April 18, 2025 • 48 mins
This week on Behind The Battles, we cover the most successful General of the Army Of The Potomac, George Meade. Perhaps best known as commanding the army during the victory at Gettysburg, he did not have a good reputation with his higher ups and Grant stationed himself with Meade for the remainder of the war to keep an eye on him. We will cover his pre war life, his war time contributions and of course his later life and death.
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
The bloodiest war on American soil. States versus States, Brothers
versus brothers. Join hosts bang and dang as they take
you battle by battle through the most divisive time in
American history. Welcome to Battles of the American Civil War.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
All right, back with again more battles of American Civil War.
Behind the battles and back with another Union guy. And
everybody knows this guy's name, probably most famous for his
victory the battles of Battle of Gettysburg and actually one
of the only well the only i would say Army
of the Potomac general.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
That actually did anything.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
And he remained that until the end of the war.
So that tells you everything you need to know.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Well, he's the only general that had Grant by side basically,
not the whole type.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
He didn't have Grant on his side at the Gettysburg. No,
so we're talking about, of course, Oh, George Gordon Mead.
He was the commander of the Army in Potomac from
eighteen sixty three to sixty five. Basically from then it
was basically all of the key battles in the Eastern
Theater he participated.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
In and won many of them actually.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
So Finally the South or the North has found their
guy running the big Army. Mead was born December thirty first,
eighteen fifteen, and could the East Spain. Oh, he's the
eighth of ten children of Richard Warsam Mead and Margaret
Coates Butler. He didn't know that his old granddaddy, irishman
George Mead, was a wealthy merchant and land speculator in Philadelphia.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
George Mead Mead is Irish? Do you think? Like? Oh, yeah,
so maybe he is? What is dad?
Speaker 4 (01:59):
Does dad go over to Spain for something?
Speaker 3 (02:02):
It was a ship.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
He had a ship in business, and he was in
the American Spanish trade, and that's why he was born
in Spain. Well, I gotta see is American?
Speaker 3 (02:09):
My bad? And it's daddy? He was an American too, right?
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Not?
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Yeah, it was basically not Americans. Well, I guess if
he's part of the military born underseas, it's still an
American citizen, right.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
His father was wealthy due to the Spanish American trade
and was appointed US naval agent fantastic. He was ruined
financially because of his support of Spain in the Peninsular War, though, Wow,
his family returned to the United States in eighteen seventeen
and precarious financial straits. Why would you support Spain over
America or whatever the peninsula was?
Speaker 3 (02:42):
He fell in love with?
Speaker 2 (02:43):
This? Is it between Britain, Portugal, Spain, and United Kingdom
against French Empire d in the Napoleonic War.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
So why was why would he get.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Because the French were our allies? No, still basically at war?
Was even with those guys?
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Steen fourteen War of eighteen twelve lasted from what eighteen twelve,
eight fourteen or fifteen?
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Yeah, so I guess mura odds what these guys probably
had at the time.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
I can see that who.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Was on Britain's side sat against and its allies obviously
the Indians and West Florida which is Spain. Yeah, West
Florida Spain. So that would be why fell out of
favor with the old US.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Huh wow, mead. He attended elementary school in Philadelphia and the
American Classical Military Lyceum, which is a private school in
Philly modeled after the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Oh that's nice.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
Oh, what's the matter could get at West Point?
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Woo?
Speaker 3 (03:34):
His trader daddy died in eighteen twenty eight, when Georgia
was just twelve years old. He was taken out of
the Germantown Military Academy George. He was placed in a
school run by Salmon Chase, Washingt d C. However, it
closed after a few months due to Chase his other obligations.
He said, sorry, kids, I don't have time for your education.
(03:54):
He was then placed in the Mount Hope Institution, Baltimore, OH.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Mead Mead then entered the United States Military Academy at
West Point July first, eighteen thirty one. Nice he would
have preferred to attend college and study law and did
not enjoy his time at West.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
Point, oh nobody does.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Although he still graduated nineteenth in his class of fifty
six and eighteen thirty five. He was uninterested in the
details of military dress and drills and accumulated one hundred
and sixty eight demerits, which is only thirty two short
of them mount that would trigger a mandatory dismissal.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
Two Meade, he was commissioned a brevet second lieutenant and
the third Artillery. He worked for a summer as an
assistant surveyor on the construction of the Long Island Railroad.
Speaker 4 (04:35):
Oh they do that, huh.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
He was assigned to service in Florida. That's why he
was with the Spanish. Dude, you're down there with a
bunch of Spaniards. He fought in the Second Seminole War
and was assigned to a company, a group of Seminoles
to Indian Territory in the West. He became a full
second lieutenant by year's end, and in the fall of
eighteen thirty six, after the minimum requirement of one year service,
(04:57):
he sided with the Spain. Spain his dad, all right,
right there we go, right, all right? After only required
one year of service, he said, you know what I'm done.
I'm going to resign from the Army. I'm gonna go home.
And 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
(05:20):
Topographical Engineers on a railroad project. All right, what's up
to everybody beings surveyors? I guess it was a time
when the country needed to be surveyed.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Right then you went to the Army to probably do
just that, right, He conducted additional survey work for the
Topographical Engineers on the Texas Louisiana burg border, the Mississippi
River Delta, and the northeastern boundary of Maine. In Canada,
eighteen forty two, a congressional measure was passed which excluded
civilians from working in the Army Corps of Topographical Engineers.
(05:50):
Oh and Mead had to re enter the army as
a second lieutenant in order to continue his.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Work with him Ah oh Wow.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
November eighteen forty three, he was assigned to work on
a lighthouse construction under Major hartman Bach. He worked on
the Brandywine Shoal Lighthouse in the Delaware Bay.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Oh that's nice.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Imagine that's cold, all right, still in operation and it
came in eighteen twenty eight. They got three lights, first
let in nineteen fourteen. I was constructed in eighteen twenty eight,
but it was only first let in nineteen fourteen.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Maybe like electricity, maybe it was like obviously had been
like whatever.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
They use back then.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
First screw pile lighthouse piles that are screwed in the
Sandy or Muney Sea rivers.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
Ooh Meats served in the Mexican American War, as did
most other soldiers in generals and lieutenants of the Civil War,
and he was assigned to the staffs of generals. It's
Zachary Taylor and Robert Patterson. Zachary Taylor keeps on popping
up on everybody's stories. He fought at the Battle of
Paolo Alto, the Battle of Resaca de la Pama, and
(06:59):
the Battle of Monterey. He served under General William Worth.
At Monterey, he led a party up a hill to
attack at forty five position. He was brevetted to the
first intenant and received a gold mounted sword for gallantry
from the citizens of Philly. Oh look at that, Oh,
just from his citizens right. Eighteen forty nine, Mead was
assigned to Fort Brook in Florida to assist with the
(07:20):
Semino attacks on settlements. Eighteen fifty one, he led the
construction of the Kerry's Fort Reef Light in Key Largo.
He just loves lighthouses.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
On eighteen fifty two, the Topographical Corps established the United
States Lighthouse Board, and Mead it was appointed to the
seventh District Engineer with responsibilities in Florida.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
I wonder why he didn't going to the Navy.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Then he led the construction of the Sand Key Light
and Key Wets, the Jupiter Inlet Light in Jupiter, Florida,
and the Sombrero Key Light in the Florida Keys.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
Is this guy?
Speaker 2 (07:48):
When Bach was reassigned to the West Coast, Mead took
over responsibility for the fourth District in New Jersey and Delaware,
and there he brought the He built the Barnegut Light
on Long Beach Island, the Absecon Light in Atlantic City,
and the Cape May Light in Cape May.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Look at that shit? He was this guy.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
He also designed a hydraulic lamp that was used in
several American lighthouses as well.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
If the bitch this guy does he have a lighthouse
named after me, you better right, jeez. He went on
to receive an official promotion to first lieutenant and the
year of eighteen fifty one, and then in eighteen fifty
six he was a captain. One year later, eighteen fifty seven,
Mead was given command of the Lakes Survey Mission of
the Great Lakes. Completion of the survey of Lake Caroon
(08:27):
and the extension of the surveys of Lake Mission down
to Grand and Little Travers Bay were done under his command.
Prior to Captain Meade's command, the Great Lakes water level
readings were taken locally with temporary gauges. A uniform plane
of reference had not been established at this time. In
eighteen fifty eight, based on his recommendation, instrumentation was set
(08:49):
in place for the tabulation of the records across the basin.
Mead stayed with the Lake Survey until eighteen sixty one
and an outbreak of the Civil War, Yeah, he was
just going to continue on doing that forever, because who
wants to lead the beautiful state of Michigan.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
When you're right well, when that war broke out, he
was appointed Brigadier General of Volunteers August thirty first, eighteen
sixty one, which was a few months after the start
of the war, and that was thanks to the strong
recommendation of Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Curtain. He was then assigned
command of the second Brigade of the Pennsylvania Reserves under
General George McCall. The Pennsylvania Reserves were initially assigned to
(09:24):
the construction of defenses around Washington to DC.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
This dude, just a builder, that's it. In March of
eighteen sixty two, the Army of the Potomac reorganized into
four corps. Mead served as part of the first Corps
under Major General Urban McDowell. Well. That first corps was
stationed in the Rappahonic River, but in June the Pennsylvania
reserves were detached and sent to the peninsula to reinforce
(09:49):
the main army. With the onset of the Seven Days
Battle on the twenty fifth of June eighteen sixty two,
the reserves direct were directly involved in the fight. And Oh,
that's for his first action.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
Well. Later on, at Mechanicsville and gaines Mill, meads brigade
was mostly held in reserve, but at Glendale June thirtieth,
the brigade was in the middle of a fierce battle.
Oh his brigade lost fourteen hundred men and Mead was
shot the right arm and through.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
The back camp.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
He was sent home to Philadelphia to recuperate. He then
resumed command of his brigade in time for the second battle.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
Well run to have stayed at a home a little longer,
just some time to get his ass again.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
And he was then assigned to Major General Urban 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.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
Yeah, that was if you guys remember that. If people
were here, listen to this and listen to that show,
that was a funky little battle there. Division commander is
John F. Reynolds was sent to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to train
militia units, and then Mead. He assumed temporary division command
at the Battle of South Mountain and the Battle of Antietam.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
Under Mead's command, the division successfully attacked and captured a
strategic position on high ground near Turner's camp held by
Robert Rhodes his troops, which forced the withdrawal of other
Confederate troops. When Mead's troops stormed the heights, the corp
commander Joseph Hooker exclaimed, this, look at Mead. Why with
(11:15):
the troops like those led in that way, I can
win anything. Wow, that's high honors there, h Hooker.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
September seventeenth, eighteen sixty two, Antietam. Mead assumed temporary command
of the First Corps and he oversaw a fierce combat.
After Hooker was wounded and requested Mead replace him. September
twenty ninth, eighteen sixty two. Reynolds he returned from his
service in Harrisburg.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
I think that's the last time we seen Hooker too
of the war.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
I think he went up and did something. Reynolds assume
command of the First Corps. Mead assume command of the
third Division, so he got a whole division.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Now, Oh, look at this guy? Oh right? Literally did
he know? Right? On the fifth of November eighteen six,
Ambrose Burnside replaced McLelland as commander of the Army. Potomac
should have done it months before. I don't even if
they should have done with Burnside, but Burnside gave command
of the First Corps to Reynolds, which frustrated Mead as
(12:12):
he had more combat experience than Reynolds. Oh Mead. He
was fromurled to the major General the Pennsylvania Reserves on
the twenty ninth of November eighteen sixty two, and he
was given command of the division in the left Grand
Division under William B. Franklin. There in the Battle of Frederickburg,
Meads division made the only breakthrough of the Confederate lines,
spearheading through a gap into Lieutenant Thomas Stonewall Jackson's Corps
(12:36):
at the southern end of the battlefield. However, his attack
was not reinforced, which resulted in the loss of much
of his division. Poor guy. Well.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
Then he led the center Grand Division through the mud
March and stationed his troops on the bank of the Rappahannock.
Twenty second, eighteen sixty two, Mead he replaced Daniel Butterfield
in command of the Fifth Corps, which he led in
the bat Battle of Champsonsville.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
Oh that poor Chancersville.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
January twenty sixth, eighteen sixty three, Joseph Hooker assumed command
overall command of the Army of the futility to come
back and Hooker had grand plans for the Battle of Chancersville,
but was unsuccessful in execution, allowing the Confederates to seize
the initiative. After the battle, Mead wrote to his wife
that General Hooker has disappointed all his friends by failing
to show his fighting qualities in a pinch.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
Sure after he just gave you so much high praise, Bud,
I guess that's how it goes. Mead's corps was left
in reserve for most of that batt lies Bess, contributing
to the Union defeat. Mead was among Hooker's commanders who
argued to advance against Lee, but Hooker he said, no,
there's millions of them over there. I think we must go.
(13:44):
Mead learned afterward that Hooker misrepresented his position on the
advance and confronted him. Oh, all of Hooker's commanders supported
Mead's position except Dan Sickles.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
Danny don't have to be such a right. June eighteen
sixty three, Lee took the initiative again and moved his
Army of Northern Virginia into Maryland and Pennsylvania. Hooker then
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
por performance at.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
Chancersville all Right.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Hooker then requested additional troops to be assigned from Harper's ferry.
He wanted them to assist in the pursuit of Lee
in the Gettysburg campaign. Lincoln and General in Chief Henry
Halleck refused. Then Hooker resigned in protest. He said, I
can't lead an army if you're not gonna give me.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
Guys, right, which actually would have worked in Hooker's favor. Maybe.
In early morning hours of the twenty eighth of June
eighteen sixty three, a messenger from Abraham Lincoln arrived to
inform me of his appointment as Hooker's replaced him. Look
at that upon being woken up, he'd assumed that army
politics had caught up to him and that he was
(14:49):
under arrest under court martial, only to find that he
had been given leadership of the whole Army of the Potomac,
the most powerful army of the Union. He's like, well, well, well, luki. Yeah,
he had not actively sought command, and he was not
even the president's first choice. John F. Reynolds. Oh not
that Reynolds a guy. He was one of four major
(15:10):
generals who outranked Mead in the Army of Potomac, which
Reynolds had earlier turned down the President's suggestion that he
take over.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Oh wow, I think he regretted that. Three core commanders,
John Sedgwick, Henry Slocombe, and Darius Couch they recommended Mead
for the command of the army and agreed to serve
under him despite outranking them.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
Oh wow, look at that.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
While his colleagues were excited for the change in leadership,
the soldiers in the Army of the Potomac were uncertain
of Mead since his modesty, lack of theatrical and scholarly
demeanor did not match their expectations for a general.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Right, he just wasn't that. He was just a quiet guy, wasn't.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
Mead then assumed command of the army on June twenty eighth,
eighteen sixty three, and in a letter to his wife,
he wrote that command of the army was more likely
to destroy one's reputation than to add to it. Yeah,
because every there's been four of them since before this,
and they've all failed.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
Mead rushed the remainder of his army to Gettysburg and
deployed his forces for a defensive battle. He was only
four days into his leadership of the Army of the
Potomac and informed his core commanders that he would provide
quick decisions and entrust them with the authority to carry
out those orders the best way they saw fit. What
you gotta do, man, especially when you're on horseback.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
And these guys are four miles away.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
Right. He also made it clear that he was counting
on the core commanders to provide him with sound advice
on strategy as well, well you work together, like hey, man,
if we work together, I'm going to try to stay so.
But if you got something I think is logical, we're aging.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
Since Mead was new to high command, he did not
remain in headquarters, but constantly moved about the battlefield, issuing
orders and ensuring that they.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Were followed perfect Mead.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
He then gave orders for the Army of the Potomac
to move forward in a broad front to prevent Lea
from flanking them, and threatened the cities of Baltimore and Washington, DC.
He also issued a conditional plan for retreat to Pipe Creek, Maryland,
in case things went.
Speaker 3 (17:08):
Poorly for the Union. No need, buddy, right by.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
Six pm even in July first, eighteen sixty three. Mead
then sent a telegram to Washington informing them of his
decision to concentrate forces. He said, we're gonna make a
stand right here in Gettysburg.
Speaker 3 (17:23):
That was a hit or miss there, and he's lucky
it turned out his way, which is.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
Kind of new for the Union because Lee was usually
the one defensive right wow.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
July second, eighteen sixty three, me continued to monitor and
maintained the placement of its troops. He was outraged when
he discovered that Daniel Sickles had moved his core one
mile forward to high ground without meats permission, and that
doing so left a gap in the line, which threatened
Sickles left right. Oh come on, Dan, what do you
do in As a right flank was threatened, me recognized
(18:00):
that Little Roundtop, Little Roundtop, That's what it was, Pettisberg.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
We're talking about the other one man.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
Mead recognized that Little Roundtop was critical to maintain in
the left flank. He sent Chief Engineer Gubna one to
determine the status of the hill, and he quickly issued
orders of the fifth Corps to occupy it when it
was discovered empty.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
Oh shit, yep, we gotta go, We gotta go. Mead
continue to reinforce the troops defending Little Roundtop from long
Streets advance and suffered the near destruction of thirteen brigades.
One questionable decision Mead made that day was to order
Slocum's twelfth twelfth Corps to move from Coalps Hill to
the flank to the left flank, which allowed Confederate troops
to temporarily capture a portion of it, and even the
(18:43):
July second, eighteen sixty three, Meat called a Council of
War consistent of his top generals. The council reviewed the
battle to date and agreed to keep fighting in a
defensive position. So I had to we can just stay here, man,
as long as we occupy these hills, what are they
gonna do?
Speaker 3 (18:56):
Plus there is like a major opening or if anything,
we would be hand to hand combat who.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
They were fighting literally in town?
Speaker 3 (19:08):
Right, it's crazy stuff. Third of July eighteen sixty three.
Everybody's got their steaks getting marinated and ready for the
fireworks show? Did they do fireworks back then?
Speaker 4 (19:21):
The fireworks being existence since like fourteen hundred.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
Then Me gave orders for the twelfth Corps and the
eleventh Corps to retake the lost portion of Colps Hill
and personally rode to the length of the lines from
Cemetery Ridge to the little round Top to inspect the troops, like,
all right, that's nice. Its headquarters were in Leicester House,
directly behind Cemetery Ridge, which exposed it to the one
hundred and fifty gun cannaid, which began at one pm. Damn,
(19:47):
the house came on a direct fire from incorrectly targeted
Confederate guns. Sounded like they're correctly targeted. Butterfield was wounded.
Sixteen horses tied up in front the house murdered.
Speaker 4 (19:58):
Damn, that's a big loss.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
Mead did not want to vacate the headquarters and make
it more difficult for messages to find him, but the situation.
But the situation became too dire, and the house evacuated.
Meads on the run.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
During the three days of the battle, Mead made excellent
use of capable subordinates such as Major Generals John Reynolds
and Winfield Hancock, to whom he delegated great responsibilities. He
reacted swiftly to fierce assaults on his lines left and right,
which culminated and leads disastrous assault on the center.
Speaker 3 (20:27):
We all know that as pickets charge, Yeah, pickets charge, dude.
If pickets charge would have actually worked for the Confederates,
they probably would have won that battle. What if?
Speaker 2 (20:38):
What could should have By the end of the three
days of fighting, the Army of the Potomac sixty thousand
troops and thirty thousand horses had not been fed in
three days and were wary from fighting.
Speaker 3 (20:47):
M On the evening of the.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
July fourth, eighteen sixty three, Mead held a second Council
of War with his top generals, which was minus Hancock
and Gibbon, who were absent.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
Due to duty and injury. Do to duty duty injury,
the council reviewed status of the army and they debated
staying in place at Gettysburg versus chasing the retreating army
of Northern Virginia. The council voted to remain in place
for one day to allow for rest and recovery, and
then we'll say, oh after Lezia.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
I mean, come on, you guys, can't you gotta get
these guys.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
Give up the break right meets. Send a message to
Hallick Stayton, I make a reconnaissance tomorrow to ascertain what
the intention of the enemy is. Should the enemy retreat,
I shall pursue him on his flanks. He looks like
about time. Send that them the clones.
Speaker 4 (21:38):
This was supposed to end Hooker and Burne.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Right on July fourth, it was observed that the Confederate
army was forming a new line near the nearby mountains
after pulling back their left flank, but by the fifth
it was clear that they were making a retreat, leaving
Mead and his men to tend to the wounded and
falling soldiers until July sixth, when Mead ordered his men
to Maryland. Mead obviously was criticized by President Lincoln and
(22:04):
others for not aggressively pursuing the Confederates that they're in
their retreat. Lincoln's like, this, motherfucker, not again.
Speaker 3 (22:10):
Here we go again, guys.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
Meets perceived caution stem from three causes. Caduties and the
exhaustion of the Army of the Potomac, heavy general officer
caduties that impeded effective command and control, and a desire
to guard a hard won victory against a center reversal. Yeah, dude,
I mean, come on, it's three straight days, what it?
Lincoln and Aleck aren't like, dude. Uh, probably the biggest
(22:36):
battle we'll ever see on American soil in history until
World War Three starts.
Speaker 4 (22:40):
But uh uh, we can't get these guys at dight Arrest, Like,
get the.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
Golf of it, dude, right, And not to mention that
month the month of May, I mean month of June
was very active for both of these armies. It's exhausted, man,
I mean, come on, holy shit, Hallick sitting nice and
comfy in Washington, d C.
Speaker 4 (23:05):
Smoking on a seaguy or eating fat steaks every day.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Right. Hallick informed Mead of the President's dissatisfaction, which infuriated
Mead that politicians and non field based officers were telling
him how to fight for you.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
About time somebody said it, So, how you know, hell,
are you gonna tell me how to fight this war?
Speaker 3 (23:21):
Well, can't be that bad.
Speaker 4 (23:22):
A Richman North a Richmond right to.
Speaker 3 (23:24):
Come out here and check it out. Nah, I'm good.
He rode back and offered to resign his command. He
was like, oh, fucking go home, but Hallick refused the
resignation and clarified that his communication was not meant as
a rebuke, but is incentive to continue to pursue these armies.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
He was like, look, bad, We've been through this with
the last four guys. You did a good job at Gettysbury.
Speaker 4 (23:42):
But we need you to chase these guys back into Virginia.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
He's like, well, Sherman's doing nothing. Well, we get him
to right now.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
Look a look at Grant. He just opened up a
whole am river for us. You think you could do
something here right?
Speaker 3 (23:57):
At one point the Army and north of Virginia was
trapped with its back to the rain swollen, almost impassable Potomac. However,
the Army of Northern Virginia was able to erect strong
defensive positions before Mead, whose army had been beweakened by
the fight, and could even organize an effective attack. Amen
happens well.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
Lee knew he had the spirit defensive position and hoped
that Mead would attack and the result in Union Army
losses would dampen the victor at Gettysburg. By July fourteenth,
eighteen sixty three, Lee's troop built a temporary bridge over
the river and retreated.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
Back into Virginia. Mead.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
He was rewarded for his actions at Gettysburg by a
promotion to brigadier general in the Regular Army July seventh,
eighteen sixty three, and the thanks of Congress commended me.
It said, wow, and the officers and soldiers of the
Army of the Potomac were the skill in heroic valor
which at Gettysburg repuls defeated and drove back, broken and dispirited,
beyond the Rappahannock. Okay, we get it to the veteran
(24:52):
army of the Rebellion.
Speaker 3 (24:53):
Oh okay, guy, veteran army of the Rebellion. They still
hold Lee in high regard. Of course, Mead wrote the
following to his wife. After meeting with 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,
(25:17):
although it 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 further 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 to his return.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
Olton no installing Lincoln and Halleck, my lovely wife, Julius.
Speaker 3 (25:45):
Juli Os George Mee.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
Turing the fall of eighteen sixty three, the Army of
the Potomac was weakened by the transfer of the eleventh
and twelfth corps to the Western theater had to though Mead.
He 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 seventy thousand in size,
when the reality they were only fifty five thousand, compared
to the potomacs seventy six thousand. Many of the Union
(26:13):
troop replacements for the losses suffern at Gettysburg they were
on new recruits and it was uncertain how they were
to perform in combat.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
Do you have no choice?
Speaker 2 (26:21):
Lee, on the other hand, petition Jefferson Davis to allow
him to take the offensive against the cautious Mead, which
would also prevent further Union troops being set to the
Western theater to support Rosecrans in the Battle of Chickamauga.
Speaker 3 (26:32):
Was a big one too well. The Army of the
Potomac station along the north bank of the Rapadon River,
and Mead made his headquarters in called Pepper, Virginia. In
the Bristow Campaign, Lee attempted to flank the Army of
the Potomac and forced me to move north of the Rappahonic.
The Union forces had deciphered the Confederate semaphore code. This,
along with spies and scouts, gave Meat advance notice of
(26:55):
Lee's movements and plus what he dropped his little fucking.
Speaker 4 (26:58):
Well that was with McCallin, all right, right, right, right,
right right.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
As Lee's troops moved north to the west of the
Army Potomac, Mead abandoned his headquarters at cal Pepper. He
gave orders first troops to move north intercept Lee. He's
like every gold boys a rope ye.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
Meads successfully out maneuvered Lee in the campaign and gained
a small victory. Lee reported that his plans failed due
to the quickness of Mead's redeployment of resources. However, meads
inability to stop Lee from approaching the outskirts of Washington
that prompted Lincoln to look for another commander of the
Army of Potomac. Oh wow, geez, you're like a shitty
franchise dude. Just keep coaching, changing coaches every year.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
What do you expect to happen? Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
In late November eighteen sixty three, Mead planned one last
offensive against Lee before the winter weather limited troop movement
in the mind run campaign, Mead attempted to attack the
right flank of the Army of Northern Virginia south of
the Rapid Down River, but the maneuver failed due to
the port performance of William French.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
Yeah, will In French was a piece of shit. There
was heavy skirmishing, but at full attack never oc could.
Me determined that the Old Reb forces was too strong
and was convinced by Warren that an attack would have
been suicidal. Meet held a council of War which concluded
to withdraw across the Rapid Down River during the night
of the first of December eighteen sixty three. Misinformed and
(28:13):
scared once again, these guys just just just continue. Man,
you would have had yet, you had old uh, You
had old uh. Lee on the run, Lee yone run.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
Worry boys, we gotta help on the way.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
Eighteen sixty four was an election year, and Lincoln understood
the fate of his re election lay in the Union
Army success against the Confederates Lieutenant generals, says Grant fresh
office success in the Western theater. He was appointed commander
of all Union Armies in March of eighteen sixty four,
and his meeting with Lincoln Grant was told he could
select who we wanted to lead the Army of the Potomac.
Edwin Stanton, the Secretary of War, told him, you will
(28:49):
find a very weak, resolute man there, and my advice
to you is to replace him at once.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
Damn.
Speaker 2 (28:55):
They did not like met huh wow.
Speaker 3 (28:59):
Well Meaning 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. He even offered to serve wherever placed. Grant
assured Mead he had no intentions of replacing him, saying, ah,
but I got you to shadow you. Grant later wrote
that his incident gave him a more favorable opinion of
(29:22):
Mead than the great victory at Gettysburg. Grant knew that
me disapproved of lincoln strategy and was unpopular with politicians
in the press. He also was not willing to allow
him free command of the Army of Potomac either without
direct supervision, which Grant did supervise him the rest of
the warrior.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
He sure did, so, are you even the commander of
the Potomac at this point? Right? Grant's orders the Mead
before the overland campaign were direct and to the point.
He stated, Lee's army will be your objective point. Wherever
Lee goes there you will go. Also May four, eighteen
sixty four, the Army of the Potomac left its winter
encampment across the Rapidan River, meeting Grant. Both believe that
(30:00):
Lee would retreat to North Anna River or to Mine Run.
But Lee received intelligence about the movements of the Army
of the Potomac, and he countered with a move to
the east and met the Union army at the Old
Battle of the Wilderness.
Speaker 3 (30:10):
Oh Man Mead. He ordered Warren, he said, attack with
his whole corps, and then he had Handcock Green force
with the second Corps. Mead order additional Union troops and
to join the battle, but they struggled to maintain formation
and communicate with each other in the thick woods of
the Wilderness Thick of the Woods. After three days of
brutal fighting and the loss of seventeen thousand men, the
(30:33):
Old Blue Coats called it a draw and meet, and
Grant moved with the forces south towards Pennsylvania Corps House,
where they were to place the Union Army between Lee's
forces and Richmond in the hopes of drawing them out
to the open field of combat. They kept on trying
that and lee he was like em EMM not today.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
The Union Army moved ponderously slow toward their new positions,
and Mead lashed out at Major General Philip Sheridan and
his cavalry corps, blaming them for not clearing the road
and not informing Mead of the enemy's movements.
Speaker 4 (31:00):
Grant had brought Sheridan.
Speaker 3 (31:01):
With him from the Western theater.
Speaker 2 (31:03):
Then he found the Army of the Potomac's cavalry corps
run down and in poor discipline. Mead and Sheridan clashed
over the use of cavalry, since the Army of the
Potomac had historically used cavalry as curriers, scouting and headquarter guards. Huh,
I said, we don't want you in our battles. Sheridan
then told me that he could whip Stewart if me'd
let him. Oh that's what Jebby's talking about.
Speaker 3 (31:23):
I don't think so he did. Mead reported the conversation.
Mead reported the conversation to Grant, thinking he would reprimmand
the insubordinate Sheridan, but Grant replied, well, he generally knows
what he's talking about. Let him start right out and
do it. Dan Mead deferred to Grant's judgment and issued
orders to Sheridan to proceed against the enemy's cavalry, and
(31:45):
from the ninth to May through the twenty fourth to May,
he sent him on a raid toward Richmond, directly challenging
the old Rebel cavalry. Sheridan's cavalry had great success. They
broke up the old Confederate supply lines, liberated one hundred
of Unions person mortally wounded Confederate General J. E. B.
Stewart Old Jeb, and they threatened the city of Richmond
(32:07):
and the old Jib Stewart if only he was just
looking for Grant still.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
However, as departure left the Union Army blind enemy movement,
so to find somebody else to do it. Grant made
his headquarters with Mead for the remainder of the war,
which caused me to chafe at the close supervision he received.
Newspaper reported the Army of the Potomac was directed by Grant,
commanded by Mead, led by Hancock, Sedgwick and Moore.
Speaker 3 (32:30):
Right, this is a shit show of people.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
Following an incident in June of eighteen sixty four in
which Mead discipline reported Edward Cropsey from the Philadelphia Choir
newspaper for an unfavorable article. All the press assigned to
his army agreed to mention Mead only in conjunction with setbacks,
as if we will not cover anything you've done.
Speaker 3 (32:48):
Positively, Wow, Meat apparent fucked the fate. Dude, dumb the garbage.
Mead apparently knew nothing of this arrangement, and the reporters
given all the credit to Grant angered him. Additional differences
calls further between Grant and Mead, waging a war of
attrition in the overland campaign against Lee. Grant was willing
to suffer previously unacceptable losses with the knowledge that the
(33:09):
Union Army had replacement soldis available, whereas the old Confederates
they're running dry. Mead was opposed to Grant's recommendations to
directly attack four to five Confederate positions, which resulted in
huge losses of Union's owners. The butcher. Grant became frustrated
with Meat's cautious approach, and despite his initial promise to
allow Mead latitude in his command, Grant, you know what
(33:32):
I'm gonna start overriding you, Meed, and I'm going to
order the tactle deployment of the Army Potomac.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
Myself and Mead became frustrated with his lack of autonomy
and his performance as a military leader suffered it did.
During the Battle of Cold Harbor, Mead inadequately coordinated the
disastrous Fundal Assault m Frontal Assault. However, Meat took some
satisfaction that Grant's over confidence at the start of the
campaign against Lee had been reduced after the brutal competation
(33:58):
of the overland campaign and stated, I think Grant has
had his eyes opened and it's willing to admit now
that Virginia and Lee's Army is not Tennessee and Bragg's army.
Speaker 3 (34:06):
Oh oh oh. After the Battle of Sponsvania Courthouse, Grant
requested that Mead be promoted to Major General of the
Regular Army. Home in Italigram the Secretary of War Edwin
Stanton on the thirteenth of May eighteen sixty four. Grant said,
this Mead has more than met my most sanguine expectations.
(34:26):
He and William T. Sherman are the fittest officers for
the large commands I have come in contact with. Good
for you, Grant. There's nobody else anyway. Mead felt slighter
that his promotion was processed after that of Sherman and Sheridan.
The latter has supported me oh The US Senate confirmed
Sherman and Sheridan on January thirteenth, eighteen sixty five, Mead
(34:47):
on the first February. Subsequently, Sheridan was promoted to lieutenant
general Overmead on the fourth of March eighteen sixty nine,
while after Grant became president and Sherman became the commanding
General of the United States Army. Look you mean much
of the Go home, bud. However, his dead of rank
meant that he was out ranked at the end of
the war only by Grant, Hadlick and Sherman.
Speaker 2 (35:07):
We meet in the Army of the Potomac, crossed the
James River to attack the strategic supply route centered on Petersburg, Virginia.
They probe the defense of the city, and Mead wrote,
we find the enemy, as usual, in a very strong position,
defended by earthworks. We find the enemy as usual, in
a very strong position, defended by earthworks, and it looks
very much as if we will have to go through
(35:27):
a siege of Petersburg before entering on a siege of Richmond.
An opportunity opened up to lead the Army of the
Shenandoah to protect Washington, DC against the raids of Juwbeo.
Early Mead he wanted the road to free himself from
under Grant. However, the position was ultimately given to Sheridan
an Cheeze.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
He probably was pissed when.
Speaker 2 (35:44):
Mead asked Grant, why did it not go to himself,
the more experienced officer. Grant stated that Lincoln did not
want to take Mead away from the Army of the
Potomac and imply that his leadership was substandard. Oh well,
he didn't want to take him away from the Army
of Potomac to say you suck, So I'm taking you
away from the boosts.
Speaker 3 (36:03):
Ego a little bit.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
Even though that's probably why, Yeah, he wanted to Grant
probably wanted him under his h under his nose is
that we're not letting.
Speaker 3 (36:14):
This guy out. Daring to seats Peterburg, peter Burg, peter Burg. Right,
He improved the plan of Major General Ambrose Burnside to
plant explosive in a mine shaft dug underneath the Confederate line.
