George Meade
The steady-handed Union general who clinched a decisive, history-altering victory at Gettysburg but never captured the public's full adoration.
1815–1872 (age 57)·United States Army general and civil engineer·Birthday: December 31
Biography
George Gordon Meade is the Civil War's quintessential 'what if' commander. Placed in command of the Army of the Potomac just three days before the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863, he inherited a demoralized force and faced Robert E. Lee's invading Confederates. With little time to prepare, Meade's defensive acumen and calm leadership proved perfect for the moment; he selected the ground, reinforced his flanks, and repelled Pickett's Charge, winning the war's most pivotal battle. Yet, his subsequent cautious pursuit of Lee's battered army drew fierce criticism from politicians and the press, particularly from an impatient President Lincoln who wanted a war-ending knockout blow. Meade, a prickly and professional engineer-soldier, lacked the flair of his predecessors and never shook the perception of being a temporary solution. He commanded the army for the rest of the war, but under the ever-tightening supervision of Ulysses S. Grant, his monumental victory forever tempered by the question of what more he might have done.
#1 When George Was Born
The biggest hits of 1815
George's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1815Born
1820Started school
1828Became a teenager
1831Could drive
1833Could vote
1836Turned 21
1845Turned 30
1855Turned 40
1865Turned 50
President: Andrew Johnson
1872Died at 57
President: Ulysses S. Grant
Key Achievements
- Commanded the Union Army of the Potomac to victory at the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863.
- Effectively ended Robert E. Lee's second invasion of the North, a major strategic turning point in the Civil War.
- Served as the head of the Army of the Potomac for the remainder of the war, from 1863 to 1865.
- Had a prior career as a distinguished military engineer, working on lighthouses and coastal surveys.
Did You Know?
He was born in Cádiz, Spain, where his father was a wealthy American merchant serving as a naval agent.
He fought against the Seminoles in Florida early in his career and was wounded in the Mexican-American War.
A street in his honor, Meade Street, is found in the Richmond, Virginia neighborhood of Barton Heights, an unusual tribute to a Union general in the former Confederate capital.
He had a famously short temper, which earned him the nickname "The Old Snapping Turtle" among his troops.
“I have been placed in a position I never desired, but I will do my duty.”
