Meade had slept little since taking over command (just a week earlier) and the army had taken severe lumps over the three days at Gettysburg. And too the rains came, yes the Potomac was flooded, not helping Lee in his getaway, but also the roads were quagmires. The Rebs had the advantage of passing along them first. They also knew what they were going to do- Meade had to surmise, planned a defense against an assault on Seminary Ridge and later the South Mountain gaps, had a head start, and essentially a direct line to the river.
Meade did send 7 of his 8 cavalry brigades after Lee and they did a bit of damage. Stuart and Imboden in their turn did an admirable job fending them off. For Meade to cut Lee off from the Potomac, he had to go half again the distance thet Lee would have to- the Potomac loops up to Williamsport, and toward Lee, away from Meade and the Army of the Potomac. He did however make the effort.
And this brings me back to the point about Halleck doing something more than prodding Meade while sitting on his fat arse at his desk in Washington. First off, Meade has to switch over from a defensive to an offensive posture after a great battle and with all the other disadvantages I have listed, by no means an easy thing, a ****ed difficult thing in fact. Also he has to see and gauge what Lee is up to, while maintaining the defensive and still under obligation to defend Washington. And Meade only commands the Potomac Army. Besides Meade in the general vicinity are Generals Couch and Baldy Smith with their militia in Harrisburg, Brannan and 5000 militia in Pittsburgh & Milroy's Valley boys somewhere around there, French at Harpers Ferry, Heintzelman and a large garrison at Washington, Schenck and the Middle Dept troops at Frederick, Baltimore and here and there. These troops it was up to the general-in-chief, not the Army of the Potomac commander, to coordinate and command. And what did general-in-chiefy do? Precious little but bombard Meade with telegrams and proddings! Couch got Smith and his men to help out with Meade, but the marching and slogging on the waterlogged roads soon wore out these 'picnic soldiers'. They were just unused to this kind of service, new to it. So everything was laid on Meade's shoulders when these pieces of the puzzle could have been used with effect. The government, President Lincoln sorely felt an opportunity was in the offing- and slipping away. But the one most responsible for taking the pains to see that something be done wasn't doing it- that's Halleck.
__________________ 'It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier, who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag'
An excellent and very much appreciated post, Ed. Thanks.
Ole
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
Hagerstown and Sharpsburg Pike
Midway between the two places, July 7 [1863]
(Received 11:45 P.M)
General: I attempted to take Williamsport yesterday, but found too large a force of infantry and artillery. After a long fight, I withdrew to this place. Heavy forces were coming into Williamsport all night. There are a good many wagons at Williamsport. There is no bridge there. Troops and wagons are being ferried across in two flat-boats very slowly. I can do nothing with the enemy save observe him. There is nothing at Sharpsburg.
I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
JNO. Buford,
Brigadier General of Volunteers, Commanding First Division
It would appear that Meade was doing as much as he could, and that Washington wished for more. However, Meade had his boots firmly planted in the mud and Washington didn't. Can I change my vote?
Ole
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
I think historians over the years truly underestimated the defeat of the Army of Northern Virginia on July 3. And failed to view together, the consequences of July 3rd and the rapid retreat to the Potomac. Retreat, as in forced march. It wasn't just the defeat at Gettysburg, but also the consequences of a forced march Lee had to make to Virginia.
Some historians picked up on Lincoln's displeasure that Lee's army wasn't destroyed. But few then examined the pell-mell retreat of Lee back to the Potomac River. It was a forced march retreat with good rear guard action. After three days of intense deadly battle, no army was going to bag Lee's whole army. Lee's army was far too dangerous in a defensive position on the Potomac, if not a great army on the offense.
The loss in horses was heavy, as one Confederate commander indicated he lacked forage since July 1 and that generally the condition of his remaining horses was bad.
One artillery commander noted the Army of Northern Virginia made the forced march to the Potomac River without stopping once to feed the animals and water them only once.
What wasn't destroyed and lost at Gettysburg was greatly deteriorated on the terrible march back to Virginia.
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
My view is that the AofP was too shattered to do anything for a few days. The ANV was also shattered but Lee had no choice but to get out while he could.
__________________ F. S. Powers
Union Ancersor: Pvt Arnuah Norton, 60th Ohio. (G-G-G Grandfather) Died at Salisbury NC, November 3, 1864
Confederate Ancestors: Captain Thomas A. Morrow, 29th Texas Cavalry (G-G-G- Uncle) and 2LT George W. Morrow, 31st Texas Cavalry (G-G-G Grandfather). Both survived the war
Lee was no less shattered than Meade. If he could skedaddle, Meade could have launched a better pursuit.
Ole
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
On the one hand, theoretically, if all the cards were played just right, the ANV could have been destroyed.
On the other, as others have mentioned, there were problems within the Union Army which considerably hindered that pursuit of Lee: the fatigue in general after that battle (but as Lincoln was wont to say "they can march ...., can we not march..., etc.), but also, and I think perhaps more important was the fact of Gen. Mead having just been thrust into command days before Gburg, might not have had a great understanding of the forces available, other than his own in his immediate command, which might have been available to block Lee's retreat. In most cases, when a new commander is appointed, it would be expected that that commander would have at least a couple of weeks or so in which to familiarize himself and staff with the overall situation and so on. Meade never had that opportunity.
__________________
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"It was a very peculiar time." - Franklin D. Cossitt
Ancestors in USA Army: 6th IA Inf, 11th IL Cav, 1st AL Cav; 122nd NY Inf; 6th MI Cav; 35th MA Inf; 100th IL Inf; 1st CO Inf/Cav; 22nd IN Inf
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