George C. Burling
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George Childs Burling (February 17, 1834 – December 24, 1885) was a United States
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 (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...
officer 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 th ...
, serving mostly as
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 of ...
and commander of the
6th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry The 6th New Jersey Infantry Regiment (also called the "6th New Jersey Volunteers") was regiment of infantry from New Jersey that served in the Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. Service The 6th New Jersey Infantry Regiment was re ...
. Burling was born in
Burlington County, New Jersey Burlington County is a county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The county is the largest by area in New Jersey. Its county seat is Mount Holly.
, raised on his father's farm and educated at a private school in
Norristown, Pennsylvania Norristown is a municipality with home rule status and the county seat of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Montgomery County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the third-most populous county in Pennsylvania and the 7 ...
. He was a
coal merchant Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when dead ...
and a militia officer before the war. Burling's militia company was mustered into the volunteer service for a three-month term in July 1861, but it became company F of the 6th New Jersey with a three-year enlistment on September 9, 1861. Burling became the regiment's major on March 19, 1862, and lieutenant colonel on May 7 of that year. Burling was wounded at the
Second Battle of Bull Run The Second Battle of Bull Run or Battle of Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, in Prince William County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of the Northern Virginia Campaign waged by Confederate ...
in August 1862. When Colonel
Gershom Mott Gershom Mott (April 7, 1822 – November 29, 1884) was a United States Army officer and a General in the Union Army, a commander in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. Early life General Mott was born in Lamberton, New Jersey, a to ...
, commander of the 6th New Jersey, became a general, Burling was promoted to colonel. Burling commanded the regiment at the
Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Chancellorsville is known as Lee's "perfect battle" because h ...
, where he was wounded. His most notable service was as commander of his brigade (once known as the "Second New Jersey Brigade" of
III Corps (ACW) There were four formations in the Union Army designated as III Corps (or Third Army Corps) during the American Civil War. Three were short-lived: *In the Army of Virginia, a temporary designation of the command better known as I Corps (Army ...
but reorganized to include troops from other states) at the July 1863
Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
. His brigade was in reserve at the beginning of the second day's fighting on the left flank of the
Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the surrender of the Confedera ...
, but regiments were moved about separately as higher commanders saw fit. One regiment, 6th New Jersey, fought near Devil's Den. 8th New Jersey and 115th Pennsylvania fought in the Wheatfield. 7th New Jersey and 2nd New Hampshire supported artillery deployed at the Peach Orchard. 5th New Jersey was on the Emmitsburg Road. The brigade entered the battle with an estimated 1,396 troops and lost, according to Burling, 513 officers and men. Burling resigned March 4, 1864, because of ill health. On December 18, 1867,
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 ful ...
Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. He assumed the presidency as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a Dem ...
nominated Burling 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, to rank from March 13, 1865, for "gallant and meritorious services in the Battle of Gettysburg, Pa," 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, 1868. Burling married in October 1862. After the war, he and his wife lived on a farm outside
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, Pennsylvania. Burling was employed for a time by the
Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad (reporting mark PRR), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was named ...
and died at his home in Philadelphia of pulmonary cancer two decades after the war ended. He was interred at Mount Vernon Cemetery in Philadelphia on December 28, 1885, and later reinterred in Harleigh Cemetery,
Camden, New Jersey Camden is a city in and the county seat of Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Camden is part of the Delaware Valley metropolitan area and is located directly across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the 2020 ...
, in the Trinity Section, Lot 118. He is one of three Civil War Union Brevet Generals interred in the cemetery, along with Colonel
William Joyce Sewell William Joyce Sewell (December 6, 1835 – December 27, 1901) was an Irish-American Republican Party politician, merchant, and military officer who served as a U.S. Senator from New Jersey for two non-consecutive terms from 1881 to 1887 an ...
of the
5th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry {{Infobox military unit , unit_name= 5th New Jersey Infantry Regiment , image= , caption= , dates= July 24, 1861, to May 1865 , country= United States of America , allegiance= Union , branch= Union Army , type= Infantry , battles= Siege of Yorkto ...
and Colonel Timothy C. Moore of the 34th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry.


See also

*
List of American Civil War brevet generals (Union) __NOTOC__ This is a list of American Civil War brevet generals that served the Union Army. This list of brevet major generals or brevet brigadier generals currently contains a section which gives the names of officers who held lower actual or sub ...


Notes


References

* Burling, George C., Report of George C. Burling, August 20, 186

* Eicher, John H., and
David J. Eicher David John Eicher (born August 7, 1961) is an American editor, writer, and popularizer of astronomy and space. He has been editor-in-chief of ''Astronomy'' magazine since 2002. He is author, coauthor, or editor of 23 books on science and American ...
, ''Civil War High Commands.'' Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. . * Jorgensen, Jay, ''Gettysburg's Bloody Wheatfield'' (Shippensburg, PA: White Mane Books, 2002). * Pfanz, Harry W., ''Gettysburg the Second Day'' (Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina Press, 1987). * Toombs, Samuel, ''New Jersey Troops in the Gettysburg Campaign, from June 5 to July 31, 1863'' (Highstown, N.J. : Longstreet House, 1988). {{DEFAULTSORT:Burling, George C. 1834 births 1885 deaths Burials at Harleigh Cemetery, Camden Burials at Mount Vernon Cemetery (Philadelphia) People from Burlington County, New Jersey People of New Jersey in the American Civil War Union Army generals