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 [decorative delimiter] Class of 1842

Vol. II
p110
1112

(Born Va.)

John Newton

(Ap'd Va.)

2

Born August, 1822,​a Norfolk, VA.

Military History. — Cadet at the Military Academy, July 1, 1838, to July 1, 1842, when he was graduated and promoted in the Army to

Second Lieut., Corps of Engineers, July 1, 1842.

Served: as Assistant to the Board of Engineers, 1842‑43; at the Military Academy, 1843‑46, as Asst. Professor of Engineering, Oct. 18, 1843, to Aug. 31, 1844, — and as Principal Asst. Professor of Engineering, Aug. 31, 1844, to July 1, 1846; as Asst. Engineer in the construction of Ft. Warren, Boston harbor, Mas., 1846, — and of Ft. Trumbull, New London Harbor, Ct., 1846‑49; as Superintending Engineer of construction of Fts. Wayne, Mich., and Porter, Niagara, and Ontario, N. Y., 1849‑52, — of Surveys of Cobscook Bay, Kennebec River, and Matinicus

(First Lieut., Corps of Engineers, Oct. 16, 1852)

Island, for Breakwater at Owl's-head, Me., 1852‑53, — of Improvement of St. John's River, of Haul-over Canal, and of Repairs of St. Augustine Sea-wall, Fla., 1853‑54, — of Fts. Pulaski and Jackson, and Improvement of Light-houses on Savannah River, Ga., 1854, — for trial and inspection of dredge boat for Sullivan's Island bar, 1854, — and of Fortifications and Light-houses, Pensacola Harbor, Fla., 1855‑58; as Member of Commission for devising a project for the Improvement of St. John's River, Fla., 1853, — of Board to examine Pensacola Dock, Fla., 1856, — and of

(Captain, Corps of Engineers, July 1, 1856, for Fourteen Years' Continuous Service)

special Board of Engineers to select Sites and prepare projects for Coast Defenses of Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas; as Chief Engineer of the Utah Expedition, 1858; as Superintending Engineer of the construction of Ft. Delaware, and of Repairs of Ft. Mifflin, Delaware Bay, 1858‑61; and as Member of Special Board of Engineers for modifying plans of Fort at Sandy Hook, N. J., 1860, — and for selecting Sites for additional Batteries at Ft. Hamilton, N. Y., 1860.

 p111  Served during the Rebellion of the Seceding States, 1861‑66: as Chief Engineer of the Department of Pennsylvania, May 29 to July 23, 1861, being engaged in the Action of Falling Waters, Va., June 30, 1861; as Chief Engineer of the Department of the Shenandoah, July 25 to

(Major, Corps of Engineers, Aug. 6, 1861)

Aug. 26, 1861; as Asst. Engineer in the construction of the Defenses of Washington, D. C., Aug. 28, 1861, to Mar. 10, 1862; in command of Brigade in the Defenses of Washington, D. C., Sep. 23, 1861, to Mar. 10,

(Brig.‑General, U. S. Volunteers, Sep. 23, 1861)

1862; in the Virginia Peninsular Campaign (Army of the Potomac), Mar. to Aug., 1862, being engaged in the Action at West Point, May 7, 1862, — Battle of Gaines's Mill, June 27, 1862, — and Battle of Glendale, June 30, 1862; in the retreat from Bull Run to Washington, D. C., Sep. 1‑2, 1862; in the Maryland Campaign (Army of the Potomac), Sep. to Nov., 1862, being engaged in the Battle of South Mountain, Sep. 14, 1862, — Battle of Antietam, Sep. 17, 1862, — and March to Falmouth,

(Bvt. Lieut.‑Colonel, Sep. 17, 1862,
for Gallant and Meritorious Services at the Battle of Antietam, Md.)

