Joseph Gilbert Totten
Encyclopedia
Joseph Gilbert Totten fought in the War of 1812
, served as Chief Engineer
and was regent of the Smithsonian Institution
and cofounder of the National Academy of Sciences
.
and was one of the three people to graduate from the United States Military Academy
as part of the class of 1805. He was commissioned as Second Lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers
on July 1, 1805.
He resigned in 1806 to assist his uncle, Major Jared Mansfield
, who was then serving as Surveyor General of federal public lands. Major General Joseph K. Mansfield
, who died at the Battle of Antietam
, was his cousin.
and Fort Clinton
in New York
harbor.
During the War of 1812
, he was Chief Engineer of the Niagara frontier and Lake Champlain
armies under General Stephen Van Rensselaer
. At the Battle of Queenston Heights
, he fought alongside Winfield Scott
, who used Totten's cravat as a white flag to signal the American surrender. He was brevetted
lieutenant colonel for gallant conduct in the Battle of Plattsburgh
. As a member of the first permanent Board of Engineers, 1816, he laid down durable principles of coast defense construction.
From 1825 until 1838, Totten oversaw the construction of Fort Adams
in Newport, Rhode Island
. Fort Adams was the second largest construction project attempted by the Army in the 19th Century exceeded only by Fort Monroe in Virginia. Totten employed recent graduates of West Point as assistant engineers at Fort Adams where they learned advanced engineering techniques. Totten's apprentices included John G. Barnard
, George W. Cullum, Pierre G. T. Beauregard and Alexander D. Bache all of whom earned distinction during the Civil War. While at Fort Adams, Totten conducted experiments with various mortar compositions and published a paper of his findings.
Totten was appointed Chief Engineer
of the United States Army in 1838, and served in that position for 25 years until his death in 1864. As Chief Engineer he was intimately involved with every aspect of the Army Corps of Engineers activities from fortifications to harbor improvement. Beginning in 1844, Totten was involved with the construction of Fort Montgomery
on Lake Champlain
in upstate New York. During this period, Totten also invented an iron reinforced embrasure
for cannon which would better protect the gunners inside a fort, a design which he incorporated in Fort Montgomery and Fort Delaware.
He was greatly admired by General Scott, for whom he directed the siege of Veracruz
as his Chief Engineer during the Mexican-American War. He later served as a Civil War Union Army
general, being brevetted
as a US Army Brigadier General in 1847 and receiving his permanent appointment in 1863.
One of Totten's most significant achievements was the design and construction of the Minots Ledge
lighthouse near Cohasset, Massachusetts
. Previous efforts to build a lighthouse on the small ledge of rock had failed but Totten conceived a plan whereby the lighthouse would be pinned by its own weight to the ledge making it able to withstand the harshest extremes of weather. It stands to this day flashing a distinctive 1-4-3 light pattern which has been interpreted to mean "I LOVE YOU".
Totten served most of his time as Chief Engineer in the rank of Colonel but was promoted to Brigadier General on March 3, 1863. He died of pneumonia
in Washington, D.C.
on April 22, 1864 having served almost 60 years in the Army.
Totten was promoted to Brevet
Major General
the day before his death and was buried in the Congressional Cemetery
in Washington, D.C.
.
built to defend the federal capital
—while this fort no longer exists, the surrounding neighborhood and Metro station
still bear the name—as well as a fort in New York City and Fort Totten, North Dakota
.
Tottenville, Staten Island
was named for the family of an older relative of General Totten who was one of three "Captain Tottens" that supported the Loyalist cause during the American Revolution. See "Who was Who in America" and "American Bibliography" for more information.
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, served as Chief Engineer
Chief of Engineers
The Chief of Engineers commands the US Army Corps of Engineers. As a staff officer at The Pentagon, the Chief advises the Army on engineering matters and serves as the Army's topographer and the proponent for real estate and other related engineering programs....
and was regent of the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
and cofounder of the National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
.
Early life and education
He was born in New Haven, ConnecticutNew Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
and was one of the three people to graduate from the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
as part of the class of 1805. He was commissioned as Second Lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
on July 1, 1805.
