So sure of this was Stanton that he declared to the President:
"If a single regiment of Lee's army ever gets back into Virginia in an
organized condition it will prove that I am totally unfit to be
Secretary of War."
Once more the impossible happened. Lee did get back into Virginia, his
army marching with quick step and undaunted spirit, ready to fight at
any moment his rear guard came in touch with Meade's advancing hosts. He
not only crossed the Potomac with his army in perfect fighting form with
every gun he carried, but with thousands of fat cattle and four thousand
prisoners of war captured on the field of Gettysburg.
The President's day of rejoicing was brief. As Lee withdrew to his old
battle ground with his still unconquered lines of grey, the man in the
White House saw with aching heart his dream of peace fade into the
mists of even a darker night than the one through which his soul had
just passed.
Slowly but surely the desperate South began to recover from the shock of
Gettysburg and Vicksburg and filled once more her thinning battle lines.
General Lee, sorely dissatisfied with himself for his failure to win in
Pennsylvania, tendered his resignation to the Richmond Government,
asking to be relieved by a younger and abler man. As no such man lived,
Jefferson Davis declined his resignation, and he continued his
leadership with renewed faith in his genius by every man, woman and
child in the South.
Pages:
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464