Searching for George Gordon Meade

by Tom Huntington

"Despite his great victory at Gettysburg and his command of the army that forced Lee's surrender at Appomattox, George Meade saw his fame eclipsed by that of Lee, Grant, and other Civil War generals. This book does a great deal to redress that historical injustice. Tom Huntington has invented a new genre of biography that shifts between past and present as he tells the story of Meade's life and describes his own pilgrimage to the key sites of that life. The result is an engrossing narrative that the reader can scarcely put down."
- James M. McPherson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "Battle Cry of Freedom"

"Searching for George Gordon Meade is a splendid book! Well-researched, well-reasoned, and well-written, it's a timely and vital addition to the all-too-meager literature on this neglected American hero. Strongly recommended for serious historians as well as for a general readership. Excellent!"
- Ralph Peters, author of "Cain at Gettysburg"

"Much more than another Civil War biography, Tom Huntington's gripping personal 'search' for George Gordon Meade is unique and irresistible: a combination life story, military history, travelogue, and cultural commentary that brings us closer than ever to the old general and his strange reputation--and also opens new windows to our own unending search for an understandable national identity."
- Harold Holzer, author and Chairman of Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Foundation

A historian's investigation of the life and times of Gen. George Gordon Meade to discover why the hero of Gettysburg has failed to achieve the status accorded to other generals of the conflict. Covers Meade's career from his part in the Mexican-American War through his participation in the great Civil War engagements, including Second Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and Petersburg. Available for the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. Explores Meade's legacy today at reenactments, battlefields, museums, and institutions that preserve history.

Genres: Civil War, American Civil War, History, Biography, Nonfiction, Military Fiction

416 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2013

About the author

As the editor of the late, lamented Historic Traveler magazine, Tom Huntington developed a love for writing that merged stories from the past with journeys of discovery in the present. That was an approach he took with his first two books, Ben Franklin's Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Civil War Trails, and one he continues with Searching for George Gordon Meade: The Forgotten Victor of Gettysburg. Huntington's writing has appeared in Air & Space, America in WWII, American Heritage, American History, America's Civil War, British Heritage, Civil War Times, Invention & Technology, and Smithsonian. He also wrote the text for Guide to Gettysburg Battlefield Monuments, which is available in both print and app versions. Huntington lives in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Beth Ann, and his children, Katie and Sam, and is currently an editor for Stackpole Magazines.

Reviews

[Reuben · Rating 5 out of 5]

I take this with me on every trip I take, and due to my backlog of other reading material I’ve borrowed from the library instead of own, it always gets relegated.

After my last trip to Gettysburg I finally took it permanently off the back burner. A quote on the cover from Harold Holzer calls it, “unique and irresistible.” Who am I to argue with arguably the preeminent Lincoln scholar? Truthfully speaking, that is a perfect description of this book. James McPherson also provides a blurb which perfectly encapsulates this work, “... a new genre of biography that shifts between past and present.” By rights, this format should be awkward and cliche but Huntington makes it work marvelously. The reader is transported with him on this, again should be cliche, journey of discovery as he walks the ground Meade walked and searches for the words Meade wrote. A pleasant surprise throughout the book are the people Huntington meets along the way, from controversial (and unconventional) Confederate experts to salt of the earth reinactors. Many of whom may contain more wisdom and pureness of spirit than the most ardent scholar.

For whatever reason, be it a relatively early post war death, a lack of personal papers, his surly temper and Democratic affiliation, or the machinations of Doubleday, Ames, and that dastardly Sickles (*wink*), George Meade tends to be washed over in the great rush of Civil War scholarship. I’m hopeful that Huntington’s work will begin the process of bringing the victor of Gettysburg back into the light.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

A travelogue version of Civil War history to flesh out the victor of Gettysburg, George Gordon Meade. Entertaining as it segues between the historical and the present as the author travels the paths that his subject trod back in the day. A good book about a neglected hero of the Civil War.

[Josh Liller · Rating 3 out of 5]

If Bill Bryson wrote a biography it would probably be alot like this. Tom Huntington goes in search of George Meade with a biography of his life combined with modern day visits to places of significance in Meade's life to see how Meade and the events he participated in are remembered. This takes him to Gettysburg and the battlefields of Virginia, but also to Philadelphia, Texas, a New Jersey lighthouse, and an obscure rural town in Florida. Along the way he meets scholars and reenactors (and even a SCV+Flagger demonstration at Appomattox). Huntington delivers it all with a wry sense of humor and a sense of honest curiosity.

