James Chatham Duane

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James Chatham Duane
US Army Corps of Engineers
Battles/warsUtah War
American Civil War
  • Battle of Harper's Ferry
Spouse(s)Harriet Whitehorne Brewerton
RelationsJames Duane (great-grandfather)
Signature

James Chatham Duane (June 10, 1824 – December 8, 1897) was a career officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War, being the Chief Engineer of the Army of the Potomac.

Early life

Duane was born on June 10, 1824, in Schenectady, New York, to James Duane and Harriet Constable. His paternal grandparents were James Chatham Duane (1769–1842) and Mary Ann Bowers (1773–1828). His great-grandfather James Duane (1733–1797) was a member of the Continental Congress and mayor of New York City.[1] Duane graduated from Union College in 1844, where he was a founding member of Chi Psi fraternity,[2] and from the United States Military Academy in 1848, where he ranked third in his class.

Career

He taught practical military engineering there from 1852–54 during the superintendency of Robert E. Lee. Serving with the Army's company of sappers, miners, and pontoniers for nine years before the American Civil War, he led the engineers on a 1,100-mile march on the Utah Expedition in 1858 and commanded select engineer troops to guard President Abraham Lincoln at his inauguration in 1861.

Duane built the first military

James River
.

On April 10, 1866, President Andrew Johnson nominated Duane for appointment to the grade of brevet brigadier general in the Regular Army (United States), to rank from March 13, 1865, and the United States Senate confirmed the appointment on May 4, 1866.[3]

Duane commanded at

Chief of Engineers and brigadier general on October 11, 1886, he retired June 30 1888.[4] He then became Commissioner of Croton Aqueduct in New York City
. He published a paper on the "History of the Bridge Equipage in the United States Army."

Personal life

He married Harriet Whitehorne Brewerton (1830-1914) in 1850. Together, they had:[1]

  • James Duane (1852–1899)
  • Charles Duane (1856-?)
  • Alexander Duane (1858-1926)

General Duane died in New York City, November 8, 1897.[4] He was buried in Vale Cemetery, Schenectady, New York.[4]

See also

References

Notes
  1. ^ a b Harrison, Bruce (2005). The Family Forest Descendants of Lady Joan Beaufort. Kamuela, HI: Millisecond Publishing Company, Inc. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  2. ^ Hattendorf, Bill (2005). The Chi Psi Story, p. 67. The Chi Psi Educational Trust and Chi Psi Fraternity
  3. ISBN 978-0-8047-3641-1
    . p. 733.
  4. ^ a b c d Eicher 2001, p. 215.
Sources

This article contains public domain text from "Brigadier General James Chatham Duane". Portrats and Profiles of Chief Engineers. Archived from the original on March 6, 2005. Retrieved May 24, 2005.


Military offices
Preceded by
Chief of Engineers

1886–1888 		Succeeded by
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