You idiots, he said, Petersburg. But at the last minute
he changed Burnside's plan to lead the attack with a
well trained African American vision that was highly drilled just
for this action and started him to take a politically
(36:37):
less risky course and his substitute an untrained and poorly
led White division. The resulting Battle of the Crater was
one of the great fiascos of the war. Yeah that
was crazy.
Speaker 2 (36:47):
Uh yeah. If you guys don't know that, go to
our episode on that battle. These dudes blasted the crater
and then literally went inside the crater was like, what
twenty feet deep or something, and went inside the create
because they thought it was going to be a good
cover for guns.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
And uh fish barrel.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
Yeah, and the compeder should literally stood on the rim
of the crater and just shot them all it crazy, dude, Yeah, insane.
Although he fought during the Eppomatics campaign, Grant Sheridan received
most of the credit, and Mead was not present when
Lee surrendered at the courthouse Nope.
Speaker 3 (37:22):
With the war over, the Army.
Speaker 2 (37:23):
Of the Potomac was disbanded June twenty eight, eighteen sixty five,
and Mead's command of it ended.
Speaker 3 (37:29):
That was the first thing they're doing. We'll get this
out of here. Let's stick go get old meats political rivalries,
so many of the political rivalries, and the Army Potomac
stem found position to the politically conservative full time officers
from West Point Mead. He was a Douglas Democrat and
saw the preservation of the Union as the war's true
goal and only a post slavery as it threatened to
(37:50):
tear the Union apart. He was a supporter of mclenan,
the previously removed commander of the Army Potomac, and he
was politically aligned with him. That makes sense other mcclennan
loyalists who advocated a more moderate prosecution of the war,
such as Charles Stone Fitz John Porter. They're arrested, court martialed. Oh.
When Meade was wakened in the middle of the night
(38:11):
and informed that he was given command that Army Potomac,
he later wrote to his wife that he assumed that
army politics had caught up with him and he was
being arrested once and for all. Finally, not this time, buddy, Oh.
Speaker 2 (38:23):
Mead short temper earned him notoriety, and while he was
respected by most of his peers and trusted by the
men in his army, he did not inspire them. Gotta inspire.
While Mead could be sociable, intellectual, and courteous on normal times,
the stress of war made him prickly and abrasive and
earned him the nickname.
Speaker 3 (38:39):
Old Snap and turtle. Oh.
Speaker 2 (38:41):
He was prone to bouts of anger and rashness, and
was paranoid about political enemies coming after him.
Speaker 3 (38:46):
Oh jeez, wow, Well it was just politics.
Speaker 2 (38:52):
He ruined this war, proven this perfect war.
Speaker 3 (38:56):
Well, those political enemies included Daniel Butterfield, Abner Doubleday, Joseph Hooker,
Alfred Pleasanton, and Daniel Sickles. Danny our tribal. Sickles had
developed a personal vendetta against me because of sickles allegiance
to Hooker, whom Meat had replaced, and because of controversial
(39:17):
disagreements at Getty's Boy, Sickles had either mistakenly or deliberately
disregarded meats orders about placing this third corps in the
defensive line.
Speaker 2 (39:25):
Don't think it was uh mistakenly.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
Right, which led to that core destruction and placed the
entire army at risk on the second day of battle.
But they did persuade. They persuaded, They did persuade to Mail. Yeah,
they did prevail. They persuaded.
Speaker 2 (39:45):
Jeez Halleck Mead shrek supervisor prior to Grant, was openly
critical of Meat. Both Hallick and Lincoln pressured me to
destroy Lee's army, but gave no specifics ays how it
should be done. Make do it all right? Radical Republican,
some of whom like Thay Stevens, there were former know
nothings in hostile Irish Catholics like Mead's family. In a
(40:08):
Joint Committee on the Conduct of the war, they suspected
that Mead was a copperhead and tried in vain to
relieve him from command.
Speaker 3 (40:14):
Oh Sickles.
Speaker 2 (40:16):
He testified to the committee that Mead wanted to retreat
his position at Gettysburg before the fight and even started.
I don't know that maybe the Joint Committee did not
remove Mead from the command.
Speaker 3 (40:24):
Obviously, let's stick a look at old Mead and in
the reconstruction era, what did he do at this time.
In July eighteen sixty five, Mead assumed command of the
Military Division of the Atlantic, was headquartered in Philly. On
January sixth, eighteen sixty eight, he took command of the
Third Military District in Atlanta. Also of January eighteen sixty eight,
(40:46):
assumed command of the Department of the South. The formation
of the state governments of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina,
and South Carolina for a re entry into the United
States was completed under his direct supervision UHH. When the
Governor Georgie refused to accept the reconstruction Acts of Congress,
Mead replaced him with General Thomas Ruger Ooh, cop oh.
Speaker 2 (41:05):
He said, you want to be back in the Union, bitch,
which we want.
Speaker 3 (41:09):
After that, we don't want to be back.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
Reports after the Camilla massacre September eighteen sixty eight, calls
by anger from white Southerners over blacks gaining the right
to vote in the eighteen.
Speaker 3 (41:19):
Sixty eight Georgia state constitution fucking raises democrats.
Speaker 4 (41:22):
Mead.
Speaker 2 (41:23):
He investigated the event and decided to leave the punishment
in the hands of civil authorities. He then returned to
command of the Military Division of the Atlantic in Philadelphia,
Delphia eighteen sixty nine. Following grants inauguration as President and
Sherman's assignment to General in Chief Sharon. He was promoted
over me to Lieutenant General. Meat effectively served in semi
(41:44):
retirement as the commander of the Military Division of the
Atlantic from his home in.
Speaker 3 (41:48):
Philly as well.
Speaker 2 (41:49):
Damn dude, they're like, screw you mea, do you want
to support McClellan.
Speaker 3 (41:53):
Basically, I'm met. All right, Let's stick a look at
some notable things in his little personal life. Uh. New
Year's Eve eighteen forty, which is his birthday. He married
Margarita Sergeant, daughter of John Sergeant, running mate of Henry
Clay in eighteen thirty two Presidents of elect youon. They
had seven children together, John Sergeant Mead, George Mead, Margaret
(42:18):
Butler Mead, Spencer Mead, Sarah Wise Mead, Henrietta Mead, and
Willie Montgomery and Willie Mead.
Speaker 2 (42:27):
Oh, Billy Mead.
Speaker 3 (42:28):
His notable descendants Billy Mead here. His notable descendants include
George Mead Easby which is great grandson, Happy Rockefeller, Oh shit,
which is great great great great great Greg which is
great great granddaughter, and Matthew Fox which is great great
great grandsons and the dude from Lost Party of five too.
Speaker 2 (42:50):
Oh Mead. He was a mission of affair Mont Park
in Philadelphia from eighteen sixty six until his death. The
City of Philly gave Meade's wife a house at eighteen
thirty six Delancey Place, in which he lived also assumed.
The building still has the name Mead over the door,
but is now used as apartments all Mead. He received
an honorary doctorate in law from Harvard, and his scientific
(43:12):
achievements were recognized by various institutions, including the American Philosophical
Society and the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences. Having long
suffered from complications caused by his war wounds, Mead died
in November sixth, eighteen seventy two, in the house at
eighteen thirty six Delancey Place from pneumonia. He was buried
at Laurel Hill Cemetery.
Speaker 3 (43:33):
Good for him, Let's take a look at the legacy
of oh George Mead. Mead has been memorialized. Meat has
been memorialized with several statues, including an equestrian statue at
Gettysburg National Military Park by Henry Kirk Bush Brown, the
George Gordon Mead Memorial Statue by Charles Grafley, in front
(43:55):
of the E. Barrett pretty Man United States Corehouse in Washington,
d C. Another statue by Alexander Milne Caldert and won
by Daniel Chester French atop the Smith Memorial Arch both
in Fairmount Park, Philly. A bronze bust of Mead by
Bors Black was placed at Barnegat Lighthouse in ninety fifty seven.
(44:19):
And you gotta have something at Lahouse right.
Speaker 2 (44:21):
How coup they didn't name m Lahouse after hims can
do to love to layhouses. United States Armies Fort George Meade,
Fort Fort George G. Mead, and Fort Mead, Maryland is
named for him, as our Mead County, Kansas, Fort Meade, Florida,
Fort Meade National Cemetery, and Mead County, South Dakota.
Speaker 3 (44:38):
Well.
Speaker 2 (44:38):
The Grand Army of the Republic Mead Post Number one,
founded in Philly in eighteen.
Speaker 3 (44:42):
Sixty six, was also a name in his honor.
Speaker 2 (44:44):
The General Meade Society was created to promote and preserve
the memory of Union Major General George Meat makes sense.
The General Mead Society was created to promote and preserve
the memory of Philip Sheridan.
Speaker 3 (44:58):
Of what's his name?
Speaker 2 (45:02):
The Sickles Danial sickles that'd be shit oh and members
gather in Laurel Hill Cemetery on December thirty first to
recognize this.
Speaker 3 (45:09):
Baw and the new year, oh right.
Speaker 2 (45:12):
The Old Baldy Civil War Roundtable in Philly is named
in honor of Meads horse during the war. In World
War II the United States, the Liberty ship Esse That's
George G. Mead was named in his honor.
Speaker 3 (45:23):
Fantastic The one thousand dollars Treasury note also called coin
note of the series eighteen ninety eighteen ninety one future
portraits of Mead on the obverse. The eighteen ninety series
note is called the Grand Watermelon Note by collectors because
the large zeros on the reverses resemble the pattern on
a watermelon. The preserve head of Old Baldy Meads Wartime
(45:46):
Horse was donated to the Civil War Museum of Philly
by the Grand Army of the Public Museum in nineteen
seventy nine. Ooh ow.
Speaker 2 (45:53):
Mead has been portrayed in several films and television shows.
Obviously I mean what hell and He portrayed him in
the nineteen twenty four film The Dramatic Life of Abram Lincoln.
He doesn't get his jeeus. Thurston Hall played him in
the nineteen forty film Virginia City. Rory Calhoun played him
in eighty two TV miniseries of Blue and the Gray.
(46:14):
Richard Anderson played him in the nineteen ninety three film Gettysburg,
and Tom Haiks portrayed him in the twenty twenty one
TV series eighteen eighty three.
Speaker 3 (46:22):
He did Mead.
Speaker 2 (46:24):
He's also a character in the two thousand and three
alternate history novel Gettysburg, a novel of the City War
Civil War, written by Newt Gingrich What the fuck and
William fort Stin. All right, that's George g. Mead.
Speaker 3 (46:35):
Guys.
Speaker 2 (46:36):
He was a lighthouse builder and disliked in the Union Army.
Speaker 3 (46:40):
Richard Anderson also portrayed me in nineteen ninety three film Gettysburg.
Said that already, of course, Oh and Meat is a
character in two thousand and three aught in their history novel.
Speaker 2 (46:49):
Yes, we know, didn't know that he was a big
time McClellan guy and a Democrat like that.
Speaker 3 (46:57):
Yes, it's probably way nobody liked him.
Speaker 2 (46:59):
All right, Uh, next week we'll be back far more.
Probably another Confederate guy, and who knows who's gonna be
Maybe it's gonna be Jeb. You never know until we
get there. It's another. Maybe we'll do a long street.
I don't know, it's gonna be a Confederate guy.
Speaker 3 (47:13):
Anyways, maybe we'll do d H.
Speaker 4 (47:15):
Hill.
Speaker 3 (47:16):
Let me do a place.
Speaker 2 (47:17):
We did a place.
Speaker 3 (47:18):
What do you mean there's more places like und of
places like that one place.
Speaker 2 (47:22):
We just did two on chips.
