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49-520: The Bonneville Expedition may refer to: Bonneville Expedition of 1832 , an expedition of Oregon Country Bonneville Expedition of 1857 , American military operation during the Apache Wars Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Bonneville Expedition . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change

98-431: A Congressional Gold Medal . Born at British-held Detroit in 1782, Macomb was the son of Alexander Macomb , a merchant and fur trader from upstate New York, and Mary Catherine Navarre, who was of ethnic French descent. He moved with his parents to New York City , where his father gained wealth as a land speculator, particularly in the millions of acres of New York land released by the federal government for sale after

147-777: 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 . In 1824, he was taken to Fort Gibson in the Indian Territory and promoted to captain . While traveling to France, he was a guest of General Lafayette . After returning from France, he was transferred in 1828 to Jefferson Barracks in Missouri . While in Missouri, Bonneville

196-612: A fur trading post, which it named Fort Bonneville . The mountain men called it "Fort Nonsense" and it was never used for trading. In the spring of 1833, Bonneville explored along the Snake River in present-day Idaho , drifting into the head of the Salmon River and eventually into Fort Nez Perce . During this trip he engaged a guide, John Enos (Enos), a 10-year-old Shoshone nephew of Gourd Rattler ( Washakie ) and Pahdasherwahundah (Iron Wristbands); Enos later served as

245-523: A military academy. He was one of the first officers to receive formal training there. For five years, Macomb directed construction of coastal fortifications in the Carolinas and Georgia. He also established fortifications at Fort Gratiot, Michigan , Chicago, Mackinaw, Prairie du Chien, St. Peter's, and St. Mary's in what was considered the Northwest area - Michigan and Illinois. At the beginning of

294-584: A provision in the 1834 regulations that 'the insignia of the major general commanding in chief should be three stars.' In the same document he sought to define his relationship to the Secretary of War and establish his primacy over the bureau chiefs, including his successor as Chief of Engineers . This was easier said than done. Most issues were not fully resolved until early the next century." He advocated doubling Army strength, increasing enlisted pay, providing relief for some widows and orphans, and regularizing

343-715: A scout for the Fremont expedition. He also sent a party of men under Walker to explore the Great Salt Lake and find an overland route to California . Walker discovered a route along the Humboldt River across present-day Nevada , as well as Walker Pass across the Sierra Nevada . The path later became known as the California Trail , the primary route for immigrants to the gold fields during

392-554: Is Registered Site S0418, erected in 1974. It states: Alexander Macomb In 1818 Territorial Governor Lewis Cass proclaimed the third Michigan county to be called Macomb. At that time the young General was Commander of the Fifth Military Department in Detroit. Born in that city in 1782, son of prominent local entrepreneurs, Macomb had entered the U.S. Army in 1799. He had gained national renown and honor during

441-512: Is memorialized by several monuments. One statue of Alexander Macomb was sculpted by Adolph Alexander Weinman and erected in 1906 in downtown Detroit, Michigan. This statue was made from melted down cannons, and was a notable and monumental task. Another is in downtown Mount Clemens, Michigan , in front of the Circuit Court building at 40 North Gratiot Avenue . Several others exist. Macomb died while in office at Washington, D.C. He

490-664: The Blue Mountains , where he met Nathaniel Wyeth once again and camped along the Grande Ronde River . By this time he and his men had become desperate for food and supplies. At Fort Nez Perces, they found the same rejection from Pambrun. Instead of returning immediately east, Bonneville and men journeyed down the Columbia towards Fort Vancouver. Along the river, he attempted to trade with Sahaptins but without success. He came to realize that he would probably receive

539-811: The California Gold Rush . Much speculation has surrounded Bonneville's motivation for sending Walker to California. Some historians have speculated that he was attempting to lay the groundwork for an eventual invasion of California, then part of Mexico , by the United States Army . John McLoughlin , the director of the Columbia operations of the Hudson's Bay Company at Fort Vancouver on the Columbia River , heard of Bonneville's mission. He forbade his traders from doing business with Bonneville and his men. Bonneville reported that many of

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588-874: The Columbia River and parts of the Southwest before his return. After spending the early winter at Fort Bonneville , he set out westward in January 1834 with the goal of reaching the Willamette Valley . He and his men traveled down the Snake River, through Hells Canyon , and into the Wallowa Mountains , where they found a hospitable welcome by the Nez Perces along the Imnaha River . On March 4, 1834, they reached Fort Nez Perces ,

