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87-617: The Dobbin House Tavern , known also as Dobbin House , on 89 Steinwehr Avenue in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania is a tavern which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . It was established in 1776, making it the oldest standing structure in the town limits of Gettysburg. It was built to be a home for Reverend Alexander Dobbin and his family. The building may have been a first stop on

174-535: A Gettysburg postal address, is in Cumberland Township . While all parts of the school district are assigned to the same middle and high schools, different areas are zoned to different elementary schools: parts of the borough are zoned to Lincoln Elementary, other parts are zoned to Gettys Elementary, and some parts have a choice between the schools. Vida Charter School is in Cumberland Township. It

261-687: A council of war which concluded to withdraw across the Rapidan River during the night of December 1, 1863. 1864 was an election year and Lincoln understood that the fate of his reelection lay in the Union Army success against the Confederates. Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant , fresh off his success in the Western Theater, was appointed commander of all Union armies in March 1864. In his meeting with Lincoln, Grant

348-406: A gap in the line which threatened the right flank. Meade recognized that Little Round Top was critical to maintaining the left flank. He sent chief engineer Gouverneur Warren to determine the status of the hill and quickly issued orders for the V Corps to occupy it when it was discovered empty. Meade continued to reinforce the troops defending Little Round Top from Longstreet's advance and suffered

435-560: A late 19th century foundry that manufactured gun carriages, bridgeworks and cannons for the Gettysburg Battlefield , as well as a construction industry for hotels, stables, and other buildings for tourist services. Early tourist buildings in the borough included museums (like the 1881 Danner Museum ), souvenir shops, buildings of the electric trolley (preceded by a horse trolley from the Gettysburg Railroad Station to

522-634: A more favorable opinion of Meade than the great victory at Gettysburg. Grant knew that Meade disapproved of Lincoln's strategy and was unpopular with politicians and the press. Grant was not willing to allow him free command of the Army of the Potomac without direct supervision. Grant's orders to Meade before the Overland Campaign were direct and the point. He stated "Lee's army will be your objective point. Wherever Lee goes, there you will go also." On May 4, 1864,

609-623: A new commander of the Army of the Potomac. In 1864–1865, 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. Grant conducted most of the strategy during these campaigns, leaving Meade with significantly less influence than before. After

696-632: A party up a hill to attack a fortified position. He was brevetted to first lieutenant and received a gold-mounted sword for gallantry from the citizens of Philadelphia. In 1849, Meade was assigned to Fort Brooke in Florida to assist with Seminole attacks on settlements. In 1851, he led the construction of the Carysfort Reef Light in Key Largo. In 1852, the Topographical Corps established

783-690: A railroad project. He conducted additional survey work for the Topographical Engineers on the Texas-Louisiana border, the Mississippi River Delta and the northeastern boundary of Maine and Canada. In 1842, a congressional measure was passed which excluded civilians from working in the Army Corps of Topographical Engineers and Meade reentered the army as a second lieutenant in order to continue his work with them. In November 1843, he

870-675: A separate county had begun. A commission was drawn up to fix the site of the new county's seat; they ultimately chose a location in Strabane Township (now Straban Township), just northeast of Gettysburg. In 1791, additional trustees were appointed to plan to construct public buildings in Gettysburg instead of in Straban. On January 22, 1800, the Pennsylvania Legislature created Adams County, with Gettysburg as its county seat. In 1858,

957-534: A series of massive assaults throughout the next two days. While elated about the victory, President Abraham Lincoln was critical of Meade due to his perception of an ineffective pursuit during the retreat, which allowed Lee and his army to escape back to Virginia. Meade's troops had a minor victory in the Bristoe Campaign but a stalemate at the Battle of Mine Run . Meade's cautious approach prompted Lincoln to look for

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1044-459: A tavern frequented by soldiers and traders. In 1786, his son James purchased 116 acres of his land, divided it up into 220 lots and sold them, and is thus considered the founder of Gettysburgh. The borough boundary was established, with the Dobbin House tavern (established in 1776) sitting in the southwest. As early as 1790, a movement seeking to split off the western portion of York County into

