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A. Lincolnof the Army of the Potomac |
 Published in the New York Herald on June 29,
1863.General Hooker Relieved and General Meade Appointed to the Command of the Army of the Potomac
The following is from your special correspondent, dated June 28--- General Hooker was this morning relieved of the command of the Army of the Potomac. General Meade succeeds him. General Hooker is relieved at his own request. General Hooker leaves this afternoon for Baltimore. It is reported the rebels are in occupation of York and Hanover Junction, on the Northern Central Railroad. Lee's headquarters were yesterday at Hagerstown. Longstreet's corps crossed yesterday at Williamsport. Everything is working well with us. This morning Colonel Hardie arrived here by special train from Washington, as a bearer of despatches, relieving General Hooker from the command of the Army of the Potomac, and appointing Major-General Meade commanding the Fifth corps, his successor. Soon after the reception of the orders at headquarters, General Hooker issued the following address: In conformity with the orders of the WarDepartment, dated June 17, 1863, I relinquish the command of the Army of the Potomac. It is transferred to Major General George G. Meade, a brave and accomplished officer, who has nobly earned the confidence and esteem of the army of many a well fought field. Impressed with the belief that my usefulness as the commander of the Army of the Potomac is impaired, I part from it, yet not without the deepest emotion. The sorrow of parting with the comrades of so many battles is relieved by the conviction that the courage and devotion of this army will never cease nor fall; that it will yield to my successor, as it has to me, a willing and hearty support. With the earnest prayer that the triumph of its arms may bring successes worthy of it and the nation, I bid it farewell.
Headquarters, Army of the Potomac June 29, 1863
Nothing could have exceeded the surprise occasioned by this announcement. The first rumors of the change were scarcely credited, and it was not until the appearance of the farewell address of General Hooker that the report was generally believed. The reasons for the change of commanders are yet unknown; it is believed, and indeed indicated in the brief remarks of General Hooker to his staff, that he had applied to General Halleck to be relieved from the command of the Army of the Potomac. We are yet in the dark, however, so far as the knowledge of General Hooker's reasons for making such an application are concerned, and can only await development of events from his headquarters. The report of the change soon extended to the several corps, and their commanders hastened to bid farewell to the General. By three o'clock a large number of officers had assembled, and soon after General Hooker appeared in the avenue before his tent. Some time was spent in social intercourse, and to the last all formalities were dispensed with. The parting was painful to everyone, particularly to those who had become endeared to the General by old associations; and not a few of felt their eyes moisten as they took the parting hand. General Hooker was deeply grieved. He had been identified with the Army of the Potomac, he said, since its organization, and had hoped to continue with it to the end. It was the best army of the country, worthy of the confidence of the nation, and could not fail of success in the approaching struggle. He spoke of his successor as a glorious soldier, and urged all to give them their earnest support. At the conclusion of the leave taking the prominent officers lingered at the general's tent, and spent the evening in reviewing the pleasant reminisences of the past, and the plans for the future campaign. General Hooker leaves to morrow for Baltimore, to which place he has been ordered to report. His personal staff, including General Butterfield, will accompany him. The officers of several Departments at Headquarters will doubtless remain. General Meade was totally surprised by the order appointing him Commander of the Army of the Potomac, and deeply felt the weight of responsibility resting upon him. His appointment gives universal satisfaction, and all express a determination to extend their heartiest cooperation. Affairs on the Upper Potomac are reported quiet. The enemy has but a small force south of Hagerstown, and our forces remain in the undisturbed posession of South mountain. A rebel cavalry force is reported to have crossed the Potomac below Edwards' Ferry, and captured a train of one hundred and fifty wagons. Captain Harry Page, assistant quartermaster at head quarters, had charge of the train, and is probably a prisoner. The mail wagon with mails from head quarters, had left Washington, but received timely information of the raid and returned. This morning one of the wagons in the ammunition train blew up, but fortunately without doing any damage to the rest of the train. General Pleasanton has been appointed major general with another command in Pennsylvania. All quiet. Major General George G. Meade, The New Commander of the Army of the Potomac. Major General George G. Meade, the new commander of the Army of the Potomac, was born in Spain, about the year 1815, of American parents. His father was at the time of his birth a very wealthy man, and was residing in Barcelona, Spain, where Captain Meade, now commanding the North Carolina, and the subject of our sketch, were born. The two boys were brought to this country; one was educated for the navy, which he entered in 1826, and the other for the army. George G. Meade entered West Point Military Academy as an appointee from the State of Pennsylvania during September, 1831, and graduated on the 30th of June, 1835, standing number nineteen in his class, which has produced such men as Generals Morall, Nagles, Haupt, Patrick, Martindale, Roberts, and others, as well as Postmaster General Montgomery Blair, &c. He was appointed to the army from the District of Columbia and entered the service as brevet second lieutenant of the Third Artillery on the first of July 1835. He did not receive his full commission until December 31, 1835, when he was made a full second lieutenant. On the 26th of October, 1836, he resigned his commission with the United States Army and was engaged in private pursuits until 1842. On the nineteenth day of May, 1842, he was reappointed to the United States military service as a second lieutenant of Topographical Engineers. In this capacity he joined the troops engaged in the Mexican war. At this time we find the names of his companions in the Topographical Engineers corps were Major Turnbull, Captains Wm. G. Williams, killed at Monterey; Geo. H. Hughes, John