Little Round Top is the smaller of two rocky hills south of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania —the companion to the adjacent, taller hill named Big Round Top . It was the site of an unsuccessful assault by Confederate troops against the Union left flank on July 2, 1863, the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg , during the American Civil War .
125-410: Little Round Top was successfully defended by a brigade under Colonel Strong Vincent , who was mortally wounded during the fighting and died five days later. The 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment , commanded by Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain , fought its most famous engagement there, culminating in a dramatic downhill bayonet charge. The battle at Little Round Top subsequently became one of
250-440: A Kentucky colonel ; Colonel Christian Umstead, US Marine, a Kentucky Colonel ; Colonel Tom Parker , Elvis Presley 's manager, who received the honor from a Louisiana governor; and Edward M. House , known as Colonel House, a Texas honorary colonel and adviser to President Woodrow Wilson . George Meade George Gordon Meade (December 31, 1815 – November 6, 1872) was a United States Army Major General who commanded
375-639: A Medal of Honor for his conduct in the defense of Little Round Top. The citation read that it was awarded for "daring heroism and great tenacity in holding his position on the Little Round Top against repeated assaults, and ordering the advance position on the Great Round Top." Despite this victory, the rest of the Union regiments on the hill were in dire straits. While the Alabamians had pressed their attacks on
500-508: A "Command Chief") as principal senior NCO enlisted adviser. Colonels are also found leading at directorate and division levels on the Secretariat, Air Staff (United States) , MAJCOM , or Numbered Air Force staff. A Space Force colonel typically commands a delta . In the modern armed forces, the colonel's eagle is worn facing forward with head and beak pointing towards the wearer's front. Of all U.S. military commissioned officer rank, only
625-617: A "by-pass, a stretch of .399 mile," from the Round Top Museum southward to north of the guard station on the south slope at Sykes Avenue and Chamberlain Avenue was subsequently closed. The summit parking lot was also created at this time. The battle for Little Round Top is a key plot point of Ward Moore 's 1953 alternate history novel Bring the Jubilee . The 1974 novel The Killer Angels , and its 1993 film adaptation, Gettysburg , depicted
750-491: A 40 ft (12 m) observatory was built by 1886, before a stone monument with observation deck was dedicated to the 44th New York in 1892. In the late 1880s, the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment monument on Little Round Top was dedicated with a speech by Joshua Chamberlain. In 1935, two "hairpin curves" of the avenue on Little Round Top were removed by the Continental Contracting Company to create
875-687: 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
1000-583: A few hundred yards west to the Emmitsburg Road and the Peach Orchard. This caused a large salient in the line, which was also too long to defend properly. His left flank was anchored in Devil's Den. When Meade discovered this situation, he dispatched his chief engineer, Brig. Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren , to attempt to deal with the situation south of Sickles' position. Climbing Little Round Top, Warren found only
1125-406: 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
1250-411: A lieutenant colonel as deputy commander, a major as executive officer , and a command sergeant major as a senior non-commissioned officer (NCO) advisor. An Air Force colonel typically commands a wing consisting of 1,000 to 4,000+ airmen with another colonel as the vice commander, four other colonels as group commanders , which are the major components of wings, and a Chief Master Sergeant (i.e.,
1375-570: A messenger to order his 1st Division, commanded by Brig. Gen. James Barnes , to Little Round Top. Before the messenger could reach Barnes, he encountered Col. Strong Vincent , commander of the 3rd Brigade, who seized the initiative and directed his four regiments to Little Round Top without waiting for permission from Barnes. He and Oliver W. Norton, the brigade bugler, galloped ahead to reconnoiter and guide his four regiments into position. Upon arrival on Little Round Top, Vincent and Norton received fire from Confederate batteries almost immediately. On
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#17328548229771500-419: A mile, primarily from Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick 's VI Corps . In addition, the value of Little Round Top as an artillery position has been overstated—the shape of the crest of the hill forces guns to be placed one behind the other, limiting their effectiveness when engaging targets directly to the north, such as the Union line on Cemetery Ridge. While Chamberlain and the 20th Maine have gained popularity in
1625-511: A minimum of three years as a lieutenant colonel before being promoted to colonel. With the signing of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 (NDAA 2019), military services now have the authorization to directly commission new officers up to the rank of colonel. The pay grade for colonel is O-6. When worn alone, the insignia of rank seen at right is worn centered on headgear and fatigue uniforms. When worn in pairs,
