Clarence Page Townsley
| Clarence Page Townsley | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
September 24, 1855 De Kalb, New York |
| Died | December 28, 1926 (aged 71) Washington, D.C. |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1881 - 1918 |
| Rank |
 Major General
|
| Commands held | Superintendent of the United States Military Academy |
Clarence Page Townsley (September 24, 1855 – December 28, 1926) was a career United States Army officer who became superintendent of the United States Military Academy.
Clarence Townsley was born September 24, 1855, at De Kalb village, New York, son of Elias P. Townsley and his wife Louise Thompson. Townsley's grandfather Gideon had become postmaster, was elected town supervisor and operated a tannery close to the Oswegatchie River. Townsley's father Elias was also postmaster, was elected De Kalb town supervisor and also to the New York State Assembly.
The younger Townsley was raised in the harsh St. Lawrence County winters in the shadow of the Adirondack Mountains. He attended preparatory school at St. Lawrence Academy in nearby Potsdam, and graduated Union College in Schenectady, New York in 1876. Townsley spent a year in Sioux City, Iowa working as a civil engineer on the Covington, Columbus and Black Hills Railroad, then was appointed from Iowa to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York in July 1877, graduating 14th out of 53 in his USMA cadet class.
On graduation in 1881, Townsley entered the 4th Artillery regiment, and the artillery corps is where he would spend his entire career. After a brief tour in California, Townsley returned to upstate New York, then to several coastal artillery posts. He spent three years teaching drawing at the academy, then back to garrison duty.
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