Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-20
THE LATE GEN, DlElGS,
What an English Paper Says Of His Elm
nent Career

What an English Paper Says Of His Emil
nent Career
From the London Times.
Maj. Gen. Montgomery Cunningham Meigs
prominent military figure on the northern
side in the great civil war, died in Washington
on the morning of Saturday last, after a useful
and honorable lifetime of seventy-six years.
Graduating at West Point in 1886, writes cor
respondent, he became a member of the corps
OF engineers, in which capacity for several
years he was engaged chiefly in the construc-
ton OF military works for the protection Of the
coasts and the frontiers. For eight years, from
1852 to 1860, he devoted himself to the great
work Of supplying the national capital with
water from the Potomac river; the Washington
aqueduct, including a bridge, the span of
whose arch Is the largest in the world, was de-
signed and constructed under his personal
direction, simultaneously with which import
ant service he conducted the construction Of
the extension Of the national Capitol and of its
great dome. In the earliest days of the great
interneeine struggle he fitted out and accom-
panied secret expedition for the relief of Fort
Piekens, threatened by the confederates; and on
his return to Washington, then still a captain
he was appointed to the onerous and
general OF the United States armies with the
rank OF brlgadier general. When the civil war
began the strength OF the United States army
was under 10000 men; when it ended, four
years later, the north had a million OF men
under arms. The principal officers of the head
quarter staff had thrown up their commissions
and positions and taken service in the confed-
crate army. Gen. Meigs had not so much to
strengthen as to create u department, and that
without experience or precedent to guide him,
Tor the organization devolving on him from the
first needed to be on a scale of greater magni-
tude than the military world had ever yet seen.
he chartered transports, he established con-
veyance conventions with railway chiefs. or
IL occasion demanded took over the lines
bodily and ran them himself; he built new lines
and repaired others wrecked by the enemy: he
clothed the armies and provided and supplied
them with tents, forage and fuel, camp and gar
rson equipment; he furnished horses for cav
airy and artillery, and beasts for the transport
wagons and ambulances which he too sup
piled; he built barracks, hospitals store
houses and bridges; set up telegraph lines
and he 80 copiously yet SO scrupulously
dlsbursed the money of the republic
that he expended some $4,000 .0O0, 600
youched for punctiliously to the last cent
To his realization that his proper post was at
the national capital he sacrificed his longing
ardor to share the fortunes OF the fighting
men; yet duty occasionally offered him the op-
portunlty OF participating in active warfare;
ana he was IN Chattanooga throughout its in
yestment; was present at the battles of Lookout
Mountain ('the battle above the clouds'') and
OF Missionary Ridge; was with Grant during
the desperate fighting of the Wilderness, and
when Early suddenly threatened the capital he
modified and commanded a division consist
ing OF the people OF his own department
Sent to Europe in 1873 on special service to
study the organization of continental military
stats Gen. Meigs was treated with great dis
tinction by the Emperor William l, and had
many interviews with Moltke and with Pod
trelski, the Prussian quartermaster general
In 1882, after service OF fifty years, he retired
energy that he subsequently, built the structure
In the city park of Washington known as the
pension building. He was one Of the regents
OF the Smithsonian Institute and was a member
OF council of the National Academy OF Sciences