Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-03-03
GEN. JAuKs II. SHIPS ON.

day Morning-A Sketch of His Military
Career,
1t was announced in the GLOBE yester-
day morning that Mr.. James H. Simpson
died about midnight at his residence No. 3
Monroe street, from pneumonia, after an
illness of but one week. The crowded
state of these columns prevented a more
extended account of his life and services
Gen. Simpson was born in New Jer-
sey, March 9th, 1913, and had he lived
few days longer he would
have been seventy years of age. He leaves
| wife and four daughters, two of them
adopted. AT the age of fifteen he went to
West Point as cadet. where he remained
until he graduated in July 1882. He was
| appointed brevet second lieutenant Third
artillery, July z, garrisoned at Fort Preble
| 1928; recruiting service 1888 and 1884; ;
| appointed second lieutenant Third artille-
ry Nov. 80, 1913; garrisoned at Fort Mon
roe 1884 and Fort King 1885; commisssry
duty Charleston, 1897.
He was in the Florida and Mexican
wars, the Utah campaign and the rebellion
In the Florida war he was on Gen. Eust1s'
stan, and afterwards he was appointed
to geographical engineer in the explora-
lions on the frontier of an important char
acter. He also surveyed the upper chain
OF lakes IN Minnesota He also had charge
| of the improvements of the Mississippi
river up to 1879, when he was retired after
a service OF forty seven years. Gen. Simp-
| son also had charge of the government
I surveys of the roads of Minnesota at one
time, and surveyed all the government
roads In this state. He surveyed the first
llae through to the Pacific coast
running through by Salt Lake City or
| somewhere near there from which was
taken the line for the Union Pacific rail
road. He was engaged in explorations in
! Mexico and published voluminous work
on the subject, and made very important
| discoveries about the settlement Of the
country by the Spasiards and the Aztecs.
He was chief engineer of the interior de-
partment, and as such it became his duty
to inspect the work of constructing the
Union Pacific railroad. He has resided
IN st. Paul since 1879, when he retired
from actual service.
THE OFFICIAL RECORD.
The following statement of the leading
events of his life is condensed from the
Army Register:
Commissary duty 1887. Appointed first
lieutenant Third artillery April 30, 1897,
and was aid-de-camp to Brevet Brig. Gen.
Eustis 1887 So, being engaged against the
Seminole Indians in the action of Lacha-
hatchie, Fla, Jan. a, 1888. He was APP
pointed first lieutenant of the corps topo-
graphical engineers July Z, 1888; assistant
Topographic engineer on harbor improve
ments Lake Erie, 1838-39; construction of
Dc IN,
ments at Erie, Pa, 1904; survey North
western lakes, 1S41-45; in charge of Erie
harbOr, 1845-48; construction of lighthouse
at Monroe, Mich, 1919; engaged in the
exploration of route from Fort Smith to
Santa Fe, 1919; chief of the topo-
graphical engineer department of New
Mexico. 1850; construction of roads in
Minnesota, 1876; coast survey, 1856
IS; chief Typographical engineer, army of
Utah, 1858; appointed captain of topo-
graphical engineers March 3, 1858; for
fourteen years was in continuous service;
engaged IN the exploration of new route
from Salt Lake to the Pacific coast and
preparing report 1S59-61. Al the COM
mencement of the rebellion he engaged in
mastering N the Ohio volunteers from
March 10 to June IS. 1861. he was chief
of the engineer department OF Shenandoah,
June 20 to Aug. z, 1861; appointed major
Typographical engineers Aug. 6, 1851:
corps of engineers March 3, 1868; colonel
Fourth New Jersey volunteers, July u,
1861; was engaged in the defenses of
Washington, Aug. 81. 1861, to April Is,
1872; was in the Peninsular campaign Of
the Army of the Potomac April 10 to Aug.
p, 1862, and engaged in the battles of
West Point and Gaines Mills; was made a
prisoner of war at Gaines Mill June 26.
1862, and was imprisoned at Richmond
June 2S to Aug. u, 1862. He resigned
his commission Aug. y, 1862. Re-enter-
ing, he was chief of Typographical en-
gineer department of the Ohio Aug. 81.
1862, 10 March 3, 1868. He was appointed
lieutenant colonel of the corps of en-
gineers June l, and engaged in survey, con-
struction and repairing railroads and
erecting temporary defenses; chief en-
gineer department of Ohio March to
Dec. 4, 1864; IN general charge of forti-
fcations in Kentucky from Dec. 8,
1868, to June 81, 1865; engineering
agent at Cincinnati for the armies Of the
West March %. 1864, to June 81, 1865;
brevet colonel March % for meritorious
service in the rebellion; chief engineer, dis
trict of Kentucky, from Feb. Is to June
u, 1869; appointed brevet brigadier gene
raj March 16, 1865, for meritorious ser
vices; chief engineer department of the
interior, at Washington, Aug, 8, 1865, hav-
ing general direction and inspection of as
one of the United States commissioners of
the Union Pacific railroad and its branches
and of government wagon roads, etc; colo
mel of corps of engineers March Z, 1867;
in charge of Notifications at Key West,
Tortugas, Fla, 1S67-6S; improvements in
Patapsco river 1869-70; in charge of i'm
provements of Mobile harbor, surveys at
Fort Pickens, Morgan and Gains, 1912;
in charge of the improvements OF the Mis-
slssippi river from January, 1873, until the
time he retired from an active service of
forty years in 1879.
Bard of Public Works.
regular meeting of the board of pub
lie works was held yesterday afternoon,