Meade and the Council of War
We continue today with the advancing of the list of reasons on why Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia were unsuccessful in obtaining victory at Gettysburg. Ranking in at number 15 on our list is Meade's council of war during the late night of July 2nd. It was during this council of war that Meade and his corp commanders chose to stay and fight it out on July 3rd.
Many a civil war historian, both amatuer and professional, usually point to Grant refusing to retreat back across the Rappahannock river to safety after the Battle in the Wilderness as the moment when confidence in ultimate victory shifted from Lee's army to the Army of the Potomac. It is a theory that I personally completely disagree with. Don't get me wrong, Grant leading his troops south instead of to the safety of the opposite banks of the Rappahannock is a very moving image, but to me, the ultimate moment when confidence shifted took place in Meade's headquarters on the evening of July 2nd 1863. It was there that Meade and his senior officers chose to stay and fight it out.
The choice was a brave one to say the least. When I take a look at what Meade faced when he entered his headquarters for the council of war that late July evening, I certainly don't envy the man. For two days prior to the council, the Army of the Potomac has been simply put, pummeled. Three of Meade's seven corps had been eviscerated. Twenty five of his fifty one infantry brigades had been used up. An other little known fact was that supplies such as water and rations were running low for the army as well.
An other thing that may have been weighing on Meade that evening, was the selection of ground. Abner Doubleday would claim after the war that Meade was never happy with Hancock's selection of the ground that his army now held control of. I personally find Doubleday's claim to be nonsensical, but if you choose to believe his words, than this would have also played a huge factor in the troubles that Meade faced that evening.
As the council of war began to wrap up, Meade put the issue of staying put to a vote, and as we know today, the vote was an unanimous vote to stay and fight it out, a choice that would lead Meade and his army to ultimate victory on July 3rd. It would also lead to complete confidence in victory for the entire war to be restored to the high command in the Union Army of the Potomac. That muggy July night in 1863 would not only have repercussions on the battle at hand, but I dare say the entire war.
It would not take long after the battle, for accusations to begin to fly. Meade would come under attack by Daniel Butterfield and David Birney, both claiming Meade wanted to retreat that night, but was forced to stay by the generals present during the council of war. These accusations are probably very much unfounded. Basically all of the other generals that were present disputed them and claimed them to be untrue. Also Butterfield was a close friend of Hooker and Sickles, and being that Meade was not exactly close with both Hooker and Sickles, there was more than likely an agenda to be accomplished by Butterfield. Many of today's historians actually believe that Meade really had made up his mind to stay before the council and vote even took place.
In closing, on the late night of July 2nd, Lee had Meade against the ropes so to speak. Where Meade succeeded where others had failed, was Meade did not throw in the towel and turn and run away. He refused to give in and he earned the respect and confidence of the men who served under him in doing so. With that confidence now in Meade's hand, it was just one more nail in the coffin that belonged to Lee's Army of Northern Virginia at Gettysburg.
Sincerely,
Fred Brennan
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