History of West Wrentham, (Norfolk County) Massachusetts United States of America

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Cyrus Ballou Comstock, soldier, was born in West Wrentham, Mass., Feb. 3, 1831; son of Nathan and Betsey (Cook) Comstock; grandson of Cyrus and Abigail (Leland) Comstock of Wrentham, Mass., and a descendant of Samuel Comstock (born 1654) of Providence, R. I. He was graduated at the U.S. military academy in 1855 and was commissioned 2nd lieutenant in the engineer corps. He was at work on the construction of forts, 1855-59, when he was made acting assistant professor of natural and experimental philosophy at the Military academy. He was ordered to Washington in 1861 and served in the defences of the national capital. He was assistant to the chief of engineers of the army of the Potomac in March, 1862, and engaged in the Peninsula and Maryland campaigns in 1862. In November of that year he was made chief engineer of the army of the Potomac and served in the battles of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. He was transferred to the army of the Tennessee, being senior engineer at Vicksburg at the close of the siege. He was assistant inspector of the military division of the Mississippi, and in March, 1864, was made senior aide-de-camp on the staff of Lieut.-Gen. U. S. Grant, serving in the Richmond campaign of 1864-65, at Fort Fisher, and in the Mobile campaign of 1865. He was aide to the general-in-chief at Washington, 1866-70, and was afterward chief of the geodetic survey of the great lakes. In 1881 he was made lieutenant-colonel of the engineer corps, holding the brevet ranks of brigadier-general in the regular army and major-general of volunteers. He was retired Feb. 3, 1895, with the commission of colonel in the regular army and the rank of brevet brigadier-general. He was a member of the Mississippi river commission in 1879-95 and long its president. He was elected a member of the National academy of sciences in 1884 and published Notes on European Surveys (1876); Survey of the Northwestern Lakes (1877); Primary Triangulation, U.S. Coast Survey (1882).

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of West Wrentham, (Norfolk County) Massachusetts

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