James Hervey Simpson (1813–1883) was an officer in the U.S. Army and a member of the United States Corps of Topographical Engineers.

Early years

He was born in

New Brunswick, New Jersey New Brunswick is a city (New Jersey), city in and the county seat, seat of government of Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.United States Military Academy in 1832 and was initially assigned to the

3rd U.S. Artillery The 3rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment is an Air Defense Artillery Branch, air defense artillery regiment of the United States Army, first formed in 1821 as the 3rd Regiment of Artillery. History Constituted 1 June 1821 in the Regular Army (Unite ...

. He served in the

Second Seminole War The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between the United States and groups collectively known as Seminoles, consisting of Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans and ...

and was promoted to first lieutenant in 1837.

Topographical Engineers

In 1838, a separate department known as the U.S. Army's Topographical Engineers was created (not to be confused with the Corps of Engineers with whom they were merged during the Civil War). Simpson was one of the officers transferred to the newly created bureau and assigned as an assistant to

Cpt. Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

W. G. Williams who was in charge of harbor construction on Lake Erie. The following year, he worked on road construction in Florida and then lake surveys in Wisconsin and Ohio. From 1845 to 1847, he was in charge of the harbor of Erie.

New Mexico Expedition, 1849

In 1849, Lieutenant Simpson made his first journey into the

American west The Western United States (also called the American West, the Far West, and the West) is the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the meaning of the term ''the Wes ...

, during an expedition commanded by Colonel John James Abert. Simpson surveyed a road from Fort Smith, Arkansas to Santa Fe, New Mexico. This was followed by a punitive raid against the Navajo, under the command of John M. Washington. Simpson included sketches and artwork from the brothers Edward Kern and Richard Kern. Simpson then assumed responsibility as the Chief Topographical Engineer for the Ninth Military Department, based in Santa Fe.

Other Duties

In the spring of 1851, Simpson the Territory of Minnesota surveying and improving roads. In 1853, he was promoted to captain. In May 1853 he was transferred to Florida, where he supervised survey work associated with the

US Coast Survey The National Geodetic Survey (NGS) is a United States federal agency that defines and manages a national coordinate system, providing the foundation for transportation and communication; mapping and charting; and a large number of applications ...

Utah Expedition, 1858–59

During the winter of 1857-1858, Simpson was ordered to support the military forces assembled for the Utah War. Simpson's duties included preparing maps for the upcoming campaign, while based at Fort Leavenworth and Fort Kearney. On 3 July 1858, Simpson departed for Camp Floyd, arriving on 19 August. Simpson was ordered to survey a wagon road between Camp Floyd and Fort Bridger. Once completed, Simpson was order to make a preliminary reconnaissance into the Great Salt Lake Desert, which he commenced on 19 October. On 2 May 1859, Simpson led a more extensive expedition consisting of 64 men. His photographer,

Samuel C. Mills During his lifetime, Samuel C. Mills was an American photographer, Civil War veteran, and a D.C. judge. He is best known for his 1858 photographs from along the Oregon Trail and California Trail. Early years Born October 8, 1833 in Washington, D. ...

, produced the earliest surviving photographs of features along the trail. Simpson's

Central Route Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

played a vital role in the transportation of mail, freight, and passengers between the established eastern states and California, especially when hostilities of the Civil War closed the Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoach route that ran along the southern border states. George Chorpenning immediately switched to Simpson's route to run his existing mail and stage line, and the Pony Express used it as well. In 1861 the Transcontinental Telegraph was laid along the route, making the Pony Express obsolete. Afterwards, Wells Fargo & Co. hauled mail, freight, and passengers along Simpson's route until 1869, when transportation and telegraphy were switched to the newly completed Transcontinental Railroad.

Civil War

During the American Civil War, Simpson served as colonel of the

4th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry The 4th New Jersey Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service Three months regiment The 4th New Jersey Infantry Regiment was first organized at Trenton, New Jersey for three months service ...

and was captured at the Battle of Gaines's Mill. He was paroled and returned, but resigned his commission of volunteers on August 24, 1862 to return to his rank of

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

in the Corps of Topographical Engineers. He was attached to the Department of the Ohio and was in charge of the expansion and improvements of the defenses for Cincinnati, Ohio. For his services during the war, Simpson was brevetted to the rank of brigadier general.

Later career

Simpson was named chief engineer of the Interior Department. He oversaw the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, the completion of which made his Central Nevada Route obsolete. In 1880 he retired to St. Paul, Minnesota, and died there on March 2, 1883. The

Simpson Park Mountains The Simpson Park Mountains, also known as the Simpson Park Range, are located in Lander and Eureka counties, in central Nevada in the western United States. The mountains reach an elevation of at Fagin Mountain, and cover an area of approximat ...

in central Nevada, a small range in west-central Utah (

Simpson Mountains Simpson most often refers to: * Simpson (name), a British surname *'' The Simpsons'', an animated American sitcom **The Simpson family, central characters of the series ''The Simpsons'' Simpson may also refer to: Organizations Schools * Si ...

), and Simpson Springs Pony Express Station are all named after him.Van Cott, J. W., 1990, Utah Place Names,

Bibliography

''Navajo Expedition: Journal of a Military Reconnaissance from Santa Fe, New Mexico to the Navajo Country, Made in 1849''
(1852)
''The Shortest Route to California: Illustrated by a History of Explorations of the Great Basin of Utah with its Topographical and Geological Character and Some Account of the Indian Tribes''
(1869)
''Essay on Coronado's March in Search of the Seven Cities of Cibola''
(1871)
''Report of Explorations across the Great Basin in 1859''
(1876)

References

* "Dictionary of American Biography", vol. IX, p. 179.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Simpson, James Hervey 1813 births 1883 deaths American explorers American surveyors United States Army officers United States Military Academy alumni Union Army colonels