Union Commanders
Major General George G. MeadeBorn in Pennsylvania, Meade was appointed as Commander of the Army of the Potomac only three days before the Battle of Gettysburg! Although he was not actually present at most of the battles, he trusted his subordinates to do what he wanted, and he was able to brilliantly maneuver his own forces to block the Confederate attacks.
After the Battle of Gettysburg, he remained in command of the Army of the Potomac for the rest of the war. |
Major General Winfield S. HancockAn outstanding general at Manassas and Antietam, Hancock's performance in the Battle of Gettysburg was no less astounding. Upon hearing of the death of John. F Reynolds, he went to the front and rode about on his horse, rallying his men and calling out orders. However, while directing a counterattack on Pickett's men, he was seriously injured and was forced to leave the battlefield.
After the Battle of Gettysburg, he was unable to return to the army for over a year because of the injuries he had sustained. However, after that, he did return, and was placed in charge of the Second Corps. |
General John F. Reynolds
Reynolds was placed in charge of the 14th US Infantry. At the Battle of Gettysburg, he was in charge of the First Corps, and his iron brigade arrived at Gettysburg just in time to save the Union line at Cemetery Ridge from being broken. The counteroffensive that he launched helped to defeat the Confederates at Gettysburg. However, while leading his troops, he was shot in the head by a bullet and died immediately.
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Brigadier General John Buford
Buford was the commander of the Union Cavalry Corps at the Battle of Gettysburg. For the first time since the beginning of the war, his troops proved the Union horsemen were equal to Confederate horsemen. His troops were put to much use, first covering the Union retreats, and also used for reconnaissance and some minor skirmishes and sabotage operations.
After Gettysburg, he soon contracted typhoid fever. He died and was buried at West Point. |
Confederate Generals
To read about how Stonewall Jackson's death affected the Army of Northern Virginia, click here
General Robert E. Lee
Robert E Lee was in command of the Army of Northern Virginia. He had led it to victory in all the other battles it had fought in the Eastern Theater prior to the Battle of Gettysburg.
However, during the Battle of Gettysburg, he made some bad decisions that may have cost him victory. Most noticeably among these is Pickett's Charge, which was personally ordered by Grant. After the Battle of Gettysburg, Lee doggedly kept fighting, until he finally had to surrender at the Appomattox Courthouse in the summer of 1865. |
Lieutenant General James Longstreet
He was in charge of the Confederate forces of his native state, Virginia. He would lead them to victory in the First Battle of Bull Run. He was a consistent and diligent general, once described by Lee as "My old war horse.... the most trusted of my generals."
At the Battle of Gettysburg, he performed well and commanded his troops ably, but was later questioned about his performance there because of how him questioning orders and stubbornly delaying attacking could have caused Lee to not be able to react to problems as quickly. |
Lieutenant General Richard S. Ewell
He was in charge of one of the Corps that Stonewall Jackson's old Corps had been split up into. At Gettysburg, he was able to stop a Union charge and make a successful counterattack on July 1st, but was later criticized for not following up on his success with an attack on Cemetery Hill.
After the Battle of Gettysburg, his military career declined. His old wounds were constantly paining him, and he was often unable to be at the battle. On April 16, 1865, he was captured by Union forces, and was released from the Federal prison a few months later. |
Lieutenant General A.P. Hill
As soon as the Civil War broke out, he resigned from the army and signed up for the Confederate army. In 1862, he was promoted to brigadier general and assigned a brigade under General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. General Hill performed so well during the Seven Days Battles that he was promoted to major general and given command of a division in Jackson's Corps. After the death of General Jackson after Chancellorsville in 1863, Hill was promoted to major general and given command of part of Jackson's old corps in the Army of Northern Virginia.
General Hill worked diligently to assume the responsibility but sickness often made him unable to make firm decisions. This happened on July 1st, 1863 when General Hill's troops were opening the Battle of Gettysburg. |
Brigadier General J.E.B Stuart
Stuart's wartime career was marked by spectacular exploits that made good news articles for Virginia newspapers. Stuart made a name for himself at the first Battle of Bull Run where his troopers swept down on retreating Union soldiers. He was promoted to brigadier general in September, 1861, and given a brigade of cavalry to command in the Army of Northern Virginia.
During the battle of Gettysburg, Stuart was major factor in the Confederate loss. He decided to raid Union supply lines and ride northeast around the Army of the Potomac into Pennsylvania. This happened while Lee moved his Army of Northern Virginia up the Shenandoah Valley and into Maryland and Pennsylvania. Separated by about 80 miles, Lee had no way of telling where Stuart was. Nor could Stuart use his cavalry to perform reconnaissance to inform Lee of where the Union army was. General Stuart did not arrive at Lee's headquarters until long after the Battle of Gettysburg had opened, and Lee openly expressed his displeasure at Stuart for riding off. |