George Bomford

George Bomford
George Bomford, designer, inventor, and Inspector of Arsenals, Ordnance, Arms and Munitions of War from 1842 to 1845 (Cullum’s Register).
Born	1780 Long Island, New York
Died	25 March 1848 Boston, Massachusetts
Place of Burial	Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington, D.C.
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1805–1848
Rank	Colonel
Commands held	Chief of Ordnance
Battles/wars	War of 1812
Relations	James Vote (Voty Bomford) (son) George N. Bomford (grandson)

George Bomford (1780–1848) was a distinguished military officer in the United States Army and an inventor and designer of weapons and defensive installations.

George Bomford was born on Long Island, New York in 1780 during the American Revolutionary War, the son of a British officer, Thomas Bomford of the 60th Royal Artillery, and his wife. His birth records do not indicate an exact date of birth nor the name of his father. Bomford later told his son James the information, who reported it in records at Norwich University.

By a chance meeting, Bomford befriended the first graduate of West Point Joseph Gardner Swift. Swift sought and received a "Cadet's Warrant" from General Henry Dearborn for his friend, and Bomford was appointed to West Point from the state of New York on 23 October 1804, despite the circumstances of his birth.

After graduating from West Point in 1805, as a lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers, he served as assistant engineer on the defenses of New York Harbor under West Point superintendent and Chief of Engineers, Jonathan Williams (engineer) until 1808. From 1808 to 1810, Bomford served on the defenses of Chesapeake Bay. From 1810 to 1812 he served as the superintendent engineer of works on Governors Island in the construction of Castle Williams.

At the start of the war of 1812–1815, Bomford was a staff major in the ordnance department and was appointed to the post of assistant commissary general of ordnance on 18 June 1812. On 6 July 1812 he was attached to the Corps of Engineers.

After the war, on 9 February 1815 Bomford was promoted to lieutenant colonel. As an engineer, he and Joseph Gardner Swift were called upon to help rebuild the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., an effort that lasted from 1815 until 1819.