Meade's Pursuit of Lee, The Virginia Campaigns of the Summer of 1863
Abstract
Major General George Meade took command of the Army of the Potomac on June 28, 1863. Three days later his army defeated the Army of Northern Virginia commanded by General Robert E. Lee. Meade pursued Lee for the remainder of the summer and failed to bring him to battle and defeat him. He allowed Lee to escape at Williamsport and failed to defeat him at Manassas Gap. Meade had three other opportunities; at Bristoe Station, Rappahannock Bridge, and Mine Run, to bring Lee to battle, but failed to take advantage of the situation to decisively defeat Lee. In this study, the factors affecting Meade's inability to bring Lee to battle are explored in an attempt to explain his reluctance to decisively engage Lee's army. Those factors included his lieutenants, the press and politicians, as well as Meade's own interpretation of the orders which placed him in command of the Army of the Potomac for a period longer than any other general.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 30, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA192497
Entities
People
- Sands A. Robnick
Organizations
- United States Army War College