1750-634: 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,
1875-623: 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
2000-632: 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
2125-518: A pay grade of "O-5". Officers in pay grade O-6 visiting or on temporary assignment to other installations are also accorded "Distinguished Visitor" (DV) status for lodging and other appropriate protocol honors. When flying on military aircraft as either crew or passenger, they are also accorded "Code" status as a "Code 7" in accordance with Department of Defense Flight Information Publication General Planning (DoD FLIP GP). Most Army colonels have attended or otherwise completed via seminar or correspondence
2250-405: A portion of this battle. Filmmaker Ken Burns praised Chamberlain in his PBS documentary The Civil War and in subsequent interviews for possibly saving the Union with his actions during the engagement. In the 2016 song "Ballad of the 20th of Maine" by Maine folk group The Ghost of Paul Revere, the famous bayonet charge and Andrew Tozier 's defiant stand is chronicled: Well, our western flank
2375-690: 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
2500-567: A regiment. Since most U.S. regiments were state formations and were quickly raised, the colonels in command of the regiments were known by the title "Colonel of Volunteers", in contrast to Regular Army colonels who held permanent commissions. During the Civil War, the Confederate army maintained a unique insignia for colonel, which comprised three yellow stars worn on the collar of a uniform. Robert E. Lee wore this insignia due to his former rank in
2625-534: 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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#17328548229772750-402: A single-file line, then ordered the southernmost half of his line to swing back during a lull following another Confederate charge. It was there that they "refused the line"—formed an angle to the main line in an attempt to prevent the Confederate flanking maneuver. Despite heavy losses, the 20th Maine held through two subsequent charges by the 15th Alabama and other Confederate regiments for
2875-473: A small Signal Corps station there. He saw the glint of bayonets in the sun to the southwest and realized that a Confederate assault into the Union flank was imminent. He hurriedly sent staff officers, including Washington Roebling , to find help from any available units in the vicinity. The response to this request for help came from Maj. Gen. George Sykes , commander of the Union V Corps . Sykes quickly dispatched
3000-404: A total of ninety minutes. Chamberlain (knowing that his men were out of ammunition, his numbers were being depleted, and his men would not be able to repulse another Confederate charge) ordered his men to equip bayonets and counterattack. He ordered his left flank, which had been pulled back, to advance in a 'right-wheel forward' maneuver. As soon as they were in line with the rest of the regiment,
3125-519: A war college or a senior staff college equivalent to study joint warfare and war itself. It is possible to make Colonel without war college if the board file is as strong or stronger than a war college graduate. Most Army colonels receive postgraduate level senior joint professional military education (JPME) at the Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania prior to promotion. The 2009 graduating class
3250-414: Is that the hill's terrain offered a poor platform for artillery, and that had Longstreet secured the hill, the Union Army would have been forced back to a better defensive position, making the attack on the hill a distraction from the Confederates' true objective. This latter theory is supported by General Lee's writings, in which he appears to have considered Little Round Top irrelevant. In Lee's report after
3375-464: Is worn on the left side and the rank insignia is worn on the right hand side of the Marine, Navy, Coast Guard and NOAA garrison caps, the eagle is facing to the eagle's left with the olive branch clutched in the eagle's left hand talons, which is a mirror opposite to the wear of the single eagle for Army, Air Force, and Space Force officers. The U.S. rank of colonel is a direct successor to the same rank in
3500-746: 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 the United States Military Academy in 1835. He fought in
3625-487: 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
3750-764: 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
3875-492: 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
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4000-552: 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
4125-743: The British Army . The first colonels in the United States were appointed from colonial militias maintained as reserves to the British Army in the North American colonies. Upon the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War , colonial legislatures would grant commissions to men to raise a regiment and serve as its colonel. Thus, the first U.S. colonels were usually respected men with ties in local communities and active in politics. With
4250-474: The Devil's Den area and they would threaten Hood's right flank if they were not dealt with; second, fire from the 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters at Slyder's farm drew the attention of lead elements of Brig. Gen. Evander M. Law 's brigade, moving in pursuit and drawing his brigade to the right; third, the terrain was rough and units naturally lost their parade-ground alignments; finally, Hood's senior subordinate, General Law,
4375-480: The Gettysburg Campaign , he stated in part, "General Longstreet was delayed by a force occupying the high, rocky hills on the enemy's extreme left, from which his troops could be attacked in reverse as they advanced", suggesting Longstreet was ordered on a course intended to bypass Little Round Top—had the hill been a key objective of the assault, Lee would not have used the phrase "delayed by" in describing
4500-556: The Gettysburg sill " intruded through the Triassic "Gettysburg plain" . Subsequent periglacial frost wedging during the Pleistocene formed the hill's extensive boulders. There is no evidence that the name "Little Round Top" was used by soldiers or civilians during the battle, although Col. Franklin A. Haskell, writing to his brother on July 16, 1863, calls it so. Although the larger hill
4625-467: 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
4750-546: The National Defense University or one of the other U.S. military services. Some people known as "colonels" are actually recipients of honorary colonel ranks from a state governor and are not officers of the U.S. military. In the 19th century, the honorary colonels were military appointments and they still are nominally appointed to a governor's staff, but without military rights or duties. Examples of honorary colonels include Colonel Harland Sanders of KFC fame,
4875-621: 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
5000-462: 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
5125-726: 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
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5250-468: The United States Army , Marine Corps , Air Force and Space Force , is the most senior field-grade military officer rank , immediately above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general . Colonel is equivalent to the naval rank of captain in the other uniformed services . By law, an officer previously required at least 22 years of cumulative service and
5375-863: 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
5500-555: The War of 1812 the Army grew rapidly and many colonels were appointed, but most of these colonels were discharged when their regiments were disbanded at the war's conclusion. A number of other colonels were appointed by brevet – an honorary promotion usually for distinguished service in combat. The American Civil War saw a large influx of colonels as the rank was commonly held in both the Confederate army and Union Army by those who commanded
5625-427: The 4th, 15th, and 47th Alabama, and the 4th and 5th Texas to Little Round Top, Law ordered his men to take the hill. The men were exhausted, having marched more than 20 miles (32 km) that day to reach this point. The day was hot and their canteens were empty; Law's order to move out reached them before they could refill their water. Approaching the Union line on the crest of the hill, Law's men were thrown back by
5750-559: The AWC distance learning program. Still other USAF colonels a JPME program via the National Defense University (i.e., National War College , Eisenhower School ) or the program of another service (e.g., Army War College, College of Naval Warfare at the Naval War College , Marine Corps War College ). The AWC resident program includes participation by officers from various other branches of the U.S. armed forces and Allied nations. Completion of
5875-654: The AWC or an equivalent program is a de facto requirement for promotion to colonel in the USAF, to include the Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard . Marine colonels may graduate from the Marine Corps War College or, like all other branches, may receive credit via non-resident attendance at another installation, via correspondence, or will be graduates of an equivalent senior JPME program sponsored by
6000-462: The American national consciousness, other historical figures such as Strong Vincent, Patrick O'Rourke , and Charles Hazlett arguably played equal roles in the Union success at Little Round Top. Their deaths at the scene, however, did not allow their personal stories to be told. During visits by 13 generals in 1865, points were identified on Little Round Top at which markers were subsequently erected, and
6125-636: 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
6250-471: 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
6375-581: 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
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#17328548229776500-399: 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
6625-483: The Confederates were subjected to a volley of rifle fire from Company B of the 20th Maine, commanded by Captain Walter G. Morrill , and a few of the 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters, who had been placed by Chamberlain behind a stone wall 150 yards to the east, hoping to guard against an envelopment. This group, who had been hidden from sight, caused considerable confusion in the Confederate ranks. Thirty years later, Chamberlain received
6750-600: 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
6875-493: 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
7000-606: 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
7125-411: 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
7250-402: 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
