Why didn't Meade crush the Army of Northern Virginia after Gettysburg?

Question

General George Meade could have easy caught up with Lee's retreating forces outside of Pennsylvania and destroyed them. The Army of Northern Virginia was exhausted and dispirited after their defeat at the three-day long Battle of Gettysburg. Instead, complaining that his own troops were "tired," he let them slink away, and the war last two years longer. Other than Ewell's failure to take the Little Round Top on July 1, 1863, was this the biggest blunder of the War Between the States?

Answer 1

Actually, the Union suffered nearly as many casulties as Lee. It was considered a defeat because Lee retreated....but Meade knew that Lee was a master at maneuver warfare (which he proved over and over against everybody including Grant). In deliberate standup offensive battles Lee was at his weakest because of the differences in numbers, firepower, and logistics. He was best in a defensive mobile fight, depending heavily on Stuart and his other Cavalry leaders. With the loss of Stuart prior to Gettysburg, that changed and things went down hill for Lee. The main reason he was even in Pennsylvania was to resupply his army (a big shoe factory in Gettysburg), and major supply centers throughout his route north. He also wanted the North to worry about him and not concentrate on Virginia. He succeeded by pulling nearly 75% of the union forces poised to attack Virginia to move back to defend Washington. Meade could not afford to let Lee slip past him and head to Washington. Lee later said he debated a move through maryland to DC but finally determined he could not disengage far enough from Meade to accomplish it undiscovered.

Answer 2

Exactly why Meade was fired afterwards, the war would've been over from there, but Meade was always a cautious man and that normally backfired especially in this incident. To me the biggest flop was the day Burnside tried his demolition, a brilliant plan and funny to say the least, but it ended in disaster

Answer 3

meade knew the northern army would have been slaughtered by our heroic confederate army.

Answer 4

He was a man of extreme caution, and it showed. Lee knew of this character flaw

Answer 5

Other then the "tired" excuse, how can you second guess Meade?