The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-04-16

Fifty years ago today the officers and
men OF the Army Of the Potomac were
studying Lieut.. Gen. L. :. Grant. and
commenting on the effect his presence
with the army might have on the for
tunes of its commander, Gen. George q.
Meade.
Thus far it appeared to have none
Grant had been with the army since
March 24-he had first visited il. for
day. on March lC-yet he had not given
a single order affecting its duties, or
ganizatiOn or administration.
Matters had gone on exactly as If the
quiet. rather rusty. cigar-smOking gen.
eTaI-in-chief were not there The bust
ness of the army was conducted at Gen.
Meades headquarters near Brandy sta
ton. Gen. Grants headquarters were
eight miles from Gen. Meade's. in the
village of Culpeper Courthouse.
So far as the soldiers could see. or the
officers either. nothing was done at
Grants headqua rters that related in the
slightest to the life of the army.
Grant. in fact. was occupied with the
broadest possible study of the coming
campaign and did not burden himself
in the slightest with details. He left the
preparation Of the army as completely
to Gen Meade as an orchestra leader
would leave TO his first violin the tun-
Army of the Potomac was an instrument
to Grant. and Gen. Meade was wholly
r, spOnsIble for keeping ii in condition
and for handling il. when the time came,
under Gen. Grants direction.
Under these conditions the relations of
Gen. Grant and Gen. Meade necessarily
wer" important. That they were Ear-
mOniOus il shown by what each man
wrote OF the other.
Meade Wins Grants Esteem.
Grants early estimate Of Meade as a
man and soldier went on record at the
time. Gen. Meades estimate OF Grant
recorded in his intimate letters 10 his
wife. who was his only Confidant on mill
tary topics. it appears, in the trying
times Of lS6; and INA. was destined not
TO see the light for half century. The
publication Of Gen. M,adc's letters in
1918 ,Scribner's, established historically
for the first time in true perspective
Gen. Meade's attitude toward Gen.
Grant.
Gen. Meade was in a hard place when
Grant appeared at headquarters to di-
rec. the army in the campaign against
Lee. Grants rank gave him supreme
control Of the Army Of the Potomac.
as of all the other armies Of the United
states yet Meade was as much reSpon-
OF administration in his command as
he had ever been. He had the same
kind OF work L. do. and more Of il. II
he failed to maintain high STANDARD
commander. he might expect the
consequences of failure. which in the
case of his three predecessors in the
command had been dismissal. II he
succeeded. credit for his success wOuld
20. with the unthinkinS. to Gen. Grant.
Gen. Meade had seen all this at a
glance when Gen. Grant appeared on
the field He had met the situation
manfully. There was no sulking in
his tent. no talk nf the ingratitudc Of
republics. no asking of favors. He
had at once offered to go or to stay.
as Grant wished. suggesting that per
haps Gen. Grant would wish to APP
point a Western man. whom he knew.
in his place. and saying he was ready
to go If it would help the cause.
This high minded and patriotic
course at once won Gen. Grants re-
speCt. His esteem for Gen. Meade he
gan with that hour and grew steadily.
Merdc's View of Grant.
That this esteem was mutual appears
from Gen. Meade's letters. \ few days
after his first interview with Grant.
Gen. Meade wrote his wife: Grant is
emphatically an executive man. whose
only place is in the field.
intend To give him heartiest co-opera-
ton"
\ few days later Gen. Meade referred
to Gen. Grant as "afTable.' and on
March 20 wrote Of him: He appears