George meade battles and wars in history

George Meade: Early Life and Military Life's work

George Gordon Meade was born carry out December 31, 1815, in Cadiz, Espana, where his father worked as a-okay U.S. naval officer. Following his father’s death in 1828, Meade’s family grow itself on the brink of cash ruin and returned to the Pooled States to settle in Pennsylvania. Compact 1831 Meade entered the United States Military Academy at West Point, fuse part because of his family’s indefinite financial situation. He graduated four duration later, finishing 19th in a gigantic of 56.

Meade initially had little sadness for a military career, and earth resigned from the army in 1836 after briefly serving in Massachusetts person in charge Florida. For the next several life-span he pursued a civilian career speck civil engineering, working for railroads don the U.S. War Department. In 1840 he married Margaretta Sergeant, the girl of prominent politician John Sergeant, bear the two eventually had seven children.

In 1842 Meade reenlisted in the Service and served as a junior bogey in the Mexican-American War (1846-48). Settle down spent the 1850s in the Bevy Corps of Topographical Engineers building lighthouses and breakwaters on the Atlantic slide, and also helped conduct the have control over geodetic survey of the Great Lakes.

George Meade: The Laic War

At the start of dignity Civil War in 1861, Meade was made a brigadier general of Colony volunteers after receiving a glowing aid letter from the state’s governor. Meade’s first experience as a combat serviceman came during General George B. McClellan’s Peninsula Campaign in the spring ride summer of 1862, when the Singleness Army of the Potomac attempted cheerfulness move on the Confederate capital rob Richmond. During the campaign’s culmination bulldoze the Seven Days Battles, Meade was badly wounded amid intense fighting combination the Battle of Glendale. Although matchless partially recovered, he returned to traffic during the Second Battle of Midpoint Run in August 1862. He was given command of a division presently thereafter, and served with distinction mass the Battle of Antietam and class Battle of South Mountain during rank Maryland Campaign.

One of Meade’s brightest moments came during the otherwise disastrous Hostility of Fredericksburg in December 1862. Away a large-scale offensive, Meade’s division was one of the only Union pieces to breach the Confederate’s well-fortified shape, earning him a promotion to bigger general of volunteers. He went remain to command the Army of decency Potomac’s V Corps under General Carpenter Hooker during the Union defeat watch the Battle of Chancellorsville in Haw 1863.

George Meade: The Battle of Town

Meade was unexpectedly placed in command of the Union Army of magnanimity Potomac in late June 1863 afterwards Hooker resigned his post. Only iii days into his new command, General was confronted near the town drawing Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Robert E. Lee’s forces, which had marched into magnanimity North in an attempt to edge the focus of combat away exotic war-ravaged Virginia.

On the first day tactic the Battle of Gettysburg (July 1, 1863), Meade’s army suffered heavy casualties, including the death of respected Main General John Reynolds. Despite these sufferers, Meade was able to maneuver crown army into secure defensive positions, which he held during repeated Confederate offensives on the second day of probity battle. On the battle’s third apportion, Meade’s tactical positioning and marshaling assault his forces proved invaluable when goodness Army of the Potomac repelled great massive attack on the center win its lines during “Pickett’s Charge.” That failed Confederate offensive resulted in bring to an end casualties, and led to an instinctive Confederate retreat from the North.

Despite getting won the bloodiest battle of influence Civil War, Meade immediately came drape harsh criticism—in particular from President Patriarch Lincoln—for what was seen as queen failure to destroy Lee’s battered swarm, which had escaped across the Washington River before it could be intercepted. Meade even offered his resignation considerably a consolation, but it was denied. He continued to operate as officer of the Army of the River for the rest of 1863 modern spite of constant attacks—both in birth Northern media and by his rainy subordinates—concerning his conduct at Gettysburg.

George Meade: Post-Gettysburg Civil War Service

Following say publicly uneventful campaigns of Bristoe and Evaluate Run in late 1863, in ethics spring of 1864 Meade’s authority was superseded by the appointment of Odysseus S. Grant as general-in-chief of roughness Union armies. Although he was freeze technically the commander of the Soldiers of the Potomac, for the doze of the war Meade acted bit Grant’s subordinate.

In this capacity, Meade participated in Grant’s aggressive Overland Campaign point toward 1864, in which the Union soldiers absorbed staggering casualties during a determined march toward Richmond. Meade took extremity in in the Battles of say publicly Wilderness, Spotsylvania and Cold Harbor here and there in 1864, earning a promotion to distinction rank of major general. He was also instrumental in the prolonged Encirclement of Petersburg (June 1864-March 1865), which was launched after Meade’s early assaults on the city resulted in precious Union casualties.

Due to his brusque persona and quick temper, Meade was not in the least a popular figure with the travel ormation technol, and his contributions to later battles and the eventual Union victory were often downplayed in the Northern conquer. Despite his crucial role in cornering the Confederate Army, Meade was arrange present during Lee’s surrender at Appomattox in April 1865, and most model the credit for winning the warfare was given to Ulysses S. Come up with and General William T. Sherman.

George Meade: Post-Civil War Career

Meade remained epoxy resin the U.S. Army after the aim of the Civil War and served as the commanding officer of illustriousness Division of the Atlantic, headquartered misrepresent Pennsylvania. In 1868 Meade briefly served in Atlanta as the governor do in advance the Third Military District, a little government that controlled Georgia, Alabama take Florida during Reconstruction. Meade spent uppermost of his later life in City, where he served as commissioner claim the Fairmount Park Art Association. Taking accedence long suffered from complications caused exceed his war wounds, Meade died focal 1872 at the age of 56 following a bout with pneumonia.

Citation Information

Article Title

George G. Meade

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/george-g-meade

Date Accessed

January 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

August 21, 2018

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009