Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant · Character

George G. Meade

The careful, irascible commander of the Army of the Potomac, whose well-fed, well-drilled soldiers stand in stark contrast to Sherman's hardened marchers at the war's end.

supporting

Also known as Meade, General Meade, Major-General Meade, Major-General George G. Meade

First appearance: i

As a supporting figure in Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant, George G. Meade is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Meets Grant at Brandy Station; offers to step aside if Grant wishes to replace him, demonstrating selflessness.

In the storyXLVIOpen this moment free

Meade leads the Army of the Potomac through the final campaigns, a general whose troops receive regular supplies from the North and whose review occupies six full hours of the grand parade. His army is disciplined and fit but lacks the feral resourcefulness of Sherman's western veterans, a contrast Grant draws without malice. Overshadowed by Grant's arrival and Sheridan's rise, Meade embodies the competent, unglamorous professionalism on which the Union war effort quietly depended.

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Character Web

41 connections

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Relationship types

Rivalry
Other

Character groups

Army of the Potomac
Grant's Inner Circle
Protagonist
High Command & Cavalry

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

Grant’s severe sick headache—a physical manifestation of immense psychological strain—reaches its peak just as…

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Relationships

Robert E. Lee
rivalry · negative
Meade commanded the Army of the Potomac against Lee, notably defeating him at Gettysburg… How this plays out →

Relationship notes

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See George G. Meade in i

In the story

George G. Meade appears across 13 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

XLVI
Meets Grant at Brandy Station; offers to step aside if Grant wishes to replace him, demonstrating selflessness.
LI
Commander of the Army of the Potomac; Grant considered him a gallant soldier.
LIII
Army of the Potomac commander, orders Humphreys to remain with Warren, and is recommended for promotion to Major-General in the regular army.
Movement by the Left Flank—Battle of North Anna—An Incident of the March—Moving on Richmond—South of the Pamunkey—Position of the National Army
Commanding the Army of the Potomac; receives Grant's orders and is present at the plantation house.
Chapter LV
Major-General commanding the Army of the Potomac; receives Grant's order to suspend further advance.
Left Flank Movement Across the Chickahominy and James—General Lee—Visit to Butler—The Movement on Petersburg—The Investment of Petersburg
Commands the Army of the Potomac; ordered to fortify a line down the Chickahominy and later orders an advance toward the Weldon Railroad.
LXIV
Meade is referenced as commander of the Army of the Potomac, under whom the movements are coordinated.
The Capture of Petersburg—Meeting President Lincoln in Petersburg—The Capture of Richmond—Pursuing the Enemy—Visit to Sheridan and Meade
Commands the Army of the Potomac; initially misled by a Confederate ruse but follows Grant's orders to pursue Lee.
LXVII: Negotiations at Appomattox
Commands the Army of the Potomac; receives Lee's flag of truce and hesitates to suspend hostilities.
The End of the War — The March to Washington — One of Lincoln’s Anecdotes — Grand Review at Washington — Characteristics of Lincoln and Stanton — Estimate of the Different Corps Commanders
Praised as an officer of great merit but with a temper; subordinate and brave, though sometimes offensive in speech.
Organization Charts—Union and Confederate
Commanding the Army of the Potomac.
Union Army on the Rapidan, May 5, 1864
Commanding the Army of the Potomac.
Endnotes
Praised by Grant as one of the fittest officers for large commands.

Chapter companion notes

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See George G. Meade in XLVI