Who won at Gettysburg, Lee or Meade?
Meade won. George Meade had taken command of the Army of the Potomac on 28 June 1863, just three days before the battle. At Gettysburg he held the strong defensive ground his army had seized on the first day, weathered three days of Confederate attacks and repulsed Pickett's Charge, ending Lee's second invasion of the North.
They met once, at Gettysburg, the bloodiest battle of the American Civil War. Robert E. Lee was already a legend, the bold commander of the Army of Northern Virginia; George Meade had taken command of the Army of the Potomac only days before. At Gettysburg it was Meade who won. Here they are, side by side.1
Head to head
| Robert E. Lee | George Meade | |
|---|---|---|
| Lived | 1807 to 18702 | 1815 to 18723 |
| Role | Commander of the Army of Northern Virginia | Commander of the Army of the Potomac |
| They met at | Gettysburg, 1863 | Gettysburg, 1863 |
| Greatest victory | Chancellorsville, 1863 | Gettysburg, 1863 |
| Strength | Bold maneuver and audacity | Steady defense and sound ground |
| At Gettysburg | Attacked, and was repulsed | Held the high ground and won |
| Lasting legacy | The South's revered general | The general who won Gettysburg |
Lee: the Confederacy's bold commander
Robert E. Lee reached Gettysburg on a winning streak. His Army of Northern Virginia had just crushed a bigger Union army at Chancellorsville in 1863, and beating larger forces had become its habit. Emboldened, he invaded the North a second time in 1863, but at Gettysburg his assaults were broken, climaxing in the failed Pickett's Charge, and he was forced to retreat to Virginia.4
Meade: the victor of Gettysburg
George Meade took command of the Army of the Potomac on 28 June 1863, just three days before the battle of his life. At Gettysburg he chose to stand on the strong defensive ground his army had seized on the first day, weathered three days of Confederate attacks and repulsed Pickett's Charge, handing Lee his most famous defeat. He kept command of the army to the end of the war, though from 1864 under Grant's overall direction.5
The verdict
Lee is the more celebrated commander, remembered for audacity and a run of victories against the odds. But in their one great meeting, Gettysburg, it was Meade who read the ground, held his nerve and won. Lee had the greater career and the larger legend; Meade has the decisive victory between them, and the credit for stopping Lee's invasion of the North.
Lee met a harder opponent in 1864; see how that went in Grant vs Lee. For the wider ranking that Lee belongs to, see the greatest American commanders.6
About this comparison
You will find a sourced biography of Meade and of Lee on this site. The three days of Gettysburg, the numbers and the dates rest on established accounts of the campaign. Who handled it better is our judgment, and it is open to dispute. More on our method in the editorial policy.
