View source for Benjamin Bonneville

{{Short description|U.S. Army officer, fur trapper and explorer (1796–1878)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2025}}
{{Infobox military person
| name          = Benjamin Bonneville
| birth_name    = Benjamin Louis Eulalie de Bonneville
| birth_date    = {{birth date|1796|4|14}}
| death_date    = {{death date and age|1878|6|12|1796|4|14}}
| birth_place   = near [[Paris]], [[French First Republic]]
| death_place   = [[Fort Smith, Arkansas]], United States
| placeofburial = [[Bellefontaine Cemetery]],<br />[[St. Louis, Missouri]], United States
| placeofburial_label = Place of burial
| image         = Pd photo benjamin bonneville.jpg
| caption       = 
| allegiance    = [[United States]]<br />[[Union (American Civil War)|Union]]
| branch        = [[United States Army]]<br />[[Union Army]]
| serviceyears  = 1815–1866
| rank          = [[File:Union Army colonel rank insignia.png|35px]] [[Colonel]]<br />[[File:Union Army brigadier general rank insignia.svg|35px]] [[Brevet (military)|Brevet]] [[Brigadier general (United States)|Brigadier General]]
| commands      = [[3rd Infantry Regiment (United States)|3rd U.S. Infantry]]<br />[[Department of New Mexico]]
| unit          = 
| battles       = 
{{tree list}}
*[[Mexican–American War]]
*[[American Civil War]]
{{tree list/end}}
| awards        = 
| laterwork     = 
}}

'''Benjamin Louis Eulalie de Bonneville''' ({{IPA|fr|bɛ̃ʒamɛ̃ lwi ølali də bɔnvil}}; April 14, 1796 – June 12, 1878) was an American officer in the [[United States Army]], [[fur trade|fur trapper]], and explorer in the [[American West]]. He is noted for his expeditions to the [[Oregon Country]] and the [[Great Basin]], and in particular for blazing portions of the [[Oregon Trail]].

During his lifetime, Bonneville was made famous by an account of his explorations in the West written by [[Washington Irving]].

==Early life==
Benjamin was born in or near [[Paris]], France, the son of the French [[publisher]] [[Nicholas Bonneville]] and his wife [[Marguerite Brazier]].<!-- WAIT--WAIT! Before you remove the brackets, consider writing a new article! (1767–1846, Marguerite was a disciple of Bonneville's associate, the radical Feminist [[Etta Palm d'Alders]]),-- Paine -->  When he was seven, his family moved to the [[United States]]; their passage was paid by [[Thomas Paine]].  Paine had lodged with the Bonnevilles in France and was godfather to Benjamin and his two brothers, Louis and Thomas. In his will, Paine left the bulk of his estate to Marguerite who had cared for him until he died in 1809.  The inheritance included 100 acres (40.5 ha) of his [[New Rochelle, New York|New Rochelle]], [[New York (state)|New York]] [[Thomas Paine Cottage|farm]] where they had been living, so she could maintain and educate her sons.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.jdsupra.com/documents/49e15c7b-494c-471f-a34b-05713770e93a.pdf |title=Will of Thomas Paine |access-date=2012-07-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407084559/http://www.jdsupra.com/documents/49e15c7b-494c-471f-a34b-05713770e93a.pdf |archive-date=2014-04-07 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Early career==
In 1813 Bonneville received an appointment to the [[United States Military Academy]] at [[West Point, New York|West Point]], [[New York (state)|New York]]. He graduated after only two years, receiving a commission as [[Brevet (military)#Early use|brevet]] [[Second Lieutenant#United States|second lieutenant]] of light artillery. In his early career, he served at posts in [[New England]], [[Mississippi]], and at [[Fort Smith, Arkansas|Fort Smith]] in the [[Arkansas Territory]].

In 1824, he was taken to [[Fort Gibson, Oklahoma|Fort Gibson]] in the [[Indian Territory]] and promoted to [[Captain (United States)|captain]]. While traveling to France, he was a guest of [[Marquis de Lafayette|General Lafayette]]. After returning from France, he was transferred in 1828 to [[Jefferson Barracks]] in [[Missouri]].

While in Missouri, Bonneville was inspired by the writing of [[Hall J. Kelley]], as well as editorials in the ''St. Louis Enquirer'' (edited at the time by [[Thomas Hart Benton (senator)|Thomas Hart Benton]]) to join in the exploration of the American West. Bonneville met with Kelley, who was impressed by him and appointed him to lead one of the expeditions to the [[Oregon Country]]; it was scheduled to leave in early 1832. The lack of volunteers for the expedition forced the delay and eventual cancellation of the expedition, leaving Bonneville unrequited in his ambitions.

