Gen. Orville E. Babcock
(1835-1884)

  Orville E. Babcock was born on Christmas Day in 1835, in Franklin, Vermont in a small town near the Canadian border and close to Lake Champlain.  In 1861, Babcock graduated from West Point and, during the Civil War, rose from second-lieutenant to brevet brigadier-general.  He earned many battlefield honors and became aid-de-camp to General Ulysses S. Grant.  Babcock delivered Grant's final surrender summons to Lee and escorted the famous Confederate general to his meeting with Grant at Appomattox Courthouse, an event which Babcock saw.

     After the war, Babcock served Grant as private secretary and married Annie Eliza Campbell in Galena, Illinois.  Babcock followed President Grant to Washington where he became superintendent of buildings and groounds for the City of Washington.  Soon, however, Babcock left the city to become chief engineer of the Sixth District of the Light House Establishment.  As part of this job, Babcock was responsible for the planning and building of the Mosquito Inlet Lighthouse.  Unfortunately, before Babcock could begin the actual construction, the boat bringing him to shore from a schooner overturned in the Inlet, and Babcock drowned on June 2, 1884.  His body was returned to Washington, DC, for burial.  He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.


        Historical Register & Dictionary of the US Army
                              1789-1903, Vol. 1

     An Asterix before a name indicates that the officer attained the rank of brigadier or major-general either by regular or brevet commission in the regular or volunteer forces *Babcock, Orville Elias, Vt. Vt. Cadet Military Academy 1 July 1856 (3); brevet 2 lieutenant and 2 lieutenant engineers 6 May 1861; 1 lieutenant 17 Nov 1861; captain 1 June 1863; lieutenant colonel assistant inspector-general assigned 1 Jan 1863 to 28 Mar 1864; lieutenant colonel aide-de-camp to lieutenant general Grant 29 Mar 1864 to 24 July 1866 and colonel aide-de-damp to general Grant 25 July 1866 to 4 Mar 1869; colonel supt pb 3 Mar 1873 to 3 Mar 1877; major engineers 21 Mar 1867; brevet captain 4 May 1862 for gallant and meritorious services during the siege of Yorktown Va; major 29 Nov 1863 for gallant and meritorious services during the siege of Knoxville Tenn; lieutenant colonel 6 May 1864 for gallant and meritorious services in the battle of the Wilderness Va; colonel volunteers 24 Feb 1865 for faithful and meritorious services; colonel 13 Mar 1865 for gallant and meritorious services during the war and brigadier-general 13 Mar 1865 for gallant and meritorious services in the field during the war; drowned 2 June 1884.  Buried in Arlington National Cemetery.