Henry C. Newcomer (April 3, 1861 – December 3, 1952) was a career officer in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

. A member of the Corps of Engineers, he served from 1886 until 1925, and specialized in rivers and harbors construction. A veteran of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, he attained the rank of brigadier general. During his career, Newcomer commanded Company E, 2nd Engineer Battalion and the 3rd Engineer Battalion, in addition to serving as assistant director of the

Chemical Warfare Service The Chemical Corps is the branch of the United States Army tasked with defending against and using chemical weapon, chemical, biological agent, biological, radiological weapon, radiological, and nuclear weapon, nuclear (Chemical, biological, r ...

during the First World War. A native of Upton, Pennsylvania, Newcomer was raised in Upton,

Martinsburg, West Virginia Martinsburg is a city in Berkeley County, West Virginia, United States, and its county seat. The population was 18,773 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making Martinsburg the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia a ...

, and

Mount Morris, Illinois Mount Morris is a village in Mount Morris Township, Ogle County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,998 at the 2010 census, down from 3,013 in 2000. Geography Mount Morris is located at (42.047614, -89.433972). According to the 20 ...

. After attending Mount Morris College, in 1882, he was appointed to the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

(West Point). He graduated in 1886 ranked first in his class, and was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers. Newcomer's initial assignments included improvement to the harbor defenses of

San Francisco Bay San Francisco Bay (Chochenyo language, Chochenyo: 'ommu) is a large tidal estuary in the United States, U.S. state of California, and gives its name to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is dominated by the cities of San Francisco, California, San ...

and assistant professor of engineering at West Point. From 1896 to 1900, he planned and oversaw execution of improvements to navigation and flood control on the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

. From 1900 to 1903, he was assistant to the engineering commissioner for Washington, D.C.'s city government, and from 1903 to 1904, he commanded Company E, 2nd Engineer Battalion. Newcomer's later postings included chief engineer of the Corps of Engineers' Central Division, which was based in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

. From 1916 to 1918, Newcomer served in the office of the Chief of Engineers. From August 1918 to January 1919, he performed

service as assistant director of the Chemical Warfare Service. After the war, Newcomer was assigned as chief engineer of the Hawaiian Engineer District and commander of the 3rd Engineer Battalion. Newcomer retired in 1925. He died in Washington, D.C. on December 3, 1952. Newcomer was buried at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...

Early life

Henry Clay Newcomer was born in April 1861 Upton, Pennsylvania, a son of Dr. David Newcomer, a Union Army veteran of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, and Mary Shelley (Funk) Newcomer. Newcomer was raised and educated in Upton,

, and

as his father moved the family while searching for a permanent place to locate his medical practice. He was a graduate of the public schools of Mount Morris, after which he attended Mount Morris College. As a teenager, Newcomer clerked in a drug store and taught school. In June 1882, he was appointed to the

(USMA) at

West Point, New York West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. Located on the Hudson River in New York (state), New York, General George Washington stationed his headquarters in West Point in the summer and fall of 1779 durin ...

by U.S. Representative Robert M. A. Hawk. In July 1886, Newcomer graduated from West Point, ranked first in his class of 77. As with most top-ranking cadets of his day, Newcomer was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers of the

. More than 30 percent of Newcomer's class attained the rank of brigadier general or higher either before, during, or just after

. They included:

Mason Patrick Mason Mathews Patrick (December 13, 1863 – January 29, 1942) was a general officer in the United States Army who led the United States Army Air Service during and after World War I and became the first United States Army Air Corps, Chief of the ...

, Thomas H. Rees, Lucien G. Berry,

Frank McIntyre Frank McIntyre may refer to: *Frank McIntyre (actor) Frank McIntyre (25 February 1879, Ann Arbor, Michigan – 9 June 1949, Ann Arbor) was an American actor of stage and screen. He was the son of William H. McIntyre, a merchant, and his wife Sarah M ...