637-693: The French emergency . In March, he was promoted to second lieutenant, and he was honorably discharged in June 1800. In February 1801, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant , 2nd Infantry, serving as secretary to a commission that treated with the Indians of the Southeast. He was commissioned a first lieutenant in the Army Corps of Engineers , which was established in 1802 at West Point to constitute

686-670: The Native Americans he encountered in the Snake River were also reluctant to displease the Hudson's Bay Company by trading with Americans. In the summer of 1833, Bonneville ventured into the Wind River Range in present-day Wyoming to trade with the Shoshone . By this time, he realized that he would not be able to return east by October as planned. He wrote a lengthy letter to General Macomb summarizing some of his findings and requesting more time, specifically to survey

735-651: The War of 1812 as brigadier general in command of the Right Division of the Northern Army, responsible for defending the frontier of northern New York . At the Battle of Plattsburgh on September 11, 1814, with only 1,500 regular troops and some detachments of militia, he was opposed by a British force of 10,531 men under Lieutenant General Sir George Prevost . Macomb's heavily outnumbered troops fell back before

784-566: The Army and Adams bypassed them to offer the post to Macomb. The general's last active service in a theater of war was in the Seminole War in Florida, in 1835. Macomb's tenure as Commanding General was marked by "continuing uncertainty about the responsibilities and authority of his position. To secure his seniority over Scott and Gaines, both two-star brevet major generals, Macomb added

833-604: The Battle of Plattsburgh and the end of the War of 1812, a Congressional Gold Medal honoring Alexander Macomb and his men was struck by Act of Congress (3 Stat. 247), to wit: Obverse : MAJOR GENERAL ALEXANDER MACOMB. Bust of Gen. Macomb, in uniform, facing the right FÜRST. F( ecit ). indicates the engraver Moritz Fuerst (1782–1840), who designed several medals of 1812 heroes for the Philadelphia mint. The bust of Macomb found on

882-551: The British columns in a series of encounters as Prevost advanced towards the American defensive works. In the weeks leading up to the battle, Macomb, knowing full well he would be greatly outnumbered, worked with his men to move trees and create fake roads; in order to obscure the genuine roads and lead the British into dead-end traps far from the three nearby American forts (a maneuver Macomb called abattis ). The British attack

931-543: The Congressional Medal, however, is reminiscent of the 1809 portrait of Macomb by Saint-Mémin (1770–1852), in which Macomb is wearing the undressed coat of blue with black velvet collar and cuffs typical of an Engineering officer. Reverse : RESOLUTION OF CONGRESS NOVEMBER 3. 1814. The American army repulsing the British troops, who are striving to cross the Saranac river. To the left, Plattsburgh in flames; to

980-725: The Iroquois nations had been largely forced from the state into exile in Ontario following British defeat in the American Revolutionary War. The son received a classical education at Newark Academy in New Jersey . In 1798, at the age of 16, Macomb joined a New York militia company. In January 1799, with the recommendation of Alexander Hamilton , he was commissioned a Cornet in the Regular Army during

1029-860: The Loyal Legion of the United States , military societies for officers who had served in the Mexican War and American Civil War , respectively, but he did not join either. Bonneville's namesakes include: Irving, Washington (6 February 2018). The Adventures of Captain Bonneville: or Scenes, Incidents, and Adventures in the Far West . CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN   978-1-985076-49-5 . Alexander Macomb (American general) Alexander Macomb ( / m ə ˈ k u m / ; April 3, 1782 – June 25, 1841)

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1078-479: The U.S. and Britain . It was largely controlled by the Hudson's Bay Company . Macomb granted his request, a 26-month leave running from August 1831 to October 1833, and instructed him to gather all information that might be useful to the government. In particular, he was to pose as a fur trader and find out the natural history of the region, its climates, soils, geography, topography, mineral production, geology, and

1127-733: The War of 1812 for his victory at Plattsburgh in September 1814 over a far superior force of British invaders. Later as Chief Army Engineer he promoted the building of military roads in the Great Lakes area. From May 1828 to his death in June 1841, Macomb served as Commander in Chief of the Army. He is buried in the Congressional Cemetery in Washington D.C. His birthday, April 3, is honored as Macomb County Heritage Day. He

1176-576: The War of 1812, in July 1812 Macomb was promoted at the age of 30 to colonel of the newly organised 3rd Artillery Regiment . He was in command of the Sacketts Harbor garrison. Under Winfield Scott , he took part in the Capture of Fort George . He was part of James Wilkinson 's failed St. Lawrence expedition and commanded his brigade at the Battle of Point Iroquois . He won acclaim during

