To Henry W. Halleck1Jump to section
[Washington,] July 6, 1863--- 7 p.m.
Major-General Halleck: I left the telegraph office a good deal dissatisfied. You know I did not like the phrase, in Orders, No. 68, I believe, ``Drive the invaders from our soil.'' Since that, I see a dispatch from General French, saying the enemy is crossing his wounded over the river in flats, without saying why he does not stop it, or even intimating a thought that it ought to be stopped. Still later, another dispatch from General Pleasonton, by direction of General Meade, to General French, stating that the main army is halted because it is believed the rebels are concentrating ``on the road toward Hagerstown, beyond Fairfield,'' and is not to move until it is ascertained that the rebels intend to evacuate Cumberland Valley.
These things all appear to me to be connected with a purpose to cover Baltimore and Washington, and to get the enemy across the river again without a further collision, and they do not appear connected with a purpose to prevent his crossing and to destroy him. I do fear the former purpose is acted upon and the latter is rejected.
If you are satisfied the latter purpose is entertained and is judiciously pursued, I am content. If you are not so satisfied, please look to it. Yours, truly, A. LINCOLN.
Annotation
[1] ALS, IHi. Major General George G. Meade's General Orders No. 68, July 4, 1863, after thanking his army for defeating ``an enemy, superior in numbers, and flushed with the pride of a successful invasion,'' continued as follows: ``Our task is not yet accomplished, and the commanding general looks to the army for greater efforts to drive from our soil every vestige of the presence of the invader. . . .'' General Alfred Pleasonton telegraphed General William H. French at 11 A.M. on July 6, ``Major-General Meade desires me to say, in consequence of a large body of the enemy being concentrated on the road toward Hagerstown, beyond Fairfield, he has suspended his operations for the present. Indications go to show that he intends evacuating the Cumberland Valley, but it is not yet positively ascertained. Until so ascertained, the general does not feel justified in leaving here and moving down toward you.''
``[The enemy is very much crippled. The general is under no apprehension of their attacking you, provided your cavalry keep a good lookout, and are kept well out to your front and flanks.]'' (OR, I, XXVII, III, 559). The brackets are in the source, and a footnote explains: ``The clause in brackets does not appear in the telegram as received 4 p.m. at the War Department.'' Had Lincoln seen the omitted paragraph, he would probably have been even more displeased at Meade's obvious intent to let Lee withdraw.