Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1863-08-12
Gettysburg and Antietam---The Campaigns
of Generals Mcclellan and Meade,

These two campaigns, as conducted on
each side, ending in the two greatest and
most sanguinary battles of the war, SO
closely resemble each other in every res
pect as to naturally invite comparison
of the results, and the military ability of
the two Onion Generals who have infic-
ted upon Lee the only defeats he has sus-
tanned. General Mcclellan and General
Meade undertook the Maryland and Penn
sylvania campaigns under circumstances
nearly identical with each other, but there
was this advantage Meade possessed over
Mcclellan, he took command of an army
which had been entirely reOrganized and
restored from the damages at ChancellOrs-
vile, about two months having elapsed
since the fight, before Lee crossed the
Potomac. Pope was defeated in the last
week of August, and Lee Immediately
advanced toward Maryland. General
Mcclellan was re-appointed to command
in the first week of September, and with
the army as it'retreated from Bull Run,
on the 18th and 18th, only two weeks
later, fought the battles of South. Noun
tain and Antietam. Both Mcclellan and
Meade had the advantage of large mil
itia force collected in Pennsylvania to
threaten the enemy's flank, but, in neith-
er case, were they employed in the bat
ties. McClellans and Meade's armies
suffered so much from the encounter with
Lee, that they were unable Immediately
to avail themselves of all the advantages
of these victories. If Meade succeeds in
having another battle with Lee this side
Of the Potomac, he may finish his work
as gloriously as he commenced it. If he
does not the practical result of both vic
tories will be alike-a defeat of Lees
plan of invasion, and sending him back
to Virginia with his army badly damaged
These results, so nearly identical, might
suggest to military critics and censors that
there is something in the situation of the
country and the numbers of the respec-
tive opposing armies which present in
superable obstacles to the annihilatiOn of
an army SO numerous as Lees, led by SO
able a commander as he has proved him
self to be. Those who expect 100000
men to be bagged'' in an open field, are
indulging in anticipations never, we fear,
TO be realized in a country like ours, where
so many obstacles to pursuit exist With
all the railroad connections from Wash
ington and Baltimore to the neighbor-
hood of the battlefield intact, Meade has
been unable to bring Lee as yet to a Sec
ond encounter, and it is only the food on
the Potomac which has kept the latter
for a week from crossing his army into
Virginia, precisely as he did on the Sec
Ond day after his fight with Mcclellan.
The most that can be expected of our
Generals under such circumstances, is to
defeat the enemy, and prevent his plans
from being successfully executed, and
when they do this, as Meade and McClel-
Ian have done, we think they are enti-
tied to their share of historic justice as
well as the gratitude Of their cOuntrymen.
The campaign Of Meade, as short and as
brilliant as it has proved itself instead Of
destroying the prestige Of Mcclellan as
soldier, as shallow critics sometimes as
sert, iustifes the results Of bis campaign,