George Gordon Meade

He graduated from the USMA in 1835, and served in the Seminole War and on ordnance duty. He resigned from the US Army in 1836, and did railroad engineering work and was a surveyor. He rejoined the Army in 1842, performed survey duty, saw action in the Mexican war, and was on engineering duty. In August 1861 he was appointed Brigadier General of Volunteers, served in the Washington defenses, and commanded the 2nd Brigade/3rd Division/V Corps during the Seven Days, and at Mechanicsville, Gaines' Mill, and Glendale, where he was wounded. He then commanded the 1st Brigade/Pennsylvania Reserves/III Corps at Second Bull Run.

He was in command of the Third Division in the First (I) Corps, and relieved the wounded MGen. Hooker in command of the I Corps on the 17th.

In November 1862 he was promoted to Major General of Volunteers and was then at Fredericksburg. He led the Fifth (V) Corps at Chancellorsville and commanded the Army of the Potomac (AoP) from Gettysburg onwards. In July 1863 he was appointed Brigadier General in the Regular Army, and in August 1864 was made Major General, seeing action at Bristoe Station and Mine Run. He served under Grant as commander of the AoP from the Wilderness until Appomattox.

He continued in Regular Army service, commanding the Military Division of the Atlantic and Department of the East, and was in Reconstruction administration.

For a more detailed biography see also the Meade Biography at Shotgun's Civil War page. A more thorough examination of his life and career may be found at the Meade Archive by Jim Campi.

12/31/1815; Cadiz, Spain

11/6/1872; Philadelphia, Pa; burial in Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia