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Civil War Soldiers - Totten
| Totten, Joseph G., brigadier-general,
U.S. Army, was born in New Haven, Conn., Aug. 23, 1788, graduated at
West Point in 1805, as second lieutenant of engineers, and remained in
the service until March, 1806, when he resigned and went into civil
life, from which he again entered the army in 1808. Promoted to be a
first lieutenant in 1810 and captain in 1812, he was chief engineer of
the army on the Niagara frontier in the campaigns of 1812 and 1813,
being brevetted major "for meritorious services" in June, 1813. He
became chief engineer of the army on Lake Champlain in the campaign of
1814, and was brevetted lieutenant-colonel Sept. 11, 1814, "for
gallant conduct at the battle of Plattsburg." Passing through the
successive grades of major and lieutenant- colonel in his own corps,
he became colonel and chief engineer on Dec. 7, 1838. From 1816 to
1838, with but an intermission of two years, he was a member of the
board of engineers for planning the national defenses. During the
Mexican war he served as chief engineer of the army under Gen. Scott
until the capture of Vera Cruz, conducted the siege operations against
that place, and was brevetted a brigadier- general "for gallant and
meritorious conduct" on that occasion. Subsequently he resumed his
duties as chief engineer, continuing in their performance with but two
short intervals until his death. The fortifications of Newport, R. I.,
were built under his immediate supervision, and with other defenses
and fortifications are enduring monuments to his memory. In the first
days of the Civil war Gen. Scott urged upon Gen. Totten the acceptance
of the position of commander-in-chief, which the latter declined on
account of physical inability for field service. During the period of
26 years in which Gen. Totten stood at the head of the engineer
department, he discharged his varied duties with untiring devotion,
spotless integrity and signal ability, as an acknowledgment of which
the president, upon hearing of his serious illness, forwarded his
commission as brevet major-general, U. S. A. He had been commissioned
brigadier-general in the regular army March 3, 1863. Gen. Totten died
at Washington, D. C., April 22, 1864. Source: The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal
States 1861-1865, Volume 8 Biographical, 1908
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