To pursue his desire to explore the west, he petitioned General [[Alexander Macomb (American general)|Alexander Macomb]] for a leave of absence from the military, arguing that he would be able to perform valuable reconnaissance among the [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] in the Oregon Country, which at the time was under a precarious joint occupation of the U.S. and [[United Kingdom|Britain]].  It was largely controlled by the [[Hudson's Bay Company]]. Macomb granted his request, a 26-month leave running from August 1831 to October 1833, and instructed him to gather all information that might be useful to the government.  In particular, he was to pose as a [[fur trader]] and find out the natural history of the region, its climates, soils, geography, topography, mineral production, geology, and the character of the local tribes. Expenses for his exploration were paid by private donors, including Astorian Alfred Seton and possibly [[John Jacob Astor]].<ref name=OntkoI>Ontko, Gale. ''Thunder Over the Ochoco,'' Volume I: ''The Gathering Storm'', Bend, OR: Maverick Publications, Inc., 1997</ref>

==Marriage and family==
Bonneville married and had a daughter with his wife. After both his first wife and daughter died, he did not remarry until after retiring from the military in 1866, when he settled in [[Fort Smith, Arkansas]].  There he married Sue Neis.<ref name="BH" />

==Expedition of 1832==
The expedition that would be known as the most notable accomplishment of his life began in May 1832, when Bonneville left Missouri with 110 men, with field lieutenants [[Michael Cerre]] and [[Joseph R. Walker]].<ref name=OntkoI /> The voyage was financed by John Jacob Astor, a rival of the [[Hudson's Bay Company]]. The expedition proceeded from [[Fort Osage]] on the [[Missouri River]], up to the [[Platte River]], and across present-day [[Wyoming]]. It reached the [[Green River (Colorado River)|Green River]] in August and built a fur trading post,<ref name=OntkoI /> which it named [[Fort Bonneville]]. The mountain men called it "Fort Nonsense" and it was never used for trading.<ref name=OntkoI />

In the spring of 1833, Bonneville explored along the [[Snake River]] in present-day [[Idaho]], drifting into the head of the [[Salmon River (Idaho)|Salmon River]] and eventually into [[Fort Nez Perce]].<ref name=OntkoI /> During this trip he engaged a guide, John Enos (Enos), a 10-year-old Shoshone nephew of [[Gourd Rattler]] (''Washakie'') and ''[[Pahdasherwahundah]]'' (Iron Wristbands); Enos later served as a scout for the Fremont expedition.<ref name=OntkoII>Ontko, Gale. ''Thunder Over the Ochoco,'' Volume II: ''Distant Thunder'', {{ISBN|0-89288-248-4}} Bend, OR: Maverick Publications, Inc., Fourth Printing, August 1997.</ref>

He also sent a party of men under Walker to explore the [[Great Salt Lake]] and find an overland route to [[California]]. Walker discovered a route along the [[Humboldt River]] across present-day [[Nevada]], as well as [[Walker Pass]] across the [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada]]. The path later became known as the [[California Trail]], the primary route for immigrants to the gold fields during the [[California Gold Rush]]. Much speculation has surrounded Bonneville's motivation for sending Walker to California. Some historians have speculated that he was attempting to lay the groundwork for an eventual invasion of California, then part of [[Mexico]], by the [[United States Army]].

[[John McLoughlin]], the director of the Columbia operations of the Hudson's Bay Company at [[Fort Vancouver]] on the [[Columbia River]], heard of Bonneville's mission. He forbade his traders from doing business with Bonneville and his men. Bonneville reported that many of the [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] he encountered in the Snake River were also reluctant to displease the Hudson's Bay Company by trading with Americans.

In the summer of 1833, Bonneville ventured into the [[Wind River Range]] in present-day Wyoming to trade with the [[Shoshone]]. By this time, he realized that he would not be able to return east by October as planned. He wrote a lengthy letter to General Macomb summarizing some of his findings and requesting more time, specifically to survey the [[Columbia River]] and parts of the [[Southwestern United States|Southwest]] before his return.

==Trying to reach Oregon==
[[File:Benjamin Louis Eulalie de Bonneville.jpg|thumb|Benjamin Louis Eulalie de Bonneville]]
After spending the early winter at [[Fort Bonneville]], he set out westward in January 1834 with the goal of reaching the [[Willamette Valley]]. He and his men traveled down the Snake River, through [[Hells Canyon]], and into the [[Wallowa Mountains]], where they found a hospitable welcome by the [[Nez Perce (tribe)|Nez Perces]] along the [[Imnaha River]].

