Egbert Ludoricus Viele
Encyclopedia
Egbert Ludovicus Viele (June 17, 1825 – April 22, 1902) was a civil engineer
and United States Representative from New York
from 1885–1887, as well as an officer in the Union army
during the American Civil War
.
), a son of Kathline Schuyler (Knickerbacker) and State Senator John L. Viele
. He graduated with honors from The Albany Academy
and studied law briefly before entering the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. He graduated on July 1, 1847, and was commissioned as a brevet
second lieutenant in the Second United States Infantry.
He served in the Mexican-American War and was promoted to second lieutenant in the First United States Infantry on September 8, 1847. From 1848 to 1849 he was assigned to establish a military camp at Laredo, Texas
, which was named "Camp Crawford." Viele married Teresa Griffin on June 3, 1850, and was promoted to first lieutenant on October 26 the same year. He resigned from the service in 1853 to become a civil and military engineer.
He received an appointment as State Engineer of New Jersey in 1855 with a commission to conduct a topographical survey of the state. He also surveyed the environs that would become Central Park
and submitted a design proposal. A competition was held which was awarded to "the Greensward Plan" from Olmsted
& Vaux
. Viele was appointed engineer-in-chief of Central Park in 1856, and engineer of Prospect Park, Brooklyn in 1860.
Viele was a captain in the Engineer Corps of the Seventh New York Regiment in 1860, and brigadier general
of United States Volunteers in 1861, at the beginning of the Civil War. He commanded forces on the Savannah River
during the siege of Fort Pulaski and was appointed Military Governor of Norfolk, Virginia
, in 1862. He resigned from service on October 20, 1863, to again engage in civil engineering.
Viele was author of a color city map
, a "Sanitary and Topographical Atlas of the City and Island of New York," first published in 1865, and now called the "Viele Map", which shows his survey of the original streams, marshes and coastline of New York City, superimposed over the street grid
. The map is still used by modern structural engineers and planners to design the foundations of new buildings and structures in the city. Two years later he worked as chief engineer on the Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Rochester Railroad. He and his wife were divorced in 1872, and he later married Juliette Dana. From 1883 to 1884 Viele was the commissioner of parks for New York City he was elected as a Democrat to the Forty-ninth Congress (March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1887) and an unsuccessful candidate for re-election in 1886 to the Fiftieth Congress; he resumed his former business pursuits and engaged in literary work. Viele died at the age of 77 in New York City, and was survived by his second wife and four children. Francis Viélé-Griffin
, the symbolist poet, was one of his sons. He and his second wife are entombed in a pyramid shaped monument, guarded by a pair of sphinx
es, in the Post Cemetery at West Point, New York. According to an official video about West Point, Viele had a buzzer installed in his coffin wired to the house of the Superintendent of West Point so as to provide rescue if Viele had been accidentally buried alive.. This is on record with West Point's cemetery.
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
and United States Representative from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
from 1885–1887, as well as an officer in the Union army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Biography
Viele was born in Waterford, New York (Saratoga CountySaratoga County, New York
Saratoga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 219,607. It is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Ballston Spa...
), a son of Kathline Schuyler (Knickerbacker) and State Senator John L. Viele
John L. Viele
John Ludovicus Viele was an American politician from New York.-Life:...
. He graduated with honors from The Albany Academy
The Albany Academy
The Albany Academy is an independent college preparatory day school for boys in Albany, New York, USA, enrolling students from Preschool to Grade 12. It was established in 1813 by a charter signed by Mayor Philip Schuyler Van Rensselaer and the city council of Albany...
and studied law briefly before entering the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. He graduated on July 1, 1847, and was commissioned as a brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
second lieutenant in the Second United States Infantry.
He served in the Mexican-American War and was promoted to second lieutenant in the First United States Infantry on September 8, 1847. From 1848 to 1849 he was assigned to establish a military camp at Laredo, Texas
Laredo, Texas
Laredo is the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, located on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 236,091 making it the 3rd largest on the United States-Mexican border,...
, which was named "Camp Crawford." Viele married Teresa Griffin on June 3, 1850, and was promoted to first lieutenant on October 26 the same year. He resigned from the service in 1853 to become a civil and military engineer.
