George Sykes
| George Sykes | |
|---|---|
General George Sykes
|
|
| Nickname(s) | Tardy George Slow Trot Sykes |
| Born |
October 9, 1822 Dover, Delaware |
| Died | February 8, 1880 (aged 57) Fort Brown, Texas |
| Place of burial | West Point Cemetery West Point, New York |
| Allegiance |
United States of America Union |
| Service/branch |
United States Army Union Army |
| Years of service | 1842–1880 |
| Rank |
 Major General (Civil War) Colonel (Post Civil War) |
| Commands held |
V Corps 20th U.S. Infantry Regiment |
| Battles/wars |
Second Seminole War Mexican-American War American Civil War |
George Sykes (October 9, 1822 – February 8, 1880) was a career United States Army officer and a Union General during the American Civil War.
He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1842, and served in numerous conflicts, including the Second Seminole War and the Mexican American War. During the Civil War, he was appointed commander of the 2nd Division of the V Corps of the Army of the Potomac during the Peninsula Campaign of 1862, and continued in that role through the Second Battle of Bull Run, the Battle of Antietam, the Battle of Fredericksburg, and the Battle of Chancellorsville. He assumed command of the V Corps on June 28, 1863, following the promotion of Major General George G. Meade to command of the entire army. Sykes's Corps fought with distinction on the second day of the subsequent Battle of Gettysburg on July 2. He was criticized for his performance in the Battle of Mine Run later that year, was removed from command on March 23, 1864, and sent to duty in Kansas. Sykes remained in the army after the war and died in 1880.
Sykes was born in Dover, Delaware. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1842 and graduated 39th out of 56 cadets. It was during his time as cadet that he aquirred the nicknames "Tardy George" and "Slow Trot" Sykes. He was commissioned as a brevet second lieutenant in the 3rd U.S. Infantry. He served in the Second Seminole War, Mexican-American War, and numerous other conflicts. He was brevetted as a captain for actions at the Battle of Cerro Gordo. By virtue of his service in the Mexican War, Sykes became a member of the Aztec Club of 1847. Sykes continued his frontier service and Indian fighting, mainly in New Mexico, and was promoted to full Captain in 1855. His final peacetime station was Fort Clark, Texas.
...
Wikipedia