The thing for which Lincoln had fought and prayed for more than two years was limping across the landscape in front of him asking to be had. The destruction of Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia was as certain as the morning sun if Meade had simply said "all right" to Pleasanton. Meade had the men, the horses, the guns, the food, and the numbers. He simply lacked the courage. In the months that followed, Meade did much to reverse the notion that he lacked courage but not much to dispel the notion the he would always back up and fight a counter-punching, ground-giving strategy.

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