1131-544: Is 30 miles (48 km) east on the Lincoln Highway ( U.S. Route 30 ), the first transcontinental U.S. highway, and Chambersburg is 25 miles (40 km) west on it. Today the borough is a 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 hour drive from Philadelphia and a 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 hour drive from Pittsburgh via the Pennsylvania Turnpike and U.S. Route 15 . Gettysburg Regional Airport , a small general aviation airport,

1218-477: Is also served by Gettysburg College , Harrisburg Area Community College Gettysburg Campus (in Cumberland Township ), and a campus of the United Lutheran Seminary (Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, mostly in the borough limits, with portions in Cumberland Township ) Gettysburg's sister cities are: George G. Meade George Gordon Meade (December 31, 1815 – November 6, 1872)

1305-468: Is located in Cumberland Township, 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Gettysburg. The main east–west road through downtown Gettysburg is U.S. Route 30 , which is known as York Street east of Lincoln Square and Chambersburg Street west of Lincoln Square. York Adams Transportation Authority (YATA) operates public transportation in Adams County. Freedom Transit , implemented in 2009, The hub of the bus system,

1392-412: Is the coldest month, with an average temperature of 29.8 °F (−1.2 °C). Winters range from cool to moderately cold, with relatively frequent snowfalls. July is the warmest month, with an average temperature of 74.4 °F (23.6 °C), and June is the wettest month. The hottest temperature recorded in Gettysburg was 104 °F (40 °C) on July 16, 1988, while the coldest temperature recorded

1479-533: The Army of the Potomac . He had not actively sought command and was not the president's first choice. John F. Reynolds , one of four major generals who outranked Meade in the Army of the Potomac, had earlier turned down the president's suggestion that he take over. Three corps commanders, John Sedgwick , Henry Slocum , and Darius N. Couch , recommended Meade for command of the army and agreed to serve under him despite outranking him. While his colleagues were excited for

1566-764: The Barnegat Light on Long Beach Island , Absecon Light in Atlantic City , and the Cape May Light in Cape May . He also designed a hydraulic lamp that was used in several American lighthouses. Meade received an official promotion to first lieutenant in 1851, and to captain in 1856. In 1857, Meade was given command of the Lakes Survey mission of the Great Lakes . Completion of the survey of Lake Huron and extension of

1653-492: The Battle of Antietam . Under Meade's command, the division successfully attacked and captured a strategic position on high ground near Turner's Gap held by Robert E. Rodes ' troops which forced the withdrawal of other Confederate troops. When Meade's troops stormed the heights, the corps commander Joseph Hooker , exclaimed, "Look at Meade! Why, with troops like those, led in that way, I can win anything!" On September 17, 1862, at Antietam, Meade assumed temporary command of

1740-606: The Bristoe Campaign , Lee attempted to flank the Army of the Potomac and force Meade to move north of the Rappahannock River. The Union forces had deciphered the Confederate semaphore code. This along with spies and scouts gave Meade advance notice of Lee's movements. As Lee's troops moved north to the west of the Army of the Potomac, Meade abandoned his headquarters at Culpeper and gave orders for his troops to move north to intercept Lee. Meade successfully outmaneuvered Lee in

1827-576: The Gettysburg National Cemetery ) and Eisenhower National Historic Site . Gettysburg has many activities and tours to offer to vacationers and tourists who are interested in the Gettysburg area and the history of the community and the battle. Tourists for the annual reenactment of the Battle of Gettysburg use borough facilities, which include the Dobbin House Tavern and Hotel Gettysburg. Every year from July 1–3 volunteers reenact

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1914-461: The Gettysburg Railroad completed the construction of a railroad line from Gettysburg to Hanover , and the Gettysburg Railroad Station opened a year later. Passenger train service to the town ended in 1942. The station was restored in 2006. In 2011, Senator Robert Casey introduced S. 1897, including the railroad station within the boundary of Gettysburg National Military Park. By 1860,

2001-467: The Mine Run Campaign , Meade attempted to attack the right flank of the Army of Northern Virginia south of the Rapidan River but the maneuver failed due to the poor performance of William H. French . There was heavy skirmishing but a full attack never occurred. Meade determined that the Confederate forces were too strong and was convinced by Warren that an attack would have been suicidal. Meade held