Speaker 5 (47:24):
Anyways, Yeah, we'll be back then, so make sure you sscribing,
sharing with your friends, giving us some reviews, all that
good stuff. But we're back next week for more battles
of the Civil War American that is behind the Battle
where the Mother Musican is we
Speaker 2 (48:00):
E an for at about everything.
The bloodiest war on American soil. States versus States, Brothers
versus brothers. Join hosts bang and dang as they take
you battle by battle through the most divisive time in
American history. Welcome to Battles of the American Civil War.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
All right, back with again more battles of American Civil War.
Behind the battles and back with another Union guy. And
everybody knows this guy's name, probably most famous for his
victory the battles of Battle of Gettysburg and actually one
of the only well the only i would say Army
of the Potomac general.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
That actually did anything.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
And he remained that until the end of the war.
So that tells you everything you need to know.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Well, he's the only general that had Grant by side basically,
not the whole type.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
He didn't have Grant on his side at the Gettysburg. No,
so we're talking about, of course, Oh, George Gordon Mead.
He was the commander of the Army in Potomac from
eighteen sixty three to sixty five. Basically from then it
was basically all of the key battles in the Eastern
Theater he participated.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
In and won many of them actually.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
So Finally the South or the North has found their
guy running the big Army. Mead was born December thirty first,
eighteen fifteen, and could the East Spain. Oh, he's the
eighth of ten children of Richard Warsam Mead and Margaret
Coates Butler. He didn't know that his old granddaddy, irishman
George Mead, was a wealthy merchant and land speculator in Philadelphia.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
George Mead Mead is Irish? Do you think? Like? Oh, yeah,
so maybe he is? What is dad?
Speaker 4 (01:59):
Does dad go over to Spain for something?
Speaker 3 (02:02):
It was a ship.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
He had a ship in business, and he was in
the American Spanish trade, and that's why he was born
in Spain. Well, I gotta see is American?
Speaker 3 (02:09):
My bad? And it's daddy? He was an American too, right?
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Not?
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Yeah, it was basically not Americans. Well, I guess if
he's part of the military born underseas, it's still an
American citizen, right.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
His father was wealthy due to the Spanish American trade
and was appointed US naval agent fantastic. He was ruined
financially because of his support of Spain in the Peninsular War, though, Wow,
his family returned to the United States in eighteen seventeen
and precarious financial straits. Why would you support Spain over
America or whatever the peninsula was?
Speaker 3 (02:42):
He fell in love with?
Speaker 2 (02:43):
This? Is it between Britain, Portugal, Spain, and United Kingdom
against French Empire d in the Napoleonic War.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
So why was why would he get.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Because the French were our allies? No, still basically at war?
Was even with those guys?
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Steen fourteen War of eighteen twelve lasted from what eighteen twelve,
eight fourteen or fifteen?
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Yeah, so I guess mura odds what these guys probably
had at the time.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
I can see that who.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Was on Britain's side sat against and its allies obviously
the Indians and West Florida which is Spain. Yeah, West
Florida Spain. So that would be why fell out of
favor with the old US.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Huh wow, mead. He attended elementary school in Philadelphia and the
American Classical Military Lyceum, which is a private school in
Philly modeled after the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Oh that's nice.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
Oh, what's the matter could get at West Point?
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Woo?
Speaker 3 (03:34):
His trader daddy died in eighteen twenty eight, when Georgia
was just twelve years old. He was taken out of
the Germantown Military Academy George. He was placed in a
school run by Salmon Chase, Washingt d C. However, it
closed after a few months due to Chase his other obligations.
He said, sorry, kids, I don't have time for your education.
(03:54):
He was then placed in the Mount Hope Institution, Baltimore, OH.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Mead Mead then entered the United States Military Academy at
West Point July first, eighteen thirty one. Nice he would
have preferred to attend college and study law and did
not enjoy his time at West.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
Point, oh nobody does.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Although he still graduated nineteenth in his class of fifty
six and eighteen thirty five. He was uninterested in the
details of military dress and drills and accumulated one hundred
and sixty eight demerits, which is only thirty two short
of them mount that would trigger a mandatory dismissal.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
Two Meade, he was commissioned a brevet second lieutenant and
the third Artillery. He worked for a summer as an
assistant surveyor on the construction of the Long Island Railroad.
Speaker 4 (04:35):
Oh they do that, huh.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
He was assigned to service in Florida. That's why he
was with the Spanish. Dude, you're down there with a
bunch of Spaniards. He fought in the Second Seminole War
and was assigned to a company, a group of Seminoles
to Indian Territory in the West. He became a full
second lieutenant by year's end, and in the fall of
eighteen thirty six, after the minimum requirement of one year service,
(04:57):
he sided with the Spain. Spain his dad, all right,
right there we go, right, all right? After only required
one year of service, he said, you know what I'm done.
I'm going to resign from the Army. I'm gonna go home.
And 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
(05:20):
Topographical Engineers on a railroad project. All right, what's up
to everybody beings surveyors? I guess it was a time
when the country needed to be surveyed.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Right then you went to the Army to probably do
just that, right, He conducted additional survey work for the
Topographical Engineers on the Texas Louisiana burg border, the Mississippi
River Delta, and the northeastern boundary of Maine. In Canada,
eighteen forty two, a congressional measure was passed which excluded
civilians from working in the Army Corps of Topographical Engineers.
(05:50):
Oh and Mead had to re enter the army as
a second lieutenant in order to continue his.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Work with him Ah oh Wow.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
November eighteen forty three, he was assigned to work on
a lighthouse construction under Major hartman Bach. He worked on
the Brandywine Shoal Lighthouse in the Delaware Bay.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Oh that's nice.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Imagine that's cold, all right, still in operation and it
came in eighteen twenty eight. They got three lights, first
let in nineteen fourteen. I was constructed in eighteen twenty eight,
but it was only first let in nineteen fourteen.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Maybe like electricity, maybe it was like obviously had been
like whatever.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
They use back then.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
First screw pile lighthouse piles that are screwed in the
Sandy or Muney Sea rivers.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
Ooh Meats served in the Mexican American War, as did
most other soldiers in generals and lieutenants of the Civil War,
and he was assigned to the staffs of generals. It's
Zachary Taylor and Robert Patterson. Zachary Taylor keeps on popping
up on everybody's stories. He fought at the Battle of
Paolo Alto, the Battle of Resaca de la Pama, and
(06:59):
the Battle of Monterey. He served under General William Worth.
At Monterey, he led a party up a hill to
attack at forty five position. He was brevetted to the
first intenant and received a gold mounted sword for gallantry
from the citizens of Philly. Oh look at that, Oh,
just from his citizens right. Eighteen forty nine, Mead was
assigned to Fort Brook in Florida to assist with the
(07:20):
Semino attacks on settlements. Eighteen fifty one, he led the
construction of the Kerry's Fort Reef Light in Key Largo.
He just loves lighthouses.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
On eighteen fifty two, the Topographical Corps established the United
States Lighthouse Board, and Mead it was appointed to the
seventh District Engineer with responsibilities in Florida.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
I wonder why he didn't going to the Navy.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Then he led the construction of the Sand Key Light
and Key Wets, the Jupiter Inlet Light in Jupiter, Florida,
and the Sombrero Key Light in the Florida Keys.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
Is this guy?
Speaker 2 (07:48):
When Bach was reassigned to the West Coast, Mead took
over responsibility for the fourth District in New Jersey and Delaware,
and there he brought the He built the Barnegut Light
on Long Beach Island, the Absecon Light in Atlantic City,
and the Cape May Light in Cape May.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Look at that shit? He was this guy.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
He also designed a hydraulic lamp that was used in
several American lighthouses as well.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
If the bitch this guy does he have a lighthouse
named after me, you better right, jeez. He went on
to receive an official promotion to first lieutenant and the
year of eighteen fifty one, and then in eighteen fifty
six he was a captain. One year later, eighteen fifty seven,
Mead was given command of the Lakes Survey Mission of
the Great Lakes. Completion of the survey of Lake Caroon
(08:27):
and the extension of the surveys of Lake Mission down
to Grand and Little Travers Bay were done under his command.
Prior to Captain Meade's command, the Great Lakes water level
readings were taken locally with temporary gauges. A uniform plane
of reference had not been established at this time. In
eighteen fifty eight, based on his recommendation, instrumentation was set
(08:49):
in place for the tabulation of the records across the basin.
Mead stayed with the Lake Survey until eighteen sixty one
and an outbreak of the Civil War, Yeah, he was
just going to continue on doing that forever, because who
wants to lead the beautiful state of Michigan.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
When you're right well, when that war broke out, he
was appointed Brigadier General of Volunteers August thirty first, eighteen
sixty one, which was a few months after the start
of the war, and that was thanks to the strong
recommendation of Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Curtain. He was then assigned
command of the second Brigade of the Pennsylvania Reserves under
General George McCall. The Pennsylvania Reserves were initially assigned to
(09:24):
the construction of defenses around Washington to DC.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
This dude, just a builder, that's it. In March of
eighteen sixty two, the Army of the Potomac reorganized into
four corps. Mead served as part of the first Corps
under Major General Urban McDowell. Well. That first corps was
stationed in the Rappahonic River, but in June the Pennsylvania
reserves were detached and sent to the peninsula to reinforce
(09:49):
the main army. With the onset of the Seven Days
Battle on the twenty fifth of June eighteen sixty two,
the reserves direct were directly involved in the fight. And Oh,
that's for his first action.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
Well. Later on, at Mechanicsville and gaines Mill, meads brigade
was mostly held in reserve, but at Glendale June thirtieth,
the brigade was in the middle of a fierce battle.
Oh his brigade lost fourteen hundred men and Mead was
shot the right arm and through.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
The back camp.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
He was sent home to Philadelphia to recuperate. He then
resumed command of his brigade in time for the second battle.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
Well run to have stayed at a home a little longer,
just some time to get his ass again.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
And he was then assigned to Major General Urban 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.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
Yeah, that was if you guys remember that. If people
were here, listen to this and listen to that show,
that was a funky little battle there. Division commander is
John F. Reynolds was sent to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to train
militia units, and then Mead. He assumed temporary division command
at the Battle of South Mountain and the Battle of Antietam.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
Under Mead's command, the division successfully attacked and captured a
strategic position on high ground near Turner's camp held by
Robert Rhodes his troops, which forced the withdrawal of other
Confederate troops. When Mead's troops stormed the heights, the corp
commander Joseph Hooker exclaimed, this, look at Mead. Why with
(11:15):
the troops like those led in that way, I can
win anything. Wow, that's high honors there, h Hooker.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
September seventeenth, eighteen sixty two, Antietam. Mead assumed temporary command
of the First Corps and he oversaw a fierce combat.
After Hooker was wounded and requested Mead replace him. September
twenty ninth, eighteen sixty two. Reynolds he returned from his
service in Harrisburg.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
I think that's the last time we seen Hooker too
of the war.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
I think he went up and did something. Reynolds assume
command of the First Corps. Mead assume command of the
third Division, so he got a whole division.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Now, Oh, look at this guy? Oh right? Literally did
he know? Right? On the fifth of November eighteen six,
Ambrose Burnside replaced McLelland as commander of the Army. Potomac
should have done it months before. I don't even if
they should have done with Burnside, but Burnside gave command
of the First Corps to Reynolds, which frustrated Mead as
(12:12):
he had more combat experience than Reynolds. Oh Mead. He
was fromurled to the major General the Pennsylvania Reserves on
the twenty ninth of November eighteen sixty two, and he
was given command of the division in the left Grand
Division under William B. Franklin. There in the Battle of Frederickburg,
Meads division made the only breakthrough of the Confederate lines,
spearheading through a gap into Lieutenant Thomas Stonewall Jackson's Corps
(12:36):
at the southern end of the battlefield. However, his attack
was not reinforced, which resulted in the loss of much
of his division. Poor guy. Well.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
Then he led the center Grand Division through the mud
March and stationed his troops on the bank of the Rappahannock.
