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 [decorative delimiter] Class of 1860

Vol. II
p733
1847

(Born N. J.)

Walter McFarland

(Ap'd N. Y.)

1

Military History. — Cadet at the Military Academy, July 1, 1855, to July 1, 1860, when he was graduated and promoted in the Army to

Bvt. Second Lieut., Corps of Engineers, July 1, 1860.

Served: as Asst. Engineer in the construction of the Defenses of the  p734 approaches to New Orleans, Nov. 1, 1860, to Feb. 15, 1861, — and of the Fortifications of Key West, Fla., Feb. 19 to Apr. 14, 1861.

Served during the Rebellion of the Seceding States, 1861‑66: as Asst.

(Second Lieut., Corps of Engineers, May 1, 1861)

Engineer in the Defense of Ft. Pickens, Fla., Apr. 16 to Aug. 29, 1861;

(First Lieut., Corps of Engineers, Aug. 6, 1861)

with the Naval Expedition for constructing Defenses at the heads of the passes of the Mississippi River, Aug. 29 to Oct. 14, 1861, being engaged in a Naval Action at Southwest Pass, Oct. 12, 1861; as Asst. Engineer in the Defense of Ft. Pickens, Fla., Oct. 14, 1861, to Mar. 1, 1862, being engaged in the Bombardments of Nov. 22‑23, 1861, and Jan. 1, 1862; as

(Bvt. Captain, Nov. 23, 1861,
for Gallant and Meritorious Services during the Bombardment of Ft. Pickens, Fla.)

Superintending Engineer of the construction of the Defenses of Key West, Fla., Mar. 5, 1862, to Dec., 1867, and of Ft. Jefferson, Fla., Mar. 26, 1862, to Dec., 1867; as Asst. Engineer in Military Operations near Charleston,

(Captain, Corps of Engineers, Mar. 3, 1863)

S. C., Mar. 4 to Apr. 25, 1863; as Chief Engineer of 16th Army Corps, Mar. 7 to June 2, 1865, having charge of the Defenses of Mobile and of

(Bvt. Major, Apr. 11, 1865, for Able, Zealous, and Efficient Services
in the Operations Undertaken against Charleston, S. C., in 1863)

the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay, Apr. 21 to June 2, 1865; and as Asst. Adjutant-General, 13th Army Corps, June 2 to Aug. 15, 1865.

Lieut.‑Colonel, Staff, U. S. Volunteers, June 2 to Aug. 15, 1865.

Major, Corps of Engineers, Mar. 7, 1867.

Served: on temporary duty in Washington and New York, Feb. 19 to May 25, 1868; as Superintending Engineer of Harbor and River Improvements on Lake Erie, west of Dunkirk, May 25, 1868, to Apr. 25, 1871, — of Ft. Wayne, Mich., Nov. 19, 1869, to Apr. 25, 1871, — of Improvements on Lake Huron and St. Mary's River, Feb. 7, 1870, to Apr. 25, 1871, — of Improvement of Tennessee River, May 25, 1871, and of Cumberland River, May, 1873, to May 15, 1876, — of Surveys of various Rivers and Transportation Routes in the Southern States, between the Mississippi and the Appalachian Mountains, May 25, 1871, to May 15, 1876, — of examination, under U. S. Isthmus Canal Commission, for proposed Inter-oceanic Panama Ship Canal, 1874‑76, — of Fts. Ontario and Niagara, Dec. 1, 1875, to Apr. 30, 1883, — of Surveys and Improvements of Harbors on Lake Ontario, Dec. 1, 1875, to Apr. 30, 1883, — of Survey for Ship Canal around St. Lawrence Rapids, Dec. 1, 1875, to Apr., 1876, — of Tenth Light-house District, Dec. 30, 1876, to Mar. 9, 1880, — of Improvements of Harbors on Lake Erie, Dec. 31, 1877, to Apr. 30, 1883, — of Ft. Wayne, Mich., Dec. 31, 1877, to Apr. 30, 1883; and as Member of Board of Engineers on Improvement of Toledo Harbor, Jan., 1869, — on Improvement of Harbors on Lake Michigan, May, 1869, — on Dunkirk Breakwater, Nov., 1869, — on Harbor Improvements on Lakes Superior and Michigan, Jan., 1870, — on Oswego Harbor, Mar., 1870, — to examine condition of Presque Isle Peninsula, Pa., Oct. 10, 1870, to Sep. 3, 1871, — on Dunkirk Harbor Improvement, N. Y., Nov., 1870, — on Improvement of Grand River Harbor, O., Feb., 1872, — and on Little Rock Bridge, Ark., June‑July, 1873; as Superintending Engineer of repairs of Ft. Porter, N. Y., Dec. 31, 1877, — on temporary duty at Torpedo School, Willet's Point, N. Y., Apr. 23, 1880, — of Improvement of Niagara River, Mar. 21, 1881, — of water level observations on Lake Ontario, July 1, 1882, — in charge of Ft. Montgomery, N. Y., July 12, 1882, — of Harbor Improvements  p735 on Lake Champlain, of Ticonderoga River, N. Y., and Otter Creek, Vt., July 6, 1882, — and of Grass River and Sackett's Harbor, N. Y., Aug. 8, 1882, to Apr. 30, 1883; in charge of Improvement of Connecticut River, May 2, 1883, — of Fortifications and Harbor Improvements in Connecticut, and Improvement of Port Jefferson, Greenport, and Mamaroneck Harbors, N. Y., May 23, 1883, — of Black Rock Harbor,

(Lieut.‑Colonel Corps of Engineers, Mar. 12, 1884)