2088-623: The Monocacy River and part of the Potomac River watershed, flows along its eastern edge. According to the United States Census Bureau , the borough has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.3 km ), all land. Gettysburg lies in the humid continental climate zone of northern and central Pennsylvania , just north of the humid subtropical zone of central Maryland , with hot, humid summers and cool winters. On average, January

2175-621: The Peninsula Campaign and the Seven Days Battles . He was severely wounded at the Battle of Glendale and returned to lead his brigade at the Second Battle of Bull Run . As a division commander, he won the Battle of South Mountain and assumed temporary command of the I Corps at the Battle of Antietam . Meade's division broke through the lines at the Battle of Fredericksburg but were forced to retreat due to lack of support. Meade

2262-462: The Second Battle of Bull Run , then assigned to Major General Irvin McDowell 's corps of the Army of Virginia . His brigade made a heroic stand on Henry House Hill to protect the rear of the retreating Union Army. The division's commander John F. Reynolds was sent to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to train militia units and Meade assumed temporary division command at the Battle of South Mountain and

2349-545: The Underground Railroad north of the Mason–Dixon line , although this has not been substantiated. During and after the Battle of Gettysburg , the house served as a temporary field hospital . During the latter half of the 20th century, the Dobbin House was home to a large Civil War diorama and a gift center catering to battlefield tourists. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Today,

2436-863: The United States Lighthouse Board and Meade was appointed the Seventh District engineer with responsibilities in Florida. He led the construction of Sand Key Light in Key West; Jupiter Inlet Light in Jupiter, Florida ; and Sombrero Key Light in the Florida Keys . When Bache was reassigned to the West Coast, Meade took over responsibility for the Fourth District in New Jersey and Delaware and built

2523-857: The United States Military Academy in 1835. He fought in the Second Seminole War and the Mexican–American War . He served in the United States Army Corps of Topographical Engineers and directed construction of lighthouses in Florida and New Jersey from 1851 to 1856 and the United States Lake Survey from 1857 to 1861. His Civil War service began as brigadier general with the Pennsylvania Reserves , building defenses around Washington D.C. He fought in

2610-636: The Army of the Potomac left its winter encampment and crossed the Rapidan River. Meade and Grant both believed that Lee would retreat to the North Anna River or to Mine Run. Lee had received intelligence about the movements of the Army of the Potomac and countered with a move to the East and met the Union Army at the Wilderness . Meade ordered Warren to attack with his whole Corps and had Hancock reinforce with his II Corps. Meade ordered additional Union troops to join

2697-471: The Army of the Potomac which had engaged in forced marches and heavy fighting for a week, heavy general officer casualties that impeded effective command and control, and a desire to guard a hard-won victory against a sudden reversal. Halleck informed Meade of the president's dissatisfaction which infuriated Meade that politicians and non-field-based officers were telling him how to fight the war. He wrote back and offered to resign his command, but Halleck refused

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2784-629: The Battle of Chancellorsville, but was unsuccessful in execution, allowing the Confederates to seize the initiative. After the battle, Meade wrote to his wife that, "General Hooker has disappointed all his friends by failing to show his fighting qualities in a pinch." Meade's corps was left in reserve for most of the battle, contributing to the Union defeat. Meade was among Hooker's commanders who argued to advance against Lee, but Hooker chose to retreat. Meade learned afterward that Hooker misrepresented his position on

2871-644: The Battle of Gettysburg. Each day re-enactors display a different part of the battle with commentary regarding the hardships of the battles. The battles are narrated by the battlefield guides of the Gettysburg National Military Park. Many roads radiate from Gettysburg, providing hub-like access to Washington, D.C. 75 miles (121 km), Baltimore 55 miles (89 km), Harrisburg 37 miles (60 km), Carlisle 27 miles (43 km), Frederick and Hagerstown, Maryland 32 miles (51 km) and Hanover, Pennsylvania 14 miles (23 km). York

