General David B Birney CDV and Signature with Rank as Major General Matted to 8” X 10”. David Bell Birney, born in Huntsville, Alabama, was a lawyer and businessman before the war. With no prior military experience, he joined the Union Army in 1861 as lieutenant colonel of the 23rd Pennsylvania Infantry. Promoted to colonel in August 1861, he led his regiment in the Peninsula Campaign. In April 1862, he was promoted to brigadier general, commanding a brigade in the III Corps, Army of the Potomac. Birney fought at Seven Pines, Second Bull Run, and Fredericksburg, where his leadership earned praise. Promoted to major general in May 1863, he commanded a division at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, where his division held key positions on the Union left flank. He led the III Corps at Spotsylvania and Cold Harbor in 1864. Birney contracted malaria during the Overland Campaign and died in Philadelphia on October 18, 1864, at age 39, leaving a legacy of steady leadership despite lacking formal military training.