1225-484: The bulk of his estate to Marguerite who had cared for him until he died in 1809. The inheritance included 100 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 Bonneville received an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point , New York . He graduated after only two years, receiving

1274-495: The character of the local tribes. Expenses for his exploration were paid by private donors, including Astorian Alfred Seton and possibly John Jacob Astor . Bonneville married and had a daughter with his wife. After both his first wife and daughter died, he did not remarry until after retiring from the military in 1866, when he settled in Fort Smith, Arkansas . There he married Sue Neis. The expedition that would be known as

1323-471: The delay and eventual cancellation of the expedition, leaving Bonneville unrequited in his ambitions. To pursue his desire to explore the west, he petitioned General Alexander Macomb for a leave of absence from the military, arguing that he would be able to perform valuable reconnaissance among the Native Americans in the Oregon Country, which at the time was under a precarious joint occupation of

1372-573: The end of the war he was breveted as a brigadier general in honor of his long and distinguished career. He retired a second time in 1866 and moved to Fort Smith , Arkansas , where he married Sue Neis. Bonneville died at age 82 in 1878. He is buried at Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri . Bonneville was eligible to join both the Aztec Club of 1847 and the Military Order of

1421-562: The expedition. The British invaders returned to Canada. Macomb was showered with praise and styled "the Hero of Plattsburgh" by some in the American press . He was promoted to major general for his conduct at this battle, and received the formal thanks of Congress and a Congressional Gold Medal . When Major General Jacob Brown , the Army's commanding general , died in February 1828, Macomb

1470-448: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bonneville_Expedition&oldid=900441661 " Categories : Disambiguation pages American frontier Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Bonneville Expedition of 1832 During his lifetime, Bonneville

1519-519: The month it took to make the necessary repairs, the couple's remains were held at the Smithsonian ; they were viewed by several of the general's descendants, including his great-great-great granddaughter. After the $ 24,000 repairs were completed by the Department of Veterans Affairs , their remains were re-interred on July 17, 2008. The monument to Alexander Macomb is "one of the most unusual in

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1568-715: The most notable accomplishment of his life began in May 1832, when Bonneville left Missouri with 110 men, with field lieutenants Michael Cerre and Joseph R. Walker . The voyage was financed by John Jacob Astor, a rival of the Hudson's Bay Company . The expedition proceeded from Fort Osage on the Missouri River , up to the Platte River , and across present-day Wyoming . It reached the Green River in August and built

1617-556: The nation." During the 1820s, Macomb was a member of the Columbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences , who counted among their members former presidents Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams and many prominent men of the day, including well-known representatives of the military, government service, medical and other professions. His youngest son was Commodore William H. Macomb . In World War II,

1666-518: The officer retirement and replacement system. In 1840 the Army Corps of Engineers adopted the castle uniform insignia and first described the Corps of Engineers' distinctive Essayons button (Motto in French, meaning: "Let us try"). Macomb was succeeded by Major General Winfield Scott , who had worked "hard at mending fences in the intervening 13 years   ..." within the Army. In 1809, Macomb

1715-623: The outpost of the Hudson's Bay Company at the confluence of the Walla Walla River with the Columbia. Pierre Pambrun , the HBC commander of the fort, welcomed him but refused to do business with him. Empty handed, Bonneville and men retraced their course back to southeast Idaho and made camp on the Portneuf River . In July he made a second trip west, determined to trade with the Hudson's Bay Company. He followed an easier route across

1764-504: The right, naval battle on Lake Champlain; in the distance, Cumberland Head. Exergue: BATTLE OF PLATTSBURGH September 11. 1814. FÜRST. F( ecit ). This was one of 27 Gold Medals authorized by Congress arising from the War of 1812. Alexander Macomb is recognized by a Michigan Historical Marker installed at the corner of Gratiot Avenue and Macomb Street in Mount Clemens, Michigan , the county seat of Macomb County, named for him. It

1813-601: The same rejection from McLoughlin at Fort Vancouver and decided to turn back east. He spent the winter of 1834–35 with the Shoshone along the upper Bear River , and in April 1835 began the voyage back to Missouri. He reached Independence by August and discovered that although his letter requesting an extension had arrived, it had not been delivered to Macomb. In the meantime, his commission had been revoked. Bonneville journeyed east hoping to be able to recover his commission. On

