George Meade Military person

George Gordon Meade (December 31, 1815 – November 6, 1872) was a career United States Army officer and civil engineer involved in coastal construction, including several lighthouses. He fought with distinction in the Second Seminole War and the Mexican-American War. During the American Civil War he served as a Union general, rising from command of a brigade to the Army of the Potomac. He is best known for defeating Confederate General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863.Meade's Civil War combat experience started as a brigade commander in the Peninsula Campaign and the Seven Days Battles, including the Battle of Glendale, where he was wounded severely. As a division commander he had notable success at the Battle of South Mountain and assumed temporary corps command at the Battle of Antietam. His division was arguably the most successful during the assaults at the Battle of Fredericksburg. During the Gettysburg Campaign, he was appointed to command the Army of the Potomac just three days before the Battle of Gettysburg, but was able to organize his forces to fight a successful defensive battle against Robert E. Lee. This victory was marred by his ineffective pursuit during the Retreat from Gettysburg, by the inconclusive campaigns in the fall of 1863, and by intense political rivalries within the Army, notably with Daniel Sickles.In 1864–65, Meade continued to command the Army of the Potomac through the Overland Campaign, the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign, and the Appomattox Campaign, but he was overshadowed by the direct supervision of the general in chief, Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, who accompanied him throughout these campaigns. He also suffered from a reputation as a man of short, violent temper who was hostile toward the press and received hostility in return. After the war he commanded several important departments during Reconstruction.

Personal facts

Birth date	December 31, 1815
Birth place	Spain , Cádiz
Date of death	November 06, 1872
Place of death	Pennsylvania , Philadelphia
Resting place	Pennsylvania , Laurel Hill Cemetery , Philadelphia

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Military person

allegiance	United States Union
military operations	American Civil War Battle of Gettysburg Battle of Chancellorsville Battle of Fredericksburg Battle of Antietam Siege of Petersburg Peninsula Campaign Mexican–American War Second Seminole War Overland Campaign Appomattox Campaign Battle of Mine Run Bristoe Campaign Northern Virginia Campaign
military branch	United States Army Union Army
military command	Department of the East Army of the Potomac V Corps
service start	1835
service end	1835