George Washington Getty (October 2, 1819 – October 1, 1901) was a career military officer in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

, most noted for his role as a division commander in the Army of the Potomac during the final full year of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

Early life

Getty was born in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. He was appointed to the United States Military Academy at

West Point, New York West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. Located on the Hudson River in New York (state), New York, General George Washington stationed his headquarters in West Point in the summer and fall of 1779 durin ...

, at the age of 16, and graduated 15th out of 42 graduates in the Class of 1840. Among his classmates were future Civil War generals William T. Sherman and George H. Thomas of the Union Army and Richard S. Ewell and Bushrod R. Johnson of the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...

. He was assigned to the

artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...

as a second lieutenant. During the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

, he campaigned with Winfield Scott's army and received a brevet appointment as captain for gallantry at Contreras and Churubusco. He fought against the Seminole Indians in

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

in the last two Seminole Wars, seeing action in 1849–50 and again in 1856–57.

Civil War

At the beginning of the Civil War, Getty was a captain in the 4th U.S. Artillery. In September, 1861, he was appointed lieutenant colonel. He commanded a brigade of regular army artillery batteries in Maj. Gen.

George B. McClellan George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 24th governor of New Jersey and as Commanding General of the United States Army from November 1861 to March 186 ...

's 1862 Peninsula Campaign and Seven Days Campaign. Named Chief of Artillery of Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside's IX Corps, he served at the battles of South Mountain and Antietam during the Maryland Campaign. On September 25, 1862, Getty was promoted to the rank of brigadier general of volunteers and assigned to the

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

. During the

Battle of Fredericksburg The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat between the Union Army, Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Major general ( ...

in December, he commanded the 3rd Division of IX Corps. In March, 1863, Getty's division was sent to Suffolk, Virginia, where the Federal Army under Maj. Gen. John A. Dix successfully resisted Lt. Gen. James Longstreet's investment of the town, which guarded the southern approaches to

Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...

and

Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond, and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point near whe ...

. After subsequent engineering duty and command of a diversion to the South Anna River during the Gettysburg Campaign, Getty served as acting Inspector General of the Army of the Potomac. In early 1864, Getty was assigned to command 2nd Division, VI Corps and fought with great bravery and determination to hold a vital road intersection at the Battle of the Wilderness on May 5–6, 1864. He was wounded in the Battle of the Wilderness, but recovered to lead his troops during the lengthy Siege of Petersburg, and later in Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Getty became acting commander of VI Corps when Brig. Gen. James B. Ricketts was wounded leading the corps at the Battle of Cedar Creek. On December 12, 1864, President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

nominated Getty for appointment to the brevet grade of major general of volunteers, to rank from August 1, 1864, confirmed by the U.S. Senate on February 14, 1865. Getty's division, including the famed Vermont Brigade, made the initial breakthrough at Petersburg on April 2, 1865, and took part in the final campaign of the Army of the Potomac, which concluded with the surrender of Robert E. Lee at Appomattox Court House. On July 17, 1866, President Andrew Johnson nominated Getty for appointment to the brevet grade of major general, U.S. Army (

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 ...

), to rank from March 13, 1865, which the U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment on July 23, 1866. Getty was mustered out of the volunteer force on October 9, 1866.

Postbellum career

Getty was in command of the District of Baltimore, Maryland., Aug. 9, 1865, to January, 29th, 1866. Then he was in command of the District of the Rio Grande, February 19 to August 31, 1866.George W. Cullum's, Register of Officers and Graduates of the United States Military Academy, Vol. II, p.41 #1031 George W. Getty
/ref> During this time on July 28, 1866, Getty was appointed

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), 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 colon ...

of the 37th U.S. Infantry in the regular army.Eicher, 2001, p. 252 He next served in command of the District of Texas, from August 31 to October 9, 1866, during which time he was mustered out of Volunteer Service, on September 1, 1866. Following a leave of absence, awaiting orders, he was given command of the District of New Mexico, from April 11, 1867, to January 11, 1871. He transferred to command the 3rd U.S. Infantry, March 15, 1869. Getty then transferred to the 3rd U.S. Artillery on December 31, 1870, and then commanded the Artillery School at Fortress Monroe,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, for six years. In 1875 Getty extended the curriculum, previously restricted to technical aspects of artillery handling, to include "military art and science" - geography, military history and law. From June 24 to July 25, 1877, Getty was detached in command of troops along the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad during labor strikes. Getty was a member of the Board of Conduct which exonerated former V Corps commander Maj. Gen. Fitz John Porter in 1879. He transferred to the 4th U.S. Artillery on July 17, 1882. General Getty was a member of several military societies including the Aztec Club of 1847, the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States and the Military Order of Foreign Wars. After he retired from the Army on October 2, 1883, Getty lived on a farm near Forest Glen, Maryland, until his death there on October 1, 1901. Getty was buried in Section 1 of

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...

. General Getty Neighborhood Park, located near his farm in Forest Glen, is named after him.General Getty Neighborhood Park
. ''Montgomery Parks''. August 23, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2018.

Family

General Getty's son, Robert Nelson Getty (1855–1941), graduated from West Point in 1878 and served until he reached the mandatory retirement age of 64 in 1919. He was a veteran of the Indian Wars, the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

, the Philippine Insurrection and the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, during which he was promoted to brigadier general.

Notes

References

* Eicher, John H., and Eicher, David J., ''Civil War High Commands'', Stanford University Press, 2001, . * * Warner, Ezra J., ''Generals in Blue: Lives of the Union Commanders'', Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1964, .

External links

Photo gallery of G.W. Getty

{{DEFAULTSORT:Getty, George W. 1819 births 1901 deaths Burials at Arlington National Cemetery American military personnel of the Mexican–American War Members of the Aztec Club of 1847 People from Georgetown (Washington, D.C.) People of Washington, D.C., in the American Civil War United States Military Academy alumni United States Army generals People from Forest Glen, Maryland