★ Delafield, Richard

Richard Delafield​

Born: September 1, 1793

Birthplace: New York City, New York

Father: John Delafield 1748 – 1824

(Buried: Green – Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York)​

Mother: Ann Hallett 1766 – 1839

(Buried: Green – Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York)​

1st​ Wife: Hellen Summers ? - 1824

Married: 1824

2nd​ Wife: Harriet Baldwin Covington 1811 – 1894

(Buried: Green – Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York)​

Married: 1833

Children:

Henry Baldwin Delafield 1834 – 1847​

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Susan Parish Delafield 1836 – 1896​

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Juliet Covington Delafield 1837 – 1925​

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Emma Delafield 1840 – 1938​

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Laura Delafield 1843 – 1886​

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Albert Delafield 1846 – 1920​

Education:

1818: Graduated from West Point Military Academy​

Occupation before War:

1815: Assistant Mathematics Professor at West Point​

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1818: Commissioned as 2nd​ Lt. In U.S. Army, Corps of Engineers

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Topographical draftsman for the American Boundary Commission​

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1819 – 1824: Assistant Engineer in Construction of Hampton Roads​

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1824 – 1832: In Charge of Fortifications in the Mississippi River Delta​

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Superintendent of repair work on the Cumberland Road​

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Designer and Builder of Dunlap's Creek Brigade Brownsville, Pennsylvania​

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1838: Promoted to the rank of Major in the U.S. Army Corps Engineers​

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1838 – 1845: Superintendent of West Point Military Academy​

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1846 – 1855: Superintendent of New York Harbor Coast Defenses​

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Head of the Delafield Commission to Study the European Military​

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1856 – 1861: Superintendent of West Point Military Academy​

Civil War Career:

1861: Superintendent of West Point Military Academy​

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1861: Adviser to the Governor of New York​

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1861 – 1864: Commander of New York Harbor Defenses​

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1864 – 1866: Brigadier General in the United States Army​

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1864 – 1866: Chief of United States Army, Corps of Engineers​

Delafield Family Mausoleum
Contains Grave of Gen. Richard Delafield
Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Photo by Jbabich21, October 2011

1866: Retired from United States Army in August​

Occupation after War:

Regent for the Smithsonian Institute​

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Member of the Lighthouse Board​

Died: November 5, 1873

Place of Death: Washington, D.C.

Age at time of Death: 75 years old

Burial Place: Green – Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York

 

[Pollaco]

Took over the Corps of Engineers upon the death of General J. G. Totten.

 

[James N.]

Probably the best-known photo - a daguerreotype -of Delafield was taken during the trip to Russia during the Crimean War as head of the official U.S. Mission there. However, it isn't known because of Delafield, but rather the junior member of the commission, future Maj. Gen. and Presidential Candidate, then-Capt. George B. McClellan standing between Delafield and the table at right on which the pickelhaube headgear belonging to their Russian attaché is placed. The Russian officer is standing to Delafield's right; the third member of the commission who is seated at left is Maj. Alfred Mordecai of the artillery.

 

[Seduzal]

Thanks for sharing this awesome article. During the Civil War years, 1861-1866 did he actually was a commander of a regiment or a General that fought in the war?