Although written for a more general audience than a true Meade biography would be, the book does have an index, bibliography, and cites its quotations. The biography reveals an odd oversight in the author's research: he lists 3 of Gordon Rhea's 4 books on the Overland Campaign, leaving out the one about Cold Harbor. I don't think this is an accident either as some of the text indicates Huntington has not read the Cold Harbor book that debunks some of the common misconceptions about that battle.

The search for Meade also seems a bit unfocused, straying off into some tangents (Stonewall Jackson on a couple occasions) and the larger topic of how the Civil War is remembered. It's also a very Civil War-centric book: about 85% covers the war or sites related to it. Meade's lighthouse work is relegated to only a few pages. Lest you think that is merely my bias as a lighthouse historian speaking, keep in mind that Meade's service as a lighthouse engineer lasted longer than his service with the Army of the Potomac.

If you like this style of writing or have ever asked "Meade who?" then this is well-worth reading. More experienced Civil War readers will likely find it a mixed bag. I generally enjoyed the travelogue parts while most of the history was already familiar, although I enjoyed the author's humor. Mild to moderate recommendation depending on the reader. (I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could; I've decided to round down.)

[Rick Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always had in interest in General Meade. I believe that he was never given the credit he deserved for taking command of the Army of the Potomac while the Army was involved in an active campaign and just days away from an epic battle at Gettysburg. Huntington does a great job of explaining this. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in Gettysburg, the Civil War, or leadership studies.

[noreast_bookreviewsnh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Searching for George Gordon Meade: The Forgotten Victor of Gettysburg by Tom Huntington
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A unique perspective and storytelling experience about one of the Civil War’s most successful and effective leaders, General George Gordon Meade, who was the longest serving commander of the Army of the Potomac (June 28, 1863-end of war 1865). In the last few years there has been a renaissance on how Meade is remembered for his wartime service, mostly positive interpretations that counter his long forgotten story. For well over a hundred years Meade was relegated to being just one of the misfit characters that was the last in a long line of poor commanders of the Army of the Potomac who was thought to be replaced when Grant came east for the overland campaign. Meade’s reputation suffered greatly due to many factors such as; Dan Sickles and company, Meade’s refusal to work well with newspaper correspondents during the war, he was overshadowed by Grant and his boys (Sherman, Sheridan, etc), and Meade died shortly after the war (1872) and did not write a book or live to tell his story. This book is a very fun travelogue that follows the author on a modern day journey to places that Meade had an impact (Civil war battlefields, lighthouses, Mexico, Philadelphia, etc) where guides and historians interpret Meade’s lasting impact and story. All the while the author follows George Meade through his life (1815-1872) and it’s events; attending West Point, the war in Mexico, surveying lighthouses and the Great Lakes for the army, the Civil War, and reconstruction. A beautiful blend of past and present that creates a very enjoyable read infused with Meade’s personal letters and family story and also gives the long overdue credit to this brilliant army general and dedicated lifelong soldier. God bless the “Old Goggle Eyed Snapping Turtle” 🐢 General George Gordon Meade 🇺🇸.
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#civilwar #book #biography #travelogue #tomhuntington #civilwarhistory #georgegordonmeade #georgemeade #armyofthepotomac #read

[Robert Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must admit I knew very little about George Meade and I’m a little embarrassed by my lack of knowledge. Of course I knew about Meade’s role at Gettysburg but even there historians have pushed him aside giving him very little credit as the victor of Gettysburg. It was not until I read the fictional“Without Warning: The saga of Gettysburg” by Terry C Pierce that focuses on Meade did I realize my lack of knowledge. I wanted to know more about Meade and I came cross Tom Huntington’s “Searching for George Gordon Meade” subtitled “The Forgotten Victor of Gettysburg.” He tells the story of the war as it relates to Gen. Meade's life and career. But more than that, Huntington also traveled to virtually any site at which Meade lived, served or fought , thus, his book switches from the actual history of a battle or an area to Huntington's present-day visits to those locations.
I found this book fascinating. I really enjoyed the travelogue part of the book as he examines battlefields and building that were part of the Civil War. More importantly he did not allow General Meade to be overshadowed by more popular generals. Meade was quickly eclipsed by the media and by historians to the point that he is seldom mentioned in his role as commanding general of the Army of the Potomac. I appreciated Huntington’s easy to follow writing style and I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to know more about George Gordon Meade.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not your usual military biography

