President Lincoln appointed General George Meade to command the Federal Army of the Potomac on June 28, 1863. When General Meade was given the news that he was appointed to take over the army, he attempted to refuse the promotion. When told that the appointment was an order, he responded, “Well, I’ve been tried and condemned without a hearing, and I suppose I shall have to go to the execution.”
General Meade
Gettysburg Battlefield
The Civil War Book 