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Edgar La Roche Heriot was
a Captain in the Engineer Corps of the Confederate army, but there is no biography in the National
Archives for him. Below is my biography.
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E. L. was born in Georgetown,
South Carolina, November 25, 1825. He graduated from the Citadel in
1847 and immediately went to work as an engineer on the construction
of the Greenville & Columbia RR. In December 1849, he became a
Division Engineer on the South Western RR. He was Chief Engineer of
the Mobile & Girard RR in 1852 and then Engineer in Charge of
Construction of the Savannah & Augusta RR in 1853. Next came 8
months as Chief Engineer of Surveys & Location for the North
& South Alabama RR. From April, 1854 to January, 1859, he was
Chief Engineer of the Savannah, Albany & Gulf RR and the
Atlantic & Gulf RR.
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In 1857, he married Clara G.
Hayward, of Tallahassee. His wife's father, Richard Hayward, had
large plantations in Madison Parish, Louisiana. Two years after
Richard moved to Louisiana, E. L. followed and engaged in the
cultivation of cotton on the Mississippi River, about 25 miles above
Vicksburg.
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When Louisiana succeeded, E. L. raised a company of infantry (the Willow Bayou Rifles)
and tendered its service to Governor Moore. It was accepted and he
was commissioned a Captain and his company mustered into service. E.
L., however, was immediately detached to report for engineer duty to
Gen. Mansfield Lovell at New Orleans.
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After the fall of New Orleans, E.
L. was assigned to the Trans-Mississippi Department and placed in
charge of the construction of most of the works for coast defense.
He took part in at least two engagements along the coast. He was
also made Military Superintendent/Inspecting Engineer of all the railroads in the
Trans-Mississippi Department.
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Immediately after the war, he
took a position with an express company, but, in June, 1866, he
returned to the locating and building of railroads -- first with the
Texas & New Orleans RR and lastly with the Texas Western RR,
through 1884. Then became General Manager and Vice President of the
Nevada & California RR.
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In July, 1887, his constant
rheumatism had so impaired his health that he bought a fruit ranch
in Vaca Valley, Solano County, California (about 20 miles northeast
of present Vallejo). He died in California in 1903.
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| October 4, 1861 |
Elected Captain in the Louisiana Militia
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| Early 1862 |
Resigned his Captain's commission at the request
of the General Commanding Louisiana so that he could take charge of
the Engineer Department of the New Orleans & Texas RR, a
militarily necessary work
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| March 23, 1862 |
Quoted in a newspaper as saying that the New
Orleans & Texas RR could be built in six months
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| March 29, 1862 |
Was listed as Chief
Engineer of the New Orleans & Texas RR
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| March ?, 1862 |
Drew supplies
necessary to do a survey for the construction of maps of eastern
Texas
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| November 26, 1862 |
Submitted a report
to the Texas Adjutant & Inspector General on a location for a
camp for 500 men near Beaumont; on the 29th, forwarded it to Gen.
Magruder. Signed as Chief Engineer, New Orleans & Texas RR
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| December 8, 1862 |
Upon the arrival of
Gen. Magruder in Texas, Heriot was employed on the defenses of the
coast, with entire charge of the Sabine District
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| January 1, 1863 |
Participated in the
recapture of Galveston
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| January 19, 1863 |
Ordered to Houston
and Galveston
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| January 21, 1863 |
Participated in
naval battle off Sabine Pass
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| May 1, 1863 |
Requested a
commission in the Engineer Corps
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| June 21, 1863 |
Recommended as
available to make a report on Alleyton to Columbus connection
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| July 7, 1863 |
Reported on condition of Galveston Bay
bridge
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| July 16, 1863 |
Requested labor for
the Texas & New Orleans RR
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| July 27, 1863 |
Requested militia men
to run railroads
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| July 30, 1863 |
At Gen. Magruder's
order, had requested a status of the Texas & New Orleans RR from
its Superintendent and had received the report. Heriot had been
ordered to take charge of making the required repairs on that Road.
Signed as Assistant Engineer, without rank.
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| August 1, 1863 |
Had information on
the condition of the Texas & New Orleans RR
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| August 24, 1863 |
Requested a detail
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| September 2, 1863 |
Received a request
from a railroad president for some hose. Was addressed as Captain
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| September 9, 1863 |
Superintendent of
Galveston, Houston & Henderson RR reported a discussion about
getting men detailed to that RR
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| September 8, 1863 |
Wagons ordered to
assist him in the Houston connection construction
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| September 11, 1863 |
Slaves were ordered
to him for work on the eastern end of the Texas & New Orleans RR
and the Eastern Texas RR
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| September 19, 1863 |
Request to him for
iron to repair locomotives was fulfilled
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| September 29, 1863 |
Recommended specific
repairs to railroads. Signed as Captain and Inspector of Railroads
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| Intention noted to
have him superintend repairs to Texas & New Orleans RR
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| October
17, 1863 |
Reports on the
condition of Texas RRs and proposes some solutions to their
problems. Signed as Captain & Inspecting Engineer of Railroads
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| Urged to get the
Brazos River bridge of the Washington County RR repaired
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| October 24, 1863 |
Reported on the
inability of one RR to get any locomotive to run and his temporary
solution
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| October 25, 1863 |
Given authority to
call for bridge guards
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| October 27, 1863 |
Detailed men placed
under his control
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| November 8, 1863 |
His report regarding
building the Columbus Tap RR mentioned
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| November 9, 1863 |
Requested detail of a
master machinist
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| November 11, 1863 |
Given permission to
buy government cloth
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| November 12, 1863 |
Reported on the
status of construction of the Galveston & Houston Junction RR
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| November 15, 1863 |
Detailed man to
report to him
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| November 21, 1863 |
Reported on the
condition of the Houston Tap & Brazoria RR
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| November 25, 1863 |
Instructed to keep a
locomotive on each side of the Washington County RR bridge
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| November 26, 1863 |
W. W. Morris covered his duties while Heriot
was on a 2-week furlough
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| December 21, 1863 |
His men called out separately
in order trying to reduce the number of absentee soldiers in Texas:
his assistant, W. W. Morris, is identified
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| January 8, 1864 |
Told to arrange
rolling stock for Tap RR
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| January 9, 1864 |
Certified Columbus
Tap RR bill, received detailed men, ordered to finish Columbus Tap
RR
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| June 6, 1864 |
Requested order
giving him more control over detailed men
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| Ordered to make
report on detailed men
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| June 14, 1864 |
Reported taking
action to protect a bridge in danger from drift wood
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| July 28, 1864 |
Asked for location of
a detailed man
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| August 3, 1864 |
Asked to justify
certain detailed men
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| August 29, 1864 |
Reported the danger
to bridges if the guards are not returned
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| February 1, 1865 |
Detailed men to
report to him
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| June 21, 1865 |
Paroled at Houston
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| December 6, 1903 |
Died in California
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