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1864 Article on General David Bell Birney
Civil War General, 5th child
of James G. and Agatha (McDowell) Birney.

by Marvin Kusmierz (January 2004)

Birth: 29 May 1825, Huntsville, Madison Co., AL.

Death: 18 Oct 1864, Philadelphia, PA.

Burial: Woodlands, Philadelphia, PA.

Spouse: (1) Anna B. Case. (2) Maria A. Jennison.

The Civil War took its toll in the death of many sons of families on both sides of the conflict, and the James G. Birney family was among families hit most hardly by this historical event. Four sons and a grandson of his fought with the Union army. Sons, David and William were generals, Dion a Lieutenant, son Fitzhugh a Major, and grandson James G., a Lieutenant. All but, his grandson James G. died as a result of the war.

The following article was written at the time of the death of Gen. David Bell Birney. It briefly describes his early life, and, in detail, his service during the Civil War. The article was written in 1864, and, published in the N.Y. Herald. It was reprinted in the Bay City Journal of Bay City, Michigan that year.

Bay City Journal - October 28, 1864 MAJOR GENERAL D.B. BIRNEY ______________________________ The country again called upton to mourn the death of its distinquished heroes. Major General D.B. Birney died at his residence, 1,920, Bruce street, Philadelphia, on the evening of the 18th inst., of fever contracted in the arduous campaign against Richmond. David Bell Birney was born in Huntsville, Alabama, on the 29th day of May, 1825. He was the son of the Hon. James G. Birney, at one time the anti-slavery candidate for the Presidency; and a gentleman of prominence in the liberty party of his State. When quite young the subject of the present sketch removed with his father to Cincinnati, Ohio. He originally studied law, but instead of entering immediately into practice, he engaged in mercantile pursuits. For several years he remained in the West, and in 1848 made his home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he commenced the practice of his profession. After the first call for troops, upon the outbreak of the present war, Mr. Birney, busily engaged in the recruitment of the Twenty-third regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers for three months, and was commissioned lieutenant colonel. The regiment was placed in the column of Gen. Patterson, commanding the First division of Pennsylvania State troops, and operated on the Upper Potomac, in the vicinity of Haper's Ferry. At the expiration of its term of service the Twenty-third re-enlisted for three years, and Lieutenant Colonel Birney was commissioned colonel of the regiment. In August, 1861, his regiment was ordered to the Army of Potomac, then commanded by General McClellan. In December, 1861, Colonel Birney was assigned to the command of a brigade. On February 3, 1862, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general, and was assigned to the command of the Second brigade, Third division (Kearney), Third army corps (Heintzleman), Army of the Potomac. On the Peninsula, General Birney partcipated in all the battles from Williamsburg to Malvern Hill, and was frequently mentioned for conspicuous service. At the battle of Fair Oaks, in June 1862, General Birney was arrested for disobedience of orders, but, upon investigation of the causes, was honorably aquitted. In General Pope's compaign in Northern Viriginia, he took a prominent part, and particularly distinguished himself at the second battle of Bull Run. At Fredericksburg in December, 1862, he commanded a division in General Stoneman'sThird army corps, Army of the Potomac, and in February, 1863, commanded the First division, Third Army corps (Sickles), Hooker's army. At Chancellerville, May 1, 1868, he took a prominent part, and was promoted to major general, to date from May 20, 1863. In June 1863, he temporarily commanded the Third army corps in place of General Sickles, and at Gettysburg again took command of the corps, after the wounding of General Sickles Shortly after he was relieved by General French, and resumed command of his division. He also took part in the "passage of the Rappahannock," Nov. 7, 1863. In the reorganization of the army by Lieutenant General Grant in March, 1864, General Birney was assigned to the Third division, Second army corps (Hancock), General Mead's Army of the Potomac, and partcipated in General Grant's movements towards Richmond. In June, 1864, he was temporarily in command of the 2nd corps, during the sickness of General Hancock, and in July, upon the return of that officer, resumed command of his division. Shortly after, by special orders from General Grant, approved by the President, General Birney was assigned to the command of the Tenth corps, Butler's army of the James, relieving General Terry. The part taken by the Tenth corps under the leadership of General Birney, in the severe operations south of the James river, against Petersburg, his gallant assaults upon the powerful works of the enemy, his splendid conduct in the recent movements on the north side of the James, his conduct at Deep Bottom and Chapin's farm, are still fresh in the memory and need not be repeated here. In his military career, which has been so uniformly successful and brilliant, General Birney enjoyed the advantage over his associate general officers taken from civil life, in that he received in his early days a military education to the fullest extent furnished by the Western Military Institute of Georgetown, Kentucky. As a companion and friend he was ever affable, polite and sociable. A strict disciplinarian, he was yet accessible to the humblest private in his command, who could approach him with an assurance of a patient hearing, and a just determination of his suit. He was generous as he was brave, and, with firm Christian principles, always approved himself an honest and honorable man. In the present campaign against Richmond it was his misfortune to find his encampment among the malarious marshes of the famous Chickahominy. Here, after driving the rebels into the very gates of the rebel capital, achieving a series of victories that had promised not only to make his name famous in history, but to give him a more extended field of usefulness in the immediate present, he contracted the fatal disease that caused his death. The malaria had effected him so seriously as to demand medical assistance, and a course of treatment had been commenced that promised, with a days of quiet and repose, a full restoration of health, when on the morning of the 7th inst., the rebels made their desparate attempt to turn our right flank. Contrary to the advice of his physicians, and despite the earnest remonstrances of his friends, Birney mounted his horse at daylight, and, amid the unsurpassed storm of bullets and shell from which he was miraculously delivered unhurt, he directed every movement of this gallant command. But the exertion added to the weakening effect of the medicine, was too much for him. At midday he was compelled to call an ambulance, and, reclining in such a convenience, he continued in the field until night. The prostration that followed baffled the skill of the best physicians. On the following day he reluctantly consented to apply for a leave of absence from the field, provided the Medical Director would give him a certificate of disability that would not appear to be based upon a childish complaint. On the morning of the 9th inet. he left his home in Philadelphia promising to return within ten days. The passage home increased his malady, and on arriving in Philadelphia he had barely strength enough left to slight from his carriage at the polls of the ward in which he resided and deposit his ballots for the Union candidates. Such was his last public act. From that day he sunk gradually but steadily, despite all the careful nursing of an affectionate wife, the comforts of a most comfortable and elegant home, and the skill and unremitting attentions of his family physicians, finally gracefully and quietly expiring, late in the evening of the 18th inst. --- N.Y. Herald

Related resources:

• Description of Gen. D.B. Birney from "The Generals of Gettysburg" by Larry Tagg.