Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-07

ERaL. 4. 5. ARMY. BY George
Meade. Edited by George Gordon
Meade. New York. Charles Scrib-
ner's Sons. Washington: Woodward
~ Iothrop.
- IN. MEADE. in one of his inter
csting letters to his wife. writ
ten after the GETTYSBURG cam
pai.n expressed his dissatisfac-
ton at recently published his
hoist cf his military services for the
r.sspu that il was dc, oied for the main
r;t.t t. recital of his work in the civil
,a~. lie remarked that what he had
,cne prior 10 the breaking out of hostili-
- had seemed to him TO be OF some I'M
portaucc. That he had not gained the
f-e perspective is indicated by this re-
cent publication. written for the most
part b. his son and edited by his grand
son. and which deals extensively with his
ciyli war career and subordinates events
al his life prior and subsequent to That
cor 1ict- 1t correctly estimates the pub
les interest. With the country's eye
turned now toward the coming semi
7tennial celebration Of the battle OF
gettysburg a detailed account of that
contest is given, which could we'll be
,.hen out and printed separately and pre-
.er a as an accurate, condensed nara
sls. Its only blemish i in its COM
1Ueut which Of course. j. partisan.
+ his Life or Gen. Meade is i'm two large
9jumes. Its most interesting feature is
IS collection of letters written by Gen.
Meade Ia his wife. in the course OF the
tltH war They throw a light upon his
tharactcr that no biographer could fur-
Hish and they give contemporary view
II the prominent men Of the sixties that
: most interesting after the lapse OF haif
a century. After Meade's failure to de-
StIoy Lees army following the battle or
gettysburg. there was an influential
party that clamored for his removal. II
saw nothing good in what ne did, ana
did not scruple to hoist on his shoulders
TIE shortcomings of others.
The experiences of the army through
oft the weary months and the intrlgues
~ the factions in the army and In Con-
EIeSS are set forth in detail. as Meade
saw them. in his letters home. From his
private correspondence one gains the i'm
preston that Meade was a good man.
inan II just feelings. devOut man. with
courage to accept the blows that ProvI-
dsnce might deal. but impatient with hu-
man injustice. Apparently he was a
highly sensitive man. with keen sense
~ lis dues. But this senstiveness per-
maps arose from his desire to obtain Of
iic.al VIndicat!on before the country. This
lLay explain his remark in one of his
letters II am through with Grant.
-(iter Lees surrender the military d.
VISION of the James was constituted, Hal
ieck being assigned TO the command and
Meade and the Army of the Potomac put
lnd.r him. Meade comments upon it:
This is the most cruel and humiliating
indignity that has been put upon me"
Iie charges the order TO Grant. but adds:
The order j. a perfectly legitimate one
and 10 which as a soldier j have no
Jlght 10 make any objection. Gen. Hal
le-k being my senior in the regular
army.
Barring this piece Of petulance Meade
loyalty supported Grant in his letters to
MS wife from the time Grant took his
IIder win the Army of the Potomac
IIeiIdlccd against Grant 10y the reports
tnat ta,uc from the west. Meade grew to
have Itstet view of him and reproved
h.- vtfr for her criticisms of the lieu
tenant general. In q letter to Mrs.
Meade brother-in-law he writes tNo-
Nenhcr - IS,Il Grant is not
nHshtN genius. but he is good soldier.
MIN -Tcat force of character, honest and
upright. ~ pure purposes, / think. with
out political aspirations. certainly not
14truCueed by them. Ills prominent quail
u. ntiinching tenacity of purpose.
winch blinds him to opposition and OBJ
sta,h certainly a great quality in "a
commando when controlled by judgment
tut = dangerous one otherwise. Grant is
Aat vitnuut his faults and Weaknesses
-AinUA- tleSr Is want OF sensibility. an
almost too confident and sanguine dispo-
n
SuileleSs disposition which is apt 10 put
him. unknown to himself under the in
rueRcc OF those who should not influence
him. and desire TO do SO only for their
own purposes. Take him all in all, he
ls, in my Judgment. the best man the
war has yet produced
Gen. Meade.s military reputation is not
likely u De altered by the new Life
But there is much IN the book that is
illuminat M. In letter 10 his wife writ
ten June l.. 1864. H. saws. To-day We
commence "a flank march 10 unite with
Batter on the James. III i is successful,
a. ! think il will be. il Will bring US to
the last act OF the Richmond drama
wnch trust will hays but few scenes in
il aud VIII efd fortunately and VIGOROUSLY
Tor rs. This STRATEGY mov. OF Grant S
has been described by Cunfederates as the
crucial step If the war. That its impor-
tauce Was perceived by Meade. who pre-
d.cted ultimate victory the result, GER
tain.y stamps him as clears hted
strategist.
Five DAYS later he writes from near
Petershurg: We find the enemy, as usual
u Very strong position. defended by
earthworks, and il looks very much as if
We Viii have to go through "A siege at
Petersburg before entering the siege
OF Richmond. and that Grants words of
Keeping 1T II all summer Viii prove 10 be
quite prophetic Meade realized the
greatness of the task confronting the
iorth. bat MAS confident 81 victory ulti-
1Hately. That the north was respondent
tbs time - shown by a letter written
a week later, N which he says ''Despon-
.enyy j. never going t. get VS. throue h
Inns war although this army has not ac-
trompsi~Eed al that ignorant people an
F!cipated, has really done more than
could reasonably have been counted on
= still believe, with the liberal supply
az men and means which superior re-
sources ought to furnish, we will win in
the long ran; but il IS a question OF
ND nd "a
look behind or 10 calculate the cost in
blood and treasure: if we do We are lost
and our enemies succeed
Northern apathy H. indicated by this
extract from d letter written by Meade
= Henry A. Craven, Mrs Meade $