Hiram Berdan
Born: September 6, 1824
Birthplace: Phelps, New York
Father: John Berdan 1800 – 1851
(Buried: Riverside Cemetery, Plymouth, Michigan)
Mother: Hannah Eldred 1802 – 1883
(Buried: Riverside Cemetery, Plymouth, Michigan)
Occupation before War:
Mechanical Engineer in New York City, New York
Top Rifle shot in United States for 15 years
Inventor of the repeating rifle, and received patent for musket ball
Developer of first commercial gold amalgamation machine
Inventor of Reaper, and Mechanical bakery
Civil War Career:
1861 – 1864: Colonel 1st & 2nd United States Sharpshooters
1862: Participated in Seven Days Campaign in Virginia
1862: Sharpshooters complained about Berdan’s role
1862: Condemned by Major General Fitz John Porter
1862: Participated in Second Battle of Bull Run, Virginia
1862: Led his sharpshooters at Battle of Shepherdstown
1863: Brigade Commander during Battle of Chancellorsville
1863: Delayed Confederate Attack on Devil’s Den, and Peach Orchard
1863: Acted as Brigade Commander of Ward’s Brigade
1864: Resigned as Colonel on January 2nd
Occupation after War:
Engineer and Inventor
1865: Appointed as Brevet Brig General approved by Congress in 1869
Inventor of twin – screw Submarine Gunboat
Inventor of Torpedo Boat that evaded torpedo nets
Inventor of Long-Distance Rangefinder
Inventor of Distance fuse for shrapnel
Died: March 31, 1893 at about 5:45 pm
Place of Death: At a chess board at the Metropolitan Club, Washington, D.C.
Cause of Death: Cerebral Hemorrhage
Age at time of Death: 68 years old
Burial Place: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia
Last edited by a moderator: