Major General George Sykes (USA)

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Aug 27, 2016
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Hangzhou, China (Wisconsin, USA)
Major General George Sykes (USA)

George Sykes was born in Dover, Delaware on 9 October 1822. He graduated from the United States Military Academy 39th out of 56 cadets in 1842. 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.

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, within Andrew Porter’s 1st Brigade of David Hunter’s 2nd Division. He continued his association with regulars in the early defensive positions around Washington, D.C.

During the Peninsula Campaign, he commanded the 2nd Division, consisting primarily of regular U.S. Infantry regiments and the 5th New York (Duryee’s Zouaves), of Fitz John Porter’s V Corps. His men, who 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.

Sykes continued as a division commander through the battles of Second Bull Run, Antietam, and Fredericksburg. At Chancellorsville, his regulars led the advance into the Confederate rear at the start of the battle. Sykes’ division engaged Maj. Gen. Lafayette McLaws’ division on the Orange Turnpike but was forced to retreat after being attacked on the right flank by Maj. Gen. Robert E. Rodes’ division. Then the army commander, Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker, recalled his advance to a defensive position.

When V Corps commander Maj. Gen. George G. Meade was promoted to lead the Army of the Potomac on 28 June 1863, Sykes assumed command of the V Corps. At Gettysburg, V Corps fought in support of the beleaguered III Corps on the Union left flank. In his 1st Division, the fabled defense of Little Round Top was led by brigade commander Col. Strong Vincent and the 20th Maine Infantry under Col. Joshua L. 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.

In the Battle of Mine Run in the fall of 1863, Meade complained of Sykes’ lackluster performance. Meade and general-in-chief Ulysses S. Grant agreed that Sykes, who had earned the nicknames “Tardy George” and “Slow Trot”, 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.

After the war, in 1866, Sykes was reverted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He served in the 5th U.S. Infantry and later as colonel of the 20th U.S. Infantry. He commanded at several duty stations from Minnesota to Texas until he died while on duty in Texas at Fort Brown on 8 February 1880.

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