He resigned in 1806 to assist his uncle, Major Jared Mansfield
Jared Mansfield
300px|right|thumb|Sketch by [[Henry Howe]]Jared Mansfield was an American mathematician and surveyor. His career was shaped by two interventions by President Thomas Jefferson. In 1801 Jefferson appointed Mansfield as Professor at the newly-founded United States Military Academy at West Point...
, who was then serving as Surveyor General of federal public lands. Major General Joseph K. Mansfield
Joseph K. Mansfield
Joseph King Fenno Mansfield was a career United States Army officer, civil engineer, and a Union general in the American Civil War, mortally wounded at the Battle of Antietam.-Early life:...
, who died at the Battle of Antietam
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...
, was his cousin.
Military career
Totten re-entered the Corps of Engineers in 1808 and assisted in building Fort WilliamsFort Williams
Fort Williams was a supply depot built in early 1814 in preparation for the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. It was located in Alabama on the southeast shore of where Cedar Creek met the Coosa River, near Talladega Springs. The original site was submerged under Lay Lake with the 1914 construction of the...
and Fort Clinton
Fort Clinton
Fort Clinton was an American Revolutionary War fortification in present-day Highlands, Orange County, New York. It was a companion to Fort Montgomery. Its garrison of 300 was smaller than that of Fort Montgomery, but Fort Clinton was built on a ridge at the mouth of the Popolopen Gorge, overlooking...
in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
harbor.
During the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, he was Chief Engineer of the Niagara frontier and Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
armies under General Stephen Van Rensselaer
Stephen Van Rensselaer III
Stephen Van Rensselaer III was Lieutenant Governor of New York as well as a statesman, soldier, and land-owner, the heir to one of the largest estates in the New York region at the time, which made him the tenth richest American of all time, based on the ratio of his fortune to contemporary GDP...
. At the Battle of Queenston Heights
Battle of Queenston Heights
The Battle of Queenston Heights was the first major battle in the War of 1812 and resulted in a British victory. It took place on 13 October 1812, near Queenston, in the present-day province of Ontario...
, he fought alongside Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott was a United States Army general, and unsuccessful presidential candidate of the Whig Party in 1852....
, who used Totten's cravat as a white flag to signal the American surrender. He was brevetted
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
lieutenant colonel for gallant conduct in the Battle of Plattsburgh
Battle of Plattsburgh
The Battle of Plattsburgh, also known as the Battle of Lake Champlain, ended the final invasion of the northern states during the War of 1812...
. As a member of the first permanent Board of Engineers, 1816, he laid down durable principles of coast defense construction.
From 1825 until 1838, Totten oversaw the construction of Fort Adams
Fort Adams
Fort Adams in Newport, Rhode Island, was established on July 4, 1799 as a First System coastal fortification. Its first commander was Captain John Henry who was later instrumental in starting the War of 1812.-History:...
in Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
. Fort Adams was the second largest construction project attempted by the Army in the 19th Century exceeded only by Fort Monroe in Virginia. Totten employed recent graduates of West Point as assistant engineers at Fort Adams where they learned advanced engineering techniques. Totten's apprentices included John G. Barnard
John G. Barnard
John Gross Barnard was a career engineering officer in the U.S. Army, serving in the Mexican-American War, as the Superintendent of the United States Military Academy and as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War...
, George W. Cullum, Pierre G. T. Beauregard and Alexander D. Bache all of whom earned distinction during the Civil War. While at Fort Adams, Totten conducted experiments with various mortar compositions and published a paper of his findings.
Totten was appointed Chief Engineer
Chief of Engineers
The Chief of Engineers commands the US Army Corps of Engineers. As a staff officer at The Pentagon, the Chief advises the Army on engineering matters and serves as the Army's topographer and the proponent for real estate and other related engineering programs....
of the United States Army in 1838, and served in that position for 25 years until his death in 1864. As Chief Engineer he was intimately involved with every aspect of the Army Corps of Engineers activities from fortifications to harbor improvement. Beginning in 1844, Totten was involved with the construction of Fort Montgomery
Fort Montgomery (Lake Champlain)
Fort Montgomery on Lake Champlain refers to the second of two American forts built at the northernmost point on the lake: a first, unnamed fort built on the same site in 1816 and Fort Montgomery built in 1844....
on Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
in upstate New York. During this period, Totten also invented an iron reinforced embrasure
Embrasure
In military architecture, an embrasure is the opening in a crenellation or battlement between the two raised solid portions or merlons, sometimes called a crenel or crenelle...
for cannon which would better protect the gunners inside a fort, a design which he incorporated in Fort Montgomery and Fort Delaware.
