August 1863 Army of the Potomac Flag-of-Truce Circular Issued by Command of General George Meade
MEADE, GEORGE GORDON—ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. Original manuscript circular regulating communication with Confederate forces under flags of truce. Headquarters, Army of the Potomac, August 28, 1863, with official forwarding endorsements dated August 28–29 from the Sixth Army Corps, First Division and Second Brigade.
Issued less than two months after the Battle of Gettysburg, the circular directs that all communication with Confederate forces under a flag of truce be confined to a single designated point:
“It is deemed advisable to hold communication with the enemy by ‘Flag of Truce’ at one point only, of the lines of this Army…”
Commanding officers were instructed to enforce the regulation and direct any Confederate party displaying a flag of truce to the appointed reception point.
The circular was issued “By command of Maj. Genl. Meade” through Assistant Adjutant General Seth Williams and transmitted successively through the Sixth Corps, First Division and Second Brigade. Its multiple dated endorsements provide an unusually clear record of how an Army of the Potomac directive moved down the wartime chain of command.
Flags of truce played an essential role in battlefield communication, permitting the exchange of messages, prisoners and casualties while temporarily suspending hostile activity. Because such contacts also created security risks, Meade’s headquarters sought to centralize and strictly regulate them.
The text is preserved in the published Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, confirming the circular’s official origin. This manuscript is a contemporary headquarters copy rather than a later reproduction.
Please note that an older catalog clipping formerly associated with the document incorrectly describes a different George Meade letter concerning Petersburg. The present circular is dated August 28, 1863, and does not bear Meade’s personal signature.
Large folded manuscript sheet with expected folds, light toning, scattered spotting, minor edge wear and ink show-through; complete and readily legible.
MEADE, GEORGE GORDON—ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. Original manuscript circular regulating communication with Confederate forces under flags of truce. Headquarters, Army of the Potomac, August 28, 1863, with official forwarding endorsements dated August 28–29 from the Sixth Army Corps, First Division and Second Brigade.
Issued less than two months after the Battle of Gettysburg, the circular directs that all communication with Confederate forces under a flag of truce be confined to a single designated point:
“It is deemed advisable to hold communication with the enemy by ‘Flag of Truce’ at one point only, of the lines of this Army…”
Commanding officers were instructed to enforce the regulation and direct any Confederate party displaying a flag of truce to the appointed reception point.
The circular was issued “By command of Maj. Genl. Meade” through Assistant Adjutant General Seth Williams and transmitted successively through the Sixth Corps, First Division and Second Brigade. Its multiple dated endorsements provide an unusually clear record of how an Army of the Potomac directive moved down the wartime chain of command.
Flags of truce played an essential role in battlefield communication, permitting the exchange of messages, prisoners and casualties while temporarily suspending hostile activity. Because such contacts also created security risks, Meade’s headquarters sought to centralize and strictly regulate them.
The text is preserved in the published Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, confirming the circular’s official origin. This manuscript is a contemporary headquarters copy rather than a later reproduction.
Please note that an older catalog clipping formerly associated with the document incorrectly describes a different George Meade letter concerning Petersburg. The present circular is dated August 28, 1863, and does not bear Meade’s personal signature.
Large folded manuscript sheet with expected folds, light toning, scattered spotting, minor edge wear and ink show-through; complete and readily legible.