Va., Oct.‑Nov., 1862; in the Rappahannock Campaign, commanding a Division (Army of the Potomac), Dec., 1862, to June, 1863, being engaged

(Major-General, U. S. Volunteers, Mar. 30, 1863, to Apr. 18, 1864)

in the Battle of Fredericksburg, Dec. 13, 1862, — Storming of Marye Heights, May 3, 1863, — and Battle of Salem, May 3‑4, 1863; in the Pennsylvania Campaign (Army of the Potomac), June‑July, 1863, being

(Bvt. Colonel, July 3, 1863,
for Gallant and Meritorious Services at the Battle of Gettysburg, Pa.)

engaged in the Battle of Gettysburg, July 2‑3, 1863, — in command of 1st Corps from July 2, 1863, — and Pursuit of the enemy to Warrenton, Va., July, 1863; in the Rapidan Campaign, in command of 1st Corps (Army of the Potomac), Oct. to Dec., 1863; in the Invasion of Georgia, in command of 2d Division, 4th Corps (Army of the Cumberland), May 2 to Sep. 24, 1864, being engaged in Storming Rocky-face Ridge, and Operations around Dalton, May 7‑13, 1864, — Battle of Resaca, May 15, 1864, — Action of Adairsville, May 17, 1864, — Pursuit of the enemy, May 17‑19, 1864, to Etowah River, with constant skirmishing, — Battle of Dallas, May 25‑28, 1864, — Movement on Pine Mountain, with almost daily heavy engagements, May 28 to June 20, 1864, — Battles of Kenesaw, June 20 to July 2, 1864, — Passage of the Chattahoochee River, July 12‑17, 1864, — Battle of Peach Tree Creek, July 20, 1864, — Siege of Atlanta, July 22 to Sep. 2, 1864, — Assault on the enemy's intrenchments at Jonesborough, Sep. 1, 1864, — Battle of Lovejoy's Station, Sep. 2, 1864, — and Occupation of Atlanta, Sep. 8‑24, 1864; in command of the District of Key West and Tortugas, Fla., Oct., 1864, to June 19, 1865, being

(Bvt. Brig.‑General, Mar. 13, 1865,
for Gallant and Meritorious Services at the Battle of Peach Tree Creek, and in the Campaign against Atlanta, Ga.)

(Bvt. Maj.‑General, U. S. Volunteers, Mar. 13, 1865,
for Gallant and Meritorious Services during the Rebellion)

Bvt. Maj.‑General, U. S. Army, Mar. 13, 1865,
for Gallant and Meritorious Services in the Field during the Rebellion)

engaged in the Action at the Natural Bridge, near St. Mark's, Fla., Mar. 6, 1865, — of the State of Florida, June 19 to Aug. 7, 1865, — of the District of Middle Florida, and of Sub-districts of West Florida and Key West, Aug. 7 to Nov. 6, 1865, — and of District of Middle, Southern, and Western Florida, Nov. 6, 1865, to Jan. 24, 1866.

 p112  Lieut.‑Colonel, Corps of Engineers, Dec. 28, 1865.

Mustered out of Volunteer Service, Jan. 15, 1866.

