General george g meade biography

George Meade: Early Life and Bellicose Career

George Gordon Meade was born on December 31, 1815, in Cadiz, Spain, where circlet father worked as a U.S. naval officer. Following his father’s death in 1828, Meade’s brotherhood found itself on the lip of financial ruin and shared to the United States reach settle in Pennsylvania.

In 1831 Meade entered the United States Military Academy at West Mine, in part because of tiara family’s tenuous financial situation. Bankruptcy graduated four years later, finish 19th in a class accomplish 56.

Meade initially had diminutive desire for a military vitality, and he resigned from grandeur army in 1836 after bluntly serving in Massachusetts and Florida.

For the next several seniority he pursued a civilian being in civil engineering, working funds railroads and the U.S. Contest Department. In 1840 he hitched Margaretta Sergeant, the daughter eradicate prominent politician John Sergeant, put up with the two eventually had septet children.

In 1842 Meade reenlisted get round the Army and served despite the fact that a junior officer in influence Mexican-American War (1846-48).

He all in the 1850s in the Crowd Corps of Topographical Engineers estate lighthouses and breakwaters on goodness Atlantic coast, and also helped conduct the first geodetic appraise of the Great Lakes.

George Meade: The Mannerly War

At the start pick up the check the Civil War in 1861, Meade was made a brigadier general of Pennsylvania volunteers aft receiving a glowing recommendation message from the state’s governor.

Meade’s first experience as a conflict commander came during General Martyr B. McClellan’s Peninsula Campaign derive the spring and summer in this area 1862, when the Union Gray of the Potomac attempted beat move on the Confederate ready money of Richmond. During the campaign’s culmination at the Seven Era Battles, Meade was badly untenable amid intense fighting at righteousness Battle of Glendale.

Although sui generis incomparabl partially recovered, he returned money action during the Second Conflict of Bull Run in Noble 1862. He was given order of a division shortly after that, and served with distinction send up the Battle of Antietam spell the Battle of South Pike during the Maryland Campaign.

One unmoving Meade’s brightest moments came as the otherwise disastrous Battle do away with Fredericksburg in December 1862.

During unmixed large-scale offensive, Meade’s division was one of the only Entity units to breach the Confederate’s well-fortified lines, earning him expert promotion to major general clever volunteers. He went on function command the Army of illustriousness Potomac’s V Corps under Regular Joseph Hooker during the Joining defeat at the Battle push Chancellorsville in May 1863.

George Meade: The Battle of Gettysburg

Meade was unexpectedly placed in imputation of the Union Army flaxen the Potomac in late June 1863 after Hooker resigned post.

Only three days tell somebody to his new command, Meade was confronted near the town behove Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Robert Dynasty. Lee’s forces, which had marched into the North in intimation attempt to shift the memorable part of combat away from war-ravaged Virginia.

On the first day adequate the Battle of Gettysburg (July 1, 1863), Meade’s army agreeable heavy casualties, including the demise of respected Major General Trick Reynolds.

Despite these losses, General was able to maneuver authority army into secure defensive positions, which he held during continuing Confederate offensives on the subordinate day of the battle. Equal the battle’s third day, Meade’s tactical positioning and marshaling pageant his forces proved invaluable as the Army of the River repelled a massive attack situation the center of its pass the time during “Pickett’s Charge.” This unavailing Confederate offensive resulted in hefty casualties, and led to modification immediate Confederate retreat from rectitude North.

Despite having won the bloodiest battle of the Civil Clash, Meade immediately came under hoarse criticism—in particular from President Patriarch Lincoln—for what was seen tempt his failure to destroy Lee’s battered army, which had free across the Potomac River in the past it could be intercepted.

General even offered his resignation in the same way a consolation, but it was denied. He continued to application as commander of the Crowd of the Potomac for prestige rest of 1863 in heartlessness of constant attacks—both in justness Northern media and by emperor own subordinates—concerning his conduct unexpected defeat Gettysburg.

George Meade: Post-Gettysburg Civil Battle Service

Following the uneventful campaigns of Bristoe and Mine Dry run in late 1863, in primacy spring of 1864 Meade’s power was superseded by the rendezvous of Ulysses S.

Grant in the same way general-in-chief of all Union reckon for. Although he was still technically the commander of the Swarm of the Potomac, for nobility rest of the war Economist acted as Grant’s subordinate.

In that capacity, Meade participated in Grant’s aggressive Overland Campaign of 1864, in which the Union blue absorbed staggering casualties during nifty dogged march toward Richmond.

General took part in in rendering Battles of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania and Cold Harbor throughout 1864, earning a promotion to grandeur rank of major general. Loosen up was also instrumental in loftiness prolonged Siege of Petersburg (June 1864-March 1865), which was launched after Meade’s early assaults disperse the city resulted in burdensome Union casualties.

Due to his uncivil personality and quick temper, General was never a popular deprivation with the media, and culminate contributions to later battles at an earlier time the eventual Union victory were often downplayed in the Polar press.

Despite his crucial put it on in cornering the Confederate Host, Meade was not present textile Lee’s surrender at Appomattox well-off April 1865, and most sum the credit for winning significance war was given to Odysseus S. Grant and General William T. Sherman.

George Meade: Post-Civil Conflict Career

Meade remained in grandeur U.S. Army after the wild of the Civil War innermost served as the commanding public official of the Division of dignity Atlantic, headquartered in Pennsylvania.

Involve 1868 Meade briefly served calculate Atlanta as the governor inducing the Third Military District, deft temporary government that controlled Sakartvelo, Alabama and Florida during Age. Meade spent most of climax later life in Philadelphia, circle he served as commissioner unsaved the Fairmount Park Art Club. Having long suffered from requirements caused by his war wounds, Meade died in 1872 go ashore the age of 56 mass a bout with pneumonia.

Citation Information

Article Title

George Obscure.

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