Vlll P.I0(JRAP1IICAI. SKETCH. 



already sliowing a strong taste for science, while the otiiers. still living 

 and members of our own body, are sufficiently known to you to need 

 from me no statement of their important and varied contributions to 

 science. 



The youngest son of John Eatton, bearing his father's name, and who 

 was the father of Dr. LeConte, is better known than his brother in scien- 

 tific literature. He lived most of his life in New York, inheriting that 

 portion of his father's landed property which lay in the North, as his 

 brother did that in the South. Entering the corps of topographical en- 

 gineers of the United States army with the rank of captain, at the age 

 of thirty-four, he remained in the government service until 1831, attain- 

 ing in 182S the rank of brevet-major '' for ten years' faithful service."* 

 His tastes were many sided, but his special studies — those which were 

 the passion of his life — were in natural history. Before he entered the 

 engineer corps he published a catalogue of the plants of New York City 

 in the joiirnal edited by the Dr. Hosack under whom his brother had 

 studied medicine, and in subsequent years, during his connection with the 

 army and afterwards, he published special studies on Utricularia, Gratiola, 

 Puellia, Tillandsia. Viola and Pancratium, as well as our native grape 

 vines, tobacco and pecan-nut. He published also a variety of papers on 



from its application. . . . Had he lived longer, there is reason to think his atten- 

 tion would have been concentrated upon science. He never exhibited any fond- 

 ness for politics, but like his father kept a private chemical laboratory in his house, 

 and rather avoided public life." — Family records by Prof. LeConte Stevens. 



■•■•" It is stated in some accounts of Major LeConte that have been published, and 

 also in some manuscript notices I have seen, that Major LeConte entered the en- 

 gineer corps in 1813 as one of the military engineers, and that he projected or 

 constructed several of the fortifications along the Atlantic sea-board, especially 

 those about Savannah and at Old Point Comfort in Virginia (see Hist, Mag, v, 30). 

 The army records, however, show that his commission bore date of Api'il 18, 1818 ; 

 that he was brevetted for " ten years' faithful service" April J 8, 1828, and resigned 

 Aug, 30, 18.'>1, Furthermore, that he was attached to the topographical engineers, 

 then distinct from the military engineers; and that his probable service in these 

 works was the preliminary surveys which fi.xed the position and guided the con- 

 struction of the fortifications themselves. 



" Major LeConte was . . . about five feet six inches in height, with rather dark 

 complexion, dark eyes and aquiline nose. In dispositiiui he was usually sociable 

 and sufficiently communicative, but occasionally reticent and secluded, strong in 

 his affections and aversions, and much beloved by his relatives whom he visited 

 in Georgia. . . . For a number of years he was a member of the Episcopal 

 Church, but he subsequently became a Roman Catholic, and in this faith he died." 

 — Family records by Prof. LeConte Stevens. Dr. LeConte was brought up a 

 Catholic, bu^ after marriage attended the Protestant Episcopal Church. 



