Orville E. Babcock
Military Person
1835 – 1884
Who was Orville E. Babcock?
Orville Elias Babcock was an American Civil War General in the Union Army. He graduated third in his class as United States Military Academy in 1861. Babcock served in the Corps of Engineers throughout the Civil War. He was promoted to Brevet Brigadier General in 1865. Babcock served as aide-de-camp for Lieut. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and participated in the Overland Campaign. After Grant became President in 1869, Babcock was appointed his Private Secretary—in modern terms, the chief of staff—and served until 1876. In 1869, Babcock was sent on a mission by President Grant to explore the possibility of annexing to the United States the mostly African island nation of Santo Domingo.
Babcock's tenure under President Grant was filled with controversy concerning involvement with the manipulation of both cabinet departments and appointments. Grant supported Babcock when he was accused of corruption. Grant's shielding of Babcock from political attack stemmed primarily from their shared experiences on the battlefield during the American Civil War. Indicted in the Whiskey Ring, Babcock was defended by President Grant in a historical deposition in 1876 that resulted in acquittal. Babcock was also appointed Superintendent of Public Buildings and Inspector of Lighthouses. Babcock served as chief engineer overseeing plans for the construction of Mosquito Inlet Lighthouse until 1884, when he drowned off Mosquito Inlet in Daytona Beach, Florida. His reputation is a combination of efficiency, loyalty to Grant, and involvement in corruption and scandal.
We need you!
Help us build the largest biographies collection on the web!
- Born
- Dec 25, 1835
Franklin - Also known as
- Orville Babcock
- Nationality
- United States of America
- Education
- United States Military Academy
- Lived in
- Vermont
- Died
- Jun 2, 1884
Daytona Beach - Resting place
- Arlington National Cemetery
Submitted
on July 23, 2013
Citation
Use the citation below to add to a bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"Orville E. Babcock." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/orville_e_babcock>.
Discuss this Orville E. Babcock biography with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In