Civil War Union Brevet Brigadier General. He graduated seventh in his class from West Point, was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant, Topographical Engineers, on July 1, 1848, and assigned to Corpus Christi, Texas. He worked on the Mexican bounder survey from 1851 to 1857 and served as chief topographical engineer in surveys for a canal from the Gulf of Darien to the Pacific Ocean from 1858 to 1860. As a Captain at the outbreak of the Civil War he served with the armies of the Ohio and Cumberland, 1861-1863. He and his men built defensive works in the battles of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg, Virginia. On August 1, 1864, he was promoted Colonel of the Corps of Engineers and for his war service was brevetted Brigadier General, April 2, 1865. In 1866, he was chosen to select a site for a presidential mansion and public park in Washington. He was superintendent in the District of Columbia until 1871 and was chief engineer with the General Commanding Division of the Pacific from 1872 to 1875. From 1878 to 1880, he served as military attaché for the United States Legation in Vienna, Austria. At the time of his death, he was engineer for river and harbor improvements for the states of New York, New Jersey and Vermont. Cause of death, Bright's disease.
Civil War Union Brevet Brigadier General. He graduated seventh in his class from West Point, was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant, Topographical Engineers, on July 1, 1848, and assigned to Corpus Christi, Texas. He worked on the Mexican bounder survey from 1851 to 1857 and served as chief topographical engineer in surveys for a canal from the Gulf of Darien to the Pacific Ocean from 1858 to 1860. As a Captain at the outbreak of the Civil War he served with the armies of the Ohio and Cumberland, 1861-1863. He and his men built defensive works in the battles of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg, Virginia. On August 1, 1864, he was promoted Colonel of the Corps of Engineers and for his war service was brevetted Brigadier General, April 2, 1865. In 1866, he was chosen to select a site for a presidential mansion and public park in Washington. He was superintendent in the District of Columbia until 1871 and was chief engineer with the General Commanding Division of the Pacific from 1872 to 1875. From 1878 to 1880, he served as military attaché for the United States Legation in Vienna, Austria. At the time of his death, he was engineer for river and harbor improvements for the states of New York, New Jersey and Vermont. Cause of death, Bright's disease.
Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith
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