Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 02.djvu/358

 COMSTOCK

COMSTOCK

Traps for the Young (1883) ; Morals ve7-sns Art (1887) ; GainhJiny Outrages, or Improving the Breed of Horses at the Expense of Public Morals (1887).

COMSTOCK, Cyrus Ballou, 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 Wren- thani, Mass., and a descendant of Samuel Com- stock (born 16o4) of Providence, R.I. He was graduated at the U.S. military academy in 1855 and was commis- sioned 2d 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 experi- mental philosophy at the riilitary academy. He was ordered to Washington in 1861 and served in the de- C. r?). C^twuZji^ ^e^ces of the national ^ capital. He was as-

-sistant 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 engi- neer of the army of the Potomac and served in the battles of Fredericksburg and Chancellors- ville. He was transferred to the armj- of the Tennessee, being senior engineer at Vicksbiu-g s,t the close of the siege. He was assistant in- spector 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 gi-eat lakes. In 1881 he was made lieutenant-colonel of the engineer corjjs, holding the brevet ranks of brigadier-general in the regu- lar 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 bre- vet 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 pub- lished Xotes on European Surveys (1876) ; Surrey of the Northwestern Lakes (1877) ; Primary Triangula- tion, U.S. Coast Survey (1882).

COMSTOCK, George Cary, astronomer, was born in Madison, Wis., Feb. 12, 1855; son of

Charles Henry and Mercj- (Bronson) Comstock; grandson of Abijah and Esther (Fro.st) Com- stock ; and a descendant of Christopher Comstock, who came from England to Connecticut in 1637. He was graduated at the Universitj' of Michigan in 1877 with the degree of Ph.B., and during his college course he was employed upon the field %vork of the United States lake survey, holding the position of recorder and assistant engi- neer under the corps of engineers, U.S.A., 1874-78. He was in the observatory at Ann Arbor in 1878; was assistant engineer on the improvement of the upper Missis- sippi in 1879, and was graduated in law at the University of Wisconsin in 1883. He then engaged in astronomical work for the Xautical Almanac office at Washington, D.C., and was employed upon the Northern trans-continental survej', along the line of the Northern Pacific railway, 1883-85. He was professor of mathe- matics and astronomy at the Ohio state univer- sity, 1885-87; and professor of astronomy at the University of AVisconsin, 1887, at the same time being associate director of Washburn observatory until 1889, when he was appointed director. He was married June 12, 1894, to Esther Cecile Ever- ett. He published five volumes of the Washburn observatory publications : Methods of Least Squares (1889) ; and numerous contributions to scientific periodicals. COMSTOCK, George Francis, jurist, was . born at Williamstown, N.Y., Aug. 24, 1811. He was graduated from Union college in 1834 and was admitted to the bar in. 1837. He was reporter for the court of appeals, 1847-51, and published four volumes of reports. In 1852-53 he was solicitor-general of the United States, and was chief justice of the New York court of appeals, 1856-62. He was a member of the state consti- tutional convention of 1868. He gave §50,000 toward the founding of Syracuse university, was a trustee of that institution, 1870-90, and also served as vice-president of the board of trustees. He founded St. John's school for boys at Maulius, N.Y., giving to it $60,000. He was a trustee of the New York state institute for feeble- minded children at Syracuse; was a trustee of Hobart, 1870-77 ; deputy to the general conven- tion of the diocese of central New York, 1871-92, and trustee of the parochial fund, 1869-92. In