Meade's Dilemma

July 10, 1865. Attack an entrenched Lee at Williamsport quickly as Lincoln encouraged or wait as Halleck and your Corps Commander's caution? Meade waited. Lee escaped as Meade began his infantry attack with relative minor losses. What would I have done? The war would have no doubt ended here in Maryland with the destruction of the ANV, because the swift and swollen Potomac was impassable on 10 July and Lee could not pass over. But Lee was not whipped after Gettysburg. The losses there were close on both sides. The Union Cavalry had been stopped in several rear guard and screening engagements, plus Bufford's raid to take Williamsport early failed. Vicksburg had finally fallen in the West. If Meade had gambled and sustained a loss at Williamsport, Lee's overall objectives might have been realized, the Gettysburg "victory" negated, and Lincoln voted out resulting in peace by treaty. His corps commander had often tasted the lash of Longsteet and Ewell and knew of the dash of Stewart. I came across a paper by a student of the Army War College on the www that was critical of Meade here, but I remain unconvinced that he did not act wisely. The next two years witnessed the bloody overland campaign too Petersburg with horrendous losses for the North and irreplaceable attrition for the South
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