7375-405: The Round Tops. Instead of driving the entire division up the spine of Houck's Ridge (the boulder-strewn area known to the soldiers as the Devil's Den ), parts of Hood's division detoured over Round Top and approached the southern slope of Little Round Top. There were four probable reasons for the deviation in the division's direction: first, regiments from the Union III Corps were unexpectedly in
7500-526: The Union left, the 4th and 5th Texas were attacking Vincent's 16th Michigan on the Union right. Rallying the crumbling regiment (the smallest in his brigade, with only 263 men) several times, Vincent was mortally wounded during one Texas charge and was succeeded by Colonel James C. Rice . Vincent died on July 7, but not before receiving a deathbed promotion to brigadier general. Before the Michiganders could be demoralized, reinforcements summoned by Warren—who had continued on to find more troops to defend
7625-404: 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
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#17328548229777750-407: The United States Army and refused to wear the insignia of a Confederate general , stating that he would only accept permanent promotion when the Confederacy had defeated the U.S. and achieved its independence. After the end of the Civil War, the rank of colonel again became rare as the forces of the United States Army downsized and became extremely small. However, many U.S. colonels were appointed in
7875-432: 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
8000-550: 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
8125-587: 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
8250-414: 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
8375-459: 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
8500-412: 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
8625-477: The colonel's eagle has a distinct right and left insignia. All other commissioned officer rank insignia can be worn on either the right or left side. Colonels are sometimes referred to (but not addressed as) full colonels , bird colonels , or full bird colonels because lieutenant colonels are also referred to and addressed in correspondence as "colonel". Referring to an "O-6", a colonel's pay grade, also may differentiate colonels and lieutenant colonels , who have
8750-502: The command of Lt. Benjamin F. Rittenhouse ) fired into the flank of the Confederate assault known as Pickett's Charge . Near the end of that engagement, General Meade observed from Little Round Top and contemplated his options for a possible counterattack against Lee. Of the 2,996 Union troops engaged at Little Round Top, there were 565 casualties (134 killed, 402 wounded, 29 missing); Confederate losses of 4,864 engaged were 1,185 (279 killed, 868 wounded, 219 missing). While agreeing that
8875-415: 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,
9000-461: 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
9125-454: The eagle has a U.S. shield superimposed on its chest and is holding an olive branch and bundle of arrows in its talons . However, in simplification of the Great Seal image, the insignia lacks the scroll in the eagle's mouth and the rosette above its head. On the Great Seal, the olive branch is always clutched in the eagle's right-side talons, while the bundle of arrows is always clutched in
9250-680: The eagle to the wearer's right or to the front," with the olive branch clutched in the eagle's right (or forward) hand talons (see Department of the Army Pamphlet 670-1, paragraph 21-6 [a][1]). In the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, United States Coast Guard, NOAA, and the PHSCC, the eagle is worn with "the head facing forward" on the wearer's right side of the garrison cover (see Marine Corps Order P1020.34G, Uniform Regulation, paragraph 4005d[1]). Since respective service's officer insignia
9375-502: The effects of the engagement. Garry Adelman has countered the argument that a Confederate capture of Little Round Top would have badly hurt the Union effort. Examining the number of troops available in the vicinity in the late afternoon, he determined that at most 2,650 Confederates could have been available to defend the hill after capturing it, and that these men would have been exhausted from combat and short on ammunition. In contrast, 11,600 fresh Union reinforcements were available within
9500-458: The extreme left of the Army of the Potomac, at all costs. Chamberlain and his 385 men waited for what was to come. The approaching Confederates were the Alabama Brigade of Hood's Division, commanded by Brig. Gen. Evander M. Law . (As the battle progressed and Law realized he was in command of the division, Col. James L. Sheffield was eventually notified to assume brigade command.) Dispatching
9625-633: The fighting on Little Round Top was extremely fierce and soldiers on both sides fought valiantly, historians disagree as to the impact of this particular engagement on the overall outcome of the Battle of Gettysburg. The traditional view—one that emerged in the 1880s—is that the left flank of the Union Army was a crucial position. An example of this view is from 1900: "If the Confederates had seized [Little Round Top] and dragged some of their artillery up there, as they easily could have done, they would have enfiladed Meade's entire line and made it too unhealthy for him to remain there." An alternative claim
