An unfortunate element in these critical days was that Halleck and Hooker disliked each other, and that their ideas often clashed.  Mr. Lincoln was at last obliged to say to Hooker:  “To remove all misunderstanding, I now place you in the strict military relation to General Halleck of a commander of one of the armies to the general-in-chief of all the armies.  I have not intended differently; but as it seems to be differently understood, I shall direct him to give you orders, and you to obey them.”  At the same time he wrote him a “private” letter, endeavoring to allay the ill-feeling.  He closed it with words of kindness, of modesty, and with one of his noble appeals for subjection of personal irritation and for union of effort on behalf of the country:—­

“I believe you are aware that, since you took command of the army, I have not believed you had any chance to effect anything till now.  As it looks to me, Lee’s now returning towards Harper’s Ferry gives you back the chance that I thought McClellan lost last fall.  Quite possibly I was wrong both then and now; but, in the great responsibility resting upon me, I cannot be entirely silent.  Now, all I ask is that you will be in such mood that we can get into our action the best cordial judgment of yourself and General Halleck, with my poor mite added, if, indeed, he and you shall think it entitled to any consideration at all.”

The breach, however, could not be closed.  Hooker, finding his army seriously weakened by the withdrawal of the two years’ and the nine months’ troops, asked for the garrison of Harper’s Ferry, which seemed useless where it was.  Halleck refused it, and, June 27, Hooker requested to be relieved of the command.  His request was instantly granted, and Major-General George G. Meade was appointed in his place.  Swinton says that command was given to Meade “without any lets or hindrances, the President expressly waiving all the powers of the executive and the Constitution, so as to enable General Meade to make, untrammeled, the best dispositions for the emergency.”  One would like to know the authority upon which so extraordinary a statement is based; probably it is a great exaggeration, and the simple fact would prove to be that, since the situation was such that new developments were likely to occur with much suddenness, the President wisely and even necessarily placed the general in full control, free from requirements of communication and consultation.  But to represent that Mr. Lincoln abdicated his constitutional functions is absurd!  Be this as it may, the fact is that the appointment brought no change of plan.  For three days the armies manoeuvred and drew slowly together.  Finally it was betwixt chance and choice that the place and hour of concussion were determined.  The place was the village of Gettysburg, and the time was the morning of July 1.