2958-399: The Confederate supply lines, liberated hundreds of Union prisoners, mortally wounded Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart and threatened the city of Richmond. However, his departure left the Union Army blind to enemy movements. Grant made his headquarters with Meade for the remainder of the war, which caused Meade to chafe at the close supervision he received. A newspaper reported the Army of

3045-600: The I Corps and oversaw fierce combat after Hooker was wounded and requested Meade replace him. On September 29, 1862, Reynolds returned from his service in Harrisburg. Reynolds assumed command of the I Corps and Meade assumed command of the Third Division. On November 5, 1862, Ambrose Burnside replaced McClellan as commander of the Army of the Potomac. Burnside gave command of the I Corps to Reynolds which frustrated Meade as he had more combat experience than Reynolds. Meade

3132-605: The Lakes Survey until the 1861 outbreak of the Civil War. Meade was appointed brigadier general of volunteers on August 31, 1861, a few months after the start of the American Civil War , based on the strong recommendation of Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Curtin . He was assigned command of the 2nd Brigade of the Pennsylvania Reserves under General George A. McCall . The Pennsylvania Reserves were initially assigned to

3219-531: The Military Park, is in the borough limits. Cumberland Township is also the site of the Eisenhower National Historic Site that preserves the home and farm of Dwight D. Eisenhower . Gettysburg is located near the intersection of U.S. routes 15 and 30 , approximately 25 miles (40 km) west of York and 35 miles (56 km) north of Frederick, Maryland . Rock Creek , a tributary of

3306-606: The Potomac was weakened by the transfer of the XI and XII Corps to the Western Theater . Meade felt pressure from Halleck and the Lincoln administration to pursue Lee into Virginia but he was cautious due to a misperception that Lee's Army was 70,000 in size when the reality was they were only 55,000 compared to the Army of the Potomac at 76,000. Many of the Union troop replacements for the losses suffered at Gettysburg were new recruits and it

3393-458: The Potomac was, "directed by Grant, commanded by Meade, and led by Hancock, Sedgwick and Warren." Following an incident in June 1864, in which Meade disciplined reporter Edward Cropsey from The Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper for an unfavorable article, all of the press assigned to his army agreed to mention Meade only in conjunction with setbacks. Meade apparently knew nothing of this arrangement, and

3480-453: The Reserves were directly involved in the fighting. At Mechanicsville and Gaines Mill , Meade's brigade was mostly held in reserve, but at Glendale on June 30, the brigade was in the middle of a fierce battle. His brigade lost 1,400 men and Meade was shot in the right arm and through the back. He was sent home to Philadelphia to recuperate. Meade resumed command of his brigade in time for

3567-488: The Springs Hotel), and stands for hackmen who drove visitors in jitneys (horse-drawn group taxis) on tours. Modern tourist services in the borough include ghost tours, bed and breakfast lodging, and historical interpretation (reenactors, etc.). The Gettysburg National Military Park extends partially into the Gettysburg borough limits, though it is mostly in nearby Cumberland Township . The Soldiers' National Cemetery, of

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3654-404: The Union. By 6 pm on the evening of July 1, 1863, Meade sent a telegram to Washington informing them of his decision to concentrate forces and make a stand at Gettysburg. On July 2, 1863, Meade continued to monitor and maintain the placement of the troops. He was outraged when he discovered that Daniel Sickles had moved his troops one mile forward to high ground without Meade's permission and left

3741-540: The XII Corps and XI Corps to retake Culp's Hill and personally rode the length of the lines from Cemetery Ridge to Little Round Top to inspect the troops. His headquarters were in the Leister House directly behind Cemetery Ridge which exposed it to the 150-gun cannonade which began at 1 pm. The house came under direct fire from incorrectly targeted Confederate guns; Butterfield was wounded and sixteen horses tied up in front of

3828-550: The advance and confronted him. All of Hooker's commanders supported Meade's position except Dan Sickles . In June 1863, Lee took the initiative and moved his Army of Northern Virginia into Maryland and Pennsylvania. Hooker responded rapidly and positioned the Army of the Potomac between Lee's army and Washington D.C. However, the relationship between the Lincoln administration and Hooker had deteriorated due to Hooker's poor performance at Chancellorsville. Hooker requested additional troops be assigned from Harper's Ferry to assist in

