The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1915-12-31
Centenary Of General
Meade, Hero of Battle
of Gettysburg

This is the centenary of the birth
of one of the greatest of American
military heroes, General George Cor
don Meade. who fought and won the
decisive battle of Gettysburg. The
long and bloody conflict in Pennsyl-
Vania, in its far-reaching effects, was
the most important of the struggle
between North and South. Confed-
crate success might have spelled dis
aSter for the Union cause. Gettysburg
was Lees Waterloo, and in the re-
sourcefuI and determined Meade the
great warrior of the South met his
Wellington. This is more than a fig
ure of speech, for, as Edward Everett
has pointed out, 1.-THE struggle of the
last two days resembled in many re-
spects the battle of Waterloo; and if
on the evening of the third day, Gem
eral Meade, like the Duke of yelling
ton, had had the assistance of a pow
erful auxiliary army to take up the
pursuit, the rout of the rebels would
have been as complete as that of Ma
poIeon.'
1t was on the last day of 1915
that Meade was born in Cadizz, Spain,
where his father, Richard w. Meade,
was the United States naval agent.
Young Meade decided upon the career
of a soldier, and entered the United
States Military Academy, graduating
from that institution when in his
i
vice was in the war, with the Senin-
oIes, and he served with great gal
1antry in the struggle with Osceola's
braves. He resigned from the army
in 1896, and Because of il1-health, and
took up the practice of civil engineer
ing. In 1910 he was appointed an
assistant civil engineer to survey the
northwest boundary between the
United States and British America. He
returned to the army in 1845 and was
q ~ Yr1-,-r
1or. He served through the Mexican
war, taking part in the battles of
Palo Alta. and Resaca de la Palma,
and especially distinguished himself in
the assault on Independence Hill at
Monterey On his return to his home
city, Philadelphia, Meade was present.
ed with an elegant sword as a token
OF the esteem in which he was held
by his townsmen.
For several years after the conflict
with Mexico Meade was employed in
the erection of lighthouses, and in
surveys of the northern lakes. He
held the rank of major at the out
break of the civil war, but in the
Summer Of 1851 he was made
brigadier- general of volunteers, and
was placed in command Of the End
pennsylvania Reserve Brigade He
served gaIlant1yS in several engage
n1ents, but at Newmarket Cross Roads
was so seriously wounded that he was
removed to his home in Philadelphiar
After his recovery he returned to the
front and distinguished himself at
Antietam and Fredericksburg, and
was promoted to the rank of major
general Of volunteers. He led the 9TH
Army Corps at CHARACTERISTIC.
Tt was in the latter part of june,
1861, that Meade superseded Hooker
in the command of the Army of the
Potomac Lee was then about to
cross the Susquenhanna at Harris
burg with the intention of marching
on Philadelphia. At that critical
stage Of affairs the heretofore apathe-
tic Pennsylvania militia was ga1va-
nized into action, and Lee, observing
this. and hearing that the Army of
the Potamac was threatening his rear
and f1anks, changed his plan. The
Confederate chieftain hoped to crush
Meade, and then began g. triumphal
march on Baltimore and washington
The issue was Joined at Gettysburg,
and the result was a monaentous tri-
unnph for the Union cause.
The hero of Gettysburg was highly
fonored by his countrymen, and
/ when he died in 1872 the citizens Of
philadelphia presented to his widow
the house in which he had breathed
his last, and 800. 900 was afterwards
raised for the family of the General