Military engineer; born in
Cincinnati, O., Nov. 1, 1835; graduated at
West Point in 1855.
Early in the
Civil War he was attached to the staff of
General Butler in the Department of the Gulf, and became acting mayor of New Orleans after its capture.
In August, 1862, he was made brigadier-general of volunteers, and did good service in
Louisiana, commanding the advance of
General Banks's army in operations there in 1863.
He was at the capture of
Port Hudson.
In 1864 he commanded a division in the Army of the James, and was
Butler's chief engineer at
Bermuda Hundred.
He was made commander of the 18th Army Corps, and was the leader of the land attack on
Fort Fisher in December, 1864, in which he was second in command.
Weitzel was made major-general of volunteers in November, 1864.
During the spring of 1865 he was very active in operations against
Richmond on the left bank of the
James River, and led the troops that first entered
Richmond after the flight of the
Confederates from it. He was brevetted major-general, United States army, in March, 1865, and promoted lieutenant-colonel of engineers in 1882.
He died in
Philadelphia, Pa., March 19, 1884.