3915-640: The battle but they struggled to maintain formation and communicate with each other in the thick woods of the Wilderness. After three days of brutal fighting and the loss of 17,000 men, the Union Army called it a draw and Meade and Grant moved with their forces south toward Spotsylvania Court House to place the Union Army between Lee's forces and Richmond in the hopes of drawing them out to open field combat. The Union Army moved ponderously slowly toward their new positions and Meade lashed out at Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan and his cavalry corps blaming them for not clearing

4002-418: The borough had grown in size to consist of "450 buildings [which] housed carriage manufacturing, shoemakers, and tanneries". Between July 1 and 3, 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg , one of the bloodiest battles during the American Civil War , was fought across the fields and heights surrounding the town. The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia , under the command of Robert E Lee , experienced success in

4089-414: The campaign and gained a small victory. Lee reported that his plans failed due to the quickness of Meade's redeployment of resources. However, Meade's inability to stop Lee from approaching the outskirts of Washington prompted Lincoln to look for another commander of the Army of the Potomac. In late November 1863, Meade planned one last offensive against Lee before winter weather limited troop movement. In

4176-459: The center, known as Pickett's Charge . By the end of three days of fighting, the Army of the Potomac's 60,000 troops and 30,000 horses had not been fed in three days and were weary from fighting. On the evening of July 4, 1863, Meade held a second council of war with his top generals, minus Hancock and Gibbon, who were absent due to duty and injury. The council reviewed the status of the army and debated staying in place at Gettysburg versus chasing

4263-412: The change in leadership, the soldiers in the Army of Potomac were uncertain of Meade since his modesty, lack of the theatrical and scholarly demeanor did not match their expectations for a General. Meade assumed command of the Army of the Potomac on June 28, 1863. In a letter to his wife, Meade wrote that command of the army was "more likely to destroy one's reputation then to add to it." Meade rushed

4350-586: The construction of defenses around Washington, D.C. In March 1862, the Army of the Potomac was reorganized into four corps, Meade served as part of the I Corps under Maj. Gen Irvin McDowell . The I Corps was stationed in the Rappahannock area, but in June, the Pennsylvania Reserves were detached and sent to the Peninsula to reinforce the main army. With the onset of the Seven Days Battles on June 25,

4437-461: The conversation to Grant thinking he would reprimand the insubordinate Sheridan, but he replied, "Well, he generally knows what he is talking about. Let him start right out and do it." Meade deferred to Grant's judgment and issued orders to Sheridan to "proceed against the enemy's cavalry" and from May 9 through May 24, sent him on a raid toward Richmond , directly challenging the Confederate cavalry. Sheridan's cavalry had great success, they broke up

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4524-516: The early stages of the battle but was ultimately defeated by the Army of the Potomac , commanded by George G. Meade . Lee executed an orderly withdrawal and escaped across the Potomac River without being drawn into another battle. Meade was heavily criticized by President Abraham Lincoln for his cautious pursuit and failure to destroy Lee's retreating army. Casualties were high, with total losses on both sides – over 27,000 Confederate and 23,000 Union. The residents of Gettysburg were left to care for

4611-499: The house is a popular tavern and restaurant. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Gettysburg was the site of the Battle of Gettysburg , the bloodiest battle of the American Civil War , fought from July 1 to July 3 of 1863. Later that year, on November 19, President Abraham Lincoln traveled to dedicate Gettysburg National Cemetery , where he delivered the Gettysburg Address , a carefully crafted 271-word address considered one of

4698-532: The house were killed. Meade did not want to vacate the headquarters and make it more difficult for messages to find him, but the situation became too dire and the house was evacuated. During the three days, Meade made excellent use of capable subordinates, such as Maj. Gens. John F. Reynolds and Winfield S. Hancock , to whom he delegated great responsibilities. He reacted swiftly to fierce assaults on his line's left and right which culminated in Lee's disastrous assault on

4785-405: The most famous speeches in history. Gettysburg is home to the Gettysburg National Military Park , where the Battle of Gettysburg was fought mainly; the Battle of Gettysburg had the most casualties of any Civil War battle. In 1760, Irishman Samuel Gettys settled at the Shippensburg - Baltimore and Philadelphia - Pittsburgh crossroads, in what was then western York County , and established

