Benjamin Bonneville
American officer and explorer who blazed parts of the Oregon Trail.
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Benjamin Louis Eulalie de Bonneville, a French-born American army officer, fur trapper, and explorer, is remembered for his journeys into the Oregon Country and the Great Basin, and for helping to establish sections of the Oregon Trail. His adventures were later popularized in a book by Washington Irving.
Early life
Bonneville was born near Paris in 1796 to a French publisher and his wife. When he was seven, his family moved to the United States, with their passage paid by Thomas Paine, who had lived with them in France and was godfather to Benjamin and his two brothers. Paine’s will left most of his estate to Bonneville’s mother, including 100 acres of his New Rochelle farm, so she could raise and educate her sons.
Early career
In 1813, Bonneville entered West Point, graduating in just two years as a brevet second lieutenant of light artillery. He served in New England, Mississippi, and Fort Smith in the Arkansas Territory. Promoted to captain in 1825, he was stationed at Fort Gibson in Indian Territory and later, after a trip to France where he was a guest of General Lafayette, transferred to Jefferson Barracks in Missouri in 1828.
Inspired by the writings of Hall J. Kelley and editorials in the St. Louis Enquirer, Bonneville sought to explore the West. Kelley appointed him to lead an expedition to the Oregon Country, but a lack of volunteers forced its cancellation.
Undeterred, Bonneville petitioned General Alexander Macomb for a 26-month leave of absence, arguing he could gather intelligence among Native Americans in the Oregon Country, then under joint U.S.-British occupation and largely controlled by the Hudson’s Bay Company. Macomb granted the leave from August 1831 to October 1833, instructing Bonneville to pose as a fur trader and collect information on the region’s natural history, climate, geography, and tribes. Private donors, including Alfred Seton and possibly John Jacob Astor, funded the expedition.
Marriage and family
Bonneville married and had a daughter, but both died. He did not remarry until after retiring from the army in 1866, when he settled in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and married Sue Neis.
Expedition of 1832
His most notable expedition began in May 1832, when he left Missouri with 110 men, including lieutenants Michael Cerre and Joseph R. Walker.
Lore & Background
Benjamin Bonneville was born in or near Paris, France, the son of publisher Nicholas Bonneville and Marguerite Brazier. When he was seven, his family moved to the United States; their passage was paid by Thomas Paine, who had lodged with the Bonnevilles and was godfather to Benjamin and his brothers.
Paine left the bulk of his estate to Marguerite, including 100 acres of his New Rochelle farm, so she could maintain and educate her sons. In 1813 Bonneville received an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating after two years as a brevet second lieutenant of light artillery. He served at posts in New England, Mississippi, and Fort Smith in the Arkansas Territory, and was promoted to captain in 1825 while at Fort Gibson in the Indian Territory.
Reader's Guide
Benjamin Bonneville's significance lies primarily in his exploration of the American West during the early 1830s, particularly his role in blazing portions of the Oregon Trail and his sponsorship of Joseph Walker's expedition, which discovered the California Trail. Though his fur trading venture was commercially unsuccessful—his fort was derided as 'Fort Nonsense' and he failed to trade with the Hudson's Bay Company—his detailed maps and notes, turned over to Washington Irving for $1,000, became the basis for Irving's 1837 book The Adventures of Captain Bonneville. This book made Bonneville famous and helped popularize the American West for eastern audiences. His reconnaissance, conducted under military orders to gather information on geography, climate, and Native tribes, contributed to U.S. knowledge of the Oregon Country and Great Basin during a period of joint occupation with Britain.
After his explorations, Bonneville successfully petitioned to have his commission reinstated and served in the Mexican–American War, taking part in the Veracruz campaign and the occupation of Mexico City. He was promoted to colonel of the 3rd Infantry Regiment in 1855 and later settled in Fort Smith, Arkansas, after retiring in 1866. His legacy endures as a figure who bridged military exploration, fur trade, and literary fame.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Benjamin Bonneville (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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