George Washington Cullum

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George Washington Cullum (February 25, 1809 – February 28, 1892) was an American soldier, engineer and writer. He served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War, primarily serving in the Western Theater.

Cullum was born in New York City, but was raised in Meadville, Pennsylvania. He graduated from the United States Military Academy, ranking third in the Class of 1833. He joined the Corps of Engineers and supervised a number of construction projects on the East Coast. Cullum served as the engineer in charge of the construction of Fort Trumbull in New London, Connecticut. He was an instructor of engineering at West Point from 1848 to 1855, and published the forerunner of his Biographical Register in 1850. Cullum took two years leave of absence for health reasons, and traveled throughout Europe, Asia, Africa and the West Indies while recuperating.

During early part of the Civil War, Cullum was aide-de-camp to General Winfield Scott before becoming chief engineer of the Department of the Missouri in November 1861 after being promoted to brigadier general. He later superintended engineering works on the Western rivers and was chief engineer at the Siege of Corinth. He was superintendent of the military academy from 1864 to 1866 and was brevetted as a major general at the end of the war in 1865.

After the war, Cullum remained in the Regular Army at a variety of engineering posts, supervising several projects to strengthen America's coastal defenses. He retired from active service in January 1874 and returned to New York City.

He published:

Systems of Military Bridges (1863)
Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the United States Military Academy (1868; third edition, 1891-1910)
Campaigns and Engineers of the War of 1812-15 (1879)

On his death in New York City in 1892, he left part of his fortune to be used for the erection of the Memorial Hall at West Point and for the continuance of his Biographical Register.