Thomas Lincoln Casey Sr.
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Thomas Lincoln Casey Sr. (May 10, 1831 – March 25, 1896) was a noted American military and civil engineer of the late 19th century. He served as
Chief of Engineers The Chief of Engineers is a principal United States Army staff officer at The Pentagon. The Chief advises the Army on engineering matters, and serves as the Army's topographer and proponent for real estate and other related engineering programs. ...
for the
United States Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...
and oversaw the completion of the
Washington Monument The Washington Monument is an obelisk shaped building within the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, once commander-in-chief of the Continental Army (1775–1784) in the American Revolutionary War and th ...
. American engineer Richard Weingardt wrote that Casey was the "U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ most visible and celebrated builder of public buildings, monuments, and other significant works in the latter part of the 19th century."


Family

Casey was born into a prominent family that lived on Casey Farm in
Saunderstown, Rhode Island Saunderstown is a small village and historic district in the towns of Narragansett and North Kingstown in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. Saunderstown has its own post office with the ZIP Code of 02874, which also includes a sm ...
, for 200 years. This family included an admiral, generals, engineers and scientists. Casey's grandfather Wanton Casey was a member of the
Kentish Guards The Armory of the Kentish Guards is a historic armory at Armory and Peirce Streets in East Greenwich, Rhode Island and is currently home to the Kentish Guards, a historic Rhode Island Independent Military Organization. History The Kentish Guar ...
of East Greenwich during the
American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...
. Casey's father, Major General
Silas Casey Silas Casey (July 12, 1807 – January 22, 1882) was a career United States Army officer who rose to the rank of major general during the American Civil War. Early life and military career Casey was born in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. He gradua ...
, led the assault on
Chapultepec Castle Chapultepec Castle ( es, Castillo de Chapultepec) is located on top of Chapultepec Hill in Mexico City's Chapultepec park. The name ''Chapultepec'' is the Nahuatl word ''chapoltepēc'' which means "on the hill of the grasshopper". The castle has s ...
in the
Battle of Chapultepec The Battle of Chapultepec was a battle between American forces and Mexican forces holding the strategically located Chapultepec Castle just outside Mexico City, fought 13 September 1847 during the Mexican–American War. The building, sitting ...
in the
Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
and also served as a major general in the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
. His brother Silas Casey III was a rear admiral in the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
and commander of the Pacific Fleet from 1901 to 1903. Casey married Emma Weir, the daughter of painter
Robert Walter Weir Robert Walter Weir (June 18, 1803 – May 1, 1889) was an American artist and educator and is considered a painter of the Hudson River School. Weir was elected to the National Academy of Design in 1829 and was an instructor at the United States M ...
, with who he had two sons. His eldest son, Thomas Lincoln Casey, Jr., graduated from West Point in 1879, served in the Corps of Engineers, and retired from the Army as a colonel in 1912.


