George Pearson Buell (October 4, 1833 – May 31, 1883) was an American civil engineer and soldier. He served as a

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

general A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

, and remained in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

following the conflict.

Early life and career

George Pearson Buell was born in

Lawrenceburg, Indiana Lawrenceburg is a city in Dearborn County, Indiana, United States. The population was 5,042 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat and largest city of Dearborn County. Lawrenceburg is in southeast Indiana, on the Ohio River west of Cinc ...

, in 1833, a first cousin of future Union general

Don Carlos Buell Don Carlos Buell (March 23, 1818November 19, 1898) was a United States Army officer who fought in the Seminole War, the Mexican–American War, and the American Civil War. Buell led Union armies in two great Civil War battles— Shiloh and Per ...

. He attended Norwich University in 1856, and later became City Engineer of Leavenworth, Kansas. He then mined for gold and later was a civil engineer in

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...

.Eicher, 2001, p. 152.

Civil War service

Buell chose to defend the Union cause and entered the volunteer ranks of his birth state in 1861. On December 17 he was appointed to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the 58th Indiana Infantry. He was promoted to

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

on June 24, 1862. Buell led the 58th Indiana during the

Battle of Perryville The Battle of Perryville, also known as the Battle of Chaplin Hills, was fought on October 8, 1862, in the Chaplin Hills west of Perryville, Kentucky, as the culmination of the Confederate Heartland Offensive (Kentucky Campaign) during the ...

on October 8. Buell then led his regiment during the

Battle of Stones River The Battle of Stones River, also known as the Second Battle of Murfreesboro, was a battle fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the Am ...

in late December into January 1863. During the fight he took over command of Brig. Gen. Milo S. Hascall's brigade when that officer was needed for division command, and Lt. Col. James T. Embree then led the 58th Indiana. After the battle Buell was given

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. B ...

command and led several different brigades in the

Army of the Cumberland The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater during the American Civil War. It was originally known as the Army of the Ohio. History The origin of the Army of the Cumberland dates back to the creation ...

throughout 1863 and 1864. He also led a brigade during the

Battle of Chickamauga The Battle of Chickamauga, fought on September 19–20, 1863, between U.S. and Confederate forces in the American Civil War, marked the end of a Union offensive, the Chickamauga Campaign, in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia. I ...

on September 19–20, 1863. On January 23, 1865,

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

nominated Buell for appointment to the grade of

brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

of volunteers for his management of disassembled Federal pontoon trains used to construct

pontoon bridge A pontoon bridge (or ponton bridge), also known as a floating bridge, uses floats or shallow-draft boats to support a continuous deck for pedestrian and vehicle travel. The buoyancy of the supports limits the maximum load that they can carry. ...

s over waterways, to rank from January 12, 1865, and the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

confirmed the appointment on February 14, 1865. Buell commanded various brigades (and for two brief periods a

division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

) of the

Army of Georgia The Army of Georgia was a Union army that constituted the Left Wing of Major General William T. Sherman's Army Group during the March to the Sea and the Carolinas Campaign. History During Sherman's Atlanta Campaign in 1864, his Army Group wa ...

for the remainder of the war. He led a brigade during the

Battle of Bentonville The Battle of Bentonville (March 19–21, 1865) was fought in Johnston County, North Carolina, near the village of Bentonville, as part of the Western Theater of the American Civil War. It was the last battle between the armies of Union Maj ...

on March 19–21, consisting of the

13th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 13th Michigan Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 13th Michigan Infantry was organized at Kalamazoo, Michigan, and mustered into service for three years enlistmen ...

, the 21st Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment, and the 69th Ohio Infantry. The brigade suffered 205 casualties during this fight. Buell was mustered out of the volunteer service on July 25.

Postbellum

Buell elected to continue in the U.S. Army after the Civil War. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in the

regular army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the following: * a standin ...

on July 28, 1866, in the 29th U.S. Infantry Regiment. Buell was appointed a brevet colonel in the regular army to rank from March 2, 1867, a reward for his performance in November 1863 at

Missionary Ridge Missionary Ridge is a geographic feature in Chattanooga, Tennessee, site of the Battle of Missionary Ridge, a battle in the American Civil War, fought on November 25, 1863. Union forces under Maj. Gens. Ulysses S. Grant, William T. Sherman, a ...

during the war. On December 3, 1867,

Andrew Johnson nominated Buell for appointment to the grade of brevet brigadier general in the regular army, to date from March 2, 1867, and the

confirmed the appointment on February 14, 1868. On March 15, 1869, Buell was transferred to the 11th U.S. Infantry Regiment, and was promoted to colonel on March 20, 1879, in command of the 15th U.S. Infantry Regiment. He died in 1883 while on duty in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...

, and is buried there at Mount Olivet Cemetery.Eicher, 2001, p. 153.

Notes

References

* Eicher, John H., and Eicher, David J., ''Civil War High Commands'', Stanford University Press, 2001, .
civilwarhome.com
Stones River Union order of battle.

Perryville orders of battle.
nchistoricsites.org
Bentonville orders of battle.
militaryhistoryonline.com
Chickamauga Union order of battle.

External links