Letter with biographical information about Miles Rock
Description
This letter from Capt. W. S. Crosley, Hydrographer, U.S. Navy, to Rep. Griest is a response to a letter from Griest to the Director, Geological Survey, Department of the Interior, in which he requested information about astronomer Miles Rock for Pierce Lesher in Lancaster. Crosley's letter provides biographical information about Mr. Rock.
Admin/Biographical History
Miles Rock (1840-1901) was "the son of Peter and Mary Graver Rock and stepson of Samuel Reemsnyder. In 1860 he was a student at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
A Civil War veteran, he enlisted in West Chester, Chester County, June 4, 1861, and mustered into federal service at Camp Carroll, Baltimore, Maryland, July 26 as a private with Co. B, 1st Pennsylvania Reserves (30th Pennsylvania). On August 14, 1863, he transferred to the regular army with the U.S. Signal Corps, and honorably discharged on a date yet to be found, although typically the transferees int the U.S. Signal Corps left service ca. August 1865.
After the war, he graduated from Lehigh University with a degree in civil engineering and then taught mathematics and mineralogy. He married Susan Clarkson May 26, 1870, in Philadelphia and fathered Amy Cordoba (b. 04/25/1872 - married Frederick Leslie Ransome) and Alfred Mayer (b. 09/26/1877). He worked as an astronomer at the U.S. Naval Observatory and later became astronomical engineer for Guatemala, South America, making his home there. He died allegedly from "acute enterogastritis" following a heart attack. Source: Dennis Brandt.
Miles Rock was one of the founders of the Anthropological Society of Washington."
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/39416848/miles-rock (Accessed 29 December 2023.)
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), William Walton Griest Collection (MG0065), Series #, Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL if applicable. Date accessed (day, month, year).
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Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Accession Number
Unknown.MG0065
Other Numbers
MG-65, Series 25
Other Number
MG-65, Series 25, Folder 62, Insert 7, Item 7
Classification
MG0065
Description Level
Item
Custodial History
Originally cataloged by KC, 2002-2003. The project was funded by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission’s Archives and Records Management Grant, ME 230340, 2002-2003.