Served: as Superintending Engineer of the Defenses on the Long Island side of the Narrows Entrance to New York Harbor, and Fort at Sandy Hook, N. J., Aug. 20, 1866, to Aug. 1, 1877, — of Improvement of Hudson River, N. Y., Aug. 20, 1866, to Apr. 1, 1884, — of Removal of obstructions in East River and at Hell Gate, N. Y., July 31, 1868, to Dec. 31, 1885, — of Removal of wreck of steamer "Scotland" in the waters of New York Harbor, Aug. 1, 1868, to Dec. 31, 1870, — of Defenses on Governor's and Bedloe's Islands, New York Harbor, Feb. 23, 1869, to Aug. 1, 1877, — of Fortifications on Staten Island, N. Y., Jan. 1 to Aug. 17, 1870, — of Ft. Montgomery, N. Y., June 1, 1870, to Aug. 1, 1877, — of Improvement of Burlington Harbor, Vt., and Plattsburg Harbor, N. Y., Jan. 1, 1870, to June 1, 1880, — of Survey of Port Chester Harbor, N. Y., Mar. 22 to Dec. 28, 1871, and of its Improvement, June 19, 1872, to Apr. 1, 1884, — of Survey of East Chester Creek, N. Y., Mar. 22, 1871, to Jan. 19, 1872, and of its Improvement, Mar. 19, 1873, to July 14, 1882, — of Survey of Rondout Harbor, N. Y., Mar. 22, 1871, to Jan. 25, 1872, and of its Improvement, June 19, 1872, to Apr. 1, 1884, — of Survey of Passaic River, N. J., Mar. 22, 1871, to Feb. 6, 1872, and of its Improvement, June 19, 1872, to June 1, 1880, — of Survey of Otter Creek, Vt., Mar. 22, 1871, to Feb. 15, 1872, and of its Improvement, June 19, 1872, to June 1, 1880, — of Surveys at Keyport Harbor, N. J., Channel between Staten Island and New Jersey, and of Rouse's Point Harbor, N. Y., June 19, 1872, to Jan. 21, 1873, — of Survey of Swanton Harbor, Vt., June 19, 1872, to Jan. 21, 1873, and of its Improvement, Mar. 19, 1873, to June 1, 1880, — of Surveys of Lower Harlem River, N. Y., and Raritan River, N. J., Mar. 19, 1873, to Feb. 21, 1874, — of Survey of Upper Harlem River, July 2, 1874, to Feb. 10, 1876, — of Survey of Transportation Route from Troy to New York City, Sep. 2, 1874, to July, 1878, — of Surveys of Echo and New Rochelle Harbors, N. Y., and for Breakwaters at Rouse's Point and Port Henry, N. Y., Mar. 22, 1875, to Mar. 29, 1876, — of Improvement of Raritan River, N. J., and Echo Harbor, New Rochelle, N. Y., June 26, 1878, to Apr. 1, 1884, — and of Surveys of various bays and inlets on the western end of Long Island, N. Y., July, 1868, to Feb. 11, 1879, — on leave of absence in Europe, Apr. 21 to Aug. 20, 1877; as Member of Board to examine plan of Bridge across East River, between Brooklyn and New York, Mar. 31 to May 22, 1869, — for Improvement of Wallabout Channel, New York Navy Yard, June‑July, 1869, — for Improvement of Appomattox River, Va., Aug. 29 to Nov. 19, 1870, — for Lewes' Screw-pile Pier, Del., Apr. 18 to July 6, 1871, — for examination of Delaware Breakwater Harbor of Refuge, Nov. 8, 1871, to Aug. 29, 1873, — on Capt. Howell's Plan for Ship Canal from Mississippi River to Gulf of Mexico, July 20, 1873, to Apr. 3, 1874, — for Improvement of Galveston Harbor, Tex., Jan. 28, 1874, to Dec. 25, 1875, and Sep. 1‑11, 1877, — for Improvement of Channel between Staten Island and New Jersey, May 12 to Dec. 4, 1875, — and on Improvement of channel of entrance into Charleston Harbor, S. C., Mar., 1878; as Superintending Engineer of River, Harbor, and Channel Improvements, Surveys, etc., in and near New York Harbor, June 17, 1880, to Apr. 1, 1884; as Member of the permanent Board of Engineers for Fortifications, River and Harbor Improvements, etc., Sep. 2, 1879, to Mar. 6, 1884, — of Board to report upon strength, etc., of Brooklyn Bridge, N. Y., Nov. 8, 1882, to May, 1883, — and of various special Engineer Boards, 1866‑84; in command of Corps of

(Brig.‑General — Chief of Engineers, U. S. Army, Mar. 6, 1884)

Engineers, and in charge of Engineer Department, Mar. 6, 1884, to  p113 Apr. 27, 1886; as Member of Washington Monument Commission, Mar. 13, 1884, to Aug. 27, 1886, — of Light-house Board, Apr. 10, 1884, to Aug. 27, 1886, — and of Board for determining positions for Atlantic and Gulf interior coast-line defenses, May 13, 1884, to Aug. 27, 1886.

Retired from Active Service, Aug. 27, 1886, at his own Request, after Serving 40 Years.

Civil History. — Commissioner of Public Works of New York City, Aug. 31, 1886, to Nov. 24, 1888. President of Panama Railroad Company, since Apr. 2, 1888. Degree of LL. D. conferred by St. Francis Xavier College, 1886.

Vol. IV
p57
[Supplement, Vol. IV: 1890‑1900]

Civil History. — Retired officer.

Died, May 1, 1895, at New York, N. Y.: Aged 78.

See Annual Association of Graduates U. S. M. A., 1895, for an obituary notice, with a portrait.

Buried, West Point Cemetery, West Point, NY.


Thayer's Note:

a Various birthdates are seen: August 22, 24, 25. I don't know which is right, nor whether anyone else does.


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