th
Generals George B. McClellan and Stonewall Jackson. He served in the war
with Mexico, 1847-48, attached to the Company of Sappers, Miners, and
Pontoniers, and was engaged in the siege of Vera Cruz, battle of Cerro
Gordo, and battles of Contreras and Churubusco, in which he
distinguished himself. On the 20th of August, 1847, he was promoted
Brevet First Lieutenant. He was severely wounded on the 8th of
September, 1847, while leading the forlorn hope at the capture of Molino
del Rey. For his gallant conduct on this occasion he was promoted Brevet
Captain, and was placed, with full pay, for more than two years on the
sick list of the army. When convalescent, he joined Gen. R. E. Lee at
Baltimore as Assistant Engineer, and afterwards was on the Coast
Survey. He was Assistant Professor of Engineering at West Point from
January, 1855, to June, 1857, and Superintending Engineer of the survey
of the site of the fort at Willett's Point, Long Island; of the
preliminary operations for building a fort at Sandy Hook, N. J.; of
building Fort Sumter, and repairs of Fort Moultrie, Charleston Harbor,
South Carolina, from 1858 to 1861. On the 1st of July, 1860, he was
promoted Captain, Corps of Engineers, for fourteen years' continuous
service. During the rebellion of the seceding States he was Chief
Engineer of the fortifications of Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. He
was also engaged in defense of Fort Sumter from 27th of December, 1860,
to April 14, 1861, when it was surrendered and evacuated. For the
distinguished part taken by him in the transfer of the garrison of Fort
Moultrie to Fort Sumter he was, on the 20th December, 1860, promoted
Brevet Major. Soon after the surrender of Fort Sumter he was given the
command of a brigade, as second to General Burnside on the North
Carolina expedition, in which he again distinguished himself. He took by
storm the central fortification on the Island of Roanoke, which soon led
to the entire possession of the island. For these services he was
promoted Brevet Lieutenant Colonel on the 8th February, 1862, and
Brevet-Colonel on the 12th March, 1862, for gallant and meritorious
services in the capture of New Berne, N. C. He was present at the
bombardment of Fort Macon, which capitulated 26th April, 1862, and on
July 1, 1862, when Gen. Burnside was ordered to join Gen. McClellan, he
was left in command of the division, and subsequently of the whole
department of Virginia and North Carolina, with h