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Civil War Soldiers - Meigs
| Meigs, Montgomery C.,
brigadier-general, was born in Augusta, Ga., May 3, 1816. He was
graduated at the United Stales military academy in 1836 and assigned
to the artillery; was transferred to the engineer corps in 1837;
promoted 1st lieutenant in 1838, and in 1853 captain. He was employed
at first on Mississippi river surveys, and in 1839-41 was a member of
the board of engineers for Atlantic coast line defenses. He was
subsequently superintending engineer successively in the building of
Forts Delaware, Wayne, Porter and Ontario, and at Montgomery. From
1852- 60 he planned and constructed the aqueduct from Great Falls,
Md., to Washington, D. C., and he superintended also the building of
the new wings and iron dome of the capitol extension, the extension of
the United States post-office building and the repairs on Fort
Madison, Md. In April, 1861, he was appointed chief engineer to
organize and conduct the expedition for the relief of Fort Pickens,
and in Oct. was sent to take charge of the building of Fort Jefferson.
He was promoted colonel of the 11th infantry, May 14, 1865, and the
next day was commissioned brigadier- general of staff and
quartermaster-general of the United States army, which position he
continued to hold until his retirement in 1882. Gen. Meigs was engaged
during the war in directing the equipment and supplies of the army in
the field, generally from headquarters at Washington, but was present
at the battle of Bull Run ; engaged in the Chattanooga campaign, Nov.,
1863; commanded Gen. Grant's base of supplies at Belle Plain and
Fredericksburg, May 16-18, 1864, and was sent on a special mission to
Bermuda Hundred, May 21-26, 1864. When the national capital was
threatened, in July, 1864, he commanded a brigade of quartermaster's
employees. He was brevetted major-general U. S. A., on July 5, 1864,
for distinguished and meritorious services during the war. He was
stationed at Savannah, Ga., in Jan., 1865, equipping Gen. Sherman's
armies, and in March was sent to Goldsboro, directing the opening of
communications for again supplying Sherman's army. After the war Gen.
Meigs traveled in Europe, 1867-68, for his health, and again in
1875-76 to examine the organization of European armies as a member of
the commission for reform and reorganization of the army. He was a
member of the board to prepare plans for the new war department
building in 1866 ; for the National museum in 1868 ; for the hall of
records in 1878, and was architect of the building for the pension
bureau. He was retired from the army Feb. 6, 1882. Gen. Meigs was a
member of the board of regents for the Smithsonian institution, and a
member of the National Academy of Sciences. He died in Washington, D.
C., Jan. 2, 1892.
Source: The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal
States 1861-1865, Volume 8 Biographical, 1908
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