Robert S. Williamson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Robert Stockton Williamson
Robert S. Williamson
Born	(1825-01-21)January 21, 1825 Oxford, New York
Died	November 10, 1882(1882-11-10) (aged 57) San Francisco, California
Place of Burial	San Francisco Masonic Cemetery
Allegiance	United States of America Union
Service/branch	United States Army Union Army
Years of service	1848–1882
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel
Unit	Corps of Engineers
Battles/wars	American Civil War Battle of New Bern Battle of Fort Macon

Robert Stockton Williamson (born January 21, 1825 – died November 10, 1882) was an important American soldier and engineer. He is best known for exploring and mapping routes for the first transcontinental railroad across California and Oregon.

He joined the Army Corps of Engineers in 1861. During the American Civil War, he served with distinction and earned two special promotions. In 1866, he became the first leader of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers office in San Francisco. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1869. Williamson retired in 1871 due to health problems and passed away in San Francisco in 1882.

Early Life and Military Start

Robert Stockton Williamson was born in Oxford, New York. He grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He was named after a family friend, Commodore Robert F. Stockton.

In 1843, Williamson joined the Navy as a master's mate. He served under Commodore Stockton on the USS Princeton. This ship was the Navy's first steam-powered ship with a screw propeller. Luckily, Williamson left the ship just ten days before one of its guns exploded. This accident sadly killed several people.

Thanks to Commodore Stockton's help, Williamson was accepted into the United States Military Academy. He graduated in 1848, ranking fifth in his class. He then became a second lieutenant in the Corps of Topographical Engineers. His first big job was to survey land for possible routes for the transcontinental railroad in California and Oregon. Later, he worked for the commanding general of the Department of the Pacific. He was also in charge of building military roads in southern Oregon.

Service During the Civil War

When the American Civil War began, Williamson became a Captain in the 1st Battalion of Engineers. He was the main mapmaker and engineer in North Carolina.

He earned a special promotion to Major on March 14, 1862. This was for his excellent service at the Battle of New Bern. He received another special promotion to Lieutenant Colonel on April 26, 1862. This was for his work at the Battle of Fort Macon.

After these battles, he became the Chief Topographical Engineer for the Army of the Potomac. Later, he returned to California. There, he served as the Chief Topographical Engineer for the Department of the Pacific. He was officially promoted to the rank of Major on May 7, 1863.

In 1863, Williamson moved to the Corps of Engineers. He worked as a lighthouse engineer along the Pacific Coast. He also helped build defenses and improve harbors along the coast.

After the War and Retirement

In 1866, Major Williamson was chosen to lead the new San Francisco District Office. This office was created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. His team was mainly responsible for engineering projects on rivers and harbors. Their work covered the entire Pacific coast, from Canada down to Mexico, and even included Hawaii. He stayed in this important role until 1871.

He was officially promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on February 2, 1869.

In 1870, he was elected as a member of the American Philosophical Society. This is a famous group that promotes knowledge in many fields.

Williamson retired from the Army in 1882 as a lieutenant colonel. He had been in poor health for about 20 years. He passed away from tuberculosis in San Francisco, California. He was buried at the Masonic Cemetery in San Francisco.

Places and Animals Named After Him

Many places and even some animals are named in honor of Robert Stockton Williamson:

• In California, a large mountain called Mount Williamson is named for him.
• In Oregon, Williamson Mountain and the Williamson River carry his name.
• A type of woodpecker found in western North America is called the Williamson's sapsucker.
• A kind of fish, the mountain whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni), is also named after him.
• Williamson Valley (Arizona) in Arizona is named after him.