4872-461: The near destruction of thirteen brigades. One questionable decision Meade made that day was to order Slocum's XII Corps to move from Culp's Hill to the left flank which allowed Confederate troops to temporarily capture it. On the evening of July 2, 1863, Meade called a "council of war" consisting of his top generals. The council reviewed the battle to date and agreed to keep fighting in a defensive position. On July 3, 1863, Meade gave orders for

4959-465: The new Gettysburg Transit Center, is under construction on Carlisle Street. Beginning in 2011, a Rabbit Transit commuter bus to Harrisburg runs two times each weekday in each direction. Gettysburg is served by the Gettysburg Area School District . Schools in Gettysburg borough include Lincoln Elementary School and Gettysburg Area Middle School. Gettysburg Area High School is in nearby Straban Township . James Gettys Elementary School, which has

5046-497: The officers and soldiers of the Army of the Potomac, for the skill and heroic valor which at Gettysburg repulsed, defeated, and drove back, broken and dispirited, beyond the Rappahannock , the veteran army of the rebellion." Meade wrote the following to his wife after meeting President Lincoln: "Yesterday I received an order to repair to Washington, to see the President. ... The President was, as he always is, very considerate and kind. He found no fault with my operations, although it

5133-451: The pursuit of Lee in the Gettysburg Campaign . When Lincoln and General in Chief Henry Halleck refused, Hooker resigned in protest. In the early morning hours of June 28, 1863, a messenger from President Abraham Lincoln arrived to inform Meade of his appointment as Hooker's replacement. Upon being woken up, he'd assumed that army politics had caught up to him and that he was under arrest, only to find that he'd been given leadership of

5220-449: The remainder of his army to Gettysburg and deployed his forces for a defensive battle. Meade was only four days into his leadership of the Army of the Potomac and informed his corps commanders that he would provide quick decisions and entrust them with the authority to carry out those orders the best way they saw fit. He also made it clear that he was counting on the corps commanders to provide him with sound advice on strategy. Since Meade

5307-683: The reporters giving all of the credit to Grant angered Meade. Additional differences caused further friction between Grant and Meade. Waging a war of attrition in the Overland Campaign against Lee, Grant was willing to suffer previously unacceptable losses with the knowledge that the Union Army had replacement soldiers available, whereas the Confederates did not. Meade was opposed to Grant's recommendations to directly attack fortified Confederate positions which resulted in huge losses of Union soldiers. Grant became frustrated with Meade's cautious approach and despite his initial promise to allow Meade latitude in his command, Grant began to override Meade and order

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5394-465: The resignation and clarified that his communication was not meant as a rebuke but an incentive to continue the pursuit of Lee's army. At one point, the Army of Northern Virginia was trapped with its back to the rain-swollen, almost impassable Potomac River ; however, the Army of Northern Virginia was able to erect strong defensive positions before Meade, whose army had also been weakened by the fighting, could organize an effective attack. Lee knew he had

5481-401: The retreating Army of Northern Virginia. The council voted to remain in place for one day to allow for rest and recovery and then set out after Lee's army. Meade sent a message to Halleck stating, "I make a reconnaissance to-morrow, to ascertain what the intention of the enemy is … should the enemy retreat, I shall pursue him on his flanks." On July 4, it was observed that the Confederate Army

5568-449: The road and not informing Meade of the enemy's movements. Grant had brought Sheridan with him from the Western Theater and he found the Army of the Potomac's cavalry corps run down and in poor discipline. Meade and Sheridan clashed over the use of cavalry since the Army of the Potomac had historically used cavalry as couriers, scouting and headquarters guards. Sheridan told Meade that he could "whip Stuart " if Meade let him. Meade reported

5655-430: The superior defensive position and hoped that Meade would attack and the resulting Union Army losses would dampen the victory at Gettysburg. By July 14, 1863, Lee's troops built a temporary bridge over the river and retreated into Virginia. Meade was rewarded for his actions at Gettysburg by a promotion to brigadier general in the regular army on July 7, 1863, and the Thanks of Congress , which commended Meade "... and

