Ernst
OSWALD HERBERT, an American soldier, born near Cincinnati in 1842. He attended Harvard College for two years and graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1864. In the same year he was appointed 1st lieutenant of engineers. He rose through the various grades, in 1898 becoming a brigadier-general. With this rank he served in the volunteers during the Spanish-American War. He was promoted to be major-general in 1916.
EROS His active service included several campaigns in the Civil War, where he served as assistant chief engineer with the Army of Tennessee. He was instructor in practical military engineering at West Point from 1871 to 1878, and from that year until 1886 he was engineer in charge of Western river improvements.
For 3 years following he had charge of the harbor improvements on the Texas coast, where he began the great work which resulted in the deepening of the channel at the entrance to Galveston harbor. He served on various boards from 1880 to 1906. From 1893 to 1898 he was superintendent of the United States Military Academy. He was a member of the Isthmian Canal Commission from 1899 to 1901, and again in 1905 and 1906. From 1903 to 1906 he was president of the Mississippi River Commission. He retired from active service in 1906. He wrote "Manual of Practical Military Engineering" and other works on engineering subjects.