Sep 15, 2011 - Sale 2253

Sale 2253 - Lot 99

Unsold
Estimate: $ 5,000 - $ 7,500
ON THE SPOT AT GETTYSBURG (CIVIL WAR--1863.) Meade, George Gordon. General Order No. 68 congratulating the Army of the Potomac for victory at Gettysburg. One page, 8 x 5 inches; disbound, minor wear. Headquarters, Army of the Potomac [Gettysburg, PA], 4 July 1863
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Additional Details

The day after the Battle of Gettysburg concluded, with the Confederate forces starting their retreat, Union commander Meade issued this historic order of congratulation to his men: "The Commanding General, in behalf of the country, thanks the Army of the Potomac for the glorious result of the recent operations. An enemy superior in numbers and flushed with the pride of a successful invasion, attempted to overcome and destroy this Army. Utterly baffled and defeated, he has now withdrawn from the contest." Meade also urged his army toward "greater efforts to drive from the soil every vestige of the presence of the invader."
Although the troops at Gettysburg certainly deserved Meade's praise, the wording of this order rankled President Lincoln. Lincoln considered the Confederate Army to be traitors rather than invaders, and thought Meade's objective should have been to crush them rather than chase them out of Pennsylvania. Meade's slow pursuit of Lee's retreating army was considered a missed opportunity.
This example is a variant printing, with a different setting of type than usually seen. It has the vertical format more typical of general orders, rather than the smaller horizontal format, and reads "S. Williams, Assistant Adjutant General." in the lower right, rather than "S. Williams, Asst. Adj. General" in the lower left. It also reads "Official:" in the lower left.