An Ex-Pittsburgher in Prison as a Secessionist. – Many of our citizens will remember George M. Brisbin, a printer, who was for a long time employed in this office. It had been asserted that he was in the secession army, but the following, from the Harrisburg Telegraph, is the latest intelligence we have of him: – “A man named Geo. M. Brisbin, said to be an officer in one of the New Orleans Volunteer companies, was confined in our prison last Saturday by Sherrif Boss, at the instance of the authorities at Washington. Brisbin, it appears, was taken prisoner at Bull Run, and subsequently confined at Washington. He managed, however, to secure a citizen’s dress, and effected his escape to this city, where it is said he stopped over night at the house of a relative, and proceeded next morning to Alexandria, Huntingdon county, where he was arrested. – We presume he will be taken back to Washington to await the action of the authorities.” [1]
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Geo. M. Brisbin, a former resident of Pittsburg, and a printer, of whose capture, while fighting in a rebel company at Bull’s Run, and subsequent escape and arrest at Huntingdon, a note was made in this paper, a few days ago, has published a card in a Harrisburg paper. The traitor coolly complains that he was treated roughly and unwarrantably confined. [2]
1 – Pittsburgh (PA) Daily Post, 8/7/1861
2 – Wheeling (VA) Daily Intelligencer, 8/12/1861
George Brisbin apparently remained in Alexandria, PA, and is buried there. He also, apparently, enlisted in the 12 Pennsylvania Infantry regiment, where he remained for 2 weeks, in 1862. Below are images from his Confederate Compiled Military Service Record (CMSR) (misspelled as Bristoe. all other records in the file show last name as Brisbin, and the notation on the below is consistent with those other records – see Fold3 link below) and from his Pennsylvania Veteran File Card.
The term for Confederate prisoners who subsequently enlisted in the service of the United States is “Galvanized Yankees.” Brisbin’s service in neither army is recorded on his headstone.
Harry Smeltzer
Bull Runnings 
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