He was greatly admired by General Scott, for whom he directed the siege of Veracruz
Siege of Veracruz
The Battle of Veracruz was a 20-day siege of the key Mexican beachhead seaport of Veracruz, during the Mexican-American War. Lasting from 9-29 March 1847, it began with the first large-scale amphibious assault conducted by United States military forces, and ended with the surrender and occupation...
as his Chief Engineer during the Mexican-American War. He later served as a Civil War Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
general, being brevetted
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
as a US Army Brigadier General in 1847 and receiving his permanent appointment in 1863.
One of Totten's most significant achievements was the design and construction of the Minots Ledge
Minots Ledge
Minot's Ledge, also known as the Cohasset Rocks, is a reef off the harbor of Cohasset, Massachusetts, 15 miles southeast of Boston, Massachusetts. It is the site of the Minot's Ledge Light which is considered one of the most significant American engineering achievements of the 19th...
lighthouse near Cohasset, Massachusetts
Cohasset, Massachusetts
Cohasset is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, though it is not contiguous with the main body of the county. The population was 7,542 at the 2010 census.- History :...
. Previous efforts to build a lighthouse on the small ledge of rock had failed but Totten conceived a plan whereby the lighthouse would be pinned by its own weight to the ledge making it able to withstand the harshest extremes of weather. It stands to this day flashing a distinctive 1-4-3 light pattern which has been interpreted to mean "I LOVE YOU".
Totten served most of his time as Chief Engineer in the rank of Colonel but was promoted to Brigadier General on March 3, 1863. He died of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
on April 22, 1864 having served almost 60 years in the Army.
Totten was promoted to Brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
Major General
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
the day before his death and was buried in the Congressional Cemetery
Congressional Cemetery
The Congressional Cemetery is a historic cemetery located at 1801 E Street, SE, in Washington, D.C., on the west bank of the Anacostia River. It is the final resting place of thousands of individuals who helped form the nation and the city of Washington in the early 19th century. Many members of...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
.
Namesakes
Several places have been named after General Totten, including: the Civil War Fort TottenFort Totten, Washington, D.C.
Fort Totten is a park and neighborhood in northeast Washington, D.C.. The neighborhood is bordered by N Capitol St to the west, Riggs Rd NE to the north, the Red Line tracks to the east, and Hawaii Ave NE to the south. It is named after a Civil War-era fort. The Fort Totten Metro station is named...
built to defend the federal capital
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
—while this fort no longer exists, the surrounding neighborhood and Metro station
Fort Totten (Washington Metro)
Fort Totten is a Washington Metro station in Washington, D.C. on the Green, Yellow , and Red Lines; it is a transfer station between the Green/Yellow Lines and the Red. It is also the last Green Line station in the District of Columbia going northeast.Fort Totten is located in the middle of Fort...
still bear the name—as well as a fort in New York City and Fort Totten, North Dakota
Fort Totten State Historic Site
-History:Established on July 17, 1867, the fort was first built to watch over the surrounding Indian Reservation after a group of the Sioux tribe moved to the area after 1867. The soldiers were stationed to enforce the peace and guard transportation routes. The fort was decommissioned in 1890...
.
Tottenville, Staten Island
Tottenville, Staten Island
Tottenville with an area of approx. , is the southernmost neighborhood of Staten Island, New York City and New York State. Originally named Bentley Manor by one of its first settlers, Captain Christopher Billop , after a small ship he owned named the Bentley, the district was renamed Tottenville in...
was named for the family of an older relative of General Totten who was one of three "Captain Tottens" that supported the Loyalist cause during the American Revolution. See "Who was Who in America" and "American Bibliography" for more information.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals
- Battle of Fort PulaskiBattle of Fort PulaskiThe Battle of Fort Pulaski was fought April 10–11, 1862, during the American Civil War. Union forces on Tybee Island and naval operations conducted a 112-day siege, then captured the Confederate-held Fort Pulaski after a 30-hour bombardment. The battle is important for innovative use of rifled guns...
, Background - Totten's assessment of Fort Pulaski.