On March 4, 1834, they reached [[Fort Nez Perces]], the outpost of the Hudson's Bay Company at the confluence of the [[Walla Walla River]] with the Columbia. [[Pierre Pambrun]], the HBC commander of the fort, welcomed him but refused to do business with him. Empty handed, Bonneville and men retraced their course back to southeast Idaho and made camp on the [[Portneuf River (Idaho)|Portneuf River]].

In July he made a second trip west, determined to trade with the Hudson's Bay Company. He followed an easier route across the [[Blue Mountains (Oregon)|Blue Mountains]], where he met Nathaniel Wyeth once again and camped along the [[Grande Ronde River]]. By this time he and his men had become desperate for food and supplies. At Fort Nez Perces, they found the same rejection from Pambrun. Instead of returning immediately east, Bonneville and men journeyed down the Columbia towards Fort Vancouver. Along the river, he attempted to trade with [[Sahaptin people|Sahaptins]] but without success. He came to realize that he would probably receive the same rejection from McLoughlin at Fort Vancouver and decided to turn back east.

He spent the winter of 1834–35 with the Shoshone along the upper [[Bear River (Great Salt Lake)|Bear River]], and in April 1835 began the voyage back to Missouri. He reached [[Independence, Missouri|Independence]] by August and discovered that although his letter requesting an extension had arrived, it had not been delivered to Macomb. In the meantime, his commission had been revoked.

==Washington Irving==
Bonneville journeyed east hoping to be able to recover his commission. On the way to [[Washington, D.C.]], he stopped in [[New York City]] where he was received by his patron [[John Jacob Astor]]. While staying with Astor, Bonneville met [[Washington Irving]]. Bonneville regaled Irving with tales of his adventures, tales that Bonneville planned to include in a book he was working on.

A month or two later, Irving visited Bonneville again, at the D.C. barracks where the latter was staying. Bonneville was having difficulties writing his adventures. The two of them agreed that for the sum of $1000 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|1000|1836}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars {{inflation-fn|US}}), Bonneville would turn over his maps and notes so that Irving could use them as the basis for his third "Western" book. The result was ''The Adventures of Captain Bonneville'', [[1837 in literature|published in 1837]].

==More military service==
[[File:Grave of Benjamin Louis Eulalie de Bonneville (1796–1878) at Bellefontaine Cemetery, St. Louis.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Bonneville's grave at Bellefontaine Cemetery]]

In Washington, Bonneville petitioned tirelessly to [[United States Secretary of War|Secretary of War]] [[Lewis Cass]] to have his commission reinstated. In early 1836 he was successful. In subsequent years, he was given assignments on the western frontier at [[Fort Kearny]] in the [[Nebraska Territory]] and in the [[New Mexico Territory]] at [[Fort Fillmore]], where he became the commander of the third infantry regiment on February 3, 1855, after the death of Colonel Thomas Staniford. He also served in the [[Mexican–American War]], taking part in the [[Veracruz]] campaign of [[Winfield Scott]]. He was part of the occupation of [[Mexico City]]. He was promoted to [[colonel]] of the [[3rd Infantry Regiment (United States)|3rd Infantry Regiment]] in 1855, and twice commanded the [[Department of New Mexico]].

Bonneville retired from active service in 1861 but was soon recalled to duty during the [[American Civil War|Civil War]]. From 1861 to 1863 he served as superintendent of recruiting in Missouri, and from 1862 to 1865 as commander of [[Benton Barracks]] in St. Louis.<ref>Eicher p.137</ref> At the end of the war he was [[Brevet (military)|breveted]] as a [[Brigadier general (United States)|brigadier general]] in honor of his long and distinguished career.

He retired a second time in 1866 and moved to [[Fort Smith, Arkansas]], where he married Sue Neis.<ref name="BH">[http://www.bonnevillehouse.com/history_bonneville_house.html "History"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310090738/http://www.bonnevillehouse.com/history_bonneville_house.html |date=March 10, 2012 }}, The Bonneville House, accessed September 3, 2011</ref>

Bonneville died at age 82 in 1878. He is buried at [[Bellefontaine Cemetery]] in [[St. Louis, Missouri]].

Bonneville was eligible to join both the [[Aztec Club of 1847]] and the [[Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States]], military societies for officers who had served in the [[Mexican–American War|Mexican War]] and [[American Civil War]], respectively, but he did not join either.

