Born
in Dover, Delaware, George Sykes graduated from West Point
in the class of 1842, the class that was to contribute no
less than twelve Corps and Army commanders to the Civil
War. Breveted to 2nd Lieutenant, 3rd Infantry, July 1, 1842,
he served in the Florida War, 1842, followed by duty in
garrison at Ft. Stansbury, FL, 1842-1843 and Jefferson Barracks,
MO, 1843-1844. He was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant, 3rd Infantry,
December 31, 1843 and assigned Frontier Duty at Ft. Jesup
(Camp Wilkins), LA, 1844-1845 and duty in the Military Occupation
of Texas under General Taylor, 1845-1846. Sykes was in the
Mexican War, engaged in the Battle of Monterey, September
21-23, 1846. He was promoted to 1st Lieutenant, 3rd Infantry,
September 21, 1846. He was next in the Siege of Vera
Cruz, March 9-29, 1847; and the Battle of Cerro Gordo, April
17-18, 1847, receiving a brevet to Captain, April 18, 1847,
for gallant and meritorious conduct in the Battle of Cerro
Gordo. He was engaged in the Battle of Contreras, August
19-20, 1847; Battle of Churubusco, August 20, 1847; Operations
before and Capture of Mexico City, September 12-14, 1847;
and as Commissary of Bvt. Major- General Twiggs' Division,
1847-1848.
After
garrison at Jefferson Barracks, MO, 1848, Sykes was on Frontier
Duty at: Santa Fe, NM, 1849; Navajo Nation, 1849-1850; and
Santa Fe, NM, 1850. He was on Recruiting Duty, 1850-1852.
He returned to Frontier Duty at: Ft. Union, NM, 1852-1854;
Scouting against the Apache Indians, 1854, being engaged
in Skirmishes, March 4, April 9 and June 30, 1854; Ft. Union,
NM, 1854-1855; Ft. Massachusetts, CO, 1855; Ft. Union, NM,
1855 and Ft. Fillmore, NM, 1855-1857. He was promoted to
Captain, 3rd Infantry, September 30, 1857. Sykes continued
on Frontier Duty on the Gila Expedition, 1857, and at Ft.
Fillmore, NM, 1857. He was on Detached Service at Baltimore,
1858; on Frontier Duty at Los Lunas, NM, 1858-1859; on the
Navajo Expedition, 1859; at Ft. Defiance, NM, 1859; Las
Lunas, NM, 1859- 1860; on the March to Texas, 1860; and
Ft. Clark, TX, 1860-1861.
He
was promoted to Major, 14th Infantry, May 14, 1861. He was
engaged in the Manassas Campaign of July, 1861, being engaged
in the Battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861; in Washington,
D. C., commanding the Regular Infantry, August, 1861-March,
1862. He was commissioned Brigadier-General, U. S. Volunteers,
September 28, 1861. He was next in the Virginia Peninsular
Campaign (Army of the Potomac), March-August, 1862, being
engaged in the Siege of Yorktown, April 5-May 4, 1862; and
Battle of Gaines's Mill, June 27, 1862. He was breveted
to Colonel, June 27, 1862, for gallant and meritorious services
in the Battle of Gaines's Mill, VA. Sykes was engaged in
the Battle of Malvern Hill, July 1, 1862; and thereafter
in the Northern Virginia Campaign, August-September, 1862,
being engaged on the March from Fredericksburg to Bull Run,
August, 1862; and the Battle of Manassas, August 29-30,
1862. In the Maryland Campaign (Army of the Potomac), September-November,
1862, he was engaged in the Battle of Antietam, September
17, 1862; Skirmish of Shepherdstown, VA, September 19, 1862;
and March to Falmouth, VA, October-November, 1862, participating
in the Skirmish of Snicker's Gap, VA, November 3, 1862.
Sykes
was promoted to Major-General, U. S. Volunteers, November
29, 1862. In the Rappahannock Campaign (Army of the Potomac),
December, 1862-June, 1863, he was engaged in the Battle
of Fredericksburg, December 12-13, 1863; and Battle of Chancellorsville,
May 2-4, 1863. At Chancellorsville, he was not involved
in the rout of the Federal right and his casualties were
less than 300 men. In the Pennsylvania Campaign, succeeding
George C. Meade in command of V Corps (Army of the Potomac)
after Meade was named commander of the Army of the Potomac,
June-July, 1863,in the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1-3, 1863,
Sykes played a crucial part in support of Sickles' III Corps
position and the left of the Union line; and was thereafter
in the Pursuit of the Enemy to Warrenton, VA, July, 1863.
In the Rapidan Campaign, commanding V Corps, (Army of the
Potomac), October-December, 1863, he was engaged on the
Rappahannock, Rapidan, and in the movement on Centreville,
October, 1863. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, 5th
Infantry, October 16, 1863. He was next engaged in the Combat
on Rappahannock Station, November 7, 1863 and Actions on
the Rapidan and Mine Run, November 24-December 1, 1863.
Meade found Sykes too slow when aggressive action was demanded
and relieved him of command. The following spring, Sykes
went to the Department of Kansas, April 20, 1864-June 7,
1865, being in command of the District of South Kansas,
September 1-October 10, 1864.
Sykes
was breveted to Brigadier-General, U. S. Army, March 13,
1865, for gallant and meritorious service at the Battle
of Gettysburg; and breveted to Major-General, U. S. Army,
March 13, 1865, for gallant and meritorious services in
the field during the Rebellion. He was waiting orders, June
7, 1865 to January 15, 1866; and in command of detachment
of Recruits for New Mexico, March 2-August 12, 1866. He
served in command of Regiment at Ft. Sumner, NM, August
12, 1866-April 27, 1867; of the District of New Mexico,
March 27-April 27, 1867; and of Ft. Sumner, NM, April-June,
1867. He was on leave of absence, June-August, 1867; a Member
of Examining Board, New York City, August-December, 1867;
awaiting orders, January- March, 1868. He was promoted to
Colonel, 20th Infantry, January 12, 1868. He was in command
of Regiment at Baton Rouge, LA, March 20, 1868- April, 1869;
of the District of Minnesota, April 20, 1869-June 15, 1873;
of Ft. Snelling, MN, September 20, 1873-December 20, 1877;
and of the District of the Rio Grande, and Ft. Brown, TX,
December 27, 1877- February 8, 1880.
He
died on February 8, 1880, at Ft. Brown, TX, aged 57 years.
General George B. McClellan, who had known Sykes from their
days at West Point, said of him: "As a gentleman his
character was the highest, also the purest, and he endeared
himself to all who were so fortunate as to be associated
with him. As a soldier his record was one that all might
be too glad to possess."
