Federal Major General George Meade was in a good mood this morning. The Second and Fifth Corps had arrived and were ready for action. The Artillery Reserve was rolling in with their ammunition train. Best of all, Lee had not attacked! Meade talked briefly with one of his aids, Captain George G. Meade, Jr at about 9:00am ending their conversation with, "Now George you just ride down to Sickles," and see if the Third Corps was in position and if General Sickles has anything to report, since he had heard nothing from them. The Third Corps had been ordered to take over the position occupied by Geary's division of the Twelfth Corps when they pulled out at 5:00am for Culp's Hill.

Captain Meade rode unhurriedly down the Taneytown Road about a mile to Sickles' headquarters on the west side of the road. All was quiet there. Meade met an officer and found out that General Sickles was resting in a nearby tent. Meade asked for the information that his father had requested, Meade was asked to wait while the officer entered Sickles' tent. When he came out the officer said that the Third Corps was not in position and that their was some confusion about where that position was. Meade said that he would give this report to the commanding general, saluted, and set out for the army's headquarters.

Upon his return to headquarters the captain found General Meade talking with some officers and gave his report. This unwelcomed news must have tested the general's good mood. The captain was told that he was to return to Sickles and tell him that the Third Corps was to go into line to the left of the Second Corps to where Geary's division had been. This was to be done as quickly as possible.

Back at Third Corps headquarters Captain Meade found it full of activity. The tents where down, Sickles was on his horse with his staff gathered around him. Given his instructions Sickles replied that Geary's division had no position that he knew of and had been massed. He also said that his corps would be posted shortly. With that Sickles drew rein and rode off.

In his official report and in his testimony to the Committee on the Conduct of the War, Major General David Birney says that his division of the Third Corps, took a position with his left on Little Round Top directly on Cemetery Ridge and was in contact with Humphery's Division which was on the left of the Second Corps. Birney reported that he was in this position at or near 9:00am. Or was he? He had several regiments out along the Emmitsburg Road and three more behind a stone wall in the Rose Woods. There also seems to have been some regiments across the Plum Run Valley from Little Round Top. Certainly none of Birney's forces were on Little Round Top.

At 10:00am the last two brigades of the Third Corps arrived. They marched in on the Emmitsburg Road turned right at the Peach Orchard and were ready for work.