Twenty second, eighteen sixty two, Mead he replaced Daniel Butterfield
in command of the Fifth Corps, which he led in
the bat Battle of Champsonsville.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
Oh that poor Chancersville.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
January twenty sixth, eighteen sixty three, Joseph Hooker assumed command
overall command of the Army of the futility to come
back and Hooker had grand plans for the Battle of Chancersville,
but was unsuccessful in execution, allowing the Confederates to seize
the initiative. After the battle, Mead wrote to his wife
that General Hooker has disappointed all his friends by failing
to show his fighting qualities in a pinch.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
Sure after he just gave you so much high praise, Bud,
I guess that's how it goes. Mead's corps was left
in reserve for most of that batt lies Bess, contributing
to the Union defeat. Mead was among Hooker's commanders who
argued to advance against Lee, but Hooker he said, no,
there's millions of them over there. I think we must go.
(13:44):
Mead learned afterward that Hooker misrepresented his position on the
advance and confronted him. Oh, all of Hooker's commanders supported
Mead's position except Dan Sickles.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
Danny don't have to be such a right. June eighteen
sixty three, Lee took the initiative again and moved his
Army of Northern Virginia into Maryland and Pennsylvania. Hooker then
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
por performance at.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
Chancersville all Right.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Hooker then requested additional troops to be assigned from Harper's ferry.
He wanted them to assist in the pursuit of Lee
in the Gettysburg campaign. Lincoln and General in Chief Henry
Halleck refused. Then Hooker resigned in protest. He said, I
can't lead an army if you're not gonna give me.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
Guys, right, which actually would have worked in Hooker's favor. Maybe.
In early morning hours of the twenty eighth of June
eighteen sixty three, a messenger from Abraham Lincoln arrived to
inform me of his appointment as Hooker's replaced him. Look
at that upon being woken up, he'd assumed that army
politics had caught up to him and that he was
(14:49):
under arrest under court martial, only to find that he
had been given leadership of the whole Army of the Potomac,
the most powerful army of the Union. He's like, well, well, well, luki. Yeah,
he had not actively sought command, and he was not
even the president's first choice. John F. Reynolds. Oh not
that Reynolds a guy. He was one of four major
(15:10):
generals who outranked Mead in the Army of Potomac, which
Reynolds had earlier turned down the President's suggestion that he
take over.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Oh wow, I think he regretted that. Three core commanders,
John Sedgwick, Henry Slocombe, and Darius Couch they recommended Mead
for the command of the army and agreed to serve
under him despite outranking them.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
Oh wow, look at that.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
While his colleagues were excited for the change in leadership,
the soldiers in the Army of the Potomac were uncertain
of Mead since his modesty, lack of theatrical and scholarly
demeanor did not match their expectations for a general.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Right, he just wasn't that. He was just a quiet guy, wasn't.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
Mead then assumed command of the army on June twenty eighth,
eighteen sixty three, and in a letter to his wife,
he wrote that command of the army was more likely
to destroy one's reputation than to add to it. Yeah,
because every there's been four of them since before this,
and they've all failed.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
Mead rushed the remainder of his army to Gettysburg and
deployed his forces for a defensive battle. He was only
four days into his leadership of the Army of the
Potomac and informed his core commanders that he would provide
quick decisions and entrust them with the authority to carry
out those orders the best way they saw fit. What
you gotta do, man, especially when you're on horseback.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
And these guys are four miles away.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
Right. He also made it clear that he was counting
on the core commanders to provide him with sound advice
on strategy as well, well you work together, like hey, man,
if we work together, I'm going to try to stay so.
But if you got something I think is logical, we're aging.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
Since Mead was new to high command, he did not
remain in headquarters, but constantly moved about the battlefield, issuing
orders and ensuring that they.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Were followed perfect Mead.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
He then gave orders for the Army of the Potomac
to move forward in a broad front to prevent Lea
from flanking them, and threatened the cities of Baltimore and Washington, DC.
He also issued a conditional plan for retreat to Pipe Creek, Maryland,
in case things went.
Speaker 3 (17:08):
Poorly for the Union. No need, buddy, right by.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
Six pm even in July first, eighteen sixty three. Mead
then sent a telegram to Washington informing them of his
decision to concentrate forces. He said, we're gonna make a
stand right here in Gettysburg.
Speaker 3 (17:23):
That was a hit or miss there, and he's lucky
it turned out his way, which is.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
Kind of new for the Union because Lee was usually
the one defensive right wow.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
July second, eighteen sixty three, me continued to monitor and
maintained the placement of its troops. He was outraged when
he discovered that Daniel Sickles had moved his core one
mile forward to high ground without meats permission, and that
doing so left a gap in the line, which threatened
Sickles left right. Oh come on, Dan, what do you
do in As a right flank was threatened, me recognized
(18:00):
that Little Roundtop, Little Roundtop, That's what it was, Pettisberg.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
We're talking about the other one man.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
Mead recognized that Little Roundtop was critical to maintain in
the left flank. He sent Chief Engineer Gubna one to
determine the status of the hill, and he quickly issued
orders of the fifth Corps to occupy it when it
was discovered empty.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
Oh shit, yep, we gotta go, We gotta go. Mead
continue to reinforce the troops defending Little Roundtop from long
Streets advance and suffered the near destruction of thirteen brigades.
One questionable decision Mead made that day was to order
Slocum's twelfth twelfth Corps to move from Coalps Hill to
the flank to the left flank, which allowed Confederate troops
to temporarily capture a portion of it, and even the
(18:43):
July second, eighteen sixty three, Meat called a Council of
War consistent of his top generals. The council reviewed the
battle to date and agreed to keep fighting in a
defensive position. So I had to we can just stay here, man,
as long as we occupy these hills, what are they
gonna do?
Speaker 3 (18:56):
Plus there is like a major opening or if anything,
we would be hand to hand combat who.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
They were fighting literally in town?
Speaker 3 (19:08):
Right, it's crazy stuff. Third of July eighteen sixty three.
Everybody's got their steaks getting marinated and ready for the
fireworks show? Did they do fireworks back then?
Speaker 4 (19:21):
The fireworks being existence since like fourteen hundred.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
Then Me gave orders for the twelfth Corps and the
eleventh Corps to retake the lost portion of Colps Hill
and personally rode to the length of the lines from
Cemetery Ridge to the little round Top to inspect the troops, like,
all right, that's nice. Its headquarters were in Leicester House,
directly behind Cemetery Ridge, which exposed it to the one
hundred and fifty gun cannaid, which began at one pm. Damn,
(19:47):
the house came on a direct fire from incorrectly targeted
Confederate guns. Sounded like they're correctly targeted. Butterfield was wounded.
Sixteen horses tied up in front the house murdered.
Speaker 4 (19:58):
Damn, that's a big loss.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
Mead did not want to vacate the headquarters and make
it more difficult for messages to find him, but the situation.
But the situation became too dire, and the house evacuated.
Meads on the run.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
During the three days of the battle, Mead made excellent
use of capable subordinates such as Major Generals John Reynolds
and Winfield Hancock, to whom he delegated great responsibilities. He
reacted swiftly to fierce assaults on his lines left and right,
which culminated and leads disastrous assault on the center.
Speaker 3 (20:27):
We all know that as pickets charge, Yeah, pickets charge, dude.
If pickets charge would have actually worked for the Confederates,
they probably would have won that battle. What if?
Speaker 2 (20:38):
What could should have By the end of the three
days of fighting, the Army of the Potomac sixty thousand
troops and thirty thousand horses had not been fed in
three days and were wary from fighting.
Speaker 3 (20:47):
M On the evening of the.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
July fourth, eighteen sixty three, Mead held a second Council
of War with his top generals, which was minus Hancock
and Gibbon, who were absent.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
Due to duty and injury. Do to duty duty injury,
the council reviewed status of the army and they debated
staying in place at Gettysburg versus chasing the retreating army
of Northern Virginia. The council voted to remain in place
for one day to allow for rest and recovery, and
then we'll say, oh after Lezia.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
I mean, come on, you guys, can't you gotta get
these guys.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
Give up the break right meets. Send a message to
Hallick Stayton, I make a reconnaissance tomorrow to ascertain what
the intention of the enemy is. Should the enemy retreat,
I shall pursue him on his flanks. He looks like
about time. Send that them the clones.
Speaker 4 (21:38):
This was supposed to end Hooker and Burne.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Right on July fourth, it was observed that the Confederate
army was forming a new line near the nearby mountains
after pulling back their left flank, but by the fifth
it was clear that they were making a retreat, leaving
Mead and his men to tend to the wounded and
falling soldiers until July sixth, when Mead ordered his men
to Maryland. Mead obviously was criticized by President Lincoln and
(22:04):
others for not aggressively pursuing the Confederates that they're in
their retreat. Lincoln's like, this, motherfucker, not again.
Speaker 3 (22:10):
Here we go again, guys.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
Meets perceived caution stem from three causes. Caduties and the
exhaustion of the Army of the Potomac, heavy general officer
caduties that impeded effective command and control, and a desire
to guard a hard won victory against a center reversal. Yeah, dude,
I mean, come on, it's three straight days, what it?
Lincoln and Aleck aren't like, dude. Uh, probably the biggest
(22:36):
battle we'll ever see on American soil in history until
World War Three starts.
Speaker 4 (22:40):
But uh uh, we can't get these guys at dight Arrest, Like,
get the.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
Golf of it, dude, right, And not to mention that
month the month of May, I mean month of June
was very active for both of these armies. It's exhausted, man,
I mean, come on, holy shit, Hallick sitting nice and
comfy in Washington, d C.
Speaker 4 (23:05):
Smoking on a seaguy or eating fat steaks every day.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Right. Hallick informed Mead of the President's dissatisfaction, which infuriated
Mead that politicians and non field based officers were telling
him how to fight for you.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
About time somebody said it, So, how you know, hell,
are you gonna tell me how to fight this war?
Speaker 3 (23:21):
Well, can't be that bad.
Speaker 4 (23:22):
A Richman North a Richmond right to.
Speaker 3 (23:24):
Come out here and check it out. Nah, I'm good.
He rode back and offered to resign his command. He
was like, oh, fucking go home, but Hallick refused the
resignation and clarified that his communication was not meant as
a rebuke, but is incentive to continue to pursue these armies.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
He was like, look, bad, We've been through this with
the last four guys. You did a good job at Gettysbury.
Speaker 4 (23:42):
But we need you to chase these guys back into Virginia.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
He's like, well, Sherman's doing nothing. Well, we get him
to right now.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
Look a look at Grant. He just opened up a
whole am river for us. You think you could do
something here right?
Speaker 3 (23:57):
At one point the Army and north of Virginia was
trapped with its back to the rain swollen, almost impassable Potomac. However,
the Army of Northern Virginia was able to erect strong
defensive positions before Mead, whose army had been beweakened by
the fight, and could even organize an effective attack. Amen
happens well.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
Lee knew he had the spirit defensive position and hoped
that Mead would attack and the result in Union Army
losses would dampen the victor at Gettysburg. By July fourteenth,
eighteen sixty three, Lee's troop built a temporary bridge over
the river and retreated.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
Back into Virginia. Mead.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
He was rewarded for his actions at Gettysburg by a
promotion to brigadier general in the Regular Army July seventh,
eighteen sixty three, and the thanks of Congress commended me.
