Major General George G. Meade

On June 28, 1863, General George G. Meade, considered a man of high character and a stern disciplinarian with a sharp temper, received an order from President Lincoln placing him in charge of the Army of the Potomac. At age 47, this West Point graduate, engineer, and commander of the Union Fifth Corps wrote of his appointment, "As a soldier, I obey it, and to the utmost of my ability will execute it." Three days later, he mounted his war horse, Old Baldy, and led his army to its greatest victory of the war. Though harshly criticized for failing to destroy the battered Confederates, Meade remained in command of the Army of the Potomac until the end of the war.

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania · United States