American Historical Ephemera and Photography

CDV on cardstock mount (toning, staining to left edge of print; toning, spotting, and wear to edges and corners of mount). Mount bears Pollock's blindstamp. Greene is featured here wearing a brigadier general uniform and his characteristic long mustache and pointed beard.

George Sears Greene (1801-1899) graduated from the United States Military Academy second in his class in 1823. As such, he stayed at the academy as an instructor in mathematics and engineering, and even left the Army to work as a civil engineer for many years. With the advent of the Civil War, Greene enlisted at the advanced age of 61, being commissioned a colonel of the 60th New York Infantry Regiment in January of 1862. Only a few months later, he was appointed brigadier general of volunteers, serving on the staff of Major General Nathaniel Banks. He led bravely at Antietam, directing his men in an assault that penetrated Stonewall Jackson's defensive line, and at Gettysburg, defending the Union right flank on Culp's Hill with fortifications, successfully holding off Confederate attacks for critical hours.

Greene sustained a serious wound, being shot in the face at the Battle of Wauhatchie after the XII Corps was transferred west. After medical leave, he returned to the army at New Berne, NC in January of 1865, and took part in the Battle of Wyse Fork, where his horse was shot out from under him. He ended the war participating in the capture of Raleigh and the pursuit of Joseph Johnston's army until its ultimate surrender. He was brevetted a major general of volunteers in March of 1865.

Greene returned to engineering after the war, and by 1892 was the oldest surviving Union general. He died in 1899, and is memorialized with a statue on Culp's Hill at Gettysburg.