John Philip FONDE

                   CHARLES HENRY FONDE, WAS A NOTED ENGINEER AND WAS BORN IN VIRGINIA.  AS A CIVIL ENGINEER, AND PATENTEE OF THE FIRST BUCKET-WHEEL-DREDGE, WHICH REVOLUTIONIZED DREDGING OF PRESENT DAYS.  ALSO WAS A MANAGER OF THE LARGE SYNDICATED OPERATION FROM NEW YORK CITY, AND WHICH UNDER HIS MANAGEMENT DREDGED IN NEW YORK HARBOR, OR NORTH RIVER, BALTIMORE, HAVANA, CUBA, SAVANNAH AND HARBOR OF MARSELLES, FRANCE.  HE ALSO DID SOME ENGINEERING WORK IN AUSTRIA. HAVING BEEN BORN IN VIRGINIA, AND LATER A RESIDENT OF NEW ORLEANS & MOBILE, HIS HOME AT THE TIME OF THE CIVIL WAR WAS MOBILE.  HE HAPPONED TO BE IN CUBA, BUT RETURNED AT THE OUTBREAK.  THE BUSINESS SUCCESS AND BRILLIANT OUTLOOK FOR THE FUTURE WAS BLASTED BY THE SEIZURE OF PROPERTY AND CONFISCATION OF PATENT RIGHTS.  HE WAS ALSO THE ORIGINATOR OF THE REVOLVING CANNON WHICH IT IS THE MOTHER OF THE IDEA OF METTRAILLENSE THE FAMOUS FRENCH & OF THE AMERICAN GOTLIN GUN.  HIS SCHOOLING WAS IN THE COUNTRY HOME IN WAYNE COUNTY, MISS. WITH PRIVATE TUTOREES, AND IN COUNTRY SCHOOLS, UP TO SIXTEEN YEARS OF AGE, WHEN HE RETURNED TO MOBILE AND ENTERED GEORGE B. CLEVELAND'S BUSINESS SCHOOL, WITH HIGH SCHOOL QUALIFICATIONS.  SEVEN YEARS LATER HE ENTERED MEDICAL DEPARTMENT AT THE UNIV. OF ALABAMA AND GRADUATED IN MEDICINE AND PHARMACY IN 1897.  HE WROTE ONE KEY DOCUMENT, ENTITLED "AN ACCOUNT OF THE GREAT EXPLOSION OF THE UNITED STATES ORDNANCE STORES" ON MAY 25TH 1865.  HE MARRIED THREE TIMES: (1)ELIZABETH R. MC CLESTER, 1851, (2)CAMILLA WELCH 1855 & (3) LYDIA WRAGG 1865.