George Washington Getty (Oct. 2, 1819-Oct. 1, 1901) graduated at West Point in 1840, doing garrison duty at various posts. His classmates included several future Civil War generals, including William T. Sherman, George H. Thomas of the Union Army and Richard S. Ewell and Bushrod R. Johnson of the Confederate States Army.
He was promoted to 1st Lieutenant Oct. 31, 1845, and served in the Mexican War. He was present at Contreras and Churubusco and was brevetted captain for his service. He was also at Chapultepec and the taking of Mexico City. Getty served in the Seminole wars of 1849-50 and 1856-57 and was promoted captain in 1853. In 1861, he was made aide-de-camp with the rank of lieutenant-colonel and commanded the artillery in the engagements near Budd’s Ferry. In the Peninsular Campaign in 1862, Getty commanded four batteries at Yorktown, Gaines’ Mill, and Malvern Hill. He engaged at South Mountain and Antietam. He was promoted to brigadier-general of volunteers on Sept. 25, 1862, engaging at Fredericksburg. He received the rank of lieutenant-colonel on April 19, 1863. On Dec. 12, 1864, President Lincoln nominated Getty for appointment to the brevet grade of major general of volunteers, which was confirmed by the Senate. He was brevetted colonel on May 5, 1864, for gallantry at the Battle of Wilderness, where he was severely wounded. He served in the defense of Washington in July 1864 and was brevetted brigadier-general for his services in the Battle of Petersburg.
2 pp, 8” x 10” ALS on Headquarters United States Artillery School, Fort Monroe, VA, stationary, June 7th, 1882, providing information on another soldier to Robert H. Gardner Jr. of 39 Court St., Boston, MA.
“I have the pleasure to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of May 1st.
“James Fulton (?) was a classmate of mine at West Point. After graduation he entered the Dragoons and I the Artillery so that our spheres of duty…were wildly separated. After leaving West Point, it was not my good fortune ever to meet him except in our discussion in Washington…of the rebellion and this only long enough to pass the usual greetings. He was then suffering, I thought, with rheumatism, and how the disease [?]…I have no means of knowing . I did not know that he was disabled from disease until I saw this announcement that he had been placed in the [?] unit of the Army.
“Regretting…that I am unable to give you information directly in…Fulton’s disability.
“Geo. W. Getty
“Brig. Maj Gen’l U.S.A.”
Folds, but in very good condition.
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