George G. Meade

Career engineer given an army three days before its greatest battle

Meade took command of the Army of the Potomac on 28 June 1863. He did not pick Gettysburg; his corps did. He then chose to stay on the high ground, absorbed two days of Confederate attacks, and let Lee wreck a third of his army on the third. Lincoln wanted pursuit. Meade had a broken army of his own.

Defending Cemetery Ridge through three days at Gettysburg.