Confederate General Jeremy Francis Gilmer

Item CON-10212

Description

Major-General Jeremy Francis Gilmer was born in Guilford
county, N. C., February 23, 1818. He was graduated at the
United States military academy in 1839, number four in the
class of which General Halleck was third.

Receiving a second lieutenancy of engineers, he served in the
military academy as assistant professor of engineering till
June, 1840, and then as assistant engineer in building Fort
Schuyler, New York harbor, until 1844, after which he was
assistant to the chief engineer at Washington, D. C., until
1846, with promotion to first lieutenant in 1845.

During the Mexican war he was chief engineer of the army of
the West in New Mexico, constructing Fort Marcy at Santa Fe.
He afterward served at Washington, and was superintending
engineer of the repairs to various forts and the building of
Forts Jackson and Pulaski, Georgia, and of the improvement of
the Savannah river.

In consideration of his continuous service of fourteen years,
he was promoted captain, July 1, 1853. After this, as a
member of various commissions of engineers, he was continually
engaged in fortification work, and the improvement of rivers
throughout the South until 1858.

From that time he was in charge of the construction of
defenses at the entrance of San Francisco bay until June 29,
1861, when he resigned to join the Confederate States army.

He was commissioned lieutenant-colonel, corps of engineers,
CSA., in September, 1861, and was assigned to duty as chief
engineer of Department No. 2, on the staff of Gen. Albert
Sidney Johnston. He was present at Fort Henry at its
surrender, and rode to the front with General Johnston at the
opening of the battle of Shiloh. Here he was severely wounded
late on the second day.

Subsequently he was promoted to brigadier-general, and on
August 4, 1862, was made chief engineer of the department of
Northern Virginia. October 4, 1862, he became chief of the
engineer bureau of the Confederate States war department. In
1863 he was promoted major-general and assigned to duty as
second in command, in the department of South Carolina,
Georgia and Florida, in which capacity he rendered valuable
services in the defense of Charleston, and fortified Atlanta.

Subsequently he resumed his duties as chief engineer, and so
continued until the evacuation of Richmond.

After the war he engaged in railroad and other enterprises in
Georgia, and from 1867 to 1883 was president and engineer of
the Savannah gaslight company. He died December 1, 1883.

Source: Confederate Military History, vol. V, p. 309