★ Dyer, Alexander Brydie Sr.

Alexander Brydie Dyer Sr.​

Born: January 10, 1815

Birthplace: Richmond, Virginia

Father: William Hay Dyer 1788 – 1862

(Buried: Bellefontaine Cemetery, St. Louis, Missouri)​

Mother: Margaret Brydie 1796 – 1888

(Buried: Bellefontaine Cemetery, St. Louis, Missouri)​

Wife: Elizabeth Beersheba Allen 1823 – 1891

(Buried: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia)​

Children:

Elizabeth T. Dyer 1850 – 1877​

(Buried: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia)​

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Colonel Alexander Brydie Dyer Jr. 1852 – 1920​

(Buried: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia)​

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Shubael Allen Dyer 1854 – 1934​

(Buried: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia)​

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Anne Mason "Annie" Dyer Taylor 1857 – 1936​

(Buried: Oak Hill Cemetery, Washington, D.C.)​

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William Hay Dyer 1863 – 1929​

(Buried: Douglas City Cemetery, Douglas, Georgia)​

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Harriet Eugenia Dyer Price 1865 – 1950​

(Buried: Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia)​

Education:

1837: Graduated from West Point Military Academy – (6th​ in class)

Occupation before War:

1837 – 1838: 2nd​ Lt. United States Army, 3rd​ Artillery​

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1838 – 1847: 2nd​ Lt. United States Army, Ordnance​

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1838 – 1839: Ordnance duty in Chattanooga, Tennessee​

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1841 – 1842: Assistant Ordnance Officer, Watervliet Arsenal​

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1842 – 1843: Assistant Ordnance Officer, St. Louis Arsenal​

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1843 – 1844: Commander of Baton Rogue, Louisiana Arsenal​

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1844 – 1845: Assistant Ordnance Officer, St. Louis Arsenal​

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1846 – 1848: Chief of Ordnance Army invading New Mexico​

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1847: Brevetted 1st​ Lt. but decline for his duty in New Mexico​

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1847 – 1853: 1st​ Lt. United States Army Ordnance​

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1848: Brevetted for Gallantry at Battle of Santa Cruz De Rosales​

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1848 – 1850: Assistant Ordnance Officer, St. Louis Arsenal​

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1851 – 1853: Commander of North Carolina Arsenal​

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1853 – 1863: Captain United States Army, Ordnance​

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1853 – 1855: Commander of Little Rock Arsenal, Little Rock, Arkansas​

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1855 – 1861: Commander of Fort Monroe Arsenal in Virginia​

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1859: Member of United States Army, Ordnance Board​

Civil War Career:

1853 – 1863: Captain, United States Army, Ordnance​

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1860 – 1863: Member of United States Army, Ordnance Board​

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1861 – 1864: Commander of Springfield Armory​

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1863 – 1864: Major, United States Army, Ordnance​

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1864 – 1874: Brigadier General, United States Army, Ordnance​

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1864 – 1874: Chief of Ordnance of United States Army​

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1865: Brevetted Major General for duty in the Ordnance Bureau​

Occupation after War:

1864 – 1874: Brigadier General, United States Army, Ordnance​

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1864 – 1874: Chief of Ordnance of United States Army​

Died: May 20, 1874

Place of Death: Washington, D.C.

Cause of Death: Dilatation of the heart, granular disease of kidneys

Age at time of Death: 59 years old

Burial Place: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia

 

[Pollaco]

Chief of Ordnance must have been an older man's job as Dyer is called "By far the youngest man to serve as chief of ordnance in the Union Army during the Civil War". He also invented the 3 inch "Dyer Shell" which used the flame from the propulsion charge to ignite the fuse.

 

[John Hartwell]

I find very few obituaries of Gen. Dyer, and none more detailed than this:

[Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, 22 May 1874]
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Dozens of papers across the country seem to have been fascinated, however, by this:

 

[gentlemanrob]

Happy Birthday Brig. General Alexander B. Dyer! Salutes remembering General Dyer on his birthday.

 

[Pollaco]

Among his class mates who later became "Civil War Generals" was Braxton Bragg.

 

[USS ALASKA]

Anniversary Bump

10 Sept 1864

Alexander Brydie Dyer was promoted Brigadier-General USA Chief of Ordnance, succeeding Brigadier-General George Douglas Ramsay.

Cheers,
USS ALASKA