Without Tents and Only a Short Supply of Food

As all of Meade’s army corps marched to Gettysburg on the afternoon and evening of July 1, the extensive supply wagon trains of each of the seven corps were ordered not to follow the troops, but to go to Westminster and Union Bridge, in compliance with standing orders in the army. The Army of the Potomac was suffering from severe supply deficiencies; over half of the men were without shoes, none had been fed, and the horses and mules lacked shoes and forage. No tents were brought to the front. All those necessities, including the cattle herds, were with the wagon trains sent to Westminster and Union Bridge. Meade arrived at Gettysburg by way of the Taneytown Road in the wee hours of July 2. After examining the defense lines, Meade was not convinced that they could be held, but all his army corps were marching to Gettysburg. He was also concerned that the Baltimore Pike, the only route from Gettysburg to Westminster and Union Bridge, was too close to enemy concentrations below Culp’s Hill and Cemetery Hill.