il : OBITUARY NOTICES. 
Engineers ; was wounded at the siege of Charleston ; later on mar- 
ried there a daughter of Dr. Robert Wilson, a prominent physician 
of that place, and eventually returned to Scotland. 
In the next generation, John Wilson (1789, Scotland—1833, 
‘America), the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, having 
completed his education at the University of Edinburgh, returned 
(1807) to his mother’s native land, and entered upon the profession 
of engineer and surveyor in Charleston. His professional thor- 
oughness and accuracy are matters of record to this day. A map 
of South Carolina made by him for the State Government is yet 
considered the standard authority for all but subsequent improve- 
ments. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States at 
an early period, and during the war with Great Britain (1812) 
served as engineer for the construction of the works of defense of 
the city of Charleston; held office of State Civil and Military 
Engineer for South Carolina under Board of Public Works (1818— 
1822), and in, 1826 removed to Philadelphia, from which time 
Major John Wilson became identified, as Chief Engineer, with 
that extensive system of improvements for the State of Pennsyl- 
vania which during his life materialized in the Philadelphia & 
Columbia Railroad. Of his son, William Hasell Wilson (1811- 
1902), who followed directly in his father’s footsteps, the important 
and enduring work performed by him is still fresh in the memory 
of many yet living. He was closely identified with the onward 
march and development of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company’s 
system from its very infancy, when with his father’s corps in 1826 ; 
through the formative period of the organization, when the standard 
was set for high achievement which has since obtained; through 
the Civil.War period, when, as Chief Engineer of the Pennsylvania 
Railroad, his Department of Maintenance and Construction was 
called upon to preserve intact the highway itself for the transporta- 
tion of armies and munitions of war as well as the general public 
and freight traffic; through to the end of a professional career, 
embracing many positions of trust and responsibility, of excep- 
tional usefulness and duration (actual service, seventy-six years). 
William Hasell Wilson was finally looked upon as the Nestor of his 
profession, respected, honored, followed, served by many a younger 
man _of-his-own corps who..can. to-day rise up and -call his name 
blessed.: Such were some of the anUEEBEEA? which cr “pas 
+ the subject of this sketch. 
