When he first came to Pennsylvania, he was a Captain. Just when the Civil War broke out, he was promoted to Brigadier General.

General Meade was born on December 31, 1815 in Cadiz, Spain. He was in Spain because his father was serving as a United States Navy agent. When his family moved to Philadelphia, he attended Mt. Airy School. He than had to withdraw shortly because of financial problems. In the next few years Gorge attended many schools because his family was moving a lot between Baltimore and Washington. Even though he wanted to go to college, he applied to West Point. In 1863, he became a cadet.

General Meade believed in the Union.