Samuel Babcock
Samuel Babcock (1785-1831) - Born 22 May 1785 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. A Career U.S. Army officer, engineer and West Point graduate (Cullum 32) who rose to the rank of Major. He resigned his commission in December 1830 and died 6 months later on 26 Jun 1831, in Connecticut.
He entered the United States Military Academy 28 Apr 1806 and graduated 23 Feb 1808 in the Class of 1808 ranking 2nd out of 15.
He entered the service as a 2nd Lieutenant, assistant engineer at New York Harbor, supervising the erection of Castle Williams and Fort Gansevoort over four years.
At the beginning of the War of 1812 he was rapidly promoted to Captain and became the Chief Engineer for Major General Samuel Smith at Baltimore in 1814. He designed and supervised the construction of three outerworks of Fort McHenry, Fort Covington, Fort Look-Out and one named for him, Fort Babcock. He was present for the bombardment of Fort McHenry.
After the war in 1817 he was married to Marian Rualt Contance with whom he had three children. He was promoted to Major in 1819 and became the Superintending Engineer at Fort Delaware for eight years. He then worked on river and harbor improvements for four years. He married for the second time in 1826 to Elizabeth Eyre and had one daughter by that marriage.
He became the Superintending Engineer at Fort Pulaski in 1828 and stayed there until his resignation in December 1830. He was plagued with ill health when he arrived at Fort Pulaski and the heat, bad weather and mosquitoes of Cockspur Island caused his doctors to recommend leaving the island. He resigned his commission on 22 Dec 1830 and returned home.
He died 6 months later on 26 Jun 1831, in Connecticut.
Father: Samuel Babcock (1760-1813)
Mother: Elizabeth Swift (1761-1819)
Marriages:
- Marian Rualt Contance (?-?) married March 1817
- Catharine Fotterall Babcock (1818-1???) born 23 Dec 1818,
- Elizabeth Swift Babcock (1821-1???) born 2 Feb 1821,
- Samuel Fotterall Babcock (1822-1???) born 12 Sep 1822,
- Elizabeth Eyre (1805-1872) married 18 May 1826, born 2 Aug 1805, died 30 Jun 1872
- Maria Louisa Babcock (1827-1885) born 12 Sep 1827, died 4 Jan 1885, married Elisha Crowell 22 Oct 1865
Assignments:
- (1806-1808) Cadet, United States Military Academy
- (1808-1814) 2nd Lt. (23 Feb 1808), 1st Lt. (1 Jul 1812), Capt. (20 Sep 1812), Asst. Engineer New York Harbor, erection of Castle Williams and Fort Gansevoort
- (1814-1816) Capt., Chief Engineer at Baltimore
- (1816-1824) Maj. (31 Mar 1819), Superintending Engineer of Fort Delaware
- (1824-1826) Maj., Superintending Engineer Ohio and Mississippi Rivers
- (1826-1828) Maj., Superintending Engineer New Castle harbor improvements
- (1828-1830) Maj., Superintending Engineer Fort Pulaski
- (22 Dec 1830) Resigned
- (26 Jun 1831) Died in Connecticut
Sources:
- Cullum's Register - Graduate No. 32 - Samuel Babcock
- Jordan, John & Wilfred, Colonial and Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania: Genealogical and Personal Memoirs, Volume 2 (Google eBook), Lewis Publishing, 1911, page 1009-1011
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