Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1889, volume 6).djvu/209

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TURNBULL
TURNER

had charge of Lake Ontario harbor improvement, the extension of Buffalo harbor, and inspection of harbor improvements on Lake Champlain, Lake Ontario, and Lake Erie. In the war with Mexico he was topographical engineer of the army under Gen. Winfield Scott, and was engaged in the siege of Vera Cruz, the castles of Cerro Gordo, Pedregal, and Churu- busco, and the operations that ended with the cap- ture of the city of Mexi- co. His ser- vices gained for him the brevetsoflieu- tenant - colo- nel and colo- nel. During 1848-9 he had

charge of the

construction of the New Orleans custom-house, and he was assistant in the topographical bureau at Washington, D. C, in 1850-'2 and 1853-'4, where he examined into the practicability of bridg- ing Susquehanna river at Havre de Grace, and the expediency of an additional canal around the Falls of Ohio. He was light-house engineer for Oswego harbor, N. Y., in 1853-'5, in charge of harbor im- provements of Lake Champlain, Lake Ontario, and the eastern part of Lake Erie in 1853-'6, and of the improvement of Cape Fear river, N. C, in 1856-7. The illustration shown above represents the Potomac aqueduct as designed by him. Among his various government reports that were published was one " On the Survey and Construction of the Potomac Aqueduct," with twenty-one plates (Wash- ington, 1838). — His son, Charles NesMt, engineer, b. in Washington, D. C, 14 Aug., 1832 ; d. in Bos- ton, Mass., 2 Dec, 1874, was graduated at the U. S. military academy in 1854, and made 2d lieutenant of topographical engineers. He was on the sur- vey of the boundary-line between the United States and Mexico in 1854-'6, on that of the northern lakes in 1856-'9, and at the U. S. military academy as assistant professor of mathematics in 1859-'60. During the civil war he served at first on the staff of Gen. Benjamin F. Butler and in the Department of the Gulf, after which, in 1863-4, he was with the Army of the Potomac. He received his promo- tion as captain of topographical engineers, 14 July, 1862, and was transferred to the corps of engineers on 3 March, 1863. In June, 1864, he was chief en- gineer of the cavalry corps, during Gen. Philip H. Sheridan's raid, and later chief engineer of the 8th army corps. He received the brevets of major, lieutenant-colonel, and colonel for his services, and after the war served on the repairs of Fort Hamil- ton. Col. Turnbull resigned on 31 Dec, 1865, and engaged in the commission business in Boston, Mass., where he continued until his death.


TURNBULL, William Paterson, ornithologist, b. in Fala, Scotland, 20 June, 1830 ; d. in Philadelphia, Pa., 5 July, 1871. He was educated at the high-school in Edinburgh. For many years he occupied himself in collecting a complete library of works that relate to American ornithology, and also in securing manuscript letters and original drawings of Alexander Wilson. His home was in Philadelphia, where he was a member of the Acad- emy of natural sciences. He published " Birds of East Lothian " (Glasgow), and " Birds of East Pennsylvania and New Jersey " (1869).


TURNER, Charles Coche, naval officer, b. in Virginia about 1805 ; d. in Baltimore, Md., 4 March, 1861. He entered the navy as a midshipman, 10 May, 1820, was commissioned lieutenant, 17 May, 1828, and served in the sloop " Vandalia," suppress- ing piracy, and in the Seminole war in 1834-'5. He was in the sloop " Peacock " in the East Indies in 1836-'8, during which time he had a narrow escape on a reef in the Persian gulf, in which it was necessary to throw the guns overboard in order to save the ship. He commanded the store-ship "Erie" in 1844-7, visited the Mediterranean, African, and Pacific squadrons, and assisted in operations for the conquest of California during the Mexican war. He was promoted to master- commandant, 22 March, 1847, served on ordnance duty in Washington in 1849-51, was fleet-captain in the Mediterranean squadron in 1852-3, and commanded the sloop " Levant " on the coast of Africa in 1853-'6. He was on waiting orders in 1857, and served at the Washington navy-yard from 1857 till 1860.


TURNER, Charles Yardley, artist, b. in Bal- timore, Md., 25 Nov., 1850. He came to New York in 1872 and studied at the Academy of de- sign for three years. He was one of the founders of the Art students' league, and remained there until 1878, in which year he went abroad. In Paris he studied under Jean Paul Laurens, Michael Munkacsy (forming, with some other students, the " Munkacsy school "), and Leon Bonnat. In 1881 he returned to New York and first exhibited at the National academy the following year. He gained the Hallgarten prize by the "Courtship of Miles Standish " in 1883, was also elected an associate of the academy, and in 1886 was made an academician. His works in oil include "The Grand Canal at Dordrecht," "The Days that are No More," and "Afternoon Tea" (1882); "Doro- thy Fox " and " Preparing for Yearly Meeting " (1883) ; and " The Last of the Montauks," " Han- nah Thurston," and " The Bridal Procession," from " Miles Standish " (1886). Of his water-colors the principal are " Dordrecht Milkmaid " (1882) ; " En- gaged " (1885) : " Martha Hilton " (1886) : and "At the Ferry " (1887). Mr. Turner has of late given much attention to etching.


TURNER,. Daniel, naval officer, b. in Richmond, Staten island, N. Y., in 1794 ; d. in Philadelphia, Pa., 4 Feb., 1850. He entered the navy as a midshipman, 1 Jan., 1808, and was promoted to lieutenant, 12 March. 1813. He served on the lakes with Com. Oliver H. Perry, and commanded the brig " Caledonia " in the victory of 10 Sept., 1813, on Lake Erie, for which he received a silver medal from congress and a sword from the state of New York. In the next season, 1814, he served on Lakes Huron and Superior, where he commanded a boat expedition, and captured two forts and several prize vessels. On 5 Sept., 1814, while he was in command of the schooner " Scorpion " on Lake Huron, his vessel was captured by a stratagem, and he was slightly wounded. After the war he cruised in the frigate "Java" on the Mediterranean station in 1815-18. He commanded the schooner " Nonesuch " in the Mediterranean squadron in 1820-'4, was promoted to master-commandant, 5 March, 1825, was commissioned captain, 3 March. 1835, commanded the " Constitution " on the Pacific station in 1839-41, and was commodore of the Brazil squadron in 1843-'6. He had charge of the Portsmouth navy-yard in 1846-9. Capt. Turner was intrusted with negotiations in various countries, and he received the commendation of the government for the manner in which his duties were performed.