, John E. McMahon, Avery D. Andrews,

Charles T. Menoher Major General Charles Thomas Menoher (March 20, 1862 – August 11, 1930) was a U.S. Army general, first Chief of the United States Army Air Service from 1918 to 1921, and commanded the U.S. Army Hawaiian Department from 1924 to 1925. Early lif ...

, Albert D. Kniskern, Charles C. Wulcutt Jr.,

John J. Pershing General of the Armies John Joseph Pershing (September 13, 1860 – July 15, 1948), nicknamed "Black Jack", was an American army general, educator, and founder of the Pershing Rifles. He served as the commander of the American Expeditionary For ...

, Peter E. Traub,

Benjamin A. Poore Benjamin A. Poore (June 22, 1863 – August 21, 1940) was a career officer in the United States Army who attained the rank of major general. An 1886 graduate of the United States Military Academy, he was a veteran of the Spanish–American War, ...

, Jesse McI. Carter, Chauncey B. Baker, Malvern Hill Barnum, William H. Hay, James H. McRae, Walter H. Gordon,

Arthur Johnson Arthur Johnson may refer to: Sports *Arthur Johnson (athletic director), athletic director for Temple Owls *Arthur Johnson (boxer) (born 1966), U.S. Olympic boxer *Arthur Johnson (rugby league), Widnes and Great Britain 1908/09 - 1922/23 *Arthur Jo ...

, Frank L. Winn, Charles C. Ballou,

George B. Duncan Major General George Brand Duncan (October 10, 1861 – March 15, 1950) was a United States Army officer who served in numerous conflicts, most notably World War I, where he commanded the 82nd Division, now the 82nd Airborne Division. Military ...

, Lucius L. Durfee,

Julius Penn Julius A. Penn (February 19, 1865 – May 13, 1934) was a career officer in the United States Army. He attained the rank of brigadier general during World War I, and commanded 170th Infantry Brigade, 85th Division and 76th Infantry Brigade, ...

and Edward M. Lewis.

Start of career

From September 1886 to August 1889, Newcomer was posted to Fort Totten, New York's Engineer School of Application, where he was an instructor in submarine mining. He was promoted to

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...

in July 1888. From 1889 to 1892, he was an assistant to Colonel George H. Mendell, an Engineer officer who supervised construction of improvements to the coastal defenses of

. From 1892 to 1896, Newcomer was assigned as an assistant professor of engineering at West Point, and he was head of the academy's engineering department from 1894 to 1896. From 1896 to 1898, Newcomer was in charge of the army's 3rd Engineer District, responsible for planning and supervising completion of improvements to navigation and flood control on the

. He was promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

in July 1897. In 1898, he also served as engineer and inspector of the 16th Lighthouse District. From 1898 to 1900, Newcomer was in charge of the Little Rock Engineer District, where he oversaw navigation and flood control improvements to the

Arkansas River The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in Colorado, specifically ...

. From 1900 to 1903, he served as assistant to the Engineer Commissioner of Washington, D.C.'s city government and as chief of the commissioner's surface transportation division, which included planning and beginning construction of the

Taft Bridge The Taft Bridge (also known as the Connecticut Avenue Bridge or William Howard Taft Bridge) is a historic bridge located in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. Built in 1906, it carries Connecticut Avenue over the Rock Creek gorge, includ ...

. From 1903 to 1904, he commanded Company E, 2nd Engineer Battalion. In April 1904, Newcomer received promotion to

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

Continued career

From 1904 to 1907, Newcomer was chief engineer of the

Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

District and

Chattanooga Chattanooga ( ) is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located along the Tennessee River and borders Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the south. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, it is Tennessee ...

District, where he planned and oversaw flood control and navigation improvements on the

Cumberland River The Cumberland River is a major waterway of the Southern United States. The U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed June 8, 2011 river drains almost of southern Kentucky and ...

and

Tennessee River The Tennessee River is a long river located in the Southern United States, southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. Flowing through the states of Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, it begins at the confluence of Fren ...