George Meade won the battle of Gettysburg and commanded the Army of the Potomac from June 1863 untilGrant accepted Lee's surrender at Appomattox. Yet he is today among the least remembered or recognized of the Civil War generals. Huntington, in this combination of biographic essay and personal journey of discovery, explores why that is, and on his journey discovers small cadres of Meade fans among re-enactors, historians, battlefield tour guides, and other Civil War history enthusiasts. Huntington offers interesting insights into Meade, the leader, his legacy, why he has been so neglected compared to other generals, many less distinguished, and the often quirky processes by which history is remembered and recreated.

[Shrike58 · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I can't say this is a bad work, the reality is that it wasn't written for me, and was a little bit shallow for my purposes. Still, even if one is a hardened student of the Civil War, you'll enjoy reading about the author's travels in the course of learning about Meade's life. As for why Meade isn't better remembered, besides the shadow of not having made more of the victory of Gettysburg (which was realistically not very likely), Huntington suspects that Meade didn't have the right mindset to play the game of military high command the way that Grant did.

[Jim Benton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not just an outstanding biography of Meade but an outstanding history of the Civil War in the East. Huntington brings a modern sensibility to biography, particularly in debunking The Lost Cause. The recounting of Meade's victory at Gettysburg and his ultimate destruction of Lee's army is proof that history celebrates Lee the loser while largely forgetting Meade the winner.

[Diane Depew · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are looking for a biography of George Gordon Meade, this is not the book. Rather, the author “follows” Meade’s path thru the Civil War, making the point that while Meade was the victor at Gettysburg, he has largely been forgotten.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! Well written and with great tours of important places and battlefields - one of the best Civil War books I’ve ever read.

[Nancy Householder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! not only learned a lot about Meade, but
was very interested in how the author actually went to
the locations where Meade had been.

[Rm36]

ask general burnside if he expects me to conquer the entire world with just the Pennsylvania Reserves and a B+

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I've read much about the Civil War and Meade is truly one of the often forgotten players. Often, books about historical figures can be very dry, but Mr. Huntington's approach of combining the story of Meade with his own story of traveling to the modern day sites of his battles brings the story to life.

My reintroduction to the Civil War happened years ago when a friend gave me "Confederates In the Attic" by Tony Horwitz. "Searching For Meade..." is done in a similar style, but without as many of the colorful characters. If you've read other books about the war and are looking to improve your knowledge of some of the "secondary figures" I would highly recommend this book.

[Jimmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fairly good biography of Meade, covering his Civil War career in more detail than his pre- and post-war life. While it's similar to Freeman Cleaves's Meade of Gettysburg, what makes Mr. Huntington's book interesting is the author's look at Meade's reputation in the modern Civil War community. However, this was offset by his repeated references to the myth that the one and only reason the Confederates fought the war was to preserve slavery (even though this has nothing to do with Meade).

[Dave Glorioso · Rating 4 out of 5]

This may have too much information for some.
It is a more favorable history of the commander that won Gettysburg and does a great job of showing his strengths, weaknesses and curiosities.
The writer uses the style that Confederates on the Attic used-he tells stories of the locations he visited during his research. These vignettes are surprisingly entertaining and help propel what may have otherwise been a history book burdened by information overload.
Well done!

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is half biography and half travelogue. The author follows the life and career of the Union general through research and going to the places that Meade had been. He also tries to find out why the general who was the winner of the battle of Gettysburg has fallen into obscurity, while others who did less, or were on the losing side, are given much more attention. Great read!

[Shawn Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Love the way Huntington goes from present day touring to explaining past significance and history. Going to look for his Ben Franklin's Philadelphia, which I can only find Kindle version. Good thing I own a Kindle.
Great job of presenting Meade as the forgotten victor of Gettysburg. Anyone wanting to know more about Meade, this would be a great start.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Always had the feeling the Meade was not given his due in much of the history of the Civil War and this book tries to improve that situation.

[Steve Phillipson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up during a trip to Gettysburg. It's an excellent biography of an underappreciated Union General. Recommend for anyone interested in Civil War History.