Charles Gratiot
Charles Gratiot | |
|---|---|
| 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, US |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1806–1838 |
| Rank | Colonel Brevet Brigadier General |
| Unit | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers |
| Commands | Chief of Engineers |
| Battles / wars | Battle of Mackinac Island, 1814, during War of 1812 |
| Spouse(s) | Ann Belin |
| Children | Mary Victoria Gratiot Julia Augusta Gratiot |
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. He made a career out of being a U.S. Army military engineer, becoming the Chief Engineer of the United States Corps of Engineers, and supervised construction of a number of important projects. He was dismissed by Martin Van Buren, which led to a protracted controversy.