Meade Sheridan And Meade

[MikeyB]

Did Sheridan command the cavalry corps of the AoP and thus report to Meade, or was the cavalry corps in a special silo like Burnside, and reported directly to Grant? Was curious what the relationship was between Meade and Sheridan.

 

[rpkennedy]

Did Sheridan command the cavalry corps of the AoP and thus report to Meade, or was the cavalry corps in a special silo like Burnside, and reported directly to Grant? Was curious what the relationship was between Meade and Sheridan.

The cavalry and Sheridan answered to Meade as they were a part of the Army of the Potomac rather than an attached independent command.

The relationship between Sheridan and Meade was poor at best. Sheridan had little interest in performing the traditional roles of the cavalry and wanted to use his corps as a strike force to negate Stuart's own force. So, almost from the get-go, the two were bumping heads until Meade finally let Sheridan do what he wanted to do.

Ryan

 

[jackt62]

the two were bumping heads until Meade finally let Sheridan do what he wanted to do.

Actually, it was Grant that "suggested" to Meade that Sheridan be unleashed to go raiding after Stuart's command. Sheridan had complained to Meade about the cavalry being restricted to screening and reconnaissance duties and boasted he could "whip" Stuart. When Meade reported the conversation (or complained about it) to Grant, Grant responded nonchalantly saying something to the effect; "If Sheridan says he can do it, why not let him?"

 

[MikeyB]

Actually, it was Grant that "suggested" to Meade that Sheridan be unleashed to go raiding after Stuart's command. Sheridan had complained to Meade about the cavalry being restricted to screening and reconnaissance duties and boasted he could "whip" Stuart. When Meade reported the conversation (or complained about it) to Grant, Grant responded nonchalantly saying something to the effect; "If Sheridan says he can do it, why not let him?"

Did not having a traditional cavalry arm ever come back to haunt Grant/Meade during their campaigning against the ANV?

 

[James N.]

Did not having a traditional cavalry arm ever come back to haunt Grant/Meade during their campaigning against the ANV?

Yes, and almost immediately after allowing Sheridan to go on his "raid." True, he DID kill Stuart, but he was missed as Grant groped to find a way past Lee at Spotsylvania.

 

[rpkennedy]

Did not having a traditional cavalry arm ever come back to haunt Grant/Meade during their campaigning against the ANV?

It certainly did, as James N. pointed out. It allowed Richard Anderson to win the race to Spotsylvania, setting up the week and a half long fight there.

Ryan

 

[jackt62]

Did not having a traditional cavalry arm ever come back to haunt Grant/Meade during their campaigning against the ANV?

For sure, not long after the Yellow Tavern raid, Sheridan botched the mission to safeguard and clear Brocks Road to prevent the ANV from getting to Spotsylvania Court House before the AOTP.

 

[Eric Wittenberg]

Did not having a traditional cavalry arm ever come back to haunt Grant/Meade during their campaigning against the ANV?

ABSOLUTELY. It nearly got the AoP destroyed at the North Anna. With no cavalry screen, the army nearly bumbled into the ANV there. Only because GK Warren saw the Confederate position and refused to attack did that not happen.

Grant learned from his mistake and never again sent all of his cavalry away at once after the May Richmond Raid.

 

[Eric Wittenberg]

The worst part about the argument between Meade and Sheridan that took place after the fight at Todd's Tavern was that Meade, who didn't feel like he could relieve Sheridan without Grant's blessing--Grant selected Sheridan--meant that when Grant told Meade to allow Sheridan to go off on the Richmond Raid, it meant that Grant rewarded Sheridan for his insubordination by giving him an independent command. This meant that, with the exception of two weeks at the end of May/beginning of June 1864 and a couple of weeks in July, Sheridan could not serve under Meade's command again, and did not do so other than for those short periods of time. It meant that the army was left to operate without an effective cavalry screen and it really messed with the chain of command. Grant obviously never intended that to happen, but we all know about the Law of Unintended Consequences....

Even when Sheridan disobeyed a direct order from Grant and re-joined the army for the final campaign of the war, Sheridan had to operate as an independent command, because he could not serve under Meade's command.

This was just one of the many slaps in Meade's face by Grant that Meade grew to greatly resent.