Marcus F. Wright's Civil War Bios -  General John Newton

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                                   NEWTON
   P.538
   NEWTON, GEN. JOHN, born in Norfolk, Va., August 24, 1823. Graduated at
   the United States Military Academy in 1842, standing second in the
   class that included Henry L. Eustis, William S. Rosecrans, John Pope,
   Seth Williams, Daniel H. hill, Earl Van Dorn, James Longstreet, and
   others that held high commands during the Civil War. After being
   promoted into the Engineer Corps as second lieutenant, he served as
   assistant professor of engineering at the United States Military
   Academy, and then in the construction of various fortifications, and
   other engineering works along the Atlantic and Gulf sea coasts until
   1860, except during 1858, when he was chief engineer of the Utah
   expedition. He attained the rank of captain on July 1, 1856. At the
   beginning of the Civil War he was chief engineer of the Department of
   Pennsylvania, and then held a similar appointment at the Department of
   the Shenandoah, and from August, 1861, till March, 1862, was assistant
   engineer in the construction of the defenses of Washington, D.C. He
   was made brigadier general of volunteers, September 23, 1861, and had
   charge of a brigade in the defense of the capital. During the
   peninsula campaign he served with the Army of the Potomac, and was
   engaged in the actions at West Point, Gaines's Mills, and Glendale. He
   continued with his command in the Maryland campaign, participating in
   the forcing of Crampton Gap and the battle of Antietam. General Newton
   led a division in the storming of the Marge Heights in the battle of
   Fredericksburg, was made general of volunteers, March 30, 1863, and
   then took part in the Chancellorsville campaign and in the battle of
   Salem Heights. In the subsequent Pennsylvania campaign he succeeded to
   the command of the First Corps on July 2, 1863, after the death of
   John F. Reynolds, and commanded it in the last days of the battle of
   Gettysburg. He was brevetted colonel for services in this action, and
   engaged in the pursuit of the Confederate army to Warrenton, Va., and
   in the Rapidan campaign during October and December, 1863. He was
   placed in command of the second division of the Fourth Corps of the
   Army of the Cumberland, under General Oliver O. Howard, in May, 1864,
   and participated in the invasion of Georgia, taking active part in the
   engagements, including the battle of Peach Tree Creek, Ga., that
   culminated in the capture of Atlanta, in September, 1864. Subsequently
   he had command of various districts in Florida until he was mustered
   out of the volunteer service in January, 1866, after receiving, on
   March 13, 1865, the brevets of major general in the volunteer army and
   those of brigadier general and major general in the regular army. He
   received his regular promotion as lieutenant colonel of engineers on
   December 28, 1865, and in April, 1866, was made superintending
   engineer of the construction of the defenses on the Long Island side
   of the Narrows entrance to New York harbor; also of the improvements
   of the Hudson River, and of the fort at Sandy Hook, N.J. These and
   other similar engineering duties, principally in the connection with
   the harbor of New York, occupied his attention until his retirement on
   august 27, 1886.