The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1872-11-22
a5lisGeIlaneuns.
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RECOLLECTI0NS OF GEN. MEADE

pm TIE sth of Major Gen. Georg
pm Gordon Meade Teceiis the fact tba
mn mn we are rapidly losiEg the prominen
pm actors 10 the late rebellion As th
pm pm years roll by, these gallant and lie
an ro'c spirits dTooD henesth the Nea
am anG tear q. c,n=li;ution occasioDet
an ~ the fatigue aId anxieties of thcsi
IN Oar Years OF var The Genera
IN iin officers VITO fell in active service ar,
im duly houoreG in the pages OF history
- and are remembered with gratitud,
= by the people, yet ,heir sudden re
'SS 1@ wovai from lie excited different feel
m iGg TO those experienced at the death
M M Ot such r3eR AZ Lincoln, StaEton,
m Thomas, Rawlings, Anderson, Hsl
n icck, end offers, who, surviving the
m m war, have since gone to their long
m rest iii the quiet days Of peace. Ii is
NJ his that gives the death OF Meade
m peculiar Interest, end it is not sur
n pTIsibg that & genuine sense OF SORROW
n n should have been evoked by the
n tevens. -
Gen. Meade was an excellent
r. soldier, ard a genial- -hesr;ed man.
$ when fully understood by those who
n came in contact with bin A strict
n 'iiscipliDaiisD, he always obeyed or
ders himself implicitly, without ques-
= Ion Or remOnsirsnce, and therefore
. expected the same Clind obedience
n rUm those under his command. Yet
BE was never eXacting, and though
I ne seldom sought To Iugralate uim-
self With the corps or army he CON-
manded, still be always possessed
iheiT confidence and esteem. Quiet
ard studious in his habits, Gen.
Meade gave no indication of that
tssh and iDpetuous action which |
characterized Warren or Sheridan. |
He always seemed TO aim at solid
results, ard was content to gain bis |
ends by cautious movements made |
on sure ground, and Sketched out on
some settled piaD. He never left
anything TO chsnce, pre!erring to
nancuyIe bis troops upon a fxed
scheme This cautious policy seldom
made him a hero with the masses,
for he was not the man TO ride from
Winches- -er or to send bic army gal
loping after the enemy, however had
ly deiea'e.!, as Warren wished linz
to do st Gettysburg, after Long
streets famous and desperate charge
Fae cause is found 10 his military
education and training. Graduating
nigh in his class at West PoiGt, he
proved to be sn ardent student, sad
ntered the artillery, being subsC-
quently promoted to the engineer
branch o; The service. Thus be be
came accustomed 10 plan campaigns
in a methOdicai manner, sRd accord
Dg 10 the st;ict rules Of military /,
sciecce "a mcda Of warfare that wss J.
cot always the true method in q
country ike ours. The career of !
Gen, Mesds vas, therefore, nct !,
brilliant 1ne wHea compared with .
5bose Of other leading Generals, hat
it was q successful and singularlY i.
even one. %,
The writer hal many Gpporiuni
ties of Witnessing the conduct OF Gen
Nesde in he llell, and saw much of :
nim while commanding the glorious
I'D Army of the Potomac. | served
in the Fifth Corps from first tn last, :
and as he commanded that division =
of the army for some time 1 natural .
lg felt an interest in him in after years.
We seldom saw Meade while lying in :.
Winter camp st Falmouth, Va, and :
1t was net until Hooke moved the
army 10 ChancollOrsvil!e, in april, !.
1868, thai the corps began to be :
famiiar with the features OF its con- /;
msrder. The Filth, Eleventh, and :
Twelfth Corps we're cent direct to the
Wilderness, as it WAS subsequently
called, over Kelly's Ford, on the
Rappahsnnocb, and Ely's, On the :
Rrpidan. We crossed early one
morning, and the three corps lay !,
massed il the open fields to wait un !,
I'll the ponloon train could come up. :,
For nearly mile the troops rested !;
in close column, when Meade appear
ed at the ford, ridiug rapidly to the :
trent; the men rose to their feet, and !.
cbeered their General until the sound :
made the hesrts OF all beat tumultu-
ouslv. Gen. Meade stood almost !,
erect in lis stirrups, and removing
his forage cap, passed through the =
troops bare headed in response to
the greeting. Scarcely checking the =
speed of his horse, Meade continual !,
to press forward, giving no outward :
ign OF p,eaauTe Gt tie reception,
though lie afeIwGrd SAID that the :.
memory of that dsy would never be )
forgotten b. bi.n The scene recall :
d to the writer's mind similar onss :
gher NcCielau commanded the army, )
I'd tie contTsst betSeeu the two
Geneffls wss g marked one Meade !,
>aiu!et his lGthasisstic troops proud :
', vet {, u:seoUsly, while McC eilan
,.ways .Icppnd Lis diguity for tie
moment, and won the hearis OF his 1
men by COED hnm0Ted save OF bis
sp, and pleasant smile or his face. :
Mcclellan was always iayoTile, be
cause he N de friends OF his troops,
= hile Meade held their esteem by ,
cain bearing under all and any cir :
cumstances.
TIE night our corps crossed the =
Rapidan, we had to ford the coId ',
snd swollen stream, IS The canvas :
contCcns sent with us On cur rapid
M, ch were too light for safe use, and :
&c nv regiment began to plunge into :
the sream, noticed Meade calmly '
sitting on his horse, in front OF his
.tait, watching The progress OF the
movement. Standing rear him while q.
NV company moved forward the :
General spike 20 me Gnd asked if l
knew whether the water was cold, be. /;
90 doubt, noticing that my trousers
were wet / replied 10 the sfiirma :
tive. and remarked that the men i.
Wouli suffer, unless fences we're y,
plenty ca The Gth side Of the river ,
tor Giea. "Hang it, doa't you know .
this is s secret movement? We ;
must have no big free, though" he ,
added, after . seconds reflection, 81
don't see how We are to syoid them"
He was right, for though osders we're
given to make the fires low, it proved
impossible to keep the men SILVER
ing in their saturated uniforms, when
such abundant material for fuel was
present. TIE consequence was that
We all slept in the open air amidst
enormous free, snd rose in the early
morning ready and eager for aGy
movement. During those three sue
ceeding days and nights known IN
history IS the battle of Chancellors
vile. Meade was visible to his en-
tire corps, SO solicitous was he for
: he comfort and safety OF the COM
msnd. To Us fell the duty Of hold |
: iDg the rear snd covering The retreat
! ! of the army Gcrcss the pontcon |
! bridges st United States Ford. 1t |
: hai rainsd all OF the night before,
e snd VIXEN we formed in line OF battle
= an the hills a'.ove the ford, scarcely
IL one nusbet in ten IVES fit for action
As She men stood there, busily snap
ping spare caps TO dry The nipples OF
}. their pieces. Meade went riding SLOW
ly down tie line. Find NJ harmless
cap fusiiade going on, he stopped