Civil War – George Meade

Do you know who was the general for the Second Battle of Bull Run? Everyone knows
what the Second Battle of Bull Run is but who was the general? Some people even know
that the North won that battle. Most people do not know that General George Meade
defeated General Lee at that battle. General George Mead accomplished much during
wartime.

General George Meade had many accomplishments during wartime. First of all, he
defeated General Lee at the Second Battle of Bull Run. Why would not General Meade
crush General Lee at this battle and end the war there? Facts say that heavy fog and rain
forced Meade to stop. Likewise, on June 1, !863 a surprise encounter forced his troops
into the Battle of Gettysburg, the greatest battle on American soil. This battle came about
when General Lee’s army needed shoes. The two forces met here on accident and fought to
a victory for the North. Lee acknowledged his defeat and retreated to Virginia. Not only
did Meade serve in the Civil War, but also served in the Mexican War. He served in the
battles of Palo Alto, Monterey, and Veracruz. During these he served under General
Zachory Taylor. To sum up, General George Meade accomplished many things during his
time at war.
Each of General George Meade’s accomplishments had one major effect on how
life is today. To start, if Meade had not defeated Lee at the Second Battle of Bull Run the
war would not have started off positively for the North. This was important because the
soldiers gained their confidence when they won this battle. If the North would have lost
the entire war the U.S. would be two different countries. Secondly, Meade’s defeat of Lee
at the accidental Gettysburg. This was a battle that turned the war around and gave the
North the advantage. This was the North’s first victory in a long time. Finally, if the U.S.

had not have won the Mexican War, Where Meade served as a soldier, the U.S. would not
have gained the southwest portion of the country. This ,as you remember, was where the
gold rush took place that caused the country to spread out over the land. As has been
shown, Meade’s accomplishments had many effects on how life is lived today.

There are many things that would be different if George Meade had never lived.
For one thing, the North might not have won the first battle of the war causing the soldiers
to lose confidence and maybe lose the war. If the South had won the war the U.S. would
be split into two countries right now. Also, if the north did not the greatest battle on
American soil, Gettysburg, it could have been the end of the war right there at Gettysburg.
If the North would have lost the war the U.S. would be two different countries, as was said
earlier. Last, if the U.S. had not won the Mexican War we would have lost some of our
land to Mexico. The U.S. would have also not had the Gold Rush that took place in
California. In conclusion, the country would have been very different if George Meade had
never lived.

General George Meade accomplished much during wartime. Most people do not
know that Meade defeated Lee at the Second Battle of Bull Run . Some people even know
that the North won that battle. Everyone knows what the Second Battle of Bull Run is but
who was the general?
WORKS CITED
Cleaves, Freeman. “Meade, George Gordon.” Collier’s Encyclopedia. Vol. 15.

1989.

Sefton, James E. “Meade, George Gordon.” The World Book Encyclopedia. Vol.

15. 1994.

“Meade, George G.” Compton’s Interactive Encyclopedia. Version 2.01vw.

Carlsbad,
California: Compton’s New Media, 1994. CD-ROM.

“Meade, George Gordon.” Encyclopedia Americana. Vol. 18. Danbury,
Connecticut:
Grolier, 1990.

“Meade, George Gordon.” Who’s Who in American History. Historical Volume.

St. Louis,
Missouri: Van Hoffman Press,1967.