George Washington Deitzler (November 30, 1826 – April 11, 1884) was a Union Army General during the American Civil War. He was also known as the mayor of Lawrence, Kansas, in 1860 and served as Treasurer of The University of Kansas after. Deitzler was a prominent member of The Free State Party in Kansas and after the war, the Republican Party. Biography Deitzler was born George Washington Ditzler in Pine Grove, Pennsylvania, where he received a common school education ("very common" he once said). As a young man, he moved to the new West. After a short residence in Illinois, and in California, Deitzler went to Lawrence Kansas in March 1855. While in San Francisco, Dietzler had added the e before the i in his name and persuaded his brother, Rev. Jefferson M. Deitzler (still in Pennsylvania) to do the same. In Kansas, Deitzler “grew up with the state.” He engaged in farming and real estate dealing. He soon took an active part in politics. When the plan to organize a free-state government was set to foot in opposition to the pro-slavery territorial government, Deitzler was sent to Boston to see Amos Lawrence and other friends of the cause. He received an order for one hundred Sharp's rifles which were very soon on their way to Kansas in boxes marked "books." Other shipments of "books" soon followed. Military companies armed with the new weapons were formed among the free-state men. In the so-called Wakarusa War in November 1855, Deitzler was aid-de-camp to the commander of the free-state forces, and during part of the time was in full command. A few months later, when the territorial judiciary began to function, Chief Justice Lecompte instructed a grand jury sitting at Lecompton that levying war on the authorities of the territory was treason against the state. Deitzler and several other free-state leaders were indicted on charges of treason. They were immediately arrested and kept in a prison tent at Lecompton for about four months. Subsequently, their indictments were dismissed by issuing a nolle prosequi. Deitzler's activities on behalf of the free-state cause were incessant. He served on committees, attended meetings and conventions, counseled with other leaders, and wrote for the press. He was first elected a member of the free-state territorial legislature of 1857–1858 and was re-elected in 1859–1860. During those terms, Deitzler was elected as speaker of the Kansas House of Representatives.