Editing George Meade (section)

===Bristoe and Mine Run campaign===
[[File:Meade Staff.jpg|thumb|Generals George G. Meade, [[Andrew A. Humphreys]] and staff in [[Culpeper, Virginia]], outside Meade's headquarters, 1863]]
During the fall of 1863, the Army of the Potomac was weakened by the transfer of the [[XI Corps (Union Army)|XI]] and [[XII Corps (Union Army)|XII Corps]] to the [[Western theater of the American Civil War|Western Theater]].{{sfn|Pennypacker|1901|pp=223-224}} Meade felt pressure from Halleck and the Lincoln administration to pursue Lee into Virginia but he was cautious due to a misperception that Lee's Army was 70,000 in size when the reality was they were only 55,000 compared to the Army of the Potomac at 76,000. Many of the Union troop replacements for the losses suffered at Gettysburg were new recruits and it was uncertain how they would perform in combat.{{sfn|Backus|Orrison|2015|pp=2-3}}

Lee petitioned Jefferson Davis to allow him to take the offensive against the cautious Meade which would also prevent further Union troops being sent to the Western Theater to support [[William Rosecrans|William Rosencrans]] at the [[Battle of Chickamauga]].{{sfn|Backus|Orrison|2015|pp=3-4}}

[[File:Potomac Staff.jpg|thumb|Commanders of the [[Army of the Potomac]], [[Gouverneur K. Warren]], [[William H. French]], George G. Meade, [[Henry J. Hunt]], [[Andrew A. Humphreys]], and [[George Sykes]] in September 1863]]
The Army of the Potomac was stationed along the north bank of the Rapidan River and Meade made his headquarters in [[Culpeper, Virginia]].{{sfn|Backus|Orrison|2015|p=4}} In the [[Bristoe campaign|Bristoe Campaign]], Lee attempted to flank the Army of the Potomac and force Meade to move north of the Rappahannock River.{{sfn|Backus|Orrison|2015|p=11}} The Union forces had deciphered the Confederate [[semaphore]] code. This along with spies and scouts gave Meade advance notice of Lee's movements.{{sfn|Backus|Orrison|2015|p=13}} As Lee's troops moved north to the west of the Army of the Potomac, Meade abandoned his headquarters at Culpeper and gave orders for his troops to move north to intercept Lee.{{sfn|Backus|Orrison|2015|p=16}} Meade successfully outmaneuvered Lee in the campaign and gained a small victory. Lee reported that his plans failed due to the quickness of Meade's redeployment of resources.{{sfn|Pennypacker|1901|p=234}} However, Meade's inability to stop Lee from approaching the outskirts of Washington prompted Lincoln to look for another commander of the Army of the Potomac.{{sfn|Backus|Orrison|2015|p=xx}}

In late November 1863, Meade planned one last offensive against Lee before winter weather limited troop movement. In the [[Battle of Mine Run|Mine Run Campaign]], Meade attempted to attack the right flank of the Army of Northern Virginia south of the Rapidan River but the maneuver failed due to the poor performance of [[William H. French]].{{sfn|Chick|2015|pp=15-16}} There was heavy skirmishing but a full attack never occurred. Meade determined that the Confederate forces were too strong<ref>{{cite web |title=Mine Run Payne's Farm |url=https://www.battlefields.org/learn/civil-war/battles/mine-run |website=www.battlefields.org |publisher=American Battlefield Trust |access-date=13 March 2023}}</ref> and was convinced by Warren that an attack would have been suicidal.{{sfn|Chick|2015|p=16}} Meade held a council of war which concluded to withdraw across the Rapidan River during the night of December 1, 1863.{{sfn|Salmon|2001|p=226}}