Myer, Albert James, 1829-1880

U.S. Army officer and surgeon.

From the description of Papers of Albert James Myer, 1851-1933 (bulk 1851-1880). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 81681433

From the description of Papers of Albert James Myer, 1816-1880. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 76892172

Albert James Myer (b. Sept. 20, 1829, Newburgh, New York-d. Aug. 24, 1880), Brigadier General in the U.S. Army, graduated from medical school in 1851. He became a signal officer in 1860, organized and commanded the Signal Corps, and furnished plans for naval signaling. He served as chief signal officer and the signal officer, Division of West Mississippi, from 1863 to the end of the Civil War. He was chief signal officer for the U.S. Army in 1866, and established and supervised the U.S. Weather Bureau in 1870.

From the description of Myer, Albert James, 1829-1880 (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration). naId: 10582944

Biographical Note

• 1828, Sept. 20: Born, Newburgh, N.Y.
• circa 1841: Entered Geneva College (now Hobart College), Geneva, N.Y.
• 1851: M.D., Buffalo Medical College, Buffalo, N.Y. 1854 Entered military service
• 1857: Married Catherine Walden
• 1858 - 1861 : Appointed by the army to a board to examine signaling principles Conducted field trial of signaling inventions in the Department of New Mexico
• 1860: Ordered to organize and command U.S. Army Signal Corps
• 1860 - 1863 : Served under Benjamin Butler at Fort Monroe, Va., and then as chief signal officer under George Brinton McClellan in the Army of the Potomac
• 1863: Promoted to colonel in new U.S. Signal Corps, but removed him from his post as chief signal officer by Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton
• 1864: Publication of Manual of Signals Appointed signal officer, Military Division of West Mississippi
• 1864 - 1865 : Signal officer, Department of the Gulf Developed coding system for transmitting routine messages between land and sea forces
• 1867 - 1880 : Chief signal officer, Signal Corps
• 1873: Proposed establishment world-wide of weather-reporting stations, International Meteorological Congress, Vienna, Austria
• 1880, Aug. 24: Died, Buffalo, N.Y

From the guide to the Albert James Myer Papers, 1851-1933, (bulk 1851-1880), (Manuscript Division Library of Congress)

Biographical Note

• 1828, Sept. 20: Born, Newburgh, N.Y.
• circa 1841: Entered Geneva College (now Hobart College), Geneva, N.Y.
• 1851: M.D., Buffalo Medical College, Buffalo, N.Y. 1854 Entered military service
• 1857: Married Catherine Walden
• 1858 - 1861 : Appointed by the army to a board to examine signaling principles Conducted field trial of signaling inventions in the Department of New Mexico
• 1860: Ordered to organize and command U.S. Army Signal Corps
• 1860 - 1863 : Served under Benjamin Butler at Fort Monroe, Va., and then as chief signal officer under George Brinton McClellan in the Army of the Potomac
• 1863: Promoted to colonel in new U.S. Signal Corps, but removed him from his post as chief signal officer by Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton
• 1864: Publication of Manual of Signals Appointed signal officer, Military Division of West Mississippi
• 1864 - 1865 : Signal officer, Department of the Gulf Developed coding system for transmitting routine messages between land and sea forces
• 1867 - 1880 : Chief signal officer, Signal Corps
• 1873: Proposed establishment world-wide of weather-reporting stations, International Meteorological Congress, Vienna, Austria
• 1880, Aug. 24: Died, Buffalo, N.Y

From the guide to the Albert James Myer Papers, 1816-1880, (Manuscript Division Library of Congress)