Who commanded the Union Army at the Battle of Gettysburg?

George G. Meade commanded the Union Army of the Potomac at the Battle of Gettysburg. Meade took command on June 28, 1863, only three days before the battle began, replacing Joseph Hooker.

The Union and Confederate armies met at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, from July 1–3, 1863, after Robert E. Lee invaded the North. Meade quickly concentrated his forces and chose strong defensive ground, including Cemetery Hill, Cemetery Ridge, and Little Round Top. The Union army repelled Lee’s assaults, including Pickett’s Charge, and Lee retreated to Virginia.

A common mix-up is Ulysses S. Grant, who became the Union’s top general in 1864 and supervised Meade during later campaigns. Grant was not the Union field commander at Gettysburg. Meade remained commander of the Army of the Potomac afterward, although Grant’s presence later reduced his independent strategic authority. The victory made Meade one of the war’s most important Union commanders, even though President Abraham Lincoln criticized him for not pursuing Lee more aggressively after the battle.