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graduation he continued at the school as assistant in metallurgy. In 1869 he became assistant in geology, and he remained as such until 1876, like- wise assisting Prof. John S. Newberry in his work on the Ohio geological survey during the summers. He was appointed assistant geologist to the Black Hills expedition that was sent out in 1876 under Walter P. Jenney by the department of the inte- rior. During the summers of 1876-'7 he was active in the field, studying the mineralogy and geology of that district, and lie spent the winter in collat- ing the information. In 1877 he was called to the chair of mining and metallurgy in Ohio state uni- versity, and expected to begin his duties in the au- tumn of that year, but when he was visiting the Black Hills he was striken with a fatal fever. Dr. Newton was a member of scientific societies, and had made himself a specialist on the metallurgy of iron and steel, on which subject he contributed pa- pers to the literatui'e of his profession. His most valuable work was his " Report on the Geology and Resources of the Black Hills of Dakota " (Washington, 1880), which is prefaced by a memoir by Prof. John S. Newberry.

NEWTON, Isaac, commissioner of agriculture, b. in Burlington county, N. J., 31 March, 1800 ; d. in Washington, D. C, 19 June, 1867. He received a common-school education, and after his mar- riage settled on a farm in Delaware county, Pa. Here he soon became known for the neatness, or- der, and productiveness of his land, and he event- ually ranked among the model farmers of his state. He early became a member of its agricultural as- sociation, was frequently sent as a delegate to the meetings of the United States agricultural so- ciety, and introduced into the former organization a resolution urging congress to establish a National department of agriculture. He also brought the plan to the attention successively of Presidents Harrison, Taylor, Fillmore, Buchanan, and Lin- coln; whose personal acquaintance he enjoyed. To the last named he was indebted for the final adop- tion of his scheme. When the agricultural bureau had been authorized by congress in 1862, Mr. Lin- coln naturally offered "the commissionership to Mr. Newton, to whose lot the organization of the de- partment fell, and to whom its present efficiency is largely due. This office he held until his death.

NEWTON, John, soldier, b. in Norfolk, Va., 24 Aug., 1823 ; d. in New York city, 1 May, 1895. He was graduated at the U. S. military academy in 1842, standing second in the class that included Henry L. Eustis, William S. Rosecrans, John Pope, Seth Will- iams. James Long- street, and others that held high com- mands during the civil war. After be- ing promoted into the engineer corps as 2d lieutenant, he served as assistant I professor of engineering at the U. S. military academy, and then in the con- struction of various fortifications and

other engineering

works along the Atlantic and Gulf sea-coasts un- til 1860, except during 1858, when he was chief engineer of the Utah expedition. He had at- tained the rank of captain on 1 July, 1856. At the beginning of the civil war he was chief engi- neer of the Department of Pennsylvania, and then held a similar apiDointment in the Department of the Shenandoah, and from August, 1861, till March, 1862, was assistant engineer in the construction of the defences of Washington, D. C. He was made brigadier-general of volunteers, 23 Sept., 1861, and had charge of a brigade in the defence of the capi- tal. During the peninsular campaign he served with the Army of the Potomac, and was engaged in the actions at West Point, Gaines's Mills, and Glendale. He continued with his command in the Maryland campaign, participating in the forcing of Crampton Gap and the battle of Antietam. Gen. Newton led a division in the storming of the Marye Heights in the battle of Fredericksburg, was made major-general of volunteers on 30 March, 1863, and then took part in the Ghancellorsville cam- paign and in the battle of Salem Heights. In the subsequent Pennsylvania campaign he succeeded to the command of the 1st corps on 2 July, 1863, after the death of John F. Reynolds, and com- manded it in the last days of the battle of Gettys- burg. He was brevetted colonel for services in this action, and engaged in the pursuit of the Con- federate army to Warrenton, Va., and in the Rapi- dan campaign during October and December, 1863. He was placed in command of the 2d division of the 4th corps of the Army of the Cumberland, under Gen. Oliver 0. Howard, in May, 1864, and participated in the invasion of Georgia, taking active part in the engagements, including the bat- tle of Peach Tree Creek, Ga., that culminated in the captui'e of Atlanta in September, 1864. Sub- sequently he had command of various districts in Florida until he was mustered out of A'olunteer service in January, 1866, after receiving, on 13 March, 1865, the brevets of major-general in the volunteer army, and those of brigadier-general and major-general in the regular army. He received his regular promotion as lieutenant-colonel of en- gineers on 28 Dec, 1865, and in April, 1866, was made superintending engineer of the construction of the defences on the Long Island side of the Narrows entrance to New York harbor ; also of the improvements of the Hudson river and of the fort at Sandy Hook, N. J. He was also a member of the board of engineers to carry out in detail the modifications of the defences in the vicinity of New York. These and other similar engineering duties, principally in connection with the harbor of New York, occupied his attention until his retirement on 27 Aug., 1886. His well known achievement of this kind was the removal of obstructions in Hell Gate channel, the important water-way be- tw^een Long Island sound and East river. These, known as Hallett's reef and Flood rock, were duly mined and exploded on 24 Sept.. 1876, and 10 Oct., 1885. All of the problems that were involved in the preliminary steps of this great work were com- pletely and conscientiously studied, and the accu- racy of his solutions was shown in the exact cor- respondence of results with the objects that he sought. The proposed enlargement of Harlem river, the improvements of Hudson river from Troy to New Y'ork, and of the channel between New Jersey and Staten island, and of harbors on Lake Champlain were likewise under his charge. He was advanced to the rank of colonel on 30 June, 1879, and to chief of engineers, with rank of briga- dier-general, on 6 March, 1884. The office of com- missioner of public works in New York city had been for some time awarded by political preferment, and it became necessary to secure for it a man of superior skill and scientific training. In