Comstock, Cyrus Ballou
(03 February 1831–29 May 1910)
- Peter L. Guth
Extract
Comstock, Cyrus Ballou (03 February 1831–29 May 1910), military engineer, was born in West Wrentham, Massachusetts, the son of Nathan Comstock and Betsey Cook. As a boy Comstock developed an interest in surveys after observing a railroad survey and a party from the Coast Survey, and he served as a rodman and leveler for two Massachusetts railroads. He entered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1851 and graduated in 1855 at the top of his class. Following graduation Comstock supervised fortification construction in Florida and Maryland. From 1859 until July 1861 he served as assistant professor of natural and experimental philosophy at the Military Academy....