9750-614: The fighting stopped. Troops of the II , V , VI , and XII Corps passed through the area and also occupied Round Top. Little Round Top was the starting point for a Union counterattack at dusk on July 2, conducted by the 3rd Division of the V Corps (the Pennsylvania Reserves) under Brig. Gen. Samuel W. Crawford , launched to the west in the direction of the Wheatfield . On July 3, Hazlett's battery (six 10-pounder Parrott rifles , now under
9875-416: The first Union volley and withdrew briefly to regroup. The 15th Alabama , commanded by Col. William C. Oates , repositioned further right and attempted to find the Union left flank. The left flank consisted of the 386 officers and men of the 20th Maine regiment and the 83rd Pennsylvania. Seeing the Confederates shifting around his flank, Chamberlain first stretched his line to the point where his men were in
10000-452: The fray, driving the Texans back and securing victory for the Union forces on the hill. Col. Patrick "Paddy" O'Rorke , who personally led his regiment in the charge, was killed. Reinforced further by Stephen Weed's brigade of the V Corps , Union forces held the hill throughout the rest of the battle, enduring persistent fire from Confederate sharpshooters stationed around Devil's Den. General Weed
10125-577: The hill—had arrived in the form of the 140th New York and a battery of four guns— Battery D, 5th U.S. Artillery , commanded by Lt. Charles E. Hazlett . (Simply maneuvering these guns by hand up the steep and rocky slope of the hill was an amazing achievement. However, this effort had little effect on the action of July 2. The artillerymen were exposed to constant sniper fire and could not work effectively. More significantly, however, they could not depress their barrels sufficiently to defend against incoming infantry attacks.) The 140th charged into
10250-532: 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
10375-514: The insignia is worn on the officer's left side while a mirror-image reverse version is worn on the right side, such that both of the eagles' heads face forward, to the wearer's front. The insignia for a colonel is a silver eagle which is a stylized representation of the eagle dominating the Great Seal of the United States (which is the coat of arms of the United States). As on the Great Seal,
10500-403: The left-side talons. The head of the eagle faces towards the olive branch, rather than the arrows, advocating peace rather than war. As a result, the head of the eagle always faces towards the viewer's left. Some colonel eagles from the 1920s to the 1950s faced the arrows, though this is no longer done. The full-sized colonel eagle is 3/4 inches tall and 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches in diameter from
10625-520: The most well-known actions at Gettysburg, and of the entire war. Little Round Top is a large diabase spur of Big Round Top with an oval crest that forms a short ridgeline with a summit of 63 ft (19 m) prominence above the saddle point to Big Round Top to the south. It is located in Cumberland Township , approximately two miles (3 km) south of Gettysburg, with a rugged, steep slope rising 150 feet (46 m) above nearby Plum Run to
10750-461: 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
10875-603: 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
11000-486: The post-war reduction of the U.S. Army, the rank of colonel disappeared, and was not re-introduced until 1802. The first insignia for the rank of colonel consisted of gold epaulettes worn on the blue uniform of the Continental Army . The rank of colonel was relatively rare in the early 19th century, partly because the U.S. Army was very small, and the rank was usually obtained only after long years of service. During
11125-513: 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
11250-765: The rank of colonel during these two wars. The Military Promotion System was revised and standardized for all the services in 1980 as a result of passage of the Defense Officer Personnel Management Act . Contemporary U.S. colonels usually command Army infantry, artillery, armor, aviation, special forces, or other types of brigades or regiments as well as large installations; USMC regiments , Marine Expeditionary Units , Marine Aircraft Groups, or installations such as Marine Corps Bases or Marine Corps Air Stations; USAF groups or wings ; and USSF deltas . An Army colonel typically commands brigade-sized units (4,000 to 6,000 soldiers), with another colonel or
11375-449: 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
11500-421: The remainder of the regiment would charge akin to a door swinging shut. This simultaneous frontal assault and flanking maneuver halted and captured a good portion of the 15th Alabama. While Chamberlain ordered the advance, Lieutenant Holman Melcher spontaneously and separate to Chamberlain's command initiated a charge from the center of the line that further aided the regiment's efforts. During their retreat,
11625-743: 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
11750-465: 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
11875-459: 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
12000-449: 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
12125-478: 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
12250-454: 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
12375-414: 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
12500-487: The tips of each wing. However, when worn as a single insignia with no matching pair, such as on the patrol cap , garrison cap / flight cap , or the front of the Army, Air Force, or Space Force OCP uniform, there is a split between the services on which mirror image of the eagle should be worn. In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Space Force, the eagle is always worn with "the head of
