George Dibrell American cavalryman of the Southern Army Date of Birth: 12.04.1822 Country: USA

Biography of George Gibbs Dibrell

George Gibbs Dibrell was born on April 12, 1822, in White County, Tennessee. He received a basic secondary education and then spent a year studying at East Tennessee University. Dibrell was involved in farming and trade, gradually building a career in these fields.

In 1861, Dibrell was elected as a delegate to the state assembly, which decided on secession from the Union. He strongly defended his pro-Union views but ultimately supported the decision of his home state of Tennessee to secede. In alignment with the majority, Dibrell voluntarily joined the Confederate Army, becoming one of the first to do so.

Initially serving as a private, Dibrell quickly rose through the ranks. By August 10, 1861, he had become a lieutenant colonel, and in September, he was appointed as the colonel of the Rangers under the command of Nathan Bedford Forrest. Dibrell's name frequently appeared in Confederate reports about Forrest's actions, always receiving positive mentions. For example, his capture of the Northern colonel R. J. Ingersoll was described as a brilliant military achievement.

In March 1863, General Bragg requested that Forrest allocate a cavalry unit to protect Southern manufacturing sites in Tuscumbia and Florence, Alabama, from Federal raiders. Dibrell's regiment was chosen for this task, and on March 25, he not only defeated the Northern forces in battle but also captured two Federal gunboats. During the summer campaign of 1863, when Rosecrans outmaneuvered the Confederates under Bragg in Tennessee, Forrest sent Dibrell to reinforce Wheeler's cavalry division. Their combined forces engaged in a battle near Sparta. The fight had its ups and downs, but ultimately the Confederates overcame the Federals and pursued them for several miles before returning to their camp, where Spartan women had prepared a meal for them.

As a recognition of his military achievements, Dibrell was promoted to the rank of brigadier general on July 26, 1864, a position he held until the end of the war, serving under first Forrest and then Wheeler. After the fall of Richmond and the surrender of Lee's army, Dibrell, who was then in North Carolina, successfully carried out the task of saving the Confederate archives.

After the Civil War, Dibrell returned to his home state and pursued a political career. From 1875 to 1879, he served as a United States Congressman from Tennessee. In 1883, he organized the Tennessee Division of Confederate Veterans and led it until his death in 1886, never missing a single meeting.