Benjamin Bonneville
| Benjamin Louis Eulalie de Bonneville | |
|---|---|
Benjamin Bonneville
|
|
| Born |
April 14, 1796 near Paris, France |
| Died | June 12, 1878 (aged 82) Fort Smith, Arkansas, United States |
| Place of burial | Bellefontaine Cemetery, St. Louis, Missouri, United States |
| Allegiance |
United States Union |
| Service/branch |
United States Army Union Army |
| Years of service | 1815–1861 |
| Rank |
 Colonel Brevet Brigadier General
|
| Commands held |
3rd U.S. Infantry Department of New Mexico |
| Battles/wars |
Mexican-American War Civil War |
Benjamin Louis Eulalie de Bonneville (April 14, 1796 – June 12, 1878) was a French-born officer in the United States Army, fur trapper, and explorer in the American West. He is noted for his expeditions to the Oregon Country and the Great Basin, and in particular for blazing portions of the Oregon Trail.
During his lifetime, Bonneville was made famous by an account of his explorations in the West written by Washington Irving.
Benjamin was born in or near Paris, France, the son of the French publisher Nicolas Bonneville and his wife Marguerite Brazier. When he was seven, his family moved to the United States in 1803; their passage was paid by Thomas Paine. Paine had lodged with the Bonnevilles in France and was godfather to Benjamin and his two brothers, Louis and Thomas. In his will, Paine left the bulk of his estate to Marguerite who had cared for him until he died in 1809. The inheritance included one hundred acres (40.5 ha) of his New Rochelle, New York farm where they had been living, so she could maintain and educate her sons.
In 1813 the young Bonneville received an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. He graduated after only two years, receiving a commission as brevet second lieutenant of light artillery. In his early career, he served at posts in New England, Mississippi, and at Fort Smith in the Arkansas Territory.
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Wikipedia