Greene, George Sears (1801-1899)

Name:

Greene, George Sears (1801-1899)

Title:

Brevet Major General, U.S. Army

Born:

05/06/1801

Birthplace:

Apponaug, RI

Died:

01/28/1899

Death Location:

Morristown, NJ

Nationality:

American

Occupation:

Civil engineer
Army officer

Father:

Greene, Caleb

Mother:

Wicks, Sarah Robinson

Relations:

General Nathanael Greene, second cousin
Lorenzo Thomas, Joseph K. Mansfield, David Hunter, Dennis Hart Mahan, and Albert Sidney Johnston (classmates at West Point)
Robert E. Lee (student at West Point)

Spouse:

Mary Elizabeth Vinton (m1828, d1833) (children 1-3)
Martha Barrett Dana (m02/21/1837, d1883) (children 4-9)

Children:

1 Mary Vinton Greene (b. c1829-33; d.1833)
2 George Sears Greene (b. c1829-33; d. 1833)
3 Francis Vinton Greene (b. c1829-33; d. 1833)
4 Lt. Samuel Dana Greene (02/11/1839 � 12/11/1884)
5 Francis Vinton Greene (06/27/1850�05/13/1921)
6 Charles Thurston Greene
7 George Sears Greene, Jr.
8 daughter
9 son, died in infancy

Notes:

One of nine children.
Hoped to attend Brown University, but father could not afford it, due to loss of shipping during Embargo Act of 1807 and War of 1812.
Moved to New York City and worked in a dry goods store on Pearl Street.
Met Major Sylvanus Thayer, commandant of West Point, while working at the store and was reccomended to the Secratary of War (John C. Calhoun) for an appointment to the academy.
Entered West Point in 1819, graduated 2nd in class of 1923, commissioned 2nd Lt. in 3rd US Artillery regiment, but retained at the academy until 1827 as an assistant professor.
Married Mary Vinton in 1828, sister of best friend at West Point.
Wife and all three children died of tuberculosis in 1833, while stationed in Maine.
Studied law and medicine to help get over the deaths, came close to professional certification in both.
Resigned Army comission in 1836 to become a civil engineer.
Built railroads in 6 states.
Designed municipal sewage and water systems for Washington, D.C., Detroit, and several other cities.
Designed Croton Aqueduct reservoir in New York, NY.
Enlarged High Bridge over Harlem River.
Met second wife on a surveying expedition to Maine, married 02/21/1837, had six children, three served in the military.
Sought reappointment to Army at outbreak of Civil War, due to strong feelings that the Union must be preserved.
Appointed Colonel of 60th NY Infantry Regiment, 01/18/1862.
Appointed Brigadier General of Volunteers, 04/28/1862.
Served on the staff of Maj. Gen. Nathaniel Banks during Shenandoah Valley campaign.
Despite his age (61), Greene was one of the most agressive commanders in the army.
Commanded 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, II Corps, of the Army of Virginia. Later became XII Corps.
Brigade performed admirably at Battle of Cedar Mountain (08/09/1862), holding off an attack by a force triple their own size; Greene temporarily took division command upon wounding of the Division Commander.
Again took temporary command of the division at Battle of Antietam (09/17/1862); achieved the greatest penetration of Confederate positions that day, but forced to withdraw after four hours and suffering heavy casualties.
Resumed Brigade command, and unit was involved in minor skirmished until Chancelorsville (04/30-05/06/1863), when Brigade held position after being outflanked, thanks to field fortifications that Greene had ordered constructed. Once again temporarily assumed Division command, because the Division commander was wounded again.
Greene held Culp's Hill at Gettysburg (07/02/1863), with his lone brigade of 1350 men against multiple fierce attacks by an entire Confederate division. Greene had errected fortifications again, despite the disinterest in them from his Division and Corps commanders. Green was commended for the defense by Brig. Gen. Alpheus Williams.
XII Corps transferred to Western theatre, Fall, 1863, to relieve Chatanooga.
Wounded in the face at Battle of Wauhatchie (10/28�29/1863), lost part of his jaw and several teeth. Only on leave for 6 months, then assigned to Court-martial duty until 01/1865, when he joined Sherman's army in NC.
Served on the staff of Maj. Gen. Jacob D. Cox, and had his horse shot out from under him at the Battle of Wyse Fork (03/07-10/1865).
In command of 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, XIV Corps in last months of war, participating in capture of Raliegh and the pursuit of Confederate forces under General Joseph Johnston.
Post-war, served on court martial duty for a year before returning to civil engineering.
Chief engineer commissioner of the Croton Aqueduct Department in New York, 1867-71.
Inspected entirety of 30-mile Croton aqueduct structure on foot at age 86.
President of the American Society of Civil Engineers, 1875-7.
President of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society.
Appointed to West Point's Board of Visitors in 1881.
Greene was the oldest surviving Union general and the oldest living graduate of West Point in 1892.
On August 18, 1894, Greene took the oath of office as a first lieutenant of artillery and became, at 93, the oldest lieutenant in the U.S. Army for 48 hours. This was in order to be eligible for a pension that would help his family after his death.
A 2-ton boulder from Culp's Hill was placed above Greene's grave.