The Biographical Dictionary of America/Alvord, Benjamin

ALVORD, Benjamin, soldier, was born at Rutland, Vt., Aug. 18, 1813. He was graduated from West Point in 1833, and served in the Seminole war. In 1839 he was mathematical instructor at the U.S. military academy, and was employed in garrison and frontier duty from 1840 to 1846. He served in the Mexican war, being promoted for meritorious conduct to the rank of major, and was General Riley's chief of staff in the march from Vera Cruz. He was promoted to paymaster in 1854; to brigadier-general of volunteers in 1862; and in 1865 was breveted brigadier-general in the regular army. He was chief of the pay department from 1872 until 1881, in which year he was placed on the retired list. He wrote a number of essays on matters relating to his profession, and also a treatise on mathematics. He died Oct. 16, 1884.