Dodge, Grenville Mellen (1831-1916)

US engineer and soldier. During the Civil War, his ability to build or rebuild damaged railroads and bridges contributed to the Union's victory. He oversaw the construction of the Union Pacific transcontinental rail line and is credited with building over 10,000 miles of railroad and surveying many more miles.

He was born in Danvers, Massachusetts. A railroad surveyor in the West, and a merchant in Iowa, he volunteered in the Civil War, rising to command a Union army division. Although he saw considerable action and was wounded twice in battle, his greatest contribution to the Union's victory came from his ability to build or rebuild damaged railroads and bridges. After the war, he became chief engineer of the Union Pacific Railroad during which time he also fitted in one term in the US House of Representatives as a Republican for Iowa. He served as chief engineer with other railroads in the Southwest and, after the Spanish-American War, he helped build railroads in Cuba. He headed the so-called ‘Dodge Commission’ that investigated the US Army's conduct during the Spanish-American War and led to organizational reforms.