Ct., July 16, 1884, — of Port Chester, New Rochelle, and Echo Harbors and Flushing Bay Improvement, Oct. 1, 1884, — and in charge of the Defenses of the Inner Harbor of New York city and Improvement of East Chester Creek, Feb. 3, 1886, to Feb. 17, 1886; as Supervising Engineer of contract work under the Interior Department, at Hot Springs, Ark., Apr. 15 to May 3, 1884, — of Improvement of Rondout and Saugerties Harbors, N. Y., Hudson and Harlem Rivers, Buttermilk Channel, Channel in Gowanus Bay and of Newtown Creek, N. Y., Oct. 1, 1884, — Obstructions in East River and Hell Gate, N. Y., Oct. 1, 1884, — improving Sheepshead and Canarsie Bays, N. Y., and Raritan Bay, N. J., channel between Staten Island and New Jersey, and deepening Gedney's Channel, N. Y., Feb. 3 to Apr. 17, 1886, and July 26, 1886, to July 22, 1888, — Improvement of New York Harbor, Aug. 12, 1886, to July 22, 1888, — East River Bridge, N. Y., Oct. 6 to Dec. 31, 1887, and June 29 to July 22, 1888, — of Defenses of Outer Harbor of New York city, Feb. 3 to Apr. 17, 1886, and July 26, 1886, to July 22, 1888, — of various works of River and Harbor Improvement in New Jersey, Feb. 3 to Apr. 17, and July 26 to Dec. 23, 1886, — of reconnoissance and surveys for various improvements, Apr. 25, 1879, to Dec. 31, 1887; in charge of removal of various wrecks in navigable channels, June 11, 1884, to Dec. 31, 1887; on leave of absence, Apr. 29 to July 26, 1886; inspecting works in charge of certain officers of engineers, Dec. 20, 1887, to June 19, 1888; as Member of the Board of Visitors to the Engineer School of Application, Mar. 11, 1885, and of the Board of Engineers for Fortifications and Harbor and River Improvements, Jan. 20, 1886, to July 22, 1888; and Member of various Engineer Boards on River and Harbor Improvements, June 2, 1882, to July 22, 1888.

Died, July 22, 1888, at New Haven, Ct.: Aged 52.

Obituary Order.

Upon the death of Lieut.‑Colonel McFarland, the Chief of Engineers issued the following order: —

"The Brigadier-General Commanding deeply regrets that one of his first official acts is to announce to the Corps the death of a brother officer, Lieut.‑Colonel Walter McFarland, who died at New Haven, Conn., on the evening of the 22d instant.

"Colonel McFarland was graduated from the United States Military Academy, July 1, 1860, at the head of his class of forty-one members, and was appointed a Brevet Second Lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers the same day.

"He served faithfully throughout the Civil War as Assistant Engineer in the construction of the Gulf Coast Defenses, and the military operations against Charleston, S. C.; as Superintending Engineer of a portion of said defenses; as Chief Engineer of the Sixteenth Army Corps; and as Assistant Adjutant-General of the Thirteenth Army Corps. During his war service he participated in the naval action at Southwest Pass on the Mississippi River, and in the Bombardment of Fort Pickens. He was promoted to Second Lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers, May 1, 1861; to First Lieutenant, Aug. 6, 1861; was brevetted a Captain, Nov. 23,  p736 1861, for "gallant and meritorious service" during the attack on Fort Pickens; was promoted to Captain in his Corps, Mar. 3, 1863; was brevetted a Major, Apr. 11, 1865, for "able, zealous, and efficient services in the operations undertaken against Charleston, S. C., in 1863;" and on June 2, 1865, was appointed a Lieutenant-Colonel of the General Staff, United States Volunteers.

"From the close of the war to the time of his death, Colonel McFarland was actively engaged in the duties of his profession, having at various times the entire charge of important river, harbor, and defensive works in Northern Ohio, Western New York, Tennessee, Georgia, and other Southern States, and in Connecticut, New Jersey, and the vicinity of New York city. During this period he was also frequently detailed for special duties, such as Engineer of the Tenth Light-house District; to examine, under the United States Isthmus Canal Commission, for the proposed International Panama Ship Canal; to report upon a National Transportation Route from the Mississippi Valley to the Atlantic Seacoast; and as member of several Boards of Engineers convened for the discussion of important problems in river and harbor engineering. He was promoted to Major of Engineers, Mar. 7, 1867, and to Lieutenant-Colonel, Mar. 12, 1884.

"At the time of his death, Colonel McFarland had charge of several forts and batteries in New York harbor, of the improvement of that harbor, including the obstructions at Hell Gate in East River; of the improvement of the Hudson River, and of other rivers and harbors in New York and New Jersey, and had supervision of the construction of the bridge over East River from New York to Long Island; he was also a member of the Board of Engineers and of the Board of Visitors to the Engineer School of Application at Willet's Point, N. Y.

"The above is a brief outline of the work performed by Colonel McFarland during the twenty-eight years of his most efficient service. Not only as a success­ful engineer did these years of useful labor establish for him an enviable reputation, but they showed him to be eminently a good soldier, devoted to his duty, and conscientious in the performance of every trust confided to his care.

"During the latter years of his life he was a great sufferer from rheumatism, and, though frequently obliged to seek rest by leaves of absence, his devotion to duty would not permit him to remain long away from his official labors, and upon the last occasion he resumed his duties in opposition to the advice of his Chief, who would gladly have given him the benefit of a longer rest.

"In his official life he was loyal to his seniors, courteous to his equals, and considerate of his juniors. In all the relations of life he performed his part well, and his loss is sincerely regretted by his comrades, whose esteem and affection he always commanded.

"As a testimonial of respect for the deceased, the Officers of the Corps of Engineers will wear the usual badge of mourning for thirty days."


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