Fathers of Valor: Honoring Fatherhood Through the Lens of Gettysburg

Civil War veteran George W. Warner of Co. B, 20th Connecticut Infantry Regiment with his wife, Katherine, and six children, Alice, Charles, George, Ettie, William, and Ruby.

Many of the key leaders at Gettysburg were also family men who had to leave behind their wives and children to go to battle. 

Below we examine a few of the notable leaders — and fathers — who fought at Gettysburg.

Unidentified African American soldier in Union uniform with wife and two daughters.

Union (Federal) Army Fathers:

Maj. Gen. George G. Meade, commander of the Army of the Potomac at Gettysburg

• Children: Meade had seven children. He was a devoted family man and wrote frequently to his wife during the war.

• Notable Fact: Meade’s leadership at Gettysburg was pivotal in turning the tide of the war in the Union's favor.

Brig. Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock, commander of II Corps

• Children: He had two children. His son, Russell Hancock, later became a colonel.

• Notable Fact: Although he was severely wounded on July 3 during Pickett’s Charge, he remained in command until the end of the battle.

Brig. Gen. John Gibbon, commander of the 2nd Division, II Corps

• Children: Gibbon had four children, and one of his sons later served in the U.S. Army.

• Notable Fact: Wounded during Pickett's Charge. A West Point graduate who had family on both sides of the war.

Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, led the 20th Maine Infantry in the defense of Little Round Top

• Children: He had five children, though only two survived infancy.

• Notable Fact: Chamberlain later became Governor of Maine and a college president. His gallantry at Gettysburg earned him the Medal of Honor.

Confederate Army Fathers:

Gen. Robert E. Lee, commander of the Army of Northern Virginia

• Children: He had seven children. His three sons—George Washington Custis Lee, William Henry Fitzhugh Lee and Robert E. Lee Jr.—all served in the Confederate army.

• Notable Fact: Lee was a deeply religious and family-oriented man, and the defeat at Gettysburg marked a major turning point in the war.
  

Lt. Gen. James Longstreet, commander of the First Corps

• Children: He had 10 children (though several died young). He was particularly close to his family and suffered deeply when three of his children died of scarlet fever in 1862.

• Notable Fact: Longstreet disagreed with Lee’s aggressive tactics at Gettysburg and preferred a defensive posture.

Maj. Gen. George Pickett, leader of the famous (but disastrous) Pickett’s Charge

• Children: Had a son born after the battle, George Edward Pickett II.

• Notable Fact: Pickett's Charge was one of the most infamous assaults in U.S. military history. His legacy was shaped as much by family memory as military action.

Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead, brigade leader during Pickett's Charge

• Children: He had a son, Walker Keith Armistead.

• Notable Fact: Armistead was mortally wounded at Gettysburg. He was also a close friend of Union Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock, adding poignancy to the battle.
  

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