Early life and military service

Casey was born at
Madison Barracks File:Madison Barracks.jpg File:Madison Barracks02.jpg File:Madison Barracks Stone Tower.jpg File:Madison Barracks Stone Tower 02.jpg Madison Barracks was a military installation established in 1813 or 1815 at Sackets Harbor that was built for occ ...
in
Sackets Harbor, New York Sackets Harbor (earlier spelled Sacketts Harbor) is a village in Jefferson County, New York, United States, on Lake Ontario. The population was 1,450 at the 2010 census. The village was named after land developer and owner Augustus Sackett, who ...
. He was appointed by then President
James K. Polk James Knox Polk (November 2, 1795 – June 15, 1849) was the 11th president of the United States, serving from 1845 to 1849. He previously was the 13th speaker of the House of Representatives (1835–1839) and ninth governor of Tennessee (183 ...
to
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 ...
, which he attended from July 1, 1848, to July 1, 1852, when he graduated
first First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
in his class of forty-three. Other members of his class included
Henry Warner Slocum Henry Warner Slocum, Sr. (September 24, 1827 – April 14, 1894), was a Union general during the American Civil War and later served in the United States House of Representatives from New York. During the war, he was one of the youngest major g ...
, David S. Stanley, George Lucas Hartsuff, Charles R. Woods,
Alexander McDowell McCook Alexander McDowell McCook (April 22, 1831June 12, 1903) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. Early life McCook was born in Columbiana County, Ohio. A Scottish family, the McCooks were prominent ...
,
August Kautz August Valentine Kautz (January 5, 1828 – September 4, 1895) was a German-American officer. He served as a general in the Union cavalry during the American Civil War. He was the author of several army manuals on duties and customs eventually ad ...
, and George Crook. Upon graduation he was commissioned as a brevet second lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers. From July to August, Casey served at West Point in the Company of Sappers, Miners and Pontoniers. He then worked as assistant engineer during the construction of
Fort Delaware Fort Delaware is a former harbor defense facility, designed by chief engineer Joseph Gilbert Totten and located on Pea Patch Island in the Delaware River.Dobbs, Kelli W., et al. During the American Civil War, the Union used Fort Delaware as ...
and on river and harbor improvements in the Delaware River and Bay from December 2, 1852, to August 28, 1854, during which he was made a second lieutenant on June 22, 1854. Casey was
assistant professor Assistant Professor is an academic rank just below the rank of an associate professor used in universities or colleges, mainly in the United States and Canada. Overview This position is generally taken after earning a doctoral degree A docto ...
of practical engineering at West Point from August 28, 1854, to August 31, 1859. While professor, he served in the engineer troops from September 6, 1854, to June 27, 1857, was promoted to
first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a ...
on December 1, 1856. From June 27, 1857, to August 31, 1859, Casey was principal assistant professor of engineering, and he was in command of a detachment of engineer troops in
Washington Territory The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington. It was created from the ...
, from November 21, 1859, to April 1861. During the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
he was stationed at
Fort Monroe Fort Monroe, managed by partnership between the Fort Monroe Authority for the Commonwealth of Virginia, the National Park Service as the Fort Monroe National Monument, and the City of Hampton, is a former military installation in Hampton, Virgi ...
as an assistant engineer on the staff of the general in command of the
Department of Virginia The Department of Virginia and North Carolina was a United States Military department encompassing Union-occupied territory in the Confederate States during the Civil War. In 1863 it was formed by the merging of two previously existing departme ...
, from June 11 to August 15, 1861, being promoted to captain on August 6. Casey was then superintending engineer of coastal fortifications in
Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...
and involved in recruiting engineers for the duration of the war, until July 25, 1866. Casey became a major on October 2, 1863, and was made a brevet lieutenant colonel and
colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...
on March 13, 1865. During the war, he served with the
North Atlantic Squadron The North Atlantic Squadron was a section of the United States Navy operating in the North Atlantic. It was renamed as the North Atlantic Fleet in 1902. In 1905 the European and South Atlantic squadrons were abolished and absorbed into the Nort ...
during the First Expedition to Fort Fisher from December 8 to 29, 1864. The following year he was on the special board of engineers for work on Willet's Point from April 7 to June 20, and for work on
Fort Preble Fort Preble was a military fort in South Portland, Maine, United States, built in 1808 and progressively added to through 1906. The fort was active during all major wars from the War of 1812 through World War II. The fort was deactivated in 1950 ...
,
Fort Scammel House Island is a private island in Portland Harbor in Casco Bay, Maine, United States. It is part of the City of Portland. The island is accessible only by boat. Public access is prohibited, except for an on-request tour sanctioned by the isl ...
, Fort Popham and Fort Knox on the Penobscot River from August 1865 to February 1866. After a
leave of absence The labour law concept of leave, specifically paid leave or, in some countries' long-form, a leave of absence, is an authorised prolonged absence from work, for any reason authorised by the workplace. When people "take leave" in this way, they are ...
ending February 25, 1867, Casey served as superintending engineer on the construction of Forts Preble and Scammel from March 1 to November 18, 1867. He was then made assistant to the
Chief of Engineers The Chief of Engineers is a principal United States Army staff officer at The Pentagon. The Chief advises the Army on engineering matters, and serves as the Army's topographer and proponent for real estate and other related engineering programs. ...
on November 18, 1867, moving to
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, where Casey would live most of the rest of his life. He went on inspection tours from April to October 1868, and left the position January 2, 1879. In 1873 Casey was invested as an Officer of the French Legion of Honor in recognition of his work as an engineer. Casey headed the division the Office of the Chief of Engineers responsible for military engineers, equipment, and fortifications. From March 3, 1877, to April 1, 1881, Casey headed the Office of Public Buildings and Grounds,
District of Columbia ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, overseeing construction of the Potomac aqueduct (March 3, 1877 to August 12, 1882), the last two-thirds of the State, War, and Navy Building (March 3, 1877 to May 31, 1888), and the completion of the
Washington Monument The Washington Monument is an obelisk shaped building within the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, once commander-in-chief of the Continental Army (1775–1784) in the American Revolutionary War and th ...
(June 25, 1878, to April 4, 1888).


