Class of 1805

Military History. — Cadet of the Military Academy, Oct. 24, 1804, to July 1, 1805, when he was graduated and promoted in the Army to

Second Lieut., Corps of Engineers, July 1, 1805.

Served: as Assistant Engineer at the fortifications of the inner harbor

(First Lieut., Corps of Engineers, Oct. 30, 1806)

of New York, 1805‑8, and on defenses of Chesapeake Bay and its tributary waters, 1808‑10; as Superintending Engineer of the works on

(Captain, Corps of Engineers, Feb. 23, 1808)

Governor's Island, New York harbor, 1810‑12; in the War of 1812‑15

(Major, Staff — Asst. Com.‑Gen. of Ordnance, June 18, 1812)

(Major, Corps of Engineers, July 6, 1812)

(Bvt. Lieut.-Colonel, Dec. 22, 1814, for Meritorious Services in the Ordnance Department)

with Great Britain, on Ordnance duty, and introduced Bomb Cannon under the name of "Columbiads;" as Member of Ordnance Boards, and

(Lieut.‑Colonel, Ordnance, Feb. 9, 1815)

on various other ordnance duties, from the termination of the War in 1815, till the re-organization of the Army, when he was retained as

Lieut.‑Colonel, 1st Artillery, June 1, 1821,

 p59  continuing, however, on Ordnance duty until the organization of the

(Bvt. Colonel, Feb. 9, 1825,
for Faithful Service Ten Years in one Grade)

Ordnance Corps, when he was promoted

Colonel and Chief of Ordnance of the U. S. Army,
May 30, 1832,

and placed in command of the Ordnance Corps and Ordnance Bureau, at Washington, D. C., which he held until Feb. 1, 1842, when he became Inspector of Arsenals, Ordnance, Arms and Munitions of War, continuing on this duty until Mar. 25, 1845, during which period he made ingenious and valuable experiments on the best form for pieces of heavy ordnance, which have since led to the adoption of the improved patterns of such cannon now used in the United States service. Member of the Board of Visitors to the Military Academy, 1845.

Died, Mar. 25, 1848, at Boston, Mas.: Aged 68.

Biographical Sketch.

Colonel George Bomford was born, in 1780, in New York; was graduated from the Military Academy, and promoted to the Corps of Engineers, July 1, 1805; served on various engineer duties, 1805‑12; and in the War of 1812‑15, against Great Britain, was on ordnance duty, receiving for his "meritorious services" the brevet of Lieut.‑Colonel, Dec. 22, 1814. To the skill and inventive talent of this invaluable officer the country, in the prosecution of this war, was much indebted, he being the only one well informed in the manufacture of ordnance and ordnance stores.​a Subsequently he invented bomb cannon under the name of "Columbiads." When the Ordnance Department was being reorganized, he was put at its head, May 30, 1832, as Colonel and Chief of Ordnance. Besides the performance of the administrative duties of his bureau, he was much engaged in making ingenious and valuable experiments to determine the best forms for cannon. He died, Mar. 25, 1848, at Boston, Mas., while on a tour of inspection to witness the casting of some heavy guns.