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Ready to spark something, download the Sims 4 and play for free. You're not going to be here. Oh, Hey everyone. Thanks for tuning in to episode 440 of our Civil War podcast. I'm Rich and I'm Tracy. Hello y'all welcome to the

podcast. As y'all will recall with the last episode we looked at the clashes at Rappahannock Station and at Kelly's Ford on November 7,

1863, after George Meade moved the Army of the Potomac forward, seeking to come to grips with Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia.

Yep, exactly. And if you ever want to see how political pressure influenced a

Civil War military campaign, then Mead's movement here in November

1863 is a great example.

Because as we said last time, Mead's preference would have been to put the Army of the Potomac into

winter quarters and say the campaigning season was over.

But he received a direct order from Abraham Lincoln by way of General and Chief Henry

Halleck to quote unquote attack Lee's Army.

Well, there was no arguing with such an order, so Meade prepared to open up a new campaign, designed

to crack the rebels Rappahannock River Line, and then get a battle out of Lee somewhere

in the countryside beyond the river.

On November 7th the federal scored successes at both Rappahannock Station and at Cully's

Ford, forcingly to abandon his position behind the river and withdraw to the southwest, where the Confederates took up a new line in the countryside between Brandy Station and Culpeper.

This was just the situation Mead was hoping for. But before he could come to grips with the rebels, Lee decided to pull back again.

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