Charles Gratiot
| Charles Gratiot | |
|---|---|
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| Birth name | Charles Chouteau Gratiot |
| Born |
August 29, 1786 St. Louis, Spanish Upper Louisiana Territory, present-day State of Missouri |
| Died |
May 18, 1855 (aged 68) St. Louis, Missouri |
| Buried at | Calvary Cemetery, St. Louis, Missouri |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1806–1838 |
| Rank |
Colonel Brevet Brigadier General |
| Unit | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers |
| Commands held | Chief of Engineers |
| Battles/wars | Battle of Mackinac Island, 1814, during War of 1812 |
| Spouse(s) | Ann Belin |
Charles Chouteau Gratiot (August 29, 1786 – May 18, 1855) was born in St. Louis, Spanish Upper Louisiana Territory, now the present-day State of Missouri. He was the son of Charles Gratiot, Sr., a fur trader in the Illinois country during the American Revolution, and Victoire Chouteau, who was from an important mercantile family. His father became a wealthy merchant, during the early years of St. Louis. After 1796, Charles was raised in the large stone house purchased by his father in St. Louis, near the Mississippi River.
President Thomas Jefferson personally appointed him (and 3 other young Missouri men) as a United States Military Academy cadet in July 1804. The U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, was the first school of engineering in the United States and graduated its first class in 1802. Gratiot was a member of the Class of 1806, the fourth graduating class, and was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers. He became a captain in 1808 and assisted Alexander Macomb in constructing fortifications in Charleston, South Carolina. He returned to his alma mater in 1810 to be commander of the Army garrison at West Point during 1810–1811.
As General William Henry Harrison's Chief Engineer in the War of 1812, he distinguished himself by planning and building Fort Meigs in 1813. He also rebuilt Fort St. Joseph, later renamed Fort Gratiot in his honor. In 1814 he took part in the attack of the Battle of Mackinac Island. He received the Thanks of Congress for his efforts during the war.
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Wikipedia