George Gordon Meade Union Army General Country: USA

1. Biography of George Gordon Meade
2. Military Career
3. Later Career and Death

Biography of George Gordon Meade

George Gordon Meade was born in 1815 in Cadiz, Spain. His parents, American citizens, were in Spain for family business.

Military Career

In 1831, Meade was sent to West Point by the Pennsylvania Legislature. After completing his studies, he resigned from military service in 1832 but returned in 1842 to participate in the Mexican-American War.

During the Civil War, Meade was exploring the Great Lakes. He later led the preparation of Pennsylvania volunteers, and his brigade became part of the Potomac Army. Meade participated in the Seven Days Battle, the second Battle of Bull Run, the battles of Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville.

Just three days before the start of the Gettysburg Campaign, Meade replaced Joseph Hooker as the commander of the Army of the Potomac. The Battle of Gettysburg became a shining moment for Meade, as his strategic skills allowed the Union to achieve their first victory over Robert E. Lee. Meade was commended by Congress but also criticized for allowing Lee's battered army to escape to Virginia.

Later Career and Death

After the success at Gettysburg, Meade faced failures at Bristoe Station and Mine Run. In the spring of 1864, Ulysses S. Grant was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Union forces and set up his headquarters with Meade's army. Grant recommended Meade for the rank of lieutenant general.

Meade and Grant achieved significant victories at Petersburg, in the Shenandoah Valley, and at Appomattox. After the war, from 1866 until his death, Meade served as the director of Fairmount Park, a national park. He passed away in Philadelphia in 1872.