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 [decorative delimiter] Class of June 24, 1861

Vol. II
p817
1941

(Born Pa.)

Alfred Mordecai​1

(Ap'd at Large)

9

Born June 30, 1840, at Philadelphia, PA.

Military History. — Cadet at the Military Academy, July 1, 1857, to June 24, 1861, when he was graduated and promoted in the Army to

Bvt. Second Lieut., Top. Engineers, June 24, 1861.

Served during the Rebellion of the Seceding States, 1861‑65: in drilling Volunteers at Washington, D. C., June 25 to July 9, 1861; as Acting Asst. Adjutant-General of Brigade, July 9 to Aug. 31, 1861, in the Defenses of Washington and the Manassas Campaign, being engaged in the Battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861; at the Military Academy, as Asst.

(Second Lieut., Top. Engineers, Aug. 3, 1861)

Professor of Mathematics, Sep. 4, 1861, to June 28, 1862; as Inspector

(Transferred to Ordnance, Oct. 23, 1861)

 p818  of Ordnance at the West Point Foundry, N. Y., June 28, 1862, to June 1,

(First Lieut., Ordnance, Mar. 3, 1863)

(Captain, Ordnance, June 1, 1863)

1863; as Asst. Ordnance Officer, June 11 to July 3, 1863, Acting Chief of Ordnance, July 3 to Sep. 22, 1863, and Chief of Ordnance, Sep. 22, 1863, to Apr. 22, 1864, Department of the South, being engaged in the Operations against Charleston, S. C., comprising the Descent upon Morris Island, July 10, — Bombardment of Ft. Sumter, Aug. 17‑23, and Nov. 1‑10, — and Siege of Ft. Wagner, July 10 to Sep. 7, 1863; as

(Bvt. Major, Sep. 7, 1863,
for Gallant and Meritorious Services at the Siege of Ft. Wagner, S. C.)

Chief of Ordnance, Army of the James, May to Sep. 2, 1864; as Asst. Ordnance Officer at Watervliet Arsenal, N. Y., Sep. 7‑17, 1864; as Acting Chief of Ordnance, Department and Army of the Tennessee, Oct. 22 to Nov. 6, 1864; as Chief of Ordnance, Department and Army of the Ohio, Oct. 23 to Nov. 7, 1864; as Senior and Supervising Ordnance Officer of the Army of the Cumberland, Nov. 7, 1864, to June 24, 1865; and as Chief of Ordnance, Department of the Cumberland, Nov. 28, 1864, to June 24, 1865, — and of the Military Division of the Tennessee,

(Bvt. Lieut.‑Col., Mar. 13, 1865, for Distinguished Services on the Field, and Faithful and Meritorious Services in the Ordnance Department during the Rebellion)

June 24 to July 10, 1865.

Served at the Military Academy as Instructor of Ordnance and Gunnery, July 12, 1865, to Aug. 2, 1869; as Assistant Ordnance Officer at Rock Island Arsenal, Ill., Aug. 2, 1869, to Aug. 12, 1870; in command of Leavenworth Arsenal, Kan., and Chief Ordnance Officer of Department of the Missouri, Aug. 12, 1870, to May 28, 1874; as Assistant Ordnance Officer at Watertown Arsenal, Mas., June 6 to July 25, 1874; at

(Major, Ordnance, June 23, 1874)

the Military Academy, as Instructor of Ordnance and Gunnery, Aug. 30, 1874, to Aug. 28, 1881; and as Member of Board on new Cavalry Outfit, Nov. 29, 1873, to May 5, 1874, — and to examine Officers for transfer to Ordnance Department, Mar. 11 to July 22, 1875, and Apr. 1‑7, 1876, — of Ordnance Board, Aug. 28 to Nov. 2, 1881, and since May 24, 1886

(Lieut.‑Colonel, Ordnance, Dec. 4, 1882)

(also for testing rifled cannon), and of Board of Ordnance and Fortification, since Oct. 25, 1888; in command of Watervliet Arsenal, N. Y., Nov. 2, 1881, to May 24, 1886, — and of New York Arsenal, May 25 to Jan. 30, 1886,º and since Jan. 10, 1887.º

[Supplement, Vol. IV: 1890‑1900]

 p130  (Colonel, Ordnance, Jan. 31, 1891)

Military History. — Served: Member Ordnance Board, May 12, 1886 to Jan. 7, 1887, and President of Board to Jan. 21, 1892. — Member Board Testing Rifled Cannon, May 12, 1886 to Feb. 26, 1891, and President of Board till Jan. 21, 1892. — Member of Retiring Board, Governor's Island, 1887 to 1891. — Member of Boards for Examination of Officers for Promotion, Jan., 1887 and June, 1891. — Member of Board on locating and making preparations for the establishment of the Army Gun Factory, April, 1887. — Appointed Oct. 25, 1888, Ordnance Member of the Board of Ordnance and Fortification, then first organized by Act of Congress, and served thereon till Jan. 21, 1892. — In command of the New York Arsenal and of the Ordnance Proving Ground, Sandy Hook, N. J., from Jan. 7, 1887 till Oct. 27, 1890, and of the former till Jan. 21, 1892. — In command of the U. S. Armory, Springfield, Mas., from Feb. 2, 1892 to Feb. 21, 1898. — Member of Board on Field and Siege Gun Carriages, May, 1892. — Member of Board of Visitors to U. S. Artillery School at Fortress Monroe, Va., June, 1892. — President of Board to determine details of construction of magazine rifle and carbine, Sept., 1892. — In command of the Watervliet Arsenal, N. Y., from Feb. 23, 1898 to May 5, 1899. — President of a Board of Army, Navy, and Marine Officers, to consider the question of the adoption of a uniform calibre for small arms and machine guns for the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps, Dec., 1898 to —; In command of Benicia Arsenal, Cal., from June 1, 1899 to —; Member Retiring Board, San Francisco, Cal., from July 1, 1899 to —.

[Supplement, Vol. V: 1900‑1910]

 p103  Military History. — President of a Board of Army, Navy, and Marine Officers, to consider the question of the adoption of a uniform calibre for small arms and machine guns for the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps, Dec., 1898. — In command of Benicia Arsenal, Cal., from June 1, 1899 to Oct. 27, 1902. — Member Retiring Board, San Franccisco, Cal., from July 1, 1899 to July 23, 1901. — On duty in Office of Chief of Ordnance, U. S. A., Nov. 12, 1902 to Jan. 19, 1904.

(Brigadier-General, U. S. A., Jan. 19, 1904.)

Retired from Active Service Jan. 20, 1904, at his own request, after 40 Years' Service.

— Residence, Washington, D. C.

Died, Jan. 20, 1920, at Washington, D. C.​a

Buried, Oak Hill Cemetery, Washington, DC.


The Author's Note:

1 Son of Major Alfred Mordecai, who was graduated at the Military Academy in 1823 (No. 326).


Thayer's Note:

a The death data are taken from the Register of the Army of the United States for 1921. An obituary biography is given in the Annual Association of Graduates, U. S. M. A., 1920 but I haven't seen it. Prof. Rickey's page seems to record his death as occurring Jan. 19.


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