James William Abert (November 18, 1820 – August 10, 1897) was an American soldier, explorer, bird collector and topographical artist.
James William Abert | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | November 18, 1820 Mount Holly Township, New Jersey |
| Died | August 10, 1897 (aged 76) Newport, Kentucky |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1842–1864 |
| Rank | Major Brevet Lieutenant Colonel |
| Unit | Corps of Topographical Engineers |
Early life
editAbert, the son of John James Abert,[1] was born in Mount Holly Township, New Jersey, and graduated from West Point in 1842.
Military career
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Abert joined the Corps of Topographical Engineers, which was headed by his father,[1] in 1843. He joined several expeditions into the west, including John Frémont's third expedition, and illustrated these expeditions reports with his sketches. He was also put in charge of a detachment to map the Canadian River.
In 1846 he was sent west to join the army of General Kearney in the war against Mexico, returning to Fort Leavenworth in the following year. It was during this time that he acquired a new species of bird, which was named the Abert's towhee in his honour.
During the American Civil War, he served on the staffs of Robert Patterson, Nathaniel P. Banks and Quincy A. Gillmore. He was wounded during the Maryland Campaign, and retired from the Army in June 1864.
Later life
editAfter the Civil War, he became a professor of English literature, mathematics and drawing at the University of Missouri. He was also a professor of civil engineering, applied mathematics, and engineering drawing at the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy (1872–1877).[2]
His original watercolors are now privately owned.
References
edit- ^ a b U.S. Corps of Tophographical Engineers Archived 2015-08-01 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Pearson, Brooks C. (Spring 2005). "James W. Abert (1820–1897): Artist, Naturalist, Land Developer, and Topographical Engineer". Journal of the Kentucky Academy of Science. 66 (1). Kentucky Academy of Science: 2–16. doi:10.3101/1098-7096(2005)66[2:JWAANL]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 1098-7096. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
- Who's Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, 1967.
Further reading
edit- The Journal of the Cincinnati Society of Natural History. The Society. 1884.
- "John James Abert, to John James Audubon (Hitherto Unpublished Letters)". The Auk. 22. American Ornithologists' Union. 1905.
- Abert, James (1979). Program evaluation at HEW: research versus reality, Part 1. M. Dekker. ISBN 0-8247-6710-1.
- Minge, Ward (1976). Acoma: pueblo in the sky. University of New Mexico Press. ISBN 0-8263-0417-6.
External links
edit- Works by or about James William Abert at the Internet Archive
- Dianna Everett, " Abert Expedition." Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture.
- Career Profile
External links
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