Last updated: August 12, 2022
Person
George L. Hartsuff
Library of Congress
Quick Facts
Significance:
US Army General Officer
Place of Birth:
Tyre, New York
Date of Birth:
May 28, 1830
Place of Death:
New York, New York
Date of Death:
May 16, 1874
Place of Burial:
West Point, New York
Cemetery Name:
West Point Cemetery
The President directs that the troops in Kentucky not belonging to the Ninth Army Corps be organized into the Twenty-Third Army Corps, to be commanded by Major General George L. Hartsuff.
-General Orders No. 103, April 27, 1863
George L. Hartsuff was a career army officer who rose to the rank of major general of volunteers during the Civil War. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1852, graduating 19th out of 43 in his class, and was assigned duty with the 4th US Infantry. Hartsuff first saw action as a young artillerist during the Seminole Wars in 1855, where he received two severe wounds.
At the outbreak of the Civil War, Harstuff served on the staff of General William S. Rosecrans in Western Virginia before being promoted to brigadier general on April 15, 1862. He saw action at the Battle of Cedar Mountain, the Battle of Second Bull Run [Manassas], and the Battle of Antietam, where he recevied a suffered a serious wound to his hip. After a long recovery, Harstuff was promoted to major general on November 29, 1862 and sent west to serve in the Department of the Ohio.
He was assigned command of the newly organized Twenty-third Corps on April 27, 1863 as part of Major General Ambrose E. Burnside's Army of the Ohio. Harstuff made his headquarters at the Oliver Perry House [White House] at Camp Nelson prior to the start of the East Tennessee Campaign in August 1863. The Twenty-third Corps spearheaded the army's advance into Tennessee, culminating with the successful liberation of Knoxville on September 3rd. Suffering from his wounds, Hartsuff was relieved of command in November 1863. He returned to the army in March 1865 and participated in the final campaigns around Petersburg, Virginia.
Following the war, Hartsuff reverted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Regular Army and served in various post during Reconstruction. On June 29, 1871, Hartsuff was retired with the rank of major general "for disability from wounds received in battle." General Hartsuff died of his wounds three years later at the age of 43 and was interred at West Point Cemetery.