- George C. Burling
George Childs Burling (
February 17 ,1834 –December 24 ,1885 ) was aUnited States Union Army officer during theAmerican Civil War , serving mostly ascolonel and commander of the6th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry . Burling was born inBurlington County ,New Jersey , raised on his father's farm and educated at a private school inNorristown ,Pennsylvania . He was a coal merchant and a militia officer before the war. Burling's militia company was mustered into the volunteer service for a three months term in July of 1861, but it became company F of the 6th New Jersey with a three year enlistment onSeptember 9 , 1861. Burling became the regiment's major onMarch 19 ,1862 and lieutenant colonel onMay 7 of that year. Burling was wounded at theSecond Battle of Bull Run in August of 1862.When Colonel
Gershom Mott , commander of the 6th New Jersey, became a general, Burling was promoted to colonel. Burling commanded the regiment at theBattle of Chancellorsville , where he was wounded. His most notable service was as commander of his brigade (once known as the "Second New Jersey Brigade" ofIII Corps (ACW) but reorganized to include troops from other states) at the July 1863Battle of Gettysburg ,Pennsylvania . His brigade was in reserve at the beginning of the second day's fighting on the left flank of theArmy of the Potomac , but regiments were moved about separately as higher commanders saw fit. One regiment, 6th New Jersey, fought near Devil's Den. 8th New Jersey and 115th Pennsylvania fought in the Wheatfield. 7th New Jersey and 2nd New Hampshire supported artillery deployed at the Peach Orchard. 5th New Jersey was on the Emmitsburg Road. The brigade entered the battle with an estimated 1,396 troops and lost, according to Burling, 513 officers and men.Burling resigned
March 4 ,1864 because of ill health. He was awarded the brevet promotion to brigadier general, United States Volunteers onMarch 13 ,1865 , for "gallant and meritorious services in the Battle of Gettysburg, Pa."Burling married in October of 1862. After the war he and his wife lived on a farm outside
Philadelphia , Pennsylvania. Burling was employed for a time by thePennsylvania Railroad and died at his home in Philadelphia of pulmonary cancer two decades after the war ended. He is buried in Harleigh Cemetery,Camden, New Jersey , in the Trinity Section, Lot 118. He is one of three Civil War Union Brevet Generals interred in the cemetery, along with ColonelWilliam Joyce Sewell of the5th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry and ColonelTimothy C. Moore of the34th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry .References
* Samuel Toombs, "New Jersey troops in the Gettysburg campaign, from June 5 to July 31, 1863" (Highstown, N.J. : Longstreet House, 1988).
* Report of George C. Burling, August 20, 1863 [http://www.civilwarhome.com/burlinggettysburgor.htm] .
* Jay Jorgensen, "Gettysburg's Bloody Wheatfield" (Shippensburg, PA: White Mane Books, 2002).
* Harry W. Pfanz, "Gettysburg the Second Day" (Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina Press, 1987).Persondata
NAME= Burling, George C.
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SHORT DESCRIPTION= Union Army General
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