Class of 1841

Zealous Bates Tower: Born Jan. 12, 1819,

Military History. — Cadet at the Military Academy, July 1, 1837, to July 1, 1841, when he was graduated and promoted in the Army to

Second Lieut., Corps of Engineers, July 1, 1841.

Served: as Assistant to the Board of Engineers, 1841‑42; at the Military Academy, 1842‑43, as Asst. Professor of Engineering, Aug. 31, 1842, to Apr. 4, 1843, — and as Principal Asst. Professor of Engineering, Apr. 4 to Aug. 29, 1843; as Asst. Engineer in the construction of the Defenses of Hampton Roads, Va., 1843‑46; in the War with Mexico, 1846‑48, being engaged in the Siege of Vera Cruz, Mar. 9‑29, 1847, — Battle of Cerro Gordo, Apr. 17‑18, 1847, — Reconnoissance of San Antonio, Aug. 18, and of

(Bvt. First Lieut., Apr. 18, 1847,
for Gallant and Meritorious Conduct in the Battle of Cerro Gordo, Mex.)

(First Lieut., Corps of Engineers, Apr. 24, 1847)

the Pedregal, Aug. 18‑19, 1847, — Battle of Contreras, Aug. 19‑20, 1847,

(Bvt. Capt., Aug. 20, 1847, for Gallant and Meritorious Conduct
in the Battles of Contreras and Churubusco, Mex.)

where he led the Storming column, — Battle of Molino del Rey, Sep. 8, 1847, — Reconnoissance of the southern approaches to the City of Mexico, Sep. 9‑13, 1847, — Storming of Chapultepec, Sep. 13, 1847, where he was

(Bvt. Major, Sep. 13, 1847,
for Gallant and Meritorious Services in the Battle of Chapultepec, Mex.)

 p60  wounded, — and Assault and Capture of the City of Mexico, Sep. 13‑14, 1847; as Superintending Engineer of the repairs of the Harbor Defenses of Portland, Me., and of Portsmouth, N. H., 1848‑53, — of Surveys and repairs of harbor works on the Northeast Coast, 1852‑53, — of the Building of fortifications at Alcatraz Island, San Francisco Bay, Cal., 1853‑57, — of the construction of San Francisco Custom House and Appraiser's

(Captain, Corps of Engineers, July 1, 1855, for Fourteen Years' Continuous Service)

Store, Cal., 1855‑58, — and of the building the Defenses at Ft. Point, at the entrance of San Francisco Bay, Cal., 1857‑58; as Member of the Board of Engineers for projecting the Defenses of the Pacific Coast, May, 1853, to July 31, 1858; on leave of absence in Europe and Asia, 1859‑60; as Member of special Board for arranging details of Iron Carriages and Platforms for Seacoast Guns, 1860; and on temporary duty in U. S. Treasury Department, 1860‑61.

Served during the Rebellion of the Seceding States, 1861‑66: as Chief Engineer in Defense of Ft. Pickens, Fla., Feb. 20, 1861, to May 10, 1862,

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

being present at the Repulse of the Rebel Attack on Santa Rosa Island, Fla., Oct. 9, 1861, — and participated in the Bombardments of the Work,

(Bvt. Lieut.‑Col., Nov. 23, 1861,
for Gallant and Meritorious services during the Defense of Ft. Pickens, Fla.)

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

Nov. 22‑23, 1861, and Jan. 1, 1862; in the Northern Virginia Campaign, July‑Aug., 1862, being engaged in the Battle of Cedar Mountain, Aug. 9,

(Bvt. Colonel, Aug. 9, 1862,
for Gallant and Meritorious Services at the Battle of Cedar Mountain, Va.)

1862, — Actions at Rappahannock Station, Aug. 20 and 21, 1862, — Action of Thoroughfare Gap, Aug. 28, 1862, — and Battle of Manassas, Aug. 30, 1862, where he was severely wounded; on sick leave of absence, disabled by wound, Aug. 30, 1862, to June, 1864; as Superintendent of the U. S. Military Academy, July 8 to Sep. 8, 1864; as Chief Engineer of the Defenses of Nashville, Ten., Sep. 28, 1864, to July, 1865, and as such directed the Engineer Operations during their investment by the Rebel Army under General Hood, Dec., 1864, and was engaged in the Battle of Nashville, Dec. 15‑15, 1864; as Inspector-General of Fortifications of the Military Division of the Mississippi, Oct. 20, 1864, to July, 1865, being engaged upon an inspection of the Defenses of Tennessee, Mar. to May,

(Bvt. Brig.‑General, U. S. Army, Mar. 13, 1865,
for Gallant and Meritorious Services at the Battle of Groveton, Va.)

