Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography/Serrell, Edward Wellman

SERRELL, Edward Wellman, civil engineer, b. in New York city, 5 Nov., 1826. He was educated at schools in his native city, and then studied surveying and civil engineering under the direction of an elder brother. In 1845 he became assistant engineer in charge of the Central railroad of New Jersey, and he subsequently served in a similar capacity on the construction of other roads. He accompanied the expedition that in 1848 located the route of the railroad between Aspinwall and Panama, and on his return, a year later, was engaged in building the suspension-bridge across the Niagara river at Lewiston; also that at St. Johns, New Brunswick. Mr. Serrell was in charge of the Hoosac tunnel in 1858, and was concerned in the construction of the Bristol bridge over Avon river, in England, which had the largest span of any bridge in that country at the time it was built. At the beginning of the civil war he entered the 1st New York volunteers as lieutenant-colonel, soon became its colonel, and served as chief engineer of the 10th army corps in 1863. He was chief engineer and chief of staff under Gen. Benjamin F. Butler in 1864, and designed and personally-superintended the construction of the “Swamp-angel” battery that bombarded Charleston. Many valuable improvements of guns and processes, that proved of practical service during the war, were suggested by him, and the brevet of brigadier-general of volunteers was conferred on him on 13 March, 1865. After 1865 he settled in New York, and engaged principally in the building of railroads, becoming in 1887 president and consulting engineer of the Washington County railroad. In addition to papers on scientific and technical subjects, he has published nearly fifty reports on railroads and bridges.