Who was the union commander at Gettyburg?

Answer 1

The initial stages on the 1st day was General Buford and his cavalry division, he later gave way to General Reynolds who had operational command of the Ist,IIIrd and XIth Corps.

After Reynold's death towards the end of the day, Gen. Hancock rode ahead of his II Corps to takeover operational command of the routed forces then at Gettysburg and saved the day by rallying the defenses on the high ground behind Gettysburg.

On the second day, early in the wee hours, Gen. Meade commander of the the Army of the Potomic finally arrived on scene, operational control switched over to him.

Answer 2

To say Meade was the commander demonstrates a failure to understand and appreciate the battle. Meade was an engineer, had an abrasive personality, and was disliked by his subordinates. Following the battle, the southern forces started a retreat but were trapped for several days on the north bank of the flooded Potomac river. Appomattox could have happened then but Meade failed to pursue or exploit his victory. Lincoln did not relieve him as he had so many of his predecessors but gave him the fiction of a shared command with U.S. Grant fresh from his victory at Vicksburg.
The union commander the first day would have been Buford. There were many noteworthy commanders the next two days including Joshua Chamberlain from Maine and Dan Sickles from New York. Mentioning Meade in the same breath is a slight on their honor and reputations.

Answer 3

On July 1, 1863 the first Union commander to engage The Army of Northern Virginia was Gen. John Buford. Given little credit with engaging Gen. Henry Heth (although ordered by Lee not to)
With a 3:1 Southern advantage, with only 2 regiments of dismounted cavalry, Buford delayed 1/3 of the Army of Northern Virginia, northwest of Gettysburg (McPherson Woods and Herr Ridge, all through the morning of the first day.
Buford (who died 6 months later) was first relieved by the senior Gen. Howard with 2 regiments of infantry, 1/2 of whom immediately began to establish positions on Cemetery Ridge: He was then under the authority of Gen Reynolds, who was killed 2 hours later.
In actuality, it was Howard who made the determination to stay and fight superior Southern forces at and around Gettysburg.
Gen. George Meade had just replaced Hooker, days before, as Commander of the Army of the Potomac. He was over 20 miles away, and did not even arrive until the second day. He (Meade) had delegated command of the field , to his most trusted General,Hancock. He, with Howard's advice and Buford's initiative made the decision, under Meads authority, to commit the entire Army of the Potomic to Gettysburg. Hancock had actual tactical command of Cemetary Ridge, until the 3 rd day, when he was killed by an artillary barage, just preceding "Pickett's Charge": Tactical command then reverted back to George Meade, who when Lee withdrew, made the blunder of not pursuing Lee back into Virginia.
Confusing, but most likely many people, at Gettysburg were as well. Heth upon engaging Buford, vastly under estimated him and informed Lee that this represented only Pennslyvania Militia and anticipated that he would stroll into town and capture the inventory of the shoe factory.
Buford recieved his Commendation for adj. General, upon his death bed, December 6, 1863........The first Union Commander, at Gettysburg.

Answer 4

Gen. George Gordon Meade for the Union, and Gen. Robert E. Lee for the Confederacy.

Answer 5

Gettysburg was not a planned battle; groping north in search of suuplies, Lee's army encountered that of General George Meade. Quicky fortifying the high ground, he and his subordinate commanders held off courageous and repeated attacks by the opposin forces using their entrenched positions and heigh ground for advantage.