| George Pearson Buell | |
|---|---|
George Pearson Buell |
|
| Born | October 4, 1833 Lawrenceburg, Indiana |
| Died | May 31, 1883 (aged 49) Nashville, Tennessee |
| Place of burial | Mount Olivet Cemetery |
| Allegiance | United States of America Union |
| Service/branch | Union Army United States Army |
| Years of service | 1861–81 |
| Rank | Brevet Brigadier General |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
George Pearson Buell (October 4, 1833 – May 31, 1883) was an American civil engineer and soldier. He served as a Union Army general during the American Civil War, and remained in the United States Army following the conflict.
Contents |
George P. Buell was born in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, in 1833, a first cousin of future Union general Don Carlos Buell. 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.[1]
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 on June 24, 1862.[1] Buell led the 58th Indiana during the Battle of Perryville on October 8.[2] Buell then led his regiment during the Battle of Stones River 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.[3] After the battle Buell was given brigade command and led several different brigades in the Army of the Cumberland throughout 1863 and 1864.[4] He also led a brigade during the Battle of Chickamauga on September 19–20, 1863.[5]
On January 12, 1865, he was appointed a brevet brigadier general in the Union Army for his management of disassembled Federal pontoon trains[6] used to construct pontoon bridges over waterways. Buell commanded various brigades (and for two brief periods a division) of the Army of Georgia for the remainder of the war.[7] He led a brigade during the Battle of Bentonville on March 19–21, consisting of the 13th Michigan Infantry, the 21st Michigan Infantry, and the 69th Ohio Infantry. The brigade suffered 205 casualties during this fight.[8] Buell was mustered out of the volunteer service on July 25.[1]
Buell elected to continue in the U.S. Army after the Civil War. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in the regular army on July 28, 1866, in the 29th U.S. Infantry. Buell was appointed a brevet colonel on March 2, 1867, a reward for his performance in November 1863 at Missionary Ridge during the war, and a brevet brigadier general (both in the Regular Army) on that same date.[9]
On March 15, 1869, Buell was transferred to the 11th U.S. Infantry, and was promoted to colonel on March 20, 1879, in command of the 15th U.S. Infantry. He died in 1883 while on duty in Nashville, Tennessee, and is buried there at Mount Olivet Cemetery.[10]