Civil War Union Brigadier General, US Congressman. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, in 1847, served in the Mexican War and on the Western frontier before resigning in 1853. Becoming a civil engineer, he supervised the creation of New York City, New York's Central Park in Manhattan and Prospect Park in Brooklyn. Returning to the Army after the outbreak of the Civil War, he was promoted to Brigadier General, US Volunteer. In April 1862 he commanded the forces tat reduction Fort Pulaski on the Savannah River in Georgia, and after the capture of Norfolk, Virginia, in May 1862, he served there as military governor until October 1863. He resigned from the Army on October 20, 1863, returning to his civilian engineer profession. His "Topographical Atlas of the City of New York City", published in 1876, is still used by New York City engineers. He was elected as a Democrat to represent New York's 13th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1885 to 1887. He had a fear of being buried alive and had a buzzer installed in his mausoleum which if pressed by him would alert someone in the cemetery office to come and let him out. Interred in the mausoleum after he passed away in 1902, after twenty years the buzzer wire was finally cut.
Civil War Union Brigadier General, US Congressman. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, in 1847, served in the Mexican War and on the Western frontier before resigning in 1853. Becoming a civil engineer, he supervised the creation of New York City, New York's Central Park in Manhattan and Prospect Park in Brooklyn. Returning to the Army after the outbreak of the Civil War, he was promoted to Brigadier General, US Volunteer. In April 1862 he commanded the forces tat reduction Fort Pulaski on the Savannah River in Georgia, and after the capture of Norfolk, Virginia, in May 1862, he served there as military governor until October 1863. He resigned from the Army on October 20, 1863, returning to his civilian engineer profession. His "Topographical Atlas of the City of New York City", published in 1876, is still used by New York City engineers. He was elected as a Democrat to represent New York's 13th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1885 to 1887. He had a fear of being buried alive and had a buzzer installed in his mausoleum which if pressed by him would alert someone in the cemetery office to come and let him out. Interred in the mausoleum after he passed away in 1902, after twenty years the buzzer wire was finally cut.
Bio by: Bill Heneage
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