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

1865; as Chief Engineer of the Military Division of the Tennessee, July,

(Bvt. Maj.‑General, U. S. Volunteers, June 12, 1865,
for Gallant and Meritorious Services during the Rebellion)

1865, to Jan. 13, 1866, being President of the Board of Appraisers of the

(Lieut.‑Colonel, Corps of Engineers, Nov. 11, 1865)

Railroad Property in that Division, Aug., 1865, to Jan. 13, 1866.

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

Served: as Member of Joint Board of Army and Navy Officers on Harbor Defenses, Torpedoes, etc., Feb. 9 to Sep. 1, 1866, — of Board for Examining and Improving Washington City Canal, Mar. 10 to July, 1866, — and of Board of Engineers, Sep. 11, 1866, to May 18, 1867, to carry out in detail the Modifications of the Defenses in the vicinity of  p61 Boston, Mas., as proposed by the Board of Jan. 27, 1864; as Superintending Engineer of the construction of the Defenses of Portsmouth harbor, N. H., Aug. 22, 1866, to May 18, 1867; and as Member of Board of Engineers for Fortifications and Harbor and River Obstructions, required for the Defense of the Territory of the United States, May 18, 1867, to Jan. 10, 1883; on Inspection tour of Fortifications about New Orleans, at Ship Island, and at Mobile Point, Feb. 2 to Mar. 16, 1870; as Member of Special Board on Improvement of Cape Fear River, Jan. to Dec., 1872, — on Improvement of Mobile Harbor, Feb. 3‑14, 1872, and Dec., 1873, — for Examination of Engineer Officers for Promotion, June 20 to Sep. 6, 1872, Apr.‑May, 1873, Dec., 1875, Feb., 1877, and Oct., 1877, to Feb., 1878, — on Improvement of Duluth and Superior City Harbors, Apr. 2‑16, 1873, — on Improvement of Galveston Harbor, Jan.‑Feb., 1874, Dec.,

(Colonel, Corps of Engineers, Jan. 13, 1874)

1875, and Sep., 1877, — on Improvement of Channel between Staten Island and New Jersey, May 12 to Nov. 30, 1875, — on Improvement of Savannah River and Harbor, June 8‑12, 1875, — on Claims for constructing St. Mary's Falls Canal, Feb., 1876, — on Claims for improving Des Moines Rapids, Mar. to June, 1876, — on Modifications of Rock Creek Bridge of Washington Aqueduct, Feb. 7 to Apr. 7, 1877, — on Improvement of Ohio River, Feb. 20‑23, 1877, — on Claims for building Sand-Beach Breakwater, Lake Huron, Mich., Dec., 1877, to Mar., 1878, — on Improvement of Charleston Harbor, S. C., Mar., 1878, — on Improvement of Low-water Navigation of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, July, 1878, — on Harbor of Refuge, near Cincinnati, O., July, 1878, — and on Progress of Construction of Works at South Pass of the Mississippi River, Oct.‑Nov., 1878; on special duty to devise plans for the Security and Defense of the New York Treasury Building, Aug.‑Sep., 1877, — to examine H. S. Dale's Claim for work on Harbor of Refuge, Lake Huron, Mich., Dec., 1877, to Mar. 5, 1878; and as Member of Court Martial at Buffalo, N. Y., Jan.‑Feb., 1878, — of Board on Heavy Ordnance and Projectiles, May 16, 1881, to May, 1882, — and of various Engineer Boards, 1878‑83.

Retired from Active Service, at his own request, Jan. 10, 1883,
after 40 Years' Service.

Civil History. — Author of an Analytical Investigation of the Velocity of Ice-boats, 18–––.

Buried, Cohasset Central Cemetery, Cohasset, MA.