Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 07.djvu/348

 MEADE

MEADE

boundary between the British territory and the United States. 1840-42. He was married to Mar- garetta, daughter of John Sergeant. He was reappointed in the U.S. army with the rank of 2d lieutenant of toiwgraphical engineers, May 19,

1842, and engaged in the designing and constructing of liglit- houses at Philadel- phia, Pa.. 1843-45. At the outbreak of the war with Mexico he was ordered to Texas and arrived at Corpus Christi, Sept. 14, 1845. He was in military occupation of Texas, 1845-46, and partici- pated in the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma; was bre- vetted 1st lieutenant for Monterey, and served in the siege of Vera Cruz, May 9-29, 1847. Upon his return to Phila- delphia he resumed his work upon river and harbor improvements. He served in Florida under General Taylor for six months; returned t<» the duty of erecting lighthouses in Delaware Bay and on the Florida coast, and in constructing the Delaware breakwater. He was promoted 1st lieutenant of topographical engineers in August, 1851. and captain. May 19, 1856. He was ordered to Detroit, Mich., upon the geodetic survey of the Great Lakes in 1856, and soon afterward took entire clmrge of the Northern Lakes' surveys, 1857-61. He was commissioned brigadier-general of volunteers, Aug. 31, 1861, and commanded the 2d brigade of Pennsylvania reserve corps oh the right of the lines before Washington, D.C., 1861-62, participating in the action of Dranes- ville, Va., Dec. 20, 1861. He served in the Vir- ginia Peninsula campaign in June, 1862; was promoted major of topographical engineers, June 18, 1862, and participated in the battles of Me- chanicsville, Gaines's Mill and Glendale, where he was severely wounded. He was on sick leave of absence through July and August. 1862, and on his recovery he rejoined the army in the North- ern Virginia campaign and commanded the 1st brigade of Reynolds's division, 3d army corps. Army of Virginia, under Qen. John Pope at the battle of Manassas, Aug. 2tM?0, 1862. He was in command of the 3d division, Ist army corps. Army of the Potomac, under General McClellan in the Maryland campaign, and participated in the battles of South Mountain and Antietam, and upon the temporary -incapacity of General Hooker from a wound he was placed in command of the 1st army corps by (General McClellan and

had a horse shot under Iiim while leading the corps. He was promoted major-general of U.S. volunteers, Nov. 29, 1862; commanded the 3d division, 1st army corps, left gmnd division of the Army of the Potomac at. Fredericksburg, where he distinguished himself by breaking the enemy's line and gaining the ground occupied by the Confederate reserves. In this exploit he had two horses shot under him. He was in com- mand of the 5th Army corps in the Chancel- lorsville campaign. He was given command of the Army of the Potomac, June 28, 1863, and directed the battle of Gettysburg, July 1-3, 1863, defeating General Lee's army, for which he received the thanks of congress, Jan. 28, 1866, and was promoted brigadier-general. U.S.A., July 3, 1863. He pursued the Confeder- ate army to Warrenton, Va.; commanded the Army of the Potomac in the Rapidan cam- paign, 1863-64, and in the Richmond campaign 1864-65, and was promoted major-general, U.S.A.,

HE.APQUARTE (*.y.

Aug. 18, 1864. After the surrender of Gen- eral Lee at Appomattox, April 9, 1865, he was put in command of the military division of the Atlantic and served till 1866, when he was transfetred to the military department of the Atlantic with headquarters at Philadelphia. He was president of the board to make recommenda- tions for brevets to the grade of general officers in March, 1866. and of the board of select dejwts for army clothing in New York city in March, 1867. On Jan. 6, 1868, he took command of the third military district with headquarters at Atlanta, Ga., and superintended the formation of state governments in Georgia, Alabama and Florida, after which service he returned to the command of the military division of the Atlan- tic. The honorary degree of LL.D. was conferred on him by Harvard in 1865. He was a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a member of the American Philosophical society, the Pennsylvania Philosophical society and the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, and a commissioner of Fairmount Park. An eques- trian statue of General Meade designed by Milne Calden was dedicated at Fairmount Park, Oct. 18, 1887, and the Pennsylvania Monument com- mission erected an equestrian statue of him, executed by Mr. Bush-Brown, nephew and adopted son of J. K. Brown the sculptor, on the field of Gettysburg. The advancement of his