Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History
Benson Lossing, Ed.

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Weitzel, Godfrey 1835-1884

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.