David Porter Heap (March 24, 1843 – October 25, 1910) was an American engineer, born in
San Stefano, Turkey, and educated at
Georgetown College
Georgetown College is a private Christian college in Georgetown, Kentucky. Chartered in 1829, Georgetown was the first Baptist college west of the Appalachian Mountains.
The college offers 38 undergraduate degrees and a Master of Arts in educat ...
, and at
West Point
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...
, where he graduated in 1864. He served with the
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the surrender of the Confedera ...
and was breveted captain on April 2, 1865. Two years later he received his commission as captain in the
Corps of Engineers.
Early on he was employed in building fortifications and improving harbors. Later he served with the US Lighthouse Service in various capacities. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1895, and to colonel in 1903. He retired in 1905 as brigadier general, and died in
Pasadena, California
Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district.
I ...
in 1910.
His publications include:
: ''Engineer Department U.S. Army at the International Exhibition'' (1876);
: ''The Paris Electrical Exhibition'' (1881);
: ''History of the Application of the Electric to Lighting the Coasts of France'' (1883);
: ''Electrical Appliances of the Present Day'' (1884);
: ''Ancient and Modern Lighthouses'' (1887);
: ''Patent 543730 for Light Signal'' (1895).
References
*
United States Military Academy alumni
United States Army generals
1843 births
1910 deaths
Burials at Arlington National Cemetery
Emigrants from the Ottoman Empire to the United States
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