12625-515: 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
12750-550: The volunteers during the Spanish–American War , prominent among them Theodore Roosevelt and David Grant Colson . World War I and World War II saw the largest numbers of colonels ever appointed in the U.S. military. This was mostly due to the temporary ranks of the National Army and the Army of the United States , where those who would normally hold the rank of Captain in the peacetime Regular Army were thrust into
12875-761: 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
13000-410: The west and strewn with large boulders. The summit is a total of 650 feet (200 m) above sea level. Historically, the western slope was generally free of vegetation, while the summit and eastern and southern slopes were lightly wooded. Directly to the south is Big Round Top, 130 feet (40 m) higher and densely wooded. The igneous landform was created 200 million years ago when the "outcrop of
13125-419: The western slope, he placed the 16th Michigan , and then proceeding counterclockwise were the 44th New York , the 83rd Pennsylvania , and finally, at the end of the line on the southern slope, the 20th Maine . Arriving only ten minutes before the Confederates, Vincent ordered his brigade to take cover and wait, and he ordered Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain , commander of the 20th Maine, to hold his position,
13250-762: 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
13375-474: Was 336 including 198 army officers and the rest divided among other military branches, domestic inter-agency representatives and other foreign military leaders. A high concentration of USAF colonels graduate from the Air War College (AWC) at Maxwell AFB , Alabama via in-residence at Maxwell AFB, while other USAF colonels complete AWC via a non-resident seminar program paralleling the in-residence program or
13500-491: Was among the victims, and as his old friend Charles Hazlett leaned over to comfort Weed, the artilleryman was also shot dead. Later that day, Little Round Top was the site of constant skirmishing . It was fortified by Weed's brigade, five regiments of the Pennsylvania Reserves, and an Ohio battery of six guns. Most of the stone breastworks that are currently visible on the hill were constructed by these troops after
13625-541: 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
13750-468: 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
13875-559: 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
14000-478: 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
14125-412: Was intended to drive northeast up the Emmitsburg Road in the direction of Cemetery Hill, rolling up the Union left flank. Maj. Gen. John Bell Hood 's division was assigned to attack up the eastern side of the road, Maj. Gen. Lafayette McLaws 's division the western side. Hood's division stepped off first, but instead of guiding on the road, elements began to swing directly to the east in the direction of
14250-517: Was known before the battle as Round Top, Round Top Mountain, and sometimes Round Hill, accounts written in 1863 referred to the smaller hill with a variety of names: Rock Hill, High Knob, Sugar Loaf Hill, Broad Top Summit, and granite spur of Round Top. Historian John B. Bachelder , who had an enormous influence on the preservation of the Gettysburg battlefield, personally favored the name "Weed's Hill", in honor of Brigadier General Stephen H. Weed , who
14375-583: Was missing / As the confederates, they pushed on / And I fought them tooth and nail / Our ammunition all but gone ... And then appeared our Lion, he was roaring bayonets / And we charged on down the mountain with what forces we had left / We're as steadfast as Katahdin , we're as hard as winter's rain / Go straight to hell with your Rebel yell , we are the boys of Maine. 39°47′31″N 77°14′11″W / 39.7920°N 77.2363°W / 39.7920; -77.2363 Colonel (United States) A colonel ( / ˈ k ɜːr n əl / ) in
14500-494: Was mortally wounded on Little Round Top. Bachelder abandoned that name by 1873. One of the first public uses of "Little Round Top" was by Edward Everett in his oration at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery on November 19, 1863. On the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg , July 2, 1863, at about 4 PM, Confederate Lt. Gen. James Longstreet 's First Corps began an attack ordered by General Robert E. Lee that
14625-431: 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
14750-600: 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
14875-467: 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
15000-442: 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
15125-575: 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
15250-443: Was unaware that Hood had been wounded and he was now in command of the division, so he did not exercise control. In the meantime, Little Round Top was undefended by Union troops. Maj. Gen. George Meade , commander of the Army of the Potomac , had ordered Maj. Gen. Daniel Sickles ' III Corps to defend the southern end of Cemetery Ridge, which would have just included Little Round Top. Sickles, defying Meade's orders, moved his corps
15375-481: 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
15500-543: 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
15625-459: 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
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