==Dates of rank==
* Cadet, United States Military Academy – April 14, 1813
* Brevet 2nd Lieutenant, Light Artillery – December 11, 1815
* 2nd Lieutenant, 8th Infantry – March 10, 1819
* 1st Lieutenant, 8th Infantry – July 9, 1820
* 1st Lieutenant, 7th Infantry – June 1, 1821
* Captain, 7th Infantry – October 4, 1825
* Dropped – March 31, 1834
* Reinstated – April 19, 1836
* Major, 6th Infantry – July 15, 1845
* Brevet Lieutenant Colonel – August 20, 1847
* Lieutenant Colonel, 4th Infantry – May 7, 1849
* Colonel, 3rd Infantry – February 3, 1855
* Retired – September 9, 1861
* Brevet Brigadier General – March 13, 1865<ref>Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army, 1789–1903. Vol. 1. p. 230.</ref>

==Namesakes==
Bonneville's [[namesake]]s include:
* [[Booneville, Arkansas]], an altered spelling of Bonneville
* Bonneville Avenue, [[Las Vegas, Nevada]]
* [[Bonneville County, Idaho]]
* [[Bonneville Mountain]], Wallowa Mountains of Oregon
* [[Bonneville Salt Flats]]
* [[Bonneville Shoreline Trail]]
* [[Lake Bonneville]], the [[Pleistocene]] ancestor of the [[Great Salt Lake]]
* [[Bonneville Slide]]
* [[Pebble Creek, Idaho|Bonneville Peak]] in the [[Portneuf River (Idaho)|Portneuf Range]]
* [[Bonneville High School (Idaho)|Bonneville High School]] in [[Idaho Falls, Idaho|Idaho Falls]], Idaho
* [[Bonneville High School (Utah)|Bonneville High School]] in [[Washington Terrace, Utah]]
* [[Bonneville Elementary School (Utah)|Bonneville Elementary School]] in [[Salt Lake City, Utah]]
* [[Bonneville Dam]], after which the [[Bonneville Power Administration]] (BPA) was named
* [[Pontiac Bonneville]], an automobile produced by [[General Motors]] from 1957 to 2005
* [[Triumph Bonneville]], a line of motorcycles made by the British company [[Triumph Motorcycles Ltd|Triumph]]
* [[Bonneville International]], a broadcasting company
* [http://www.bonnevillehouse.com/ The Bonneville House], Event Center in Fort Smith, Arkansas, once home to Sue Neis
* [[Bonneville (crater)]] on [[Mars]].
* {{SS|Benjamin Bonneville}}, a [[World War II]] [[Liberty Ship]].

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography|American Civil War}}

==References==
{{reflist|22em}}
* {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517124639/http://www.endoftheoregontrail.org/oregontrails/bonneville.html|title=EndofTheOregonTrail.org: Benjamin Bonneville|date=May 17, 2008}}

==Further reading==
{{cite book|last1=Irving|first1=Washington|title=The Adventures of Captain Bonneville: or Scenes, Incidents, and Adventures in the Far West|date=6 February 2018 |publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform |isbn=978-1-985076-49-5}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Benjamin Louis Eulalie de Bonneville}}
{{EB1911 poster|Bonneville, Benjamin L. E. |Benjamin L. E. Bonneville}}
* {{Gutenberg author |id=620| name=Benjamin Louis Eulalie de Bonneville}}
* {{Internet Archive author |search=(subject:"Bonneville, Benjamin, 1796-1878" OR creator:"Bonneville, Benjamin, 1796-1878" OR creator:"Bonneville, Benjamin" OR creator:"Benjamin Bonneville" OR title:"Benjamin Bonneville" OR description:"Benjamin Bonneville" OR "Benjamin Louis Eulalie de Bonneville")}}
* [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/America/United_States/Army/USMA/Cullums_Register/155*.html Cullum's Register of Graduates of the United States Military Academy]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bonneville, Benjamin}}
[[Category:1796 births]]
[[Category:1878 deaths]]
[[Category:French emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Military personnel from New Rochelle, New York]]
[[Category:19th-century American explorers]]
[[Category:French explorers of North America]]
[[Category:American fur traders]]
[[Category:Mountain men]]
[[Category:American military personnel of the Mexican–American War]]
[[Category:United States Army colonels]]
[[Category:United States Military Academy alumni]]
[[Category:People of Missouri in the American Civil War]]
[[Category:Union army generals]]
[[Category:Explorers of Oregon]]
[[Category:People from American folklore]]
[[Category:Burials at Bellefontaine Cemetery]]