on 30 june, fremantle met the famous commander of the army of northern virginia for the first time, and learned from longstreet that general george meade had replaced joseph hooker as commander of the army of the potomac. in the camp, fremantle spoke to the staff officers about the likelihood of battle in the near future. the next day, the sound of artillery fire alerted the english visitor that the two armies had indeed met each other. according to fremantle's diary, a spy, presumably henry thomas harrison, informed the company that there was a significant concentration of union troops around gettysburg. whilst talking to union prisoners, fremantle met general ambrose powell hill, who complained of being ill. later in the evening, when the union forces had reformed on cemetery ridge, fremantle climbed a tree to observe the last of the fighting, before consulting with longstreet again about the following day's action.