COMSTOCK
COMSTOCK
Traps for the Young (1883) ; Morals ve7-sns Art
(1887) ; GainhJiny Outrages, or Improving the Breed
of Horses at the Expense of Public Morals (1887).
COMSTOCK, Cyrus Ballou, soldier, was born in West Wrentham, Mass., Feb. 3, 1831; son of Nathan and Betsey (Cook) Comstock; grandson of Cyrus and Abigail (Leland) Comstock of Wren- thani, Mass., and a descendant of Samuel Com- stock (born 16o4) of Providence, R.I. He was graduated at the U.S. military academy in 1855 and was commis- sioned 2d lieutenant in the engineer corps. He was at work on the construction of forts, 1855-59, when he was made acting assistant professor of natural and experi- mental philosophy at the riilitary academy. He was ordered to Washington in 1861 and served in the de- C . r?). C^twuZji^ ^e^ces of the national ^ capital. He was as-
-sistant to the chief of engineers of the army of the Potomac in March, 1862, and engaged in the Peninsula and Maryland campaigns in 1862. In November of that year he was made chief engi- neer of the army of the Potomac and served in the battles of Fredericksburg and Chancellors- ville. He was transferred to the armj- of the Tennessee, being senior engineer at Vicksbiu-g s,t the close of the siege. He was assistant in- spector of the military division of the Mississippi, and in March, 1864, was made senior aide-de-camp on the staff of Lieut. -Gen. U. S. Grant, serving in the Richmond campaign of 1864-65, at Fort Fisher, and in the Mobile campaign of 1865. He ■was aide to the general-in-chief at "Washington, 1866-70, and was afterward chief of the geodetic survey- of the gi-eat lakes. In 1881 he was made lieutenant-colonel of the engineer corjjs, holding the brevet ranks of brigadier-general in the regu- lar army and major-general of volunteers. He was retired Feb. 3, 1895, with the commission of colonel in the regular army and the rank of bre- vet brigadier-general. He was a member of the Mississippi river commission in 1879-95 and long its president. He was elected a member of the National academy of sciences in 1884 and pub- lished Xotes on European Surveys (1876) ; Surrey of the Northwestern Lakes (1877) ; Primary Triangula- tion, U.S. Coast Survey (1882).
COMSTOCK, George Cary, astronomer, was born in Madison, Wis., Feb. 12, 1855; son of
Charles Henry and Mercj- (Bronson) Comstock;
grandson of Abijah and Esther (Fro.st) Com-
stock ; and a descendant of Christopher Comstock,
who came from England to Connecticut in 1637.
He was graduated at the Universitj' of Michigan
in 1877 with the degree of Ph.B., and during his
college course he was
employed upon the
field %vork of the
United States lake
survey, holding the
position of recorder
and assistant engi-
neer under the corps
of engineers, U.S.A.,
1874-78. He was in
the observatory at
Ann Arbor in 1878;
was assistant engineer
on the improvement
of the upper Missis-
sippi in 1879, and was
graduated in law at
the University of Wisconsin in 1883. He then
engaged in astronomical work for the Xautical
Almanac office at Washington, D.C., and was
employed upon the Northern trans-continental
survej', along the line of the Northern Pacific
railway, 1883-85. He was professor of mathe-
matics and astronomy at the Ohio state univer-
sity, 1885-87; and professor of astronomy at the
University of AVisconsin, 1887, at the same time
being associate director of Washburn observatory
until 1889, when he was appointed director. He
was married June 12, 1894, to Esther Cecile Ever-
ett. He published five volumes of the Washburn
observatory publications : Methods of Least Squares
(1889) ; and numerous contributions to scientific
periodicals.
COMSTOCK, George Francis, jurist, was
. born at Williamstown, N.Y., Aug. 24, 1811. He
was graduated from Union college in 1834 and
was admitted to the bar in. 1837. He was reporter
for the court of appeals, 1847-51, and published
four volumes of reports. In 1852-53 he was
solicitor-general of the United States, and was
chief justice of the New York court of appeals,
1856-62. He was a member of the state consti-
tutional convention of 1868. He gave §50,000
toward the founding of Syracuse university,
was a trustee of that institution, 1870-90, and
also served as vice-president of the board of
trustees. He founded St. John's school for boys
at Maulius, N.Y., giving to it $60,000. He was a
trustee of the New York state institute for feeble-
minded children at Syracuse; was a trustee of
Hobart, 1870-77 ; deputy to the general conven-
tion of the diocese of central New York, 1871-92,
and trustee of the parochial fund, 1869-92. In
