Author:
Montgomery Meigs, Jr, son of The Union Army's Quarter-Master-General
Montgomery Cunningham Meigs (1847-1931), nicknamed 'Monty', civil engineer and inventor, was the son of the celebrated American army officer and engineer of the same name (1816-1892), Quartermaster-General of the United States army during and after the American civil war. While easily overshadowed by his illustrious father, Meigs was a fascinating figure in his own right, talented in a wide range of fields: manager of the canals and locks of the Old Des Moines Rapids Canal, designer of steamboats and other river craft, and Mississippi river pilot.