5742-406: The surveys of Lake Michigan down to Grand and Little Traverse Bays were done under his command. Prior to Captain Meade's command, Great Lakes' water level readings were taken locally with temporary gauges; a uniform plane of reference had not been established. In 1858, based on his recommendation, instrumentation was set in place for the tabulation of records across the basin. Meade stayed with

5829-414: The tactical deployment of the Army of the Potomac. Meade became frustrated with his lack of autonomy and his performance as a military leader suffered. During the Battle of Cold Harbor , Meade inadequately coordinated the disastrous frontal assault. However, Meade took some satisfaction that Grant's overconfidence at the start of the campaign against Lee had been reduced after the brutal confrontation of

5916-412: The victory at Gettysburg. He had a notoriously short temper which earned him the nickname of "Old Snapping Turtle". Meade was born on December 31, 1815, in Cádiz, Spain, the eighth of ten children of Richard Worsam Meade and Margaret Coats Butler. His grandfather Irishman George Meade was a wealthy merchant and land speculator in Philadelphia. His father was wealthy due to Spanish-American trade and

6003-486: The war, Meade commanded the Military Division of the Atlantic from 1865 to 1866 and again from 1869 to 1872. He oversaw the formation of the state governments and reentry into the United States for five southern states through his command of the Department of the South from 1866 to 1868 and the Third Military District in 1872. Meade was subjected to intense political rivalries within the Army, notably with Major Gen. Daniel Sickles , who tried to discredit Meade's role in

6090-427: The wounded, and bury the dead following the Confederate retreat. Approximately 8,000 men and 3,000 horses lay under the summer sun. The Union soldiers' bodies were gradually reinterred in what is today known as Gettysburg National Cemetery , where, on November 19, 1863, Abraham Lincoln attended a ceremony to officially consecrate the grounds and delivered his Gettysburg Address . A 20-year-old woman, Jennie Wade ,

6177-539: Was 12 years old and he was taken out of the Germantown military academy. George was placed in a school run by Salmon P. Chase in Washington D.C.; however, it closed after a few months due to Chase's other obligations. He was then placed in the Mount Hope Institution in Baltimore, Maryland. Meade entered the United States Military Academy at West Point on July 1, 1831. He would have preferred to attend college and study law and did not enjoy his time at West Point. He graduated 19th in his class of 56 cadets in 1835. He

6264-564: Was a United States Army Major General who commanded the Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War from 1863 to 1865. He fought in many of the key battles of the Eastern theater and defeated the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia led by General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Gettysburg . He was born in Cádiz, Spain , to a wealthy Philadelphia merchant family and graduated from

6351-652: Was appointed U.S. naval agent. He was ruined financially because of his support of Spain in the Peninsular War ; his family returned to the United States in 1817, in precarious financial straits. Meade attended elementary school in Philadelphia and the American Classical and Military Lyceum, a private school in Philadelphia modeled after the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. His father died in 1828 when George

6438-468: Was assigned to accompany a group of Seminole to Indian territory in the West. He became a full second lieutenant by year's end, and in the fall of 1836, after the minimum required one year of service, he resigned from the army. He returned to Florida and worked as a private citizen for his brother-in-law, James Duncan Graham , as an assistant surveyor to the United States Army Corps of Topographical Engineers on

6525-559: Was assigned to work on lighthouse construction under Major Hartman Bache . He worked on the Brandywine Shoal lighthouse in the Delaware Bay. Meade served in the Mexican–American War and was assigned to the staffs of Generals Zachary Taylor and Robert Patterson . He fought at the Battle of Palo Alto , the Battle of Resaca de la Palma and the Battle of Monterrey . He served under General William Worth at Monterrey and led

6612-478: Was forming a new line near the nearby mountains after pulling back their left flank, but by July 5 it was clear that they were making a retreat, leaving Meade and his men to tend to the wounded and fallen soldiers until July 6, when Meade ordered his men to Maryland. Meade was criticized by President Lincoln and others for not aggressively pursuing the Confederates during their retreat. Meade's perceived caution stemmed from three causes: casualties and exhaustion of

