George D. Bisbee was born in Hartford, Maine, and raised in Peru, Maine. He put his law studies in Dixfield Village on hold on Aug 14, 1862 to enlist as a 1st sergeant in the 16th Maine Volunteer Regiment during the Civil War.

Bisbee was wounded at Fredericksburg, Virginia on December 13, 1862. While he was on leave in Maine recovering from his injury, he was promoted to 2nd lieutenant.

Bisbee was taken prisoner at Gettysburg and held at Libby Prison for 18 months. He was exchanged on April 1, 1865, and rejoined his regiment in time to participate in the surrender of the Confederate Army at Appomattox. Like other officers, he lost his promotion because he was held prisoner, and could not be mustered as a 2nd lieutenant.

Bisbee documented his Civil War experiences in his booklet, Three Years A Volunteer Soldier in the Civil War, Antietam to Appomattox.

After the Civil War, Bisbee returned to Rumford, became a lawyer, and was a business adviser for Hugh J. Chisholm. He served on various Boards, such as the Rumford Falls Railroad, The Rumford Mechanics Institute, and The Oxford Paper Company. Bisbee was a founder and president of the Rumford Falls Trust Company.

George D. Bisbee died in Rumford on May 26, 1918, and is buried in the Buckfield Village Cemetery.