. From 1907 to 1912, he was chief engineer of the

District, where he led improvements to the

Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...

Allegheny River The Allegheny River ( ; ; ) is a tributary of the Ohio River that is located in western Pennsylvania and New York (state), New York in the United States. It runs from its headwaters just below the middle of Pennsylvania's northern border, nor ...

, and

Monongahela River The Monongahela River ( , ), sometimes referred to locally as the Mon (), is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August 15, 2011 river on the Allegheny Plateau in nor ...

. From 1910 to 1916, he was a member of the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors, a Corps of Engineers panel that carried long range studies and planning for improvements to rivers and harbors throughout the United States. Newcomer was promoted to lieutenant colonel in February 1910. From 1914 to 1915, Newcomer was the officer in charge of the Washington Engineer District and oversaw maintenance and improvements to the

Washington Aqueduct The Washington Aqueduct is an Aqueduct (water supply), aqueduct that provides the public water supply system serving Washington, D.C., and parts of its suburbs, using water from the Potomac River. One of the first major aqueduct projects in the ...

. From July 1916 to August 1918, he served during

as assistant to the Chief of Engineers. In August 1918, he was promoted to temporary brigadier general. Newcomer was assistant chief of the

from August 1918 to January 1919, and was responsible for recruiting personnel into this new service branch, as well as its initial organization and training. From January to March 1919, he again served as assistant to the Chief of Engineers.

Later career

From 1919 to 1920, Newcomer was chief engineer of the Hawaiian Engineer District and commander of the 3rd Engineer Battalion. From September 1920 to June 1922, he was posted to

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

as chief engineer of the Gulf Engineer Division. From June 1922 to December 1924, Newcomer was assigned to New York City as engineer of the Northeast Division. At the same time, he served as a member of the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors and the New York Harbor Line Board, in addition to serving as officer in charge of the Second New York Engineer District and the Puerto Rico Engineer District. Newcomer left the army as a colonel upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 64 in April 1925. In June 1930, the U.S. Congress enacted legislation enabling the general officers of the First World War to retire at their highest rank, and Newcomer was promoted to brigadier general on the retired list. In retirement, Newcomer was a member of the board of directors of the Union Trust Company and the Columbia Institution for the Deaf. In addition, he served as a regional vice president of the

American Unitarian Association The American Unitarian Association (AUA) was a religious denomination in the United States and Canada, formed by associated Unitarian congregations in 1825. In 1961, it consolidated with the Universalist Church of America to form the Unitarian ...

. Newcomer died in Washington, D.C. on December 3, 1952. He was buried at

Family

In 1886, Newcomer married Rebecca Kosier. She died in 1913, and in 1915 he married Lily Armour. With his first wife, Newcomer was the father of three sons. Henry Sidney Newcomer, known as Sidney, was a World War I veteran who became a prominent scientist, physician, and inventor.

Francis K. Newcomer Francis Kosier Newcomer (September 14, 1889 – August 16, 1967) was an American military officer who served as Governor of the Panama Canal Zone from 1948 to 1952. He held the rank of brigadier general in the United States Army. Biography F ...

was a career army officer who attained the rank of brigadier general. David Albert Newcomer was also a career army officer, and he retired as a colonel. Henry Crandall Newcomer, the son of H. Sidney Newcomer, was a

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

officer and retired as a brigadier general. Francis Kosier Newcomer Jr. was a career army officer who retired as a colonel.

External links

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Newcomer, Henry C. 1861 births 1952 deaths People from Mount Morris, Illinois Mount Morris College alumni United States Military Academy alumni United States Military Academy faculty United States Army generals United States Army generals of World War I Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Military personnel from Pennsylvania United States Army Corps of Engineers personnel 19th-century United States Army personnel Military personnel from Martinsburg, West Virginia