Jonathan Williams (engineer)

Jonathan Williams
Born	Template:Birth date Boston, Massachusetts, British America
Died	May 16, 1815(1815-05-16) (aged 64) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Military officer, engineer, statesman
Years active	1770–1815
Known for	First Superintendent of the United States Military Academy; Chief of Engineers of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; construction of Castle Williams

Jonathan Williams (May 20, 1750 – May 16, 1815) was an American military officer, engineer, and statesman. He served as the inaugural Superintendent of the United States Military Academy from 1801 to 1803 and again from 1805 to 1812, concurrently holding the position of Chief of Engineers for the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Between 1807 and 1811, Williams directed the construction of significant defenses in New York Harbor, notably including Castle Williams, recognized as the first casemated battery in the nation. He briefly held a seat representing Pennsylvania in the United States House of Representatives in 1815 but passed away prior to the commencement of the 14th United States Congress.

Early life and education

Williams was born in Boston on May 20, 1750, and was a grandnephew of Benjamin Franklin. He completed his A.M. degree at Harvard in 1787 and initially pursued a career in banking within Boston.

Career

From 1770 until 1783, he acted as personal secretary to Benjamin Franklin while Franklin was stationed in London and Paris.

Upon returning to America in 1785, Williams settled in Philadelphia where he served as a judge on the Pennsylvania courts of common pleas. He became a member of the American Philosophical Society in 1787 and took on the role of secretary.

In 1801, President John Adams commissioned him as a major in the Corps of Artillerists and Engineers. Later that year, President Thomas Jefferson appointed him as both the Army’s Inspector of Fortifications and the first superintendent of West Point. The following year, Jefferson also designated him commander of the newly formed Corps of Engineers. Williams stepped down from his superintendent duties in 1803 but resumed them in 1805.

He oversaw the building of fortifications around New York Harbor between 1807 and 1811, including Castle Williams and Castle Clinton. Castle Williams was notable as America’s first casemated battery, and these fortifications played a critical role in deterring British naval forces during the War of 1812. Additionally, he established the U.S. Military Philosophical Society, which adopted the motto: "Science in War is the Guarantee of Peace."

Williams resigned his Army commission in July 1812 after Secretary of War William Eustis refused to grant him command over Castle Williams. Subsequently, he served as a brigadier general within the New York Militia. Colonel Joseph Gardner Swift succeeded him as West Point Superintendent. Later, Williams returned to Philadelphia to dedicate himself to scientific research and literary work. In 1814, he was elected to serve in the Fourteenth United States Congress.

He passed away on May 16, 1815, in Philadelphia. Initially interred at Pine Street Cemetery, his remains were relocated to Laurel Hill Cemetery in 1862.

Legacy

In 1802, investor Richard Woodhull acquired land within the Town of Bushwick and named it Williamsburgh (which later became Williamsburg), honoring Williams who had surveyed this territory.

Castle Williams was named after him in 1810.

Publications

• Memoir on the Use of the Thermometer in Navigation; Presented to the American Philosophical Society, Held at Philadelphia, for Promoting Useful Knowledge, Philadelphia: R. Aitken & Son, 1792

See also

• List of United States Congress members who passed away while in office (1790–1899)

References

• This entry incorporates text from sources in the public domain
• Tugdual de Langlais, L'armateur préféré de Beaumarchais Jean Peltier Dudoyer, de Nantes à l'Isle de France, Éd. Coiffard, 2015, 340 pages ()