George Sykes

Infobox Military Person
name=George Sykes
born=birth date|1822|10|9
died=death date and age|1880|2|8|1822|10|9
placeofbirth=Dover, Delaware
placeofdeath=Fort Brown, Texas
placeofburial=West Point Cemetery West Point, New York


caption=General George Sykes
nickname=Tardy George Slow Trot Sykes
allegiance= United States of America
serviceyears=1842–80
rank= Brevet Captain (Mexican-American War) Major General (Civil War) Colonel (Post Civil War)
commands=2nd Division, V Corps, Army of the Potomac
unit=
battles=Second Seminole War Mexican-American War American Civil War
awards=
laterwork=

George Sykes (October 9, 1822 – February 8, 1880) was a career United States Army officer and a Union General during the American Civil War.

Early life

He was born in Dover, Delaware. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1842 and was commissioned as a brevet second lieutenant in the 3rd U.S. Infantry. He served in the Mexican-American War and Seminole War and was brevetted as a captain for actions at the Battle of Cerro Gordo .

Civil War

At the outbreak of the Civil War, Sykes was assigned as a major in the 14th U.S. Infantry. At the First Battle of Bull Run, he commanded the Regular Infantry Battalion, a collection of eight regular army companies from different regiments, the only regulars on the field. He continued his association with regulars in the early defensive positions around Washington, D.C., and then as a division commander of regulars in the Peninsula Campaign, the 2nd Division of the V Corps. His men, who often referred to themselves as "Sykes' Regulars," distinguished themselves defending their position at Gaines' Mill during the Seven Days Battles, before the Union line broke elsewhere.Tagg, p. 82.]

Sykes continued as a division commander through the battles of Second Bull Run, Antietam (in reserve), and Fredericksburg. At Chancellorsville, his regulars led the advance into the Confederate rear at the start of the battle. As they ran into strong Confederate resistance, the army commander, Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker, nervously recalled his advance to a defensive position and Sykes' men were not used for the remainder of the campaign. Sykes was promoted to major general after Antietam, on November 29, 1862. None of these battles demonstrated any aggressive or unique offensive capabilities on his part. He was known to his colleagues by the nicknames "Tardy George" and "Slow Trot" Sykes. When corps commander Maj. Gen. George G. Meade was promoted to lead the Army of the Potomac on June 28, 1863, Sykes assumed command of the V Corps.

At the Battle of Gettysburg, Sykes' corps fought in support of the beleaguered III Corps on the Union left flank. In his 1st Division (Brig. Gen. James Barnes), the fabled defense of Little Round Top was led by brigade commander Col. Strong Vincent and the 20th Maine Infantry under Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. His 3rd Division, the Pennsylvania Reserves, led by Brig. Gen. Samuel W. Crawford, attacked from Little Round Top, drove the Confederates across the "Valley of Death" and ended the deadly fighting in the Wheatfield. But there is little in the historical record that highlights any personal contribution made by Sykes.

In the Mine Run Campaign in the fall of 1863, Meade complained of Sykes' lackluster performance. Meade and general-in-chief Ulysses S. Grant agreed that Sykes was not a good choice for the upcoming Overland Campaign in May 1864, so when the Army of the Potomac was reorganized that spring, Sykes lost his corps and was sent to uneventful duty in the Department of Kansas. During Price's Raid in 1864, he was replaced with James G. Blunt.

Postbellum

After the war, in 1866, Sykes was reverted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He served under the 5th U.S. Infantry and later as colonel in the 20th. He commanded at a number of duty stations from Minnesota to Texas until his death at Fort Brown in Texas. He was interred in West Point Cemetery, West Point, New York.

ee also

*List of American Civil War generals

References

* Eicher, John H., and Eicher, David J., "Civil War High Commands", Stanford University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.
* Tagg, Larry, [http://www.rocemabra.com/~roger/tagg/generals/ "The Generals of Gettysburg"] , Savas Publishing, 1998, ISBN 1-882810-30-9.
* Warner, Ezra J., "Generals in Blue: Lives of the Union Commanders", Louisiana State University Press, 1964, ISBN 0-8071-0822-7.

Notes

External links

*findagrave|5841784 Retrieved on 2008-02-12
* [http://www.civilwarhome.com/sykesbio.htm Civil War Biographies: George Sykes]
* [http://www.sykesregulars.org Sykes' Regulars]

Persondata
NAME= Sykes, George
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= Union General during the American Civil War
DATE OF BIRTH=October 9, 1822
PLACE OF BIRTH=Dover, Delaware
DATE OF DEATH=February 8, 1880
PLACE OF DEATH=Fort Brown, Texas