6699-431: Was new to high command, he did not remain in headquarters but constantly moved about the battlefield, issuing orders and ensuring that they were followed. Meade gave orders for the Army of the Potomac to move forward in a broad front to prevent Lee from flanking them and threatening the cities of Baltimore and Washington D.C. He also issued a conditional plan for a retreat to Pipe Creek, Maryland in case things went poorly for

6786-600: Was not reinforced, which resulted in the loss of much of his division. He led the Center Grand Division through the Mud March and stationed his troops on the banks of the Rappahanock. On December 22, 1862, Meade replaced Daniel Butterfield in command of the V Corps which he led in the Battle of Chancellorsville . On January 26, 1863, Joseph Hooker assumed command of the Army of the Potomac. Hooker had grand plans for

6873-467: Was promoted to major general of the Pennsylvania Reserves on November 29, 1862, and given command of a division in the "Left Grand Division" under William B. Franklin . During the Battle of Fredericksburg , Meade's division made the only breakthrough of the Confederate lines, spearheading through a gap in Lt. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's corps at the southern end of the battlefield. However, his attack

6960-442: Was promoted to major general and commander of the V Corps , which he led during the Battle of Chancellorsville . He was appointed to command the Army of the Potomac just three days before the Battle of Gettysburg and arrived on the battlefield after the first day 's action on July 1, 1863. He organized his forces on favorable ground to fight an effective defensive battle against Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and repelled

7047-536: Was the first company established in the borough for the purpose of manufacturing residential furniture. Other companies soon followed. The borough's industry reached peak production and success about the 1920s. This important industry declined from 1951, when the three main companies either moved, closed or were sold. The Gettysburg Furniture Company factory closed in 1960, becoming a warehouse and distribution point for other furniture factories outside of Pennsylvania. Gettysburg manufacturing associated with tourism included

7134-513: Was the only civilian killed during the battle. She was hit by a stray bullet that passed through her kitchen door while she was making bread on July 3. Physical damage can still be seen in some of the houses throughout the town, notably the Schmucker House located on Seminary Ridge . The furniture manufacturing industry employed people in Gettysburg for the first half of the 20th century. The "Gettysburg Manufacturing Company", formed in 1902,

7221-575: Was told he could select who he wanted to lead the Army of the Potomac. Edwin M. Stanton , the Secretary of War told Grant, "You will find a very weak irresolute man there and my advice to you is to replace him at once." Meade offered to resign and stated the task at hand was of such importance that he would not stand in the way of Grant choosing the right man for the job and offered to serve wherever placed. Grant assured Meade he had no intentions of replacing him. Grant later wrote that this incident gave him

7308-481: Was uncertain how they would perform in combat. Lee petitioned Jefferson Davis to allow him to take the offensive against the cautious Meade which would also prevent further Union troops being sent to the Western Theater to support William Rosencrans at the Battle of Chickamauga . The Army of the Potomac was stationed along the north bank of the Rapidan River and Meade made his headquarters in Culpeper, Virginia . In

7395-543: Was uninterested in the details of military dress and drills and accumulated 168 demerits, only 32 short of the amount that would trigger a mandatory dismissal. Meade was commissioned a brevet second lieutenant in the 3rd Artillery . He worked for a summer as an assistant surveyor on the construction of the Long Island Railroad and was assigned to service in Florida. He fought in the Second Seminole War and

7482-459: Was very evident he was disappointed that I had not got a battle out of Lee. He coincided with me that there was not much to be gained by any farther advance; but General Halleck was very urgent that something should be done, but what that something was he did not define. As the Secretary of War was absent in Tennessee, final action was postponed till his return." During the fall of 1863, the Army of

7569-550: Was −25 °F (−32 °C) on January 21, 1994. Pennsylvania's first on-farm methane digester was built near Gettysburg at the Mason-Dixon Farm in 1978, and generates 600KW. As of the 2010 census, Gettysburg had a population of 7,620, and was 79.6% non-Hispanic white, 10.9% Hispanic or Latino, 5.4% African American, 1.9% Asian, 2.2% all other. The main industry of the borough is tourism associated with such historic sites as Gettysburg National Military Park (including

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