The Washington Monument

Casey's most famous project was the completion of the
Washington Monument The Washington Monument is an obelisk shaped building within the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, once commander-in-chief of the Continental Army (1775–1784) in the American Revolutionary War and th ...
. Construction on the monument had been abandoned 24 years earlier, in 1854, due to technical and managerial problems. In its place stood a 170-foot tall pile of marble which was leaning to the northwest due to an unstable foundation. The structure was a public embarrassment and target of criticism from newspapers across the nation. Casey was appointed to finish the job in 1878. Casey, then a lieutenant colonel and head of the Office of Public Buildings and Grounds in Washington, D.C., was known for his engineering skills and financial trustworthiness. He developed an ingenious method to balance the foundation as workmen with picks shovels dug from either side in a coordinated effort. Eventually Casey's men replaced half the old foundation, making it 13 feet deeper and over twice as wide. Over 130 years later, after the monument was damaged by an earthquake in 2011, engineers tasked with repairing the structure consulted Casey's original papers to understand how it was built. The engineers called Casey's work "brilliant."


Later military service

He also was on several boards: to study the effect of a dry dock companies work on Portland Harbour in April 1868, to make torpedo cable contracts and examine systems of
torpedo defence Torpedo defence includes evasive maneuvers, passive defense like torpedo belts, torpedo nets, torpedo bulges and active defenses, like anti-torpedo torpedoes similar in idea to missile defense Missile defense is a system, weapon, or technol ...
from May 26 to October 13, 1873, to advise on the ventilation of the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
March 1877 to March 1881, and February 15, 1884, to September 1886, and to advise on public works in the District of Columbia from 1879 to 1888. Casey supervised the construction of a monument over
Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was previously the natio ...
's grave May 2, 1882, to October 20, 1886, one at Washington's Headquarters in
Newburgh, New York Newburgh is a city in the U.S. state of New York, within Orange County. With a population of 28,856 as of the 2020 census, it is a principal city of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown metropolitan area. Located north of New York City, a ...
from June 7, 1883, to October 20, 1884, and one marking the birthplace of Washington, from October 8, 1883, to Oct. 20, 1886. He was made a full colonel on March 12, 1884. On April 10, 1884, Casey was made a member of the Lighthouse Board. He then oversaw the construction of the
Army Medical Museum and Library The Army Medical Museum and Library (AMML) of the U.S. Army was a large brick building constructed in 1887 at South B Street (now Independence Avenue) and 7th Street, SW, Washington, D.C., which is directly on the National Mall. It was desig ...
beginning April 14, 1885 and the erection of the James A. Garfield Monument from July 2, 1885. Both projects concluded on October 20, 1886. Casey was then made president of the Board of Engineers for Fortifications and other Public Works in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
and a member of the Board of Visitors to the Engineer School of Application, both from November 1, 1886, to July 22, 1888. From February to March 1888 he was on the board considering bridge construction across the Arthur Kill, and Kill von Kull in New York Harbor. He was promoted to brigadier general and assigned as
Chief of Engineers The Chief of Engineers is a principal United States Army staff officer at The Pentagon. The Chief advises the Army on engineering matters, and serves as the Army's topographer and proponent for real estate and other related engineering programs. ...
on July 6, 1888. While Chief, Casey allocated large amounts of money to harbor and river improvements and reorganized the department. He retired from the Army on May 10, 1895, having reached the mandatory retirement age of 64. He oversaw construction on the
Thomas Jefferson Building The Thomas Jefferson Building is the oldest of the four United States Library of Congress buildings. Built between 1890 and 1897, it was originally known as the Library of Congress Building. It is now named for the 3rd U.S. president Thomas Jeffe ...
, which houses the
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...
, beginning on October 2, 1888; it was nearly completed when he died suddenly on March 25, 1896. Upon his death, responsibility for the project passed to his son, architect Edward Pearce Casey. Another son, Colonel Thomas Lincoln Casey Jr., had a 33-year career in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and was a noted entomologist. Thomas Lincoln Casey was buried with his father and other family members at the Casey Farm in
Saunderstown, Rhode Island Saunderstown is a small village and historic district in the towns of Narragansett and North Kingstown in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. Saunderstown has its own post office with the ZIP Code of 02874, which also includes a sm ...
.


Memberships

Casey was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 1890, and made an officer of the Legion of Honor of France for his work on the Washington Monument. Casey was a member of the Society of the Cincinnati, succeeding his father in 1882, and a Companion of the
Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), or simply the Loyal Legion is a United States patriotic order, organized April 15, 1865, by three veteran officers of the Army. The original membership was composed of members ...
until his death. He was also a director of the
American Society of Civil Engineers American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...
and a member of the
New England Historic Genealogical Society The New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) is the oldest and largest genealogical society in the United States, founded in 1845. NEHGS provides family history services through its staff, original scholarship, website,


Notes


References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Casey, Thomas Lincoln 1831 births 1896 deaths United States Military Academy alumni Union Army officers United States Army Corps of Engineers personnel People of Maine in the American Civil War People of New York (state) in the American Civil War Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences Burials in Rhode Island People from Sackets Harbor, New York