Page:Men of Mark in America vol 2.djvu/490

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JOHN MOULDER WILSON

vember 1, 1862 to March 20, 1863; was assistant professor of Spanish at the United States military academy, March 30 to June 18, 1863, being made captain, corps of engineers, June 1, 1863. He was assistant engineer of the construction of defenses at Baltimore, Maryland, June-July, 1863; superintending engineer of construction of defensive works at Memphis, Tennessee, Vicksburg and Natchez, Mississippi, August 1863-May 1864; assistant inspector-general of the military division of West Mississippi, May 1864-September 1865; and was appointed lieutenant-colonel, staff United States volunteers, May 26, 1864. He took part in the seige and capture of Spanish Fort, the storming of Fort Blakely and the occupation of Mobile, April 12, 1865, on the staff of General E. R. S. Canby, and was with that officer at the surrender of General Richard Taylor's army at Citronella, Alabama, May 8, 1865. He then served in the corps of engineers, and was promoted to major, June 3, 1867, and to lieutenant-colonel, March 17, 1884. He had charge of the public buildings and grounds, Washington, District of Columbia, with the rank of colonel, from June 1, 1885 to September 7, 1889 and from March 31, 1893 to March 1897, and in that capacity he had charge of the construction of the army medical museum and library, the extensive repairs of Ford's theatre building, the erection of a monument to mark the birthplace of Washington, the erection of President Garfield's statue, the erection of the monument at Washington's headquarters, Newburg, New York, and memorial tablets on the battlefield of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as well as monuments to General Hancock and General Logan. He was advanced to colonel, March 31, 1895; to chief of engineers with the rank of brigadier-general, February 1, 1897; was a member of the commission to investigate the conduct of the War Department, 1898-99; of the board of ordnance and fortifications, 1899-1901; and was retired by operation of law, April 30, 1901. He was brevetted captain, June 27, 1862, for Gaines Mill; major, July 1, 1862, for Malvern Hill; colonel United States volunteers, March 26, 1865, for campaign against Mobile; lieutenant-colonel United States army, April 8, 1865, for capture of Spanish Fort, Alabama, and colonel of United States army for capture of Fort Blakely, Alabama. The Congressional medal of honor was conferred upon him for distinguished gallantry in action at Malvern Hill, Virginia, August 6, 1862. He received the honorary degree of LL.D. from Columbian university in 1890; was elected to member-