It said, wow, and the officers and soldiers of the
Army of the Potomac were the skill in heroic valor
which at Gettysburg repuls defeated and drove back, broken and dispirited,
beyond the Rappahannock. Okay, we get it to the veteran
(24:52):
army of the Rebellion.
Speaker 3 (24:53):
Oh okay, guy, veteran army of the Rebellion. They still
hold Lee in high regard. Of course, Mead wrote the
following to his wife. After meeting with 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,
(25:17):
although it 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 further 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 to his return.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
Olton no installing Lincoln and Halleck, my lovely wife, Julius.
Speaker 3 (25:45):
Juli Os George Mee.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
Turing the fall of eighteen sixty three, the Army of
the Potomac was weakened by the transfer of the eleventh
and twelfth corps to the Western theater had to though Mead.
He 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 seventy thousand in size,
when the reality they were only fifty five thousand, compared
to the potomacs seventy six thousand. Many of the Union
(26:13):
troop replacements for the losses suffern at Gettysburg they were
on new recruits and it was uncertain how they were
to perform in combat.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
Do you have no choice?
Speaker 2 (26:21):
Lee, on the other hand, petition Jefferson Davis to allow
him to take the offensive against the cautious Mead, which
would also prevent further Union troops being set to the
Western theater to support Rosecrans in the Battle of Chickamauga.
Speaker 3 (26:32):
Was a big one too well. The Army of the
Potomac station along the north bank of the Rapadon River,
and Mead made his headquarters in called Pepper, Virginia. In
the Bristow Campaign, Lee attempted to flank the Army of
the Potomac and forced me to move north of the Rappahonic.
The Union forces had deciphered the Confederate semaphore code. This,
along with spies and scouts, gave Meat advance notice of
(26:55):
Lee's movements and plus what he dropped his little fucking.
Speaker 4 (26:58):
Well that was with McCallin, all right, right, right, right,
right right.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
As Lee's troops moved north to the west of the
Army Potomac, Mead abandoned his headquarters at cal Pepper. He
gave orders first troops to move north intercept Lee. He's
like every gold boys a rope ye.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
Meads successfully out maneuvered Lee in the campaign and gained
a small victory. Lee reported that his plans failed due
to the quickness of Mead's redeployment of resources. However, meads
inability to stop Lee from approaching the outskirts of Washington
that prompted Lincoln to look for another commander of the
Army of Potomac. Oh wow, geez, you're like a shitty
franchise dude. Just keep coaching, changing coaches every year.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
What do you expect to happen? Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
In late November eighteen sixty three, Mead planned one last
offensive against Lee before the winter weather limited troop movement
in the mind run campaign, Mead attempted to attack the
right flank of the Army of Northern Virginia south of
the Rapid Down River, but the maneuver failed due to
the port performance of William French.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
Yeah, will In French was a piece of shit. There
was heavy skirmishing, but at full attack never oc could.
Me determined that the Old Reb forces was too strong
and was convinced by Warren that an attack would have
been suicidal. Meet held a council of War which concluded
to withdraw across the Rapid Down River during the night
of the first of December eighteen sixty three. Misinformed and
(28:13):
scared once again, these guys just just just continue. Man,
you would have had yet, you had old uh, You
had old uh. Lee on the run, Lee yone run.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
Worry boys, we gotta help on the way.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
Eighteen sixty four was an election year, and Lincoln understood
the fate of his re election lay in the Union
Army success against the Confederates Lieutenant generals, says Grant fresh
office success in the Western theater. He was appointed commander
of all Union Armies in March of eighteen sixty four,
and his meeting with Lincoln Grant was told he could
select who we wanted to lead the Army of the Potomac.
Edwin Stanton, the Secretary of War, told him, you will
(28:49):
find a very weak, resolute man there, and my advice
to you is to replace him at once.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
Damn.
Speaker 2 (28:55):
They did not like met huh wow.
Speaker 3 (28:59):
Well Meaning 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. He even offered to serve wherever placed. Grant
assured Mead he had no intentions of replacing him, saying, ah,
but I got you to shadow you. Grant later wrote
that his incident gave him a more favorable opinion of
(29:22):
Mead than the great victory at Gettysburg. Grant knew that
me disapproved of lincoln strategy and was unpopular with politicians
in the press. He also was not willing to allow
him free command of the Army of Potomac either without
direct supervision, which Grant did supervise him the rest of
the warrior.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
He sure did, so, are you even the commander of
the Potomac at this point? Right? Grant's orders the Mead
before the overland campaign were direct and to the point.
He stated, Lee's army will be your objective point. Wherever
Lee goes there you will go. Also May four, eighteen
sixty four, the Army of the Potomac left its winter
encampment across the Rapidan River, meeting Grant. Both believe that
(30:00):
Lee would retreat to North Anna River or to Mine Run.
But Lee received intelligence about the movements of the Army
of the Potomac, and he countered with a move to
the east and met the Union army at the Old
Battle of the Wilderness.
Speaker 3 (30:10):
Oh Man Mead. He ordered Warren, he said, attack with
his whole corps, and then he had Handcock Green force
with the second Corps. Mead order additional Union troops and
to join the battle, but they struggled to maintain formation
and communicate with each other in the thick woods of
the Wilderness Thick of the Woods. After three days of
brutal fighting and the loss of seventeen thousand men, the
(30:33):
Old Blue Coats called it a draw and meet, and
Grant moved with the forces south towards Pennsylvania Corps House,
where they were to place the Union Army between Lee's
forces and Richmond in the hopes of drawing them out
to the open field of combat. They kept on trying
that and lee he was like em EMM not today.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
The Union Army moved ponderously slow toward their new positions,
and Mead lashed out at Major General Philip Sheridan and
his cavalry corps, blaming them for not clearing the road
and not informing Mead of the enemy's movements.
Speaker 4 (31:00):
Grant had brought Sheridan.
Speaker 3 (31:01):
With him from the Western theater.
Speaker 2 (31:03):
Then he found the Army of the Potomac's cavalry corps
run down and in poor discipline. Mead and Sheridan clashed
over the use of cavalry, since the Army of the
Potomac had historically used cavalry as curriers, scouting and headquarter guards. Huh,
I said, we don't want you in our battles. Sheridan
then told me that he could whip Stewart if me'd
let him. Oh that's what Jebby's talking about.
Speaker 3 (31:23):
I don't think so he did. Mead reported the conversation.
Mead reported the conversation to Grant, thinking he would reprimmand
the insubordinate Sheridan, but Grant replied, well, he generally knows
what he's talking about. Let him start right out and
do it. Dan Mead deferred to Grant's judgment and issued
orders to Sheridan to proceed against the enemy's cavalry, and
(31:45):
from the ninth to May through the twenty fourth to May,
he sent him on a raid toward Richmond, directly challenging
the old Rebel cavalry. Sheridan's cavalry had great success. They
broke up the old Confederate supply lines, liberated one hundred
of Unions person mortally wounded Confederate General J. E. B.
Stewart Old Jeb, and they threatened the city of Richmond
(32:07):
and the old Jib Stewart if only he was just
looking for Grant still.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
However, as departure left the Union Army blind enemy movement,
so to find somebody else to do it. Grant made
his headquarters with Mead for the remainder of the war,
which caused me to chafe at the close supervision he received.
Newspaper reported the Army of the Potomac was directed by Grant,
commanded by Mead, led by Hancock, Sedgwick and Moore.
Speaker 3 (32:30):
Right, this is a shit show of people.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
Following an incident in June of eighteen sixty four in
which Mead discipline reported Edward Cropsey from the Philadelphia Choir
newspaper for an unfavorable article. All the press assigned to
his army agreed to mention Mead only in conjunction with setbacks,
as if we will not cover anything you've done.
Speaker 3 (32:48):
Positively, Wow, Meat apparent fucked the fate. Dude, dumb the garbage.
Mead apparently knew nothing of this arrangement, and the reporters
given all the credit to Grant angered him. Additional differences
calls further between Grant and Mead, waging a war of
attrition in the overland campaign against Lee. Grant was willing
to suffer previously unacceptable losses with the knowledge that the
(33:09):
Union Army had replacement soldis available, whereas the old Confederates
they're running dry. Mead was opposed to Grant's recommendations to
directly attack four to five Confederate positions, which resulted in
huge losses of Union's owners. The butcher. Grant became frustrated
with Meat's cautious approach, and despite his initial promise to
allow Mead latitude in his command, Grant, you know what
(33:32):
I'm gonna start overriding you, Meed, and I'm going to
order the tactle deployment of the Army Potomac.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
Myself and Mead became frustrated with his lack of autonomy
and his performance as a military leader suffered it did.
During the Battle of Cold Harbor, Mead inadequately coordinated the
disastrous Fundal Assault m Frontal Assault. However, Meat took some
satisfaction that Grant's over confidence at the start of the
campaign against Lee had been reduced after the brutal competation
(33:58):
of the overland campaign and stated, I think Grant has
had his eyes opened and it's willing to admit now
that Virginia and Lee's Army is not Tennessee and Bragg's army.
Speaker 3 (34:06):
Oh oh oh. After the Battle of Sponsvania Courthouse, Grant
requested that Mead be promoted to Major General of the
Regular Army. Home in Italigram the Secretary of War Edwin
Stanton on the thirteenth of May eighteen sixty four. Grant said,
this Mead has more than met my most sanguine expectations.
(34:26):
He and William T. Sherman are the fittest officers for
the large commands I have come in contact with. Good
for you, Grant. There's nobody else anyway. Mead felt slighter
that his promotion was processed after that of Sherman and Sheridan.
The latter has supported me oh The US Senate confirmed
Sherman and Sheridan on January thirteenth, eighteen sixty five, Mead
(34:47):
on the first February. Subsequently, Sheridan was promoted to lieutenant
general Overmead on the fourth of March eighteen sixty nine,
while after Grant became president and Sherman became the commanding
General of the United States Army. Look you mean much
of the Go home, bud. However, his dead of rank
meant that he was out ranked at the end of
the war only by Grant, Hadlick and Sherman.
Speaker 2 (35:07):
We meet in the Army of the Potomac, crossed the
James River to attack the strategic supply route centered on Petersburg, Virginia.
They probe the defense of the city, and Mead wrote,
we find the enemy, as usual, in a very strong position,
defended by earthworks. We find the enemy as usual, in
a very strong position, defended by earthworks, and it looks
very much as if we will have to go through
(35:27):
a siege of Petersburg before entering on a siege of Richmond.
An opportunity opened up to lead the Army of the
Shenandoah to protect Washington, DC against the raids of Juwbeo.
Early Mead he wanted the road to free himself from
under Grant. However, the position was ultimately given to Sheridan
an Cheeze.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
He probably was pissed when.
Speaker 2 (35:44):
Mead asked Grant, why did it not go to himself,
the more experienced officer. Grant stated that Lincoln did not
want to take Mead away from the Army of the
Potomac and imply that his leadership was substandard. Oh well,
he didn't want to take him away from the Army
of Potomac to say you suck, So I'm taking you
away from the boosts.
Speaker 3 (36:03):
Ego a little bit.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
Even though that's probably why, Yeah, he wanted to Grant
probably wanted him under his h under his nose is
that we're not letting.
Speaker 3 (36:14):
This guy out. Daring to seats Peterburg, peter Burg, peter Burg. Right,
He improved the plan of Major General Ambrose Burnside to
plant explosive in a mine shaft dug underneath the Confederate line.
You idiots, he said, Petersburg. But at the last minute
he changed Burnside's plan to lead the attack with a
well trained African American vision that was highly drilled just
for this action and started him to take a politically
(36:37):
less risky course and his substitute an untrained and poorly
led White division. The resulting Battle of the Crater was
one of the great fiascos of the war. Yeah that
was crazy.
