POTTER, Joseph A dams, soldier, born in Potter's Hollow, New York, 12 June, 1816; died in Painesville, Ohio, 21 April, 1888. He entered the United States service as a civil engineer in 1835 and was engaged in building public works and making surveys of the great lakes until the beginning of the civil war. In 1861 he was ordered to Detroit, and was appointed, on 27 September, 1st lieutenant in the 15th United States infantry. He was soon transferred to the quartermaster's department, with the rank of captain, and sent to Illinois, where he was engaged in fitting out troops and in building Camp Douglass at Chicago and Camp Butler at Springfield. He disbursed millions of dollars, purchasing large amounts of supplies and great numbers of cavalry horses. Subsequently he had charge of the quartermaster's departments at various posts until 1874, when he became chief quartermaster of the Department of the Gulf, with headquarters at New Orleans. On 21 April, 1879, he was retired. He received the brevets from major to brigadier-general in the United States army on 13 March, 1865.