Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-07-07
Gen. Mead and his Army.


Gen. Mead and his Army.
All the letters and authentic. reports from
the battle field at Gettysburg express the
highest admiration OF the ability, energy and
GOODNESS of Gen. Meade in handling his army.
He seems to know intuitively what should be
done at every point, and his arrangements
were so complete, and the disposition of his
men so prompt and sure, that the fercest at
tacks of the rebels were steadily and terribly
repulSed. 1t seems that the noble and long
suffering army of the Potomac has at last got
a leader worthy of it; and it showed at Get
tysburg what it can do when properly led.
That army is composed of some of the best
and bravest men in the service. No better
troops ever took the field; butthey have never
before had competent leader, and, for this
reason, they have never before been able to
do such work as they did last week. By
many, the bravery and power of that army
have been moderated. The incompetency
and failures of those who led it have been i'm
puted to the army itself. 1t was unjust to do
this, and we rejoice that the noble army Ofthe
Potomac has at length had an opportunity to
put to shame this unjust judgment and win
for itself the enthusiastic admiration of the
whole country. In two Of the fercest and
bloodiest battles ever fought, it has shown
bravery, power, endurance, and heroism,
never exceeded and scarcely ever equalled.
1t repulsed defeated, and broke to pieces the
strongest and best army of the rebel ''confed-
eracy," directed by their ablest leaders, and
won a victory which history will describe as
one of the most important and most herocallv
me glorious behavior of the army of the
Potomac at Gettysburg is an overwhelming
reply to the slanderous representations that it
was ''demoralized, that it chad lost spirit and
would not fight WE'LL" and the like. Malg-
nant faction has done its utmost to democrat
ize that army and destroy its efficiency, and,
to this end, has circulated reports in regard to
it that were black through and through with
talsehOod. Its heroic defeat of the insolent,
confident, and resolute rebels under Lee, has
scattered these lies to the four winds of
heaven, and covered the INSCRIPTIONS fac
tionists with confusion and disgrace. All it
has wanted was leader worthy of it, and
now that it has found one, it will show that It
has in all the world no superiors, and but few
equals. 1t never has been demoralized. 1t
never has feared to encounter any rebel force
that could be brought against it. But, it has
been sadly misused by generaishp. This, we
trust, is now over, and it will henceforth have
the reputation il SO richly deserves
The victory won at Gettysburg is of the
very highest Importance. A defeat of our
army would have been terrible disaster to the
Union cause, Tor it would have enabled Lee
to make his invasion of Pennsylvania sue
cesstul; and, perhaps it might have been fol-
lowed by his capture Of Washington, Balhss
more and Philadelphia. At any rate it would
have been fearfully disastrous to US and de-
feat would have been certain, if our
army had been demoralized and faint
hearted as its slanderers said. But the army
OF the Potomac was not defeated and could
not be defeated, now that ii was led by gen
eral tit to command such men. 1t is sad to
think that many of those brave soldiers have
fallen; but they fought and died to save their
country, and they fought not in vain All
honor to the noble army Of Potomac, and to
the able and gallant Gen. Meade!