Antique English Diminutive Mahogany Chest of Chest Drawers

19th century, pine secondary, rectangular top with light wood double line inlay to the edge, four graduated cock beaded drawers on shaped bracket feet.

33 x 38.25 x 20 in.

The back boards with old black ink inscription reading "Capt. W.M. Black, Corps. of Engineers, Washington, DC"

Born December 8, 1855, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, William Black graduated first in the Military Academy class of 1877 and was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers. From 1886 to 1891 Black headed the Jacksonville District, and in 1897-98 he was the Engineer Commissioner on the governing board of the District of Columbia. In the Spanish-American War, he was Chief Engineer, 3d and 5th Army Corps. As Chief Engineer under Generals William Ludlow and Leonard Wood (1899-1901), and six years later as advisor to the Cuban Department of Public Works, he modernized Havana's sanitary system. As Commandant of the Army Engineer School (1901-03), Black moved it from Willets Point, New York, to Washington Barracks, D.C. After his return from Cuba in 1909, he was Northeast Division Engineer and chairman of a board to raise the battleship Maine. Devoted to training young engineer officers in the art of war, General Black's greatest responsibility came as Chief of Engineers during World War I in mobilizing and training some 300,000 engineer troops for a wide range of military engineering tasks. For this work he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal. He retired October 31, 1919, and died September 24, 1933, in Washington, D.C.

Some surface scratches and refinishing to veneers; front left foot with crack and repair; some separations and associated looseness to drawer base panels; drawer interior with scratches and later varnish.