Amiel Whipple

October 21, 1817 (age 45)

Greenwich, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States of America

He served as a brigadier general in the American Civil War, where he was mortally wounded at the Battle of Chancellorsville. Fort Whipple, the Arizona Territory"s first capital, was named in his honor, as well as Fort Whipple, Arlington County, Virginia, now Fort Myer. He was the topographical engineer/surveyor in charge of the 1853-1854 Pacific Railroad Survey from Arkansas to Los Angeles in 1853 and 1854, for a potential transcontinental railroad route. Numerous plants taxa were named in his honor, including the genus Whipplea and species Hesperoyucca whipplei. Whipple was born to David and Abigail Brown Pepper Whipple in Greenwich, Massachusetts. His early career including surveying the Patapsco River, sounding and mapping the approaches to New Orleans, surveying Portsmouth Harbor, and, as a lieutenant, helping to determine portions of the United States" borders with Canada and Mexico. In 1853 he led explorations for the first transcontinental railroad route to the Pacific Ocean, near the 35th parallel. From 1855 to 1857, Whipple published Explorations and Surveys for a Railroad Route from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. Among other things, the book contains the formal botanical description of the cactus species Opuntia davisii, and others of which Whipple is a binomial author, known as an "in" author During the Civil War, Whipple first served under General Irvin McDowell, then became chief topographical engineer under General George B. McClellan in the Army of the Potomac. His maps were used on many Virginia battlefields. In 1862, as brigadier general of volunteers, he led the defense of Washington, District of Columbia, on its Virginia side. After great gallantry at Fredericksburg, where he led third division III Corps, Whipple was severely wounded by a sharpshooter at Chancellorsville, and received the last rites on the battlefield. Taken to Washington he was breveted brigadier-general on May 4, major general of volunteers on May 6, and major-general by brevet on May 7, only a few hours before his death in Washington. He was buried in the Proprietors" Cemetery, Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Amiel Whipple

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Education

He attended Amherst College and West Point, graduating in the Class of 1841.

Career

He served as a brigadier general in the American Civil War, where he was mortally wounded at the Battle of Chancellorsville. Fort Whipple, the Arizona Territory"s first capital, was named in his honor, as well as Fort Whipple, Arlington County, Virginia, now Fort Myer. He was the topographical engineer/surveyor in charge of the 1853-1854 Pacific Railroad Survey from Arkansas to Los Angeles in 1853 and 1854, for a potential transcontinental railroad route.

Numerous plants taxa were named in his honor, including the genus Whipplea and species Hesperoyucca whipplei.

Whipple was born to David and Abigail Brown Pepper Whipple in Greenwich, Massachusetts. His early career including surveying the Patapsco River, sounding and mapping the approaches to New Orleans, surveying Portsmouth Harbor, and, as a lieutenant, helping to determine portions of the United States" borders with Canada and Mexico.

In 1853 he led explorations for the first transcontinental railroad route to the Pacific Ocean, near the 35th parallel. From 1855 to 1857, Whipple published Explorations and Surveys for a Railroad Route from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean.

Among other things, the book contains the formal botanical description of the cactus species Opuntia davisii, and others of which Whipple is a binomial author, known as an "in" author

During the Civil War, Whipple first served under General Irvin McDowell, then became chief topographical engineer under General George B. McClellan in the Army of the Potomac. His maps were used on many Virginia battlefields. In 1862, as brigadier general of volunteers, he led the defense of Washington, District of Columbia, on its Virginia side.

After great gallantry at Fredericksburg, where he led third division III Corps, Whipple was severely wounded by a sharpshooter at Chancellorsville, and received the last rites on the battlefield.

Taken to Washington he was breveted brigadier-general on May 4, major general of volunteers on May 6, and major-general by brevet on May 7, only a few hours before his death in Washington. He was buried in the Proprietors" Cemetery, Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

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