He received an appointment as State Engineer of New Jersey in 1855 with a commission to conduct a topographical survey of the state. He also surveyed the environs that would become Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
and submitted a design proposal. A competition was held which was awarded to "the Greensward Plan" from Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted was an American journalist, social critic, public administrator, and landscape designer. He is popularly considered to be the father of American landscape architecture, although many scholars have bestowed that title upon Andrew Jackson Downing...
& Vaux
Calvert Vaux
Calvert Vaux , was an architect and landscape designer. He is best remembered as the co-designer , of New York's Central Park....
. Viele was appointed engineer-in-chief of Central Park in 1856, and engineer of Prospect Park, Brooklyn in 1860.
Viele was a captain in the Engineer Corps of the Seventh New York Regiment in 1860, and brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
of United States Volunteers in 1861, at the beginning of the Civil War. He commanded forces on the Savannah River
Savannah River
The Savannah River is a major river in the southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of South Carolina and Georgia. Two tributaries of the Savannah, the Tugaloo River and the Chattooga River, form the northernmost part of the border...
during the siege of Fort Pulaski and was appointed Military Governor of Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, in 1862. He resigned from service on October 20, 1863, to again engage in civil engineering.
Viele Map
Viele was author of a color city map
City map
A city map is a large-scale thematic map of a city created to enable the fastest possible orientation in an urban space. The graphic representation of objects on a city map is therefore usually greatly simplified, and reduced to generally understood symbology.Depending upon its target group or...
, a "Sanitary and Topographical Atlas of the City and Island of New York," first published in 1865, and now called the "Viele Map", which shows his survey of the original streams, marshes and coastline of New York City, superimposed over the street grid
Commissioners' Plan of 1811
The Commissioners' Plan of 1811 was the original design plan for the streets of Manhattan, which put in place the grid plan that has defined Manhattan to this day....
. The map is still used by modern structural engineers and planners to design the foundations of new buildings and structures in the city. Two years later he worked as chief engineer on the Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Rochester Railroad. He and his wife were divorced in 1872, and he later married Juliette Dana. From 1883 to 1884 Viele was the commissioner of parks for New York City he was elected as a Democrat to the Forty-ninth Congress (March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1887) and an unsuccessful candidate for re-election in 1886 to the Fiftieth Congress; he resumed his former business pursuits and engaged in literary work. Viele died at the age of 77 in New York City, and was survived by his second wife and four children. Francis Viélé-Griffin
Francis Viélé-Griffin
Francis Vielé-Griffin , was a French symbolist poet. He was born at Norfolk, Virginia, USA and was the son of Egbert Ludovicus Viele.Vielé-Griffin was educated in France and divided his time between Paris and Touraine...
, the symbolist poet, was one of his sons. He and his second wife are entombed in a pyramid shaped monument, guarded by a pair of sphinx
Sphinx
A sphinx is a mythical creature with a lion's body and a human head or a cat head.The sphinx, in Greek tradition, has the haunches of a lion, the wings of a great bird, and the face of a woman. She is mythicised as treacherous and merciless...
es, in the Post Cemetery at West Point, New York. According to an official video about West Point, Viele had a buzzer installed in his coffin wired to the house of the Superintendent of West Point so as to provide rescue if Viele had been accidentally buried alive.. This is on record with West Point's cemetery.
Publications
- Hand-book for active service; containing practical instructions in campaign duties. For the use of volunteers. (1861) New York: D. Van Nostrand. Reprint: (1968) New York: Greenwood Press.
- Sanitary & Topographical Map of the City and Island of New York Prepared for the Council of Hygiene and Public Health of the Citizens Association. Under the direction of Egbert L. Viele, Topographical Engineer. Entered … 1865 by Egbert L. Viele … New York. Ferd. Mayer & Co. Lithographers, 96 Fulton St. New York (1865), the "Viele Map" (1:12,000 scale with 1 inset map and 3 profiles).
- Topographical Atlas of the City of New York (1874) New York: R. Craighead, printer. Original map reissued in a larger format and abbreviated title, also published as a pocket map.The original map is now owned my Arthur Viele.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals