Letter by President Lincoln to General Meade

 

              The Battle of Gettysburg took place over the first three days of July 1863. On the evening of July 4, General Robert Lee, began his retreat southward as a storm clouds poured down heavy rain across the country. As Lee Reached the potomax with defeated army, he found himself a rising, impassable river, and behind him was the union army, which was winning war. Lee was trapped, the union army had a golden opportunity to defeat Lee’s Army and end the war. With full confidence, Lincoln ordered general George Meade to attack Lee directly. Instead of calling a council of war, the president sent his orders by telegraph and then a special massage to Meade urging him to take action.

              Maede called a council of war, he hesistated. He delayed. He telegraphed all sorts of exuses to the president. Finally, the Potomac receded and Lee crossed the river and escaped with his army.

              Lincoln was furious “ what does this mean?” he cried to his son Robert. “ my god “ what does this mean” they are within our reach and we have only to change and catch them, but there is nothing I can say or do to move our troops. Under the circumstances, any general could defeated Lee. If I had gone straight there, I could have whipped him with my own hands.

              In bitter disaapointment, they usually calm Lincoln Sat Down and wrote a Harsh letter to Meade.

Dear General

Iam not sure you realize how bad lee’s escape is

He’s within our reach, and along with our other success.

His capture would have ended the war, instead the

War will continue for an indenfinite period of time.

If you couldn’t hit Lee well on Monday, how are you

Going to do it the south river,

When you can take a few soldiers with you

No more than two thirds of number of soldiers who are with you at present ?

There is no reason to expect you to succeed and I do not expect you to make

Much difference at this time, your golden opportunity

Has been lost and iam very disappointed in it.

 

The letter was worth sending. But Lincoln never sent. It was found among his papers after the president deaths. What do you think kept the president from conveying his understandable disappointment and criticism ?

President Lincoln was a master communicator and his humility must have thought that sending the letter would relieve some of his frustations, but it only stir up resentment in general Meade that would make his command of the army of the patomac worse. Lincoln knew that meade had been appointed commander of the army of the Potomac only a few days erlier.  He also knew that Meade had several successful exploits. Meade must have been under a lot of pressure, with the added burden of his own and hismen waiting for his orders. If Lincoln had ignored all that and sent the letter, he would have won the war of words, but he would have lost the war of influence.

Not that general Meade doesn’t deserve criticsm for his mistake, this means that there are effective and ineffective ways to disguise his mistake. In the end, Lincoln expressed his disappointment to meade, but he did so in an honorable way. By choosing not to send the stinging letter, Lincoln choose to maintain or even enhance his authority in the eyes of meade who continued to be force for good In the city Philadelphia. Until finally he died in 1872.

It seems that Lincoln knew how to keep his mouth shut and when silence would be greater mistake than opening it. at the heart of this ability is one of the basic truth of human nature. We are creatures with an instinct to defend, deflect and ward of any threat to our well being, which might be a threat to our self esteem.