Speaker 2 (36:47):
Uh yeah. If you guys don't know that, go to
our episode on that battle. These dudes blasted the crater
and then literally went inside the crater was like, what
twenty feet deep or something, and went inside the create
because they thought it was going to be a good
cover for guns.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
And uh fish barrel.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
Yeah, and the compeder should literally stood on the rim
of the crater and just shot them all it crazy, dude, Yeah, insane.
Although he fought during the Eppomatics campaign, Grant Sheridan received
most of the credit, and Mead was not present when
Lee surrendered at the courthouse Nope.
Speaker 3 (37:22):
With the war over, the Army.
Speaker 2 (37:23):
Of the Potomac was disbanded June twenty eight, eighteen sixty five,
and Mead's command of it ended.
Speaker 3 (37:29):
That was the first thing they're doing. We'll get this
out of here. Let's stick go get old meats political rivalries,
so many of the political rivalries, and the Army Potomac
stem found position to the politically conservative full time officers
from West Point Mead. He was a Douglas Democrat and
saw the preservation of the Union as the war's true
goal and only a post slavery as it threatened to
(37:50):
tear the Union apart. He was a supporter of mclenan,
the previously removed commander of the Army Potomac, and he
was politically aligned with him. That makes sense other mcclennan
loyalists who advocated a more moderate prosecution of the war,
such as Charles Stone Fitz John Porter. They're arrested, court martialed. Oh.
When Meade was wakened in the middle of the night
(38:11):
and informed that he was given command that Army Potomac,
he later wrote to his wife that he assumed that
army politics had caught up with him and he was
being arrested once and for all. Finally, not this time, buddy, Oh.
Speaker 2 (38:23):
Mead short temper earned him notoriety, and while he was
respected by most of his peers and trusted by the
men in his army, he did not inspire them. Gotta inspire.
While Mead could be sociable, intellectual, and courteous on normal times,
the stress of war made him prickly and abrasive and
earned him the nickname.
Speaker 3 (38:39):
Old Snap and turtle. Oh.
Speaker 2 (38:41):
He was prone to bouts of anger and rashness, and
was paranoid about political enemies coming after him.
Speaker 3 (38:46):
Oh jeez, wow, Well it was just politics.
Speaker 2 (38:52):
He ruined this war, proven this perfect war.
Speaker 3 (38:56):
Well, those political enemies included Daniel Butterfield, Abner Doubleday, Joseph Hooker,
Alfred Pleasanton, and Daniel Sickles. Danny our tribal. Sickles had
developed a personal vendetta against me because of sickles allegiance
to Hooker, whom Meat had replaced, and because of controversial
(39:17):
disagreements at Getty's Boy, Sickles had either mistakenly or deliberately
disregarded meats orders about placing this third corps in the
defensive line.
Speaker 2 (39:25):
Don't think it was uh mistakenly.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
Right, which led to that core destruction and placed the
entire army at risk on the second day of battle.
But they did persuade. They persuaded, They did persuade to Mail. Yeah,
they did prevail. They persuaded.
Speaker 2 (39:45):
Jeez Halleck Mead shrek supervisor prior to Grant, was openly
critical of Meat. Both Hallick and Lincoln pressured me to
destroy Lee's army, but gave no specifics ays how it
should be done. Make do it all right? Radical Republican,
some of whom like Thay Stevens, there were former know
nothings in hostile Irish Catholics like Mead's family. In a
(40:08):
Joint Committee on the Conduct of the war, they suspected
that Mead was a copperhead and tried in vain to
relieve him from command.
Speaker 3 (40:14):
Oh Sickles.
Speaker 2 (40:16):
He testified to the committee that Mead wanted to retreat
his position at Gettysburg before the fight and even started.
I don't know that maybe the Joint Committee did not
remove Mead from the command.
Speaker 3 (40:24):
Obviously, let's stick a look at old Mead and in
the reconstruction era, what did he do at this time.
In July eighteen sixty five, Mead assumed command of the
Military Division of the Atlantic, was headquartered in Philly. On
January sixth, eighteen sixty eight, he took command of the
Third Military District in Atlanta. Also of January eighteen sixty eight,
(40:46):
assumed command of the Department of the South. The formation
of the state governments of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina,
and South Carolina for a re entry into the United
States was completed under his direct supervision UHH. When the
Governor Georgie refused to accept the reconstruction Acts of Congress,
Mead replaced him with General Thomas Ruger Ooh, cop oh.
Speaker 2 (41:05):
He said, you want to be back in the Union, bitch,
which we want.
Speaker 3 (41:09):
After that, we don't want to be back.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
Reports after the Camilla massacre September eighteen sixty eight, calls
by anger from white Southerners over blacks gaining the right
to vote in the eighteen.
Speaker 3 (41:19):
Sixty eight Georgia state constitution fucking raises democrats.
Speaker 4 (41:22):
Mead.
Speaker 2 (41:23):
He investigated the event and decided to leave the punishment
in the hands of civil authorities. He then returned to
command of the Military Division of the Atlantic in Philadelphia,
Delphia eighteen sixty nine. Following grants inauguration as President and
Sherman's assignment to General in Chief Sharon. He was promoted
over me to Lieutenant General. Meat effectively served in semi
(41:44):
retirement as the commander of the Military Division of the
Atlantic from his home in.
Speaker 3 (41:48):
Philly as well.
Speaker 2 (41:49):
Damn dude, they're like, screw you mea, do you want
to support McClellan.
Speaker 3 (41:53):
Basically, I'm met. All right, Let's stick a look at
some notable things in his little personal life. Uh. New
Year's Eve eighteen forty, which is his birthday. He married
Margarita Sergeant, daughter of John Sergeant, running mate of Henry
Clay in eighteen thirty two Presidents of elect youon. They
had seven children together, John Sergeant Mead, George Mead, Margaret
(42:18):
Butler Mead, Spencer Mead, Sarah Wise Mead, Henrietta Mead, and
Willie Montgomery and Willie Mead.
Speaker 2 (42:27):
Oh, Billy Mead.
Speaker 3 (42:28):
His notable descendants Billy Mead here. His notable descendants include
George Mead Easby which is great grandson, Happy Rockefeller, Oh shit,
which is great great great great great Greg which is
great great granddaughter, and Matthew Fox which is great great
great grandsons and the dude from Lost Party of five too.
Speaker 2 (42:50):
Oh Mead. He was a mission of affair Mont Park
in Philadelphia from eighteen sixty six until his death. The
City of Philly gave Meade's wife a house at eighteen
thirty six Delancey Place, in which he lived also assumed.
The building still has the name Mead over the door,
but is now used as apartments all Mead. He received
an honorary doctorate in law from Harvard, and his scientific
(43:12):
achievements were recognized by various institutions, including the American Philosophical
Society and the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences. Having long
suffered from complications caused by his war wounds, Mead died
in November sixth, eighteen seventy two, in the house at
eighteen thirty six Delancey Place from pneumonia. He was buried
at Laurel Hill Cemetery.
Speaker 3 (43:33):
Good for him, Let's take a look at the legacy
of oh George Mead. Mead has been memorialized. Meat has
been memorialized with several statues, including an equestrian statue at
Gettysburg National Military Park by Henry Kirk Bush Brown, the
George Gordon Mead Memorial Statue by Charles Grafley, in front
(43:55):
of the E. Barrett pretty Man United States Corehouse in Washington,
d C. Another statue by Alexander Milne Caldert and won
by Daniel Chester French atop the Smith Memorial Arch both
in Fairmount Park, Philly. A bronze bust of Mead by
Bors Black was placed at Barnegat Lighthouse in ninety fifty seven.
(44:19):
And you gotta have something at Lahouse right.
Speaker 2 (44:21):
How coup they didn't name m Lahouse after hims can
do to love to layhouses. United States Armies Fort George Meade,
Fort Fort George G. Mead, and Fort Mead, Maryland is
named for him, as our Mead County, Kansas, Fort Meade, Florida,
Fort Meade National Cemetery, and Mead County, South Dakota.
Speaker 3 (44:38):
Well.
Speaker 2 (44:38):
The Grand Army of the Republic Mead Post Number one,
founded in Philly in eighteen.
Speaker 3 (44:42):
Sixty six, was also a name in his honor.
Speaker 2 (44:44):
The General Meade Society was created to promote and preserve
the memory of Union Major General George Meat makes sense.
The General Mead Society was created to promote and preserve
the memory of Philip Sheridan.
Speaker 3 (44:58):
Of what's his name?
Speaker 2 (45:02):
The Sickles Danial sickles that'd be shit oh and members
gather in Laurel Hill Cemetery on December thirty first to
recognize this.
Speaker 3 (45:09):
Baw and the new year, oh right.
Speaker 2 (45:12):
The Old Baldy Civil War Roundtable in Philly is named
in honor of Meads horse during the war. In World
War II the United States, the Liberty ship Esse That's
George G. Mead was named in his honor.
Speaker 3 (45:23):
Fantastic The one thousand dollars Treasury note also called coin
note of the series eighteen ninety eighteen ninety one future
portraits of Mead on the obverse. The eighteen ninety series
note is called the Grand Watermelon Note by collectors because
the large zeros on the reverses resemble the pattern on
a watermelon. The preserve head of Old Baldy Meads Wartime
(45:46):
Horse was donated to the Civil War Museum of Philly
by the Grand Army of the Public Museum in nineteen
seventy nine. Ooh ow.
Speaker 2 (45:53):
Mead has been portrayed in several films and television shows.
Obviously I mean what hell and He portrayed him in
the nineteen twenty four film The Dramatic Life of Abram Lincoln.
He doesn't get his jeeus. Thurston Hall played him in
the nineteen forty film Virginia City. Rory Calhoun played him
in eighty two TV miniseries of Blue and the Gray.
(46:14):
Richard Anderson played him in the nineteen ninety three film Gettysburg,
and Tom Haiks portrayed him in the twenty twenty one
TV series eighteen eighty three.
Speaker 3 (46:22):
He did Mead.
Speaker 2 (46:24):
He's also a character in the two thousand and three
alternate history novel Gettysburg, a novel of the City War
Civil War, written by Newt Gingrich What the fuck and
William fort Stin. All right, that's George g. Mead.
Speaker 3 (46:35):
Guys.
Speaker 2 (46:36):
He was a lighthouse builder and disliked in the Union Army.
Speaker 3 (46:40):
Richard Anderson also portrayed me in nineteen ninety three film Gettysburg.
Said that already, of course, Oh and Meat is a
character in two thousand and three aught in their history novel.
Speaker 2 (46:49):
Yes, we know, didn't know that he was a big
time McClellan guy and a Democrat like that.
Speaker 3 (46:57):
Yes, it's probably way nobody liked him.
Speaker 2 (46:59):
All right, Uh, next week we'll be back far more.
Probably another Confederate guy, and who knows who's gonna be
Maybe it's gonna be Jeb. You never know until we
get there. It's another. Maybe we'll do a long street.
I don't know, it's gonna be a Confederate guy.
Speaker 3 (47:13):
Anyways, maybe we'll do d H.
Speaker 4 (47:15):
Hill.
Speaker 3 (47:16):
Let me do a place.
Speaker 2 (47:17):
We did a place.
Speaker 3 (47:18):
What do you mean there's more places like und of
places like that one place.
Speaker 2 (47:22):
We just did two on chips.
Speaker 5 (47:24):
Anyways, Yeah, we'll be back then, so make sure you sscribing,
sharing with your friends, giving us some reviews, all that
good stuff. But we're back next week for more battles
of the Civil War American that is behind the Battle
where the Mother Musican is we
Speaker 2 (48:00):
E an for at about everything.
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