McClellan, Thos. B. Luinard, and Joseph E. Johnston (now a rebel General); First Lieutenants Wm. H. Emory (now General), Jacob E. Blake (killed in Mexico), L. Sitgraves, W.H. Warner (killed by Indians), E.P. Scammon (now General), and C.N. Hager; Second Lieutenants John C. Fremont, J.D. Webster, Geo. Thorn, Martin L. Smith, John Pope (now General), Wm. B. Franklin (now General), and Wm. J. Peck. His conduct in Mexico was marked by deetermination and bravery, and at the battle of Palo Alto he was particularly distinguished, and so mentioned in the official reports. During the several conflicts of Monterey, 21st , 22d and 23d days of September 1846, he again became distinguished, and for his bravery was brevetted a first lieutenant to date, from September 23, 1846. This brevet was awarded in May, 1847. During the month of August, 1851, he was promoted to a first lieutenancy of his corps, and on the 19th of May 1856, was further promoted to a captaincy, which rank he held at the breaking out of the rebellion. When the rebellion broke out, and President Lincoln called for three hundred thousand volunteers, the Pennsylvania reserve corps was raised and placed under the charge of General McCall, as division commander, and Generals Reynolds, Meade and Ord as brigade commanders. Each of these Brigade Commanders have nobly distinguished themselves during the present war, having all risen to a rank equal with a Marshal of France. General Meade was appointed a brigadier general of volunteers, with a commission to date from August 31, 1861. He was then placed in charge of the Second brigade of that division, and proceeded to organize it at Tonnallytown, near the waters of the Potomac and in this vicinity wintered during 1861-2. When the Army of the Potomac began to move upon Manassas, during March, 1862, the division in which Gen. Meade served was attached to the First corps, then under General McDowell. With him they remained north of the Rappahannock until after the battle of Hanover Station, when they were added to the Army of the Potomac, occupying part of the right wing, with division headquarters in the vicinity of Mechanicsville. About this time--viz. June 18, 1862---he was promoted to a majority in the Engineer corps, which rank he still holds in the newly organized Engineer corps of the regular army. On the 26th of June, 1862, he took part in the famous battle of Mechanicsville, where Gen. Stonewall Jackson made such a terrific dash upon Gen. McClellan's right wing, and Gens. McCall, Reynolds and others were taken prisoners. His noble conduct and bravery on this occasion were particularly noticed. The next day he was engaged under Gen. Fitz John Porter in the battle of Gaines' Mill, and was so distinguished that he was nominated for a brevet of leiutenant colonel for distinguished service during that battle. He also took part in some of the subsequent engagements of the seven days' fight. At the battle of New Market Cross Roads he was severely wounded, but under skillful treatment, he recovered, and almost immediately returned to the army, where he took command of the division until the return of Gen. McCall and Reynolds from captivity in Richmond. When the rebels invaded Maryland and Pennsylvania, after the defeat of General Pope's army, Gen. Reynolds, who had commanded the division, was then detached to organize the Pennsylvania militia, and Gen. Meade was placed in command of the division of Pennsylvania reserves. He led these troops during the eventful battles of South Mountain and Antietam, and when, at the latter battle, Gen. Hooker was wounded and had to leave the field, Gen. Meade for a short time had charge of the Ninth army corps, formerly under Gen. Reno. On the 15th of December, 1862, two days after this eventful battle, he was ordered to command the Fifth army corps, formerly under General Fitz John Porter, and more recently under General Butterfield. To enable him properly to hold that position he was appointed by the President a Major General of Volunteers, and was regularly nominated to the United States Senate during January, 1863. The Senate making certain objections to the lists of appointees, it was revised, and General Meade's name again sent in by the President. During March, 1863, the Senate, in executive session, confirmed the appointment, and General Meade took his rank and commission as major general of the United States Volunteers, from November 29, 1862, and assumed command of the Fifth army corps. When General Hooker assumed command of the Army of the Potomac, and reorganized the same, he still continued to retain General Meade as the commander of the Fifth army corps, General Butterfield having obtained a position on the staff of the commanding officer. In general orders, dated February 6, 1863, General Meade's name and command is specified accordingly. During the advance on Chancellorsville General Meade's corps formed part of the right wing of Hooker's army. The corps started on its march on the 26th day of April, 1863, and arrived at Kelly's ford on the 28th. The next day it crossed the Rappahannock by that ford and the Rapidan by Ely's Ford. It then pushed on to Chancellorsville, where it arrived on the 30th and engaged the skirmishers of the rebels, taking their rifle pits and temporary works. During the fearful contests of May 2, 3 and 4 General Meade's corps played its part in the same noble manner that had characterized the troops under his special command since the commencement of the war. It bore its part manfully, and in the end covered the retreat of the whole of Hooker's army. During the recent heavy forced march General Meade's corps bore up under the heated rays of nearly a tropical sun, and although other corps straggled and hung back, Meade's corps held its own. On Sunday, June 21, 1863, in the fight under General Pleasanton's orders, one of the brigades of Gen. Meade's corps took an active part and earned an undying fame. This brigade was commanded by Colonel Vincent, and belonged to the First Division. Among other troops recently under General Meade's command were the regulars under General Sykes. The bravery and endurance with which these two men have always acted has told well for the discipline and esprit du corps of the men under the command of General Meade. Within the last few days General Meade has been placed at the head of the finest army on the planet, and it is to be hoped that he will be more successful with the troops than was either General Burnside or General Hooker. The material that composes this army is perhaps the best in the whole world, and will do almost anything, if properly led; and, judging by General Meade's antecedents, there is but little doubt they now will be. |
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