1862-613: The settlement. See Published Works and Further Reading, infra . In addition, Macomb is recognized as an artist. His painting Detroit as Seen from the Canadian Shore in 1821, a watercolor and pencil work, is held by the Detroit Institute of Arts . Macomb was the first of five Commanding Generals (Chiefs of Staff after the 1903 reorganization) who had held Engineer commissions early in their careers. All had transferred to other branches before being appointed to this top position. The others were George B. McClellan , Henry W. Halleck , Douglas MacArthur , and Maxwell D. Taylor . Following

1911-399: The way to Washington, D.C. , he stopped in New York City where he was received by his patron John Jacob Astor . While staying with Astor, Bonneville met Washington Irving . Bonneville regaled Irving with tales of his adventures, tales that Bonneville planned to include in a book he was working on. A month or two later, Irving visited Bonneville again, at the D.C. barracks where the latter

1960-518: Was diffused by these efforts. The long narrow lines of marching soldiers were unable to easily stop and about-face. They became entangled in the narrow false road maze, where they became targets for American ambush. The British were about to launch an assault on the American defenses when the news came through of the defeat of the British naval squadron on Lake Champlain . Prevost needed the British Lake Champlain squadron to supply his planned advance into Vermont. Without it, he had no choice but to abandon

2009-409: Was inspired by the writing of Hall J. Kelley , as well as editorials in the St. Louis Enquirer (edited at the time by Thomas Hart Benton ) to join in the exploration of the American West. Bonneville met with Kelley, who was impressed by him and appointed him to lead one of the expeditions to the Oregon Country ; it was scheduled to leave in early 1832. The lack of volunteers for the expedition forced

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2058-480: 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 Nicholas Bonneville and his wife Marguerite Brazier . When he was seven, his family moved to the United States ; 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

2107-407: Was originally buried at the Presbyterian Burying Ground , but in 1850 his remains were disinterred and he was reburied at Congressional Cemetery . His remains, and those of his wife, Catherine, were disinterred again in June 2008 so that the brick-lined burial vault beneath their 6-ton (5,400 kg), 13-foot-tall (4.0 m) marble monument could be repaired to prevent its impending collapse. During

2156-415: Was part of the occupation of Mexico City . He was promoted to colonel of the 3rd Infantry Regiment in 1855, and twice commanded the Department of New Mexico . Bonneville retired from active service in 1861 but was soon recalled to duty during the Civil War . From 1861 to 1863 he served as superintendent of recruiting in Missouri, and from 1862 to 1865 as commander of Benton Barracks in St. Louis. At

2205-481: Was staying. Bonneville was having difficulties writing his adventures. The two of them agreed that for the sum of $ 1000 ($ 27,745 in 2023 dollars ), Bonneville would turn over his maps and notes so that Irving could use them as the basis for his third "Western" book. The result was The Adventures of Captain Bonneville , published in 1837 . In Washington, Bonneville petitioned tirelessly to Secretary of War Lewis Cass to have his commission reinstated. In early 1836 he

2254-420: Was successful. In subsequent years, he was given assignments on the western frontier at Fort Kearny in the Nebraska Territory and in the New Mexico Territory at Fort Fillmore , where he became the commander of the third infantry regiment on February 3, 1855, after the death of Colonel Thomas Staniford. He also served in the Mexican–American War , taking part in the Veracruz campaign of Winfield Scott . He

2303-414: Was the Commanding General of the United States Army from May 29, 1828, until his death on June 25, 1841. Macomb was the field commander at the Battle of Plattsburgh during the War of 1812 and, after the stunning victory, was lauded with praise and styled "The Hero of Plattsburgh" by some of the American press. He was promoted to Major General for his conduct, receiving both the Thanks of Congress and

2352-468: Was the author of a seminal book (republished in 2006) on martial law and the conduct of courts-martial . It was the first book written on American procedures. During this period he was serving as a judge-advocate general (JAG) in the Army. He published a revised, updated book solely on courts martial in 1809. He also wrote a play on the siege of Detroit by Ottawa chief Pontiac . It features Macomb's maternal grandfather, Robert Navarre, who helped defend

2401-431: Was the senior brigadier general on the Army register, although, as the Army's chief of engineers , he was paid only at the rank of a colonel. President John Quincy Adams promoted him to commanding general of the Army with the rank of major general. The Army's two serving brigadier generals — Winfield Scott and Edmund P. Gaines — had been vying for the position. Their quarrels over seniority had scandalized

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