he had political enemies, including dan fickles, abner doubleday, all in washington talking smack on him. they are investigating him. congress has thanked him and joe hooker for the victory. he has got all of that going on. he has not been able to score the knockout punch everybody wants him to score. he has done ok at bristow, but not the knockout blow. so he has not done anything wrong, but he hasn't really done anything right. does that make sense? and just before the army leaves its camps for this campaign, word comes from chattanooga that grant has driven the confederate army away, out west things are happening. gosh, we need something to happen out here, too, don't we? and they haven't, have they? if you consider all that on meade's shoulders as he looked across this field ready to launch that assault and he calls that off, knowing the great personal and political peril it will put him in. but he does not want to sacrifice his army, and he has got to somehow try to salvage this. and he can't. and so he